Jesse Cramer had two engineering degrees and a stable, well-paying career designing hardware for an aerospace company. Then one day, about six months into his first job out of college, he looked at his 401(k) statement and saw $11,000 sitting there. That single moment sparked an interest in investing and compound interest that eventually pulled him out of engineering altogether and into a career managing other people's money.
Jesse talks with Chris Hill about:
- Why he kept a full-time engineering career for years after that moment
- Starting a finance blog after colleagues kept asking him 401(k) questions at work
- What surprised him most about managing real money for clients versus just writing about it
- The hot tub purchase he still regrets and what it taught him
Why do YOU listen to Money Unplugged? Tell us at info@moneyunpluggedpod.com.

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Opening clip – “Moneyball”

Alison Kosik spent years reporting live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for CNN—and for most of that time, she wasn't investing a dollar of her own money. She could explain the market to millions of viewers, but couldn't bring herself to trust herself with her own finances.
Alison talks with Chris Hill about:
- How her parents' fights about money affected her financial confidence as an adult
- Taking a $13,000-a-year TV job in Corpus Christi and sleeping on a piece of foam to pursue her journalism career
- The divorce that finally pushed her to start investing with confidence
- Why she didn't truly believe in the power of compounding until recently
Check out Alison's book, What's Up With Women and Money? How to Do All the Financial Stuff You've Been Avoiding, wherever books are sold.

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Opening clip – “Wall Street”

We all outsource some part of our financial life — taxes, investments, retirement contributions, etc. But it turns out you can outsource the small stuff too! Even if that means leaning on the person sitting next to you at a blackjack table.
In this holiday weekend solo episode, Chris Hill covers:
- A favor to ask of you — why do you listen to Money Unplugged, and what do you get out of it? (Email: info@moneyunpluggedpod.com)
- One thing every guest on this show, every Marvel superhero, and even America itself have in common
- What two very experienced friends taught him about knowing when to ask for help
Opening clip – “The Color of Money”