Financially Independent Teachers

Hosted by Dave Fleischer

Business Education

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Episodes

278

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the Financially Independent Teachers Podcast- where educators come together to discuss their journey on the road to financial independence. Each week, Dave and Brandon interview teachers who are winning with money and welcome financial industry experts like JL Collins, Andy Hill, Andrew Hallam (Millionaire Teacher) and Rachel Cruze (daughter of Dave Ramsey). There are plenty of voices in the teachers' lounge telling you that you can't build wealth on an educator income, let FIT provide hope that you CAN!

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60 recent

August 16, 2026Episode 28048 min

EP 280-California Personal Finance Teacher Worth 5 Million+

Send us Fan Mail Todd is getting ready to start his 27th year teaching as a California Personal Finance educator. Growing up in a lower middle class family, he ended up marrying his college sweetheart from Arizona State University. As a teen, his wife spent some time being homeless. Together, they decided they would NEVER live the way they grew up and wanted more for themselves. Teaching has taken Todd from AZ to TX and now California. Todd's took some risks in life and they have paid off, for the most part. He believes his job as a teacher enables him to take risks that others cannot because he has the pension and so much time off to study deals and make moves. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

August 9, 2026Episode 27952 min

EP 279-Elementary PE Teacher Working on Debt and Enjoying Life

Send us Fan Mail Megan is a New Bern elementary PE teacher who is "Dave-ish" when it comes to Mr. Ramsey's plan. Their family uses the Every Dollar app, and keeps track of every dollar that comes in. The dollars that Megan brings in is where it gets interesting. A NC Unicorn with masters and nationally board pay, Megan also drives the school bus, making an extra 10k+ each school year. In addition, she runs summer camps for her local parks and rec. She even helped one of her kids get a gig helping a local catering business. Guess what? Megan decided to get on board, too! Through all the extra hard work and debt payoff, she made a commitment that when she had kids, she would always take a two week vacation with them each year. Even though she could have been debt free by now, she is balancing travel, family, extra work and the debt. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

August 2, 2026Episode 27842 min

EP 278-Nebraska Science Teacher Steps Away to Help Teachers

Send us Fan Mail Brian is a father, husband, educator & coach in small town Nebraska. He enjoys travel, the outdoors, camping & sports. As a high school science teacher, Brian coached four sports & mowed lawns in the summer to stay ahead between athletics, travel & kids' activities. Like many young educators, his family was living paycheck to paycheck, blindly putting money into various "investments" & hoping someday they'd have money for retirement. He had no formal financial education , little understanding of account types or investing vehicles, & no goals or investing strategy . One thing he had going for himself was being debt-averse...but they still always had debt. Somewhere in the messy middle , Brian started learning about finance & his missteps. Over time he read & listened to dozens of finance books, consumed thousands of hours of podcasts & YouTube, & used & created several tools to streamline & automate our finances. What started as a dream of F.I.R.E. (financial independence retire early) eventually evolved into a business model around financial planning for educators. Now his goal is to help others on their financial journey. After 18 years in the classroom, Brian is now full blown in the finance world. Brian's Website https://youreverydayroi.com/ Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

July 26, 2026Episode 27754 min

EP 277-Ohio Teacher Rebounds After Divorce

Send us Fan Mail Eric's story is rooted in real-life experience. After a divorce, he found himself rebuilding as a father of three children. Along the way, he met an incredible woman, and together they committed to paying off debt and creating a strong financial foundation. As Eric learned more about managing money, he began teaching personal finance to high school juniors, turning a personal challenge into a professional passion. Today, after seven years of marriage, Eric and his wife make budgeting and financial planning a priority, and that commitment has helped them build a thriving life together. Together, they are now NW millionaires! Financial success wasn’t the result of having all the answers from the beginning—it came from being willing to learn, make adjustments, and keep moving forward. That mindset has transformed their finances, strengthened their marriage, and given Eric the opportunity to help the next generation make better financial decisions than many of us weren't taught to make. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

July 19, 2026Episode 27643 min

EP 276-TX Educator Retired at 50 is now a SLOMAD---2+ Million NW

Send us Fan Mail Eric walked away from his W2 job in education at the age of 50. He didn't have enough years of service to access his pension at 50, but him and his wife had over 1 million dollars in a taxable brokerage account to live off of in retirement. One day, the pension will come, until then, Eric still works as an educational consultant. With a paid for home, Eric and his wife plan on eventually selling, whenever their find their "forever" location. Currently, they are adventuring throughout the US doing what they call SLOMADING. Annoyed with quick travel and only seeing the "touristy" spots, they are dabbling into a slower paced travel, utilizing platforms like Furnished Finder to stay for 2-3 months in one spot, living like a local. So far, they have tried this approach in Omaha, NE...Coastal NC/SC, and their next pit stop is in the high desert in NM. They are trying to find their retirement spot, and they will travel the nation until they do so! Check out their website...Early Exit, Open Road! https://earlyexitopenroad.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTKcQtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOWTNMSWJ6N2FoNnpDdU1vc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHufomQCj17Inha7QhA-h8YJ-i_sjVzwXouhUiLNhi6CUdJ0hb2tTRPf9QRZS_aem_x2wxbnS0VvlcraB6cB-Lpg Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

July 12, 2026Episode 2751 hr 0 min

EP 275-Married NC Music Teachers Approaching 1 Million Dollar Net Worth by 40

Send us Fan Mail These married NC music teachers are making it happen! Mid 30's and maxing out Roth IRAs, two future NC pensions in their early 50's, social security in the future...they will have a combined income of 130kish in their 60's. They take advantage of their time off in the summer by running a fireworks rent for 2 weeks each summer. They hustle extremely hard for the two weeks leading up to the 4th and make TWO MONTHS worth of teacher income in those two weeks. They are Dave Ramsey inspired, but have had to work through different financial backgrounds to come together and "make it happen" on their NC teacher salaries. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

July 5, 2026Episode 2741 hr 8 min

EP 274-Adventerous International Math Teacher Hits 1 Million NW Before Age 37

Send us Fan Mail 16-year veteran math teacher, Noah started his journey in education through ACE, The Alliance for Catholic Education, at the University of Notre Dame. During this program, he moved from Indiana to Florida...making less than 25k as a catholic school teacher. After completion, he moved home to suburban Minneapolis to teach HS math at his Alma mater. While teaching, Noah also began side hustling as a black jack dealer at a local casino, and as a DJ... all while keeping rent low, living with 5 buddies in a multi-family housing unit. Home was great, but adventure called. Soon, Noah was off to teach internationally in Vietnam, where he met his now wife who is also an international educator. Low cost of living in Vietnam and the lessons learned living off of less than 25k in Florida enabled Noah to save and invest thousands. Expecting their first child this summer, Noah and his wife have realized a lifelong dream to life in Europe and are both teaching in Prague. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

June 28, 2026Episode 27335 min

EP 273-From Homeless to Professor---Anthony O'Neal

Send us Fan Mail After graduating from South View HS in NC, at the age 19, he was homeless, in debt and sleeping in his car. Today he has built a multiple 7-figure business and coached millions of people out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle. As a minority who did not grow up wealthy or with any financial literacy, he has made it his mission to equip people in the same scenario to break generational wealth gaps. A recent study found that 39% of American workers say living paycheck to paycheck would actually be an improvement to their current financial situation, with 44% over-drafting their bank accounts the month prior. This summer, Anthony's newest book will help inspire you to not live check to check . https://stoplivingpaychecktopaycheckbook.com/

June 21, 2026Episode 27256 min

EP 272-Retired Maine Teacher on the Hidden Cost of Time

Send us Fan Mail Paul is a recently retired teacher from Maine, but growing up on a farm caused him to inherit his family's frugal nature. Newly retired, Paul has been scheduling opportunities to share his presentation to help teachers called "The Hidden Cost of Time". Paul is on a mission to help save teachers from high fee investments and has a passion for helping others build financial independence. Starting in the late 80's, Paul was tricked into the typical tax-deferred annuities by the sharp dressed person giving out free Pizza in the teacher lounge. Once he discovered the truth of the high fees, he became a big believer in low-cost index funds and ETFs. Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

June 14, 2026Episode 27146 min

EP 271-Indianapolis Teacher and Reservist

Send us Fan Mail Reid says a frugal lifestyle is as regular to him as brushing his teeth each day. From McDonald's worker, to Econ teacher, to Econ professor, and reservist in the military...Reid has done it all! Be a guest on the show: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8 Check out our website: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/ Sign up for FIT coaching: https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4