TrailMarkers By Expedition Money
by TrailMarkers By Expedition Money
Financial wellness programs are supposed to help people become more financially confident and secure. We want to help people get fully invested in themselves and their future. The Expedition Money financial wellness program is unique. First, I have designed it based on my personal journey from financial stability to failures to success. I have built the programs and content to share step-by-step processes to solve the most common financial challenges and delve into subjects that most programs don’t want to tackle.
Episodes
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Free Childcare for National Guard Drill Weekends
An E3 can earn a few hundred dollars for a drill weekend, then spend more than that on childcare. Peter covers Upwards Military Childcare Assistance, the little-known program that can cover drill-day care at no cost. What you'll learn: - Why childcare costs push Guard and Reserve families to miss...
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The Cooling-Off Rule That Can Undo a Bad Deal
You signed a refinance, a home equity loan, or a $12,000 roof pitch, and at 2am you regret it. Peter explains the right of rescission and FTC cooling-off rules that can legally unwind certain deals. What you'll learn: - What the right of rescission covers for mortgages, refinances, and home…
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Is Lucid Motors About to Collapse
Lucid built one of the most efficient EVs on the planet, then watched internet reviews and cash burn dominate the story. Peter asks whether Lucid is doomed, or whether the real cliff is math, not MKBHD. What you'll learn: - How a brutal Fisker Ocean review became a cautionary tale for EV startups…
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Add Your Driver License to Apple Wallet Today
Airport security, shoes half off, and your wallet is already on the conveyor belt. Peter walks through adding a real digital driver's license to Apple Wallet, state by state, without the tech-bro speedrun. What you'll learn: - What a digital ID in Apple Wallet actually is (and what it is not) -...
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After-Hours Emails Are Quietly Ruining Work
Your phone lights up at 10pm, and somehow Greg wants everyone to know he's still grinding. Peter digs into after-hours messaging, what the research says about respect, and why some countries made late work emails illegal. What you'll learn: - Why midnight emailers often signal status theater more...
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The Hard Truth About Quitting to Go Solo
Leaving a solid job to "go out on your own" sounds like freedom until the network, the title and the safety net disappear. Peter unpacks business failure rates, hiring bias against the self-employed, and why most people should keep the paycheck. What you'll learn: - Why a corporate title often...
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Why Hawaii Needs Financial Wellness Now
Median homes over a million dollars, milk near eight dollars a gallon, and electricity nearly triple the mainland average. Peter argues Hawaii's banks and local institutions should treat financial wellness as survival strategy, not a nice-to-have. What you'll learn: - Why Hawaii's cost of living...
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Is Uber Lobbying to Slow Down Robotaxis
Uber's CEO calls self-driving a trillion-dollar opportunity, while Uber-backed draft rules would keep human drivers in the majority for years. Peter asks the awkward question: if the car needs no driver, does it still need Uber? What you'll learn: - Uber's public robotaxi enthusiasm versus its...
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Why World Cup Host Hotels Are Still Empty
FIFA promises a historic 2026 World Cup windfall for North America, but hotels in host cities say bookings are missing the hype. Peter digs into empty rooms, the winners' curse of mega events, and whether America finally adopted soccer. What you'll learn: - What hotel surveys in 11 US host cities...
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Stop Obsessing Over the YouTube Algorithm
Somewhere right now, someone with 800 subscribers is selling a $400 course on how to beat the YouTube algorithm, and people are buying it. Peter explains why chasing the algorithm is a trap, and what actually moves the needle for creators. What you'll learn: - Why algorithm courses sell so well...
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The Homestead Exemption That Cuts Your Property Tax
If you own and live in your home, a homestead exemption can lower your property tax bill every single year. Peter overpaid for two years before a neighbor told him about it. Here's how to make sure you don't. What you'll learn: - What a homestead exemption is, and how it lowers your home's...
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Why Amazon Alexa Feels Like a Sales Machine
Ask Alexa to play some music and you get a pitch for Amazon Music Unlimited instead. Peter breaks down why America's most popular voice assistant became so annoying, and how it stacks up against ChatGPT, Google Assistant and Siri. What you'll learn: - How every request turned into an upsell, and...
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How I Bought Part of a Coffee Company for $500
For $500, Peter became a part owner of Blackout Coffee, and he did it from his couch on a Saturday afternoon. Here's how equity crowdfunding on StartEngine works, and the real risks to understand before you try it. What you'll learn: - What equity crowdfunding is, and how it opens private company...
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Crush AI Voice Recorder Review for Getting Things Done
Your best ideas show up while you're driving, shopping or falling asleep, and they're gone before you can type them. Peter reviews the Crush AI voice recorder, the one-button capture tool he uses with his GTD system, including the catch you should know before you buy. What you'll learn: - Why...
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Why US Food Uses Dyes That Europe Warns About
The red maraschino cherry, the neon blue sports drink and the rainbow cereal can all owe their color to petroleum-based dyes. In Europe, many of the same brands use beet juice, turmeric and paprika instead. Here's why America took a different path. What you'll learn: - How synthetic dyes entered...
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Why Subway Closed Thousands of Stores
Subway once had more locations than McDonald's, with more than 27,000 US stores at its 2015 peak. Since then, thousands have closed. Here's what went wrong behind the counter. What you'll learn: - How Fred DeLuca borrowed $1,000 in 1965 and grew one sandwich shop into the world's largest…
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Does 852 Hz Really Help ADHD? What the Science Says
Millions of people play 852 Hz "solfeggio" tracks to focus, calm down or manage ADHD. Is there any science behind it, or is it just another wellness trend? Here's what the evidence says. What you'll learn: - Where the solfeggio frequency story comes from, and why music historians say it doesn't...
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The Last Rooftop Owner Fighting the Chicago Cubs
The Ricketts family now owns most of the rooftops across from Wrigley Field. One owner next to a firehouse refused to sign the Cubs' new deal. This is the story of his fight with a billion-dollar franchise, recorded in June 2025. What you'll learn: - How free rooftop views from 1914 turned into a...
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How the University of Michigan Became a Research Giant
The University of Michigan was founded in 1817, 20 years before Michigan became a state. Here's how a frontier school in Detroit grew into one of the world's top public research universities. What you'll learn: - The 1817 Catholepistemiad in Detroit, the move to Ann Arbor and the 1841 opening…
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Why the Hated Aston Martin Cygnet Became a Collector Car
Take a Toyota iQ, add a hand-finished Aston Martin interior and charge more than 3 times the price. The Aston Martin Cygnet flopped. Now collectors want it. Here's how the most controversial city car became a mistake people actually want to own. What you'll learn: - Why EU fleet CO2 rules pushed…
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Why Tim Hortons Struggles to Win Over Americans
In Canada, Tim Hortons is a national institution with about 80% of coffee sales. In the US, it has struggled for 3 decades, with stores opening to fanfare and closing quietly from Buffalo to Columbus to St. Louis. Here's why. In this episode you will learn: - How hockey player Tim Horton's 1964...
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How the Chicago Cubs Quietly Took Over Wrigley's Rooftops
For decades, fans watched Cubs games from the rooftops across Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. Today the team owns most of them. This is the story of power, property rights and a billionaire family's plan for the view of America's most beloved ballpark. In this episode you will learn: - How...
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Why the Slate EV Is Doomed but I Still Put Down a Deposit
Peter Waitzman loves the Slate EV's modular idea, and he even put down a $50 deposit. But he thinks a few choices will keep the Bezos-backed electric truck from going mainstream. In this episode you will hear: - Why no rear doors rules it out for many families with car seats - Why the "$20,000...
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How Arizona State Became the Most Innovative University
U.S. News has named Arizona State University the most innovative school in America year after year, ahead of MIT and Stanford. How did a tiny territorial teachers' college with 33 students become a university that serves more than 140,000 people? In this episode you will learn: - ASU's start in...
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The Electric Muscle Car That Backfired on Dodge
Dodge promised the world's first electric muscle car: 670 horsepower and a synthetic exhaust as loud as a rock concert. Buyers did not bite. In this episode you will learn: - Why Dodge built the Charger Daytona EV as the Hemi V8 faced the end - The Fratzonic chambered exhaust, and why critics say...
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Do Catholic Priests Really Take a Vow of Poverty?
Not every Catholic priest takes a vow of poverty. Here is who does, what it means day to day, and how parish priests get paid. In this episode you will learn: - The difference between diocesan priests, who promise obedience and celibacy but not poverty, and religious orders like the Franciscans,...
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The Tulip Bubble Myth: What History Gets Wrong
Tulip mania is the most famous cautionary tale about financial bubbles. But historian Anne Goldgar's research in the Dutch archives suggests most of the story is exaggerated. In this episode you will learn: - The classic story, popularized by Charles Mackay's 1841 book Extraordinary Popular...
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Where Did the Haiti Hurricane Aid Money Go?
After Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti in October 2016, aid money was supposed to help restore communications. This episode follows the story of an emergency phone program and asks where the money went. In this episode you will hear: - How Hurricane Matthew devastated southern Haiti and cut off...
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Tulip Mania Myth: Can We Trust the History We Hear?
Peter Waitzman loves the Stuff You Should Know podcast, but a recent episode retold the old tulip mania story, and it got him wondering how much of the history we hear is exaggerated. In this episode you will hear: - Why newer research says tulip mania was a small market of wealthy buyers, not a...
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The Bitcoin Pizza Story: 10,000 Bitcoin for 2 Pizzas
Would you pay 10,000 Bitcoin for 2 pizzas? Someone did. Peter Waitzman reads chapter 4, Some Serious Dough, from his book Amazing Money Stories, then shares his own Bitcoin story. In this episode you will hear: - How programmer Laszlo Hanyecz traded 10,000 Bitcoin for 2 Papa John's pizzas on May...
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Why You Should Load Your Cards Into Apple Pay Before Travel
Lose your credit card on a trip and you could be stuck for days. Peter Waitzman explains why loading your cards into Apple Wallet before you travel can keep you paying. In this episode you will learn: - How Apple Pay uses a device account number instead of your card number - Why your wallet card...
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Amazing Money Stories: True Tales of Greed, Luck & Success
Peter Waitzman just finished his latest book, Amazing Money Stories: True Tales of Greed, Generosity, Success and Luck. It has over 100 real money stories, each just a few minutes long. You will hear a taste of: - The world's most expensive pizza - A $4 thrift store find that turned into $8…
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Why and How to Start a Side Hustle Right Now
Side hustles can move you from getting by to getting ahead. In this full presentation, Peter Waitzman explains why cost cutting alone has limits, how much side hustles really pay and how to pick one that fits you. In this episode you will learn: - Why budgets focus on cost cutting, and the red...
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How to Build a Personal Brand: The DRIP Method
Your personal brand is what people say about you when you leave the room. Peter Waitzman shares the DRIP method for building a brand that is true to you and that helps your career, your income and your reputation. In this episode you will learn: - Why Peter's YouTube side hustle struggled until…
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The Rise and Fall of VCD: The Forgotten Movie Format That Changed Home Entertainment Before DVD
Before DVDs and streaming, there was a forgotten movie format that briefly promised the future of home entertainment—the Video CD (VCD). In this episode, we explore the fascinating rise and fall of VCD, the digital movie format introduced in the early 1990s that stored feature films on standard...
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The FIFA Corruption Scandal Explained: $150M Bribes, World Cup Vote Buying & the FBI Informant Who Brought It Down
What really happened behind the biggest corruption scandal in soccer history? In this episode, we uncover the shocking true story of the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal—the FBI investigation that exposed more than 24 years of bribery, money laundering, vote buying, and fraud inside the world's most...
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The Masters' Invisible Trash: Augusta National's Most Brilliant Secret Explained
Did you know Augusta National designed its trash to disappear? In this episode, we uncover one of the most fascinating—and surprisingly brilliant—details behind The Masters Tournament. Every cup, sandwich wrapper, trash bag, and food container at Augusta National is intentionally made a deep…
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How Google Maps Killed MapQuest: The Untold Story
Before Google Maps, before smartphones, and before GPS guided every turn, there was MapQuest—the website that transformed the way millions of people traveled. In this nostalgic episode, we explore the incredible rise and surprising decline of MapQuest, the internet pioneer that introduced online...
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Charlie Javice & JPMorgan: Why the Bank Had to Pay the Fraudster's $100M Legal Bills
How can someone be convicted of defrauding a bank—and still force that same bank to pay for their legal defense? In this episode, we break down the astonishing legal twist behind the Charlie Javice and Frank startup scandal. While most people know about the alleged fake customer data, the $175...
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Why Dr. Seuss Is Actually Pronounced "So": The Surprising Story Behind His Name
Did you know you've probably been pronouncing Dr. Seuss incorrectly your entire life? In this fascinating episode, we uncover the surprising true story behind one of the most recognizable names in literature. While millions of readers say "Dr. Seuss" (rhyming with juice), the author's family name...
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How the PGA Tour Champions Was Created: The Brilliant Business Move That Changed Golf Forever
Was the PGA Tour Champions created to celebrate golf legends—or to give retired stars a second payday? In this episode, we explore the fascinating true story behind the creation of the Senior PGA Tour, now known as the PGA Tour Champions, and how one tournament in 1978 changed professional golf...
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Pappy Van Winkle Heist: The True Story of America's Greatest Bourbon Theft | Papygate
Why would someone risk prison for a bottle of bourbon? This is the unbelievable true story of the Pappy Van Winkle Heist, better known as Papygate—the most infamous bourbon theft in American history. Discover how nearly 200 bottles of the world's most sought-after whiskey disappeared from Buffalo...
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Cray Supercomputers: Rise, Fall & Your Phone’s Power
From the legendary machines of Cray Inc. to today’s smartphones, we unpack the rise and fall of supercomputing—and how Seymour Cray built the fastest computers on Earth. Explore iconic systems like the Cray-1 and Cray-2, Cold War tech, AI, and how Hewlett Packard Enterprise carries the legacy...
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Do Expired Medications Really Go Bad? The Truth About Tylenol, FDA Dates, and Drug Shelf Life
Do medications really stop working the moment they hit their expiration date? In this episode, we unpack the surprising science behind expired drugs, from Tylenol and ibuprofen to antibiotics, EpiPens, and insulin. We explore why the FDA requires expiration dates, what those dates actually mean,...
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Tiger Woods' Golf Revolution: The TGL Struggles, Triumphs & What’s Next
TGL, the bold golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, promised to change the game. But after a rollercoaster debut season and rocky start to season 2, viewers are questioning whether it can live up to the hype. With declining ratings, technology misfires, and key players sidelined…
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Where Did the $100 Million Go? The Fire Aid Concert Scandal Uncovered
In 2025, a star-studded benefit concert raised $100 million for wildfire victims in Los Angeles. However, a year later, survivors are asking, "Where’s the money?" This episode dives deep into the controversy surrounding the Fire Aid concert, exposing how funds raised for immediate relief were...
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The $60 Million Road to Nowhere: The Amstutz Expressway Story
The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan, Illinois, is one of the most expensive infrastructure failures in the U.S. This 2.9-mile highway, which was built in two phases over 16 years, serves fewer than 15,000 vehicles per day and is the epitome of a "road to nowhere." But its story is far from boring....
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Why the McRib Disappears: The Real Strategy Behind McDonald’s Most Mysterious Sandwich
Why can’t you buy a McRib whenever you want? In this episode, we uncover the real reason McDonald’s keeps the McRib on a limited-time-only leash. From pork commodity pricing and supply chain strategy to artificial scarcity and behavioral psychology, the truth behind the McRib is far more…
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The Secret Designer Behind the Iconic Boy Scout Uniform
Did you know that the Boy Scout uniform was designed by Oscar de la Renta, the fashion legend who dressed Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama, and Amal Clooney? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating story of how the iconic Boy Scout uniform was reimagined in the 1980s by one of the most...
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Why Does the Wall Street Journal Use Dots?
Why does the Wall Street Journal use those iconic dot portraits instead of photos? This episode explains how outdated printing technology, brand identity, and one artist’s stippled drawings accidentally created one of the most recognizable visual styles in media history. Learn how WSJ “headcuts”...
About this show
Financial wellness programs are supposed to help people become more financially confident and secure. We want to help people get fully invested in themselves and their future. The Expedition Money financial wellness program is unique. First, I have designed it based on my personal journey from financial stability to failures to success. I have built the programs and content to share step-by-step processes to solve the most common financial challenges and delve into subjects that most programs don’t want to tackle.
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TrailMarkers By Expedition Money
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