The Case for International Investing & The True ROI of Emergency Funds (SB1690)

The Stacking Benjamins Show

Joe Saul-Sehy and Josh ‘OG’ Bannerman, CFP

Personal Finance, Financial Planning, Education, Retirement, Investing, Cfp, Business, Money

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How global is your portfolio, really? This week in the basement, Joe Saul-Sehy, OG, and the gang zoom out from the U.S. markets and take us on a whirlwind trip around the investing world. Spoiler alert: the case for international investing is stronger than you think—and it’s not just about chasing higher returns. It’s about risk reduction, smart diversification, and maybe even admitting that the U.S. isn’t always the world’s MVP.

You'll hear how developed and emerging markets fit into a well-balanced portfolio, how correlation works in your favor (yes, this time that’s a good thing), and what history tells us about going global. Joe and OG share practical advice for how to get started, when to rebalance, and how much international exposure might make sense for the average Stacker.

Then in the second half, we pivot from markets to money buffers: listener Jeff from Cleveland wonders how to set insurance deductibles based on the state of his emergency fund. We break down how to think about the real return on your rainy-day stash—because spoiler: it’s not about the interest rate, it's about your resilience.

To wrap things up, we share timeless wisdom from Stackers across the country on what they’d tell new graduates about money, life, and how not to blow that first paycheck on a jet ski.

Why international investing may improve both your returns and your risk profile
How much of your portfolio to allocate internationally—and what history suggests
What "correlation" really means and why it’s your friend (at least in investing)
Risks and common misconceptions of investing overseas
How to choose between developed vs. emerging markets
Portfolio tools to visualize your asset mix and expected outcomes
Why your emergency fund’s best ROI might be peace of mind
How to align insurance deductibles with your liquidity cushion
What our community of Stackers wishes they had known after graduation

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/making-the-case-for-international-investing-1690

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Uh, we, we miss you.
0:04.4	Monday morning in Paris.
0:06.2	Don't I sound like a native?
0:07.7	I heard you say we miss you.
0:09.6	And you stuttered.
0:10.7	We, I did miss you all weekend.
0:14.2	We, we miss you.
0:15.8	That's what I heard.
0:17.2	It's international week in the basement.
0:19.2	That's why Doug's got the funny hat on.
0:21.3	It is why OG's wearing his kilt.
0:24.4	And man, is it an exciting, exciting.
0:27.9	Good day, mate.
0:31.2	That's just his Catholic schoolgirl miniskirt, Joe.
0:34.4	It's not a kilt.
0:36.0	Oh, just pulling that old thing out again. At the beginning of
0:40.4	every week, whether it's International Investing Week like it is here in the basement this week or
0:45.0	any other week, we always begin the week by saluting our troops, our troops who are true
0:49.4	Spartans, true warriors, which, by the way, for people who don't see the video, I got my Sparty
0:54.9	sparty mug, which I think is appropriate for this toast. On behalf of the men and women who
1:00.5	make podcast to Mom's Basement, the men and women who serve our troops and their families
1:05.8	and our veterans, the people in our military. Here's to you.
	...

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