Let’s be honest – you’ve probably lightly stalked a celebrity on Instagram or Twitter. Or at least seen every movie your favorite celebrity is in. You know practically everything about their lives.
But the one thing you don’t often get through your binge-watching and mild stalking is what they think of everyday personal finance topics, like saving and investing.
While I’ve definitely googled the net worth of my favorite celebrities, I never stopped to think about what they really do with all that money. So, I decided to put my sleuthing skills to good use and scoured the internet for their financial advice. Come to find out, much of it is well worth listening to.
What’s Ahead:
Ashton Kutcher
“Invest in the things that you know. If you drink beer all the time — if you go to microbreweries and you try all kinds of them — you probably know which ones are the best, and my advice is always to invest in what you know. If you’re a stock boy in a grocery store and you see something flying off the shelf, find out who made it. Find out why it’s flying off the shelf. Do the investigation necessary to know whether or not it’s something that is going to have ultimate value.”
You may remember Ashton Kutcher as the tall, goofy, friend of Eric Forman in That 70’s Show, but Kutcher has been up to much more than just acting since the show ended in 2006. Kutcher is now a successful venture capitalist and entrepreneur, co-founding A-Grade Investments with his friends. Kutcher and his partners were able to turn investments in tech companies, totaling $30 million, into $250 million in only six years.
Why you should invest like Kutcher
Kutcher shared his two-part advice on Chelsea Handler’s talk show, and makes some great points. If you’re looking for new investment opportunities, the things that you know and love are often great places to start. It is easier to predict the highs and lows within the market if you know how a product, or the company that makes it, is performing.
Investigating your investments is an important step to take before you make them. If you don’t already know what you are investing in well, make sure to spend some time researching. Although a particular investment might be performing well for the moment, it could just be a flook!
Need help investing?
If you need help navigating the world of investing, Betterment may be able to help. They’re a robo-advisor that can help you build and implement an investing plan that works around your wants and needs. An amazing way to invest for those who are just starting their journey, Betterment will walk you through everything you need to know and keep your money’s best interest in mind.
Oprah Winfrey
“I hope the way you spend your money is in line with the truth of who you are and what you care about.”
Unless you live under a rock, you know who Oprah Winfrey is and how far her influence reaches. Throughout her career in TV, print, and film, she has amassed a net worth of $2.7 billion according to Forbes.and has even been identified as one of the richest self-made women in America.
Oprah’s generosity can be seen in almost everything she does, especially in where she spends her money.
Spend with care – even Oprah does
Oprah’s advice, from her book What I Know For Sure, is a great reminder to invest your money in things that you believe in. If you want to follow Oprah’s words of wisdom, why not try socially responsible investing which puts principles before profit. This includes animal rights and fair treatment of employees – among many other things – ahead of the allure of larger gains in your portfolio.
Look into socially responsible investing
If you would like to become a socially responsible investor, a variety of companies can help you to this end by investing your money into low-fee exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – all based on environmental impact, social impact, and performance.
Mark Wahlberg
“Everybody is about: ‘What am I going to do today?’ But I think having a long-term plan and strategy is the most important thing you can do” [when it comes to money] reports CNBC.
Mark Wahlberg, or better known as Marky Mark to some of us who remember the 90’s, has turned his humble Boston beginnings into a net worth of $255 million.
The frontman of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Calvin Klein underwear model, actor, and executive producer are just some of the titles that Wahlberg has taken on over his diverse career.
How to plan your finances like Mark Wahlberg
Daydreaming about the future can be fun, but sometimes you need to sit down and think practically. Having both a short and long-term plan for your finances can make a huge difference in how quickly you reach your financial goals and how easily you recover if you have a hiccup. Especially figuring out how to begin investing – even without a lot of money, you’ve got to make sure to put everything out on the table – including the nasty debt that you may be avoiding.
Until it is all in front of you, it is hard to create a clear picture of where you are financially and where you are headed.
Queen Latifah
“My mom has always been my champion. She was very smart and grounded. She said, ‘Save your money. Pay your taxes. Don’t put everything in one basket,’ but she let me explore and be creative.”
Queen Latifah is a living legend in the music industry who has amassed a $60 million net worth throughout her career. To name a few of her accomplishments, Latifah has released seven studio albums, acted in major motion pictures, and won twenty-five awards.
As recent as this year, Latifah has invested $14 million in affordable housing in Newark, New Jersey.
Why you should save like Queen Latifah
Although technically Queen Latifah’s mom’s advice, she is right! Keeping your savings account full and paying your taxes are two of the best, simple, personal finance practices.
Building your savings and continuing to contribute to it often can help build financial peace of mind. Many financial advisors recommend that you save 20% of your income, but that is not always possible. To help find the savings rate that is right for you, check out our savings calculator.
Don’t forget: Paying your taxes is equally important as saving
Not paying your taxes not only puts you into debt, but it can also get you into a lot of trouble with the IRS. The IRS doesn’t take kindly to those who don’t pay their taxes, charging 5% of your unpaid taxes for every month that you are late filing your return, up to 25%. If you’re more than six months late filing, you face a fee of whichever is less, $135 or 100% of the taxes you owe.
For people who filed their taxes, but did not pay, the failure-to-pay penalty is less. The IRS typically charges 0.5% of your unpaid taxes, up to 25%, for every month that those taxes have been outstanding. It is important to remember that interest accrues on this unpaid tax,
My favorite tax site is TurboTax because it has helped me avoid having to go in-person to visit a local tax expert. For people with simple tax returns, you can file your taxes for free. If you have a more complicated tax situation, TurboTax offers several online plans, ranging in price from $59.99 to $119.99, depending on your individual tax needs.
Mark Cuban
“If you don’t like your job at some point or you get fired or you have to move or something goes wrong, you’re going to need at least six months income,”
Mark Cuban is known as the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a shark on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank”, a self-described “serial entrepreneur.”
His $4.1 billion net worth has awarded him luxury that none of us can probably imagine, but he has worked his way to the top, starting his career as a software salesman. Cuban has admitted that his two biggest stock holdings were in Netflix and Amazon, with close to $1 billion in Amazon alone!
Save for emergencies like Mark Cuban
Although it may seem like someone with as much wealth as Cuban could never lose that much money, he knows how crucial emergency funds are when you need them. Cuban’s advice, to have at least six months of income saved, is in line with that of many financial advisors.
Don’t wait to protect yourself from a financial emergency. My experience has shown that it’s best not to wait to start saving until you need an emergency fund, nor to rely on good luck in hopes of never needing one.
Use the Money Under 30 emergency fund calculator to get started
Getting started is definitely the hardest part. If you don’t already have an emergency fund in place, your next paycheck is the perfect time to start saving, even if you can not make large deposits. I really like using this emergency fund calculator to help figure out the right emergency fund savings goal for your exact financial situation.
John Hamm
“If you take a wrong step, you’ll find the right one. If you lose half your money, you’ll find a way to make more. The older you get, the more crucial that is to remember.”
John Hamm may be best known for his Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role of Don Draper in Mad Men, but he has been working in supportive roles since the 90’s. Throughout his career, Hamm has accumulated a net worth of $30 million, but says that he has “never been driven by money – there are more important things to life.”
Listen to Hamm – don’t panic
As hard as you may try, you can’t fight off every financial hurdle that comes your way. Life happens and things come up, but you can’t forget that there is an end in sight when they do.
John Hamm spoke about this – what to do if you do find yourself facing a setback, in terms of making adjustments to your financial plan. Whatever you do, don’t panic so that you can instead begin preparing to dig yourself out of whatever financial hole you find yourself in.
Melissa McCarthy
“When you finally are like, ‘Thanks so much for asking, but I’m going to pass’—that’s power. That’s easier said as you get a little more power, but as you start up the ladder in whatever field you’re in, you have to walk if people won’t give you what you’re worth,”
If you have ever watched Gilmore Girls, you might know Melissa McCarthy better as Sookie. If not, you’re sure to have seen her in one of her many comedies that have graced both the television and the silver screen. Her net worth is estimated at 70 million dollars.
McCarthy is more than just a comedic actress, developing her own clothing line that is dedicated to making clothes for women of all sizes.
Never be afraid to negotiate
McCarthy knows what she is worth and so should you. Her advice to negotiate your pay is sometimes the most nerve-racking part of finding a new job, but it doesn’t have to be. If you go into your negotiation prepared and confident in what you are worth, the worst that your new employer could say is no.
While not everyone is in a position to walk away from a job that will not pay them as well as they desire, asking for more does not often hurt. If you are in the process of getting hired for a new position, or you are looking for a raise at your current job, don’t be afraid to stand up for what you are worth!
Kevin O’Leary
“Get rid of that student debt right up front while you’re young and frisky, that’s the time to do it,”
Kevin O’Leary is well known for being one of the most prominent sharks on Shark Tank. He even calls himself Mr. Wonderful throughout the show, a nod to his tough tactics and conservative evaluations. An entrepreneur, businessman, and author, O’Leary has built a net worth of $400 million.
Kevin O’ Leary hates student loans – you should, too
Student loans are currently at an all-time high, totaling more than $1.6 trillion in the second quarter of 2019. Though everyone’s situation is different, student loans can be some of the hardest to pay off.
O’Leary’s advice to pay off your student loans while you are young could save you some serious dough. Compounding interest is a killer – the longer that you let debt sit, the more interest that will build on top of your original loan. This means that the earlier you pay them off, the less you will spend overall, and the more money you will save!
Managing your student loan payments can be difficult at times, but don’t sleep on the opportunity to pay them down while you are still young, even if it means that you have to hustle.
Eminem
“I always try to be smart. I try to treat all the money I’m making like it’s the last time I’m going to make it.”
Eminem is well known for not only being one of the most controversial musicians in the industry but also for being one of the best-selling artists of our time.
His current net worth of $100 million is a big change from his poverty-stricken beginnings made famous by his movie, 8 Mile.
Save the right way
While the context of Eminem’s quote is unknown, a key takeaway is to protect your money and to utilize it as if you might not make any more money in the future.
An obvious take away is to big-time prioritize building your savings account. Whether you want to build a long-term emergency fund or general savings, a high-yield savings account makes a great place to keep your money. These accounts have a high annual percentage yield (APY) and can help your money grow quickly over time
Start with these savings accounts
Here are my favorite two: CIT Savings Builder with the lack of monthly fees and the APY of 1.45% and Capital One 360 Savings with a high APY also and no minimum balance required.
Neil Patrick Harris
“I refuse to spend a lot of money on furniture or on home furnishings,…We have dogs and children…so as much as I appreciate that rug is really interesting and nice, I know that dogs will inevitably soil it and that children will spill on it,…Like a coffee table; it’s going to get rings of water on it no matter how hard you try. So why not get the coffee table from Overstock.com?”
Neil Patrick Harris has a career that spans TV, film, theater, and print. He is well known for his roles, playing Doogie Howser in Doogie Howser, M.D and Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. Harris is a magician, who has found himself heavily involved with The Magic Caste, a private club that hosts some of the most well-known magicians.
Becoming frugal like Neil
Neil Patrick Harris says that he is frugal about his home furnishings. He knows that when you have kids and dogs, you just can’t have nice things. Harris even claims to shop on overstock.com!
Many of us can benefit from Harris’ advice, even if we just take it as a chance to learn about lifestyle inflation – extra money you come upon from a raise or bonus at work, for example. It usually seems like a good opportunity to treat yourself, but can sometimes end up making you fall farther behind in the end.
Summary
Celebrities are people, just like the rest of us, even if they seem disconnected from the average American. The truth is, they manage more money than most of us – and many of them manage it well. Opening your mind to their financial advice could teach you important lessons that even change the way that you look at your own finances.
The next time that you’re binge-watching interviews on YouTube of your favorite celebrity, listen in for small pieces of advice that could help you better your financial situation.