Crushing Debt

One question we received this week from a client: "I'm buying a house from my parents, should I get title insurance?" The Florida Department of Financial Services licenses and oversees Title Insurance in the State of Florida.  They put out a great guide to title insurance that we review in today's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast. The link to download the guide is: https://www.myfloridacfo.com...

We've talked before on the Crushing Debt podcast about student loans and how to eliminate the high cost of paying for an education. One of the best ways is if the student loan qualifies for discharge under the PSLF program (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). This week's guest on the show is Jason DiLorenzo, founder and CEO of www. PSLFJobs.com . The website helps provide information to student loan...

We are happy to welcome back our friend, former sponsor, and repeat guest Chris Calandra with Elliott Wealth Management Services to talk today about the four drivers of the 2021 real estate market. You can hear Chris on Episodes 157 (wealth management), 162 (life insurance), 186 (seven wealth building rules) and 210 (pandemic's impact on the economy) and he brings a TON of knowledge and content ea...

What is your vision in terms of money? What are your values surrounding money and debt? In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, we interview our friend and returning guest, Marleta Black about her new book, Say ... Something: The Adventure of Finding the Right Words to Express Your Desires, Reduce Drama and Create Connection. I read the book and thought it was great - it is broken int...

If you are ever the target of a frivolous lawsuit, is your stuff protected? What if the lawsuit is legitimate, is your stuff protected? What happens to your stuff when you die? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt podcast is attorney Michelangelo Mortellaro, who has been practicing since 2007 in the areas of estate planning and elder law. In 2020, Michelangelo started Fortress Asset Protection w...

How much due diligence goes into filing bankruptcy? What are the document requirements? While these are not questions I get from clients too often, they are two of the most important questions when considering a bankruptcy filing.  Why? Because failing to do any due diligence prior to filing could get both the client and the law firm (and me) in trouble with the bankruptcy court.  And when you get...

Do you buy properties at the foreclosure sale? Do you buy at the foreclosure sale of the condominium or homeowner association? If so, you may end up with a property that has no equity AND still be responsible to pay the association every month. This week's episode is also based on Episode 26 where I discuss lien priority, and is also based on an actual client who bought three association propertie...

Bankruptcy can be a great tool to help give someone a fresh start and relief from overwhelming debt. However, it is very often misunderstood - I have numerous shows dealing with the topic, including debunking myths surrounding bankruptcy. Today's show is an interview I did with Credit Kristi, who you can hear on my previous episode 247. Kristi started her own podcast called Credit Coaching by Kris...

You added someone to the deed of your house - maybe years ago, maybe months ago - and now you want them off of the deed.  How do you do that? That is the topic of today's Crushing Debt Podcast episode, and the answer is both simple and complex. I also take some time to update you on what Yesner Law is up to in the coming months, specifically: The Great Westchase - a great 10k, 5k, 1-mile race thro...

Do you have a student loan owned by the Department of Education (rather than a private student loan) AND a finding of disability by the Social Security Administration?  There's been a change in the law to link those two things to provide a disability discharge of your student loan! On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, we are happy to have returning guest Christie Arkovich to talk a...

How do your emotions impact your financial decision-making? How can you create a healthy relationship with money? These are topics we've covered before on the show, but never from the unique perspective of this week's guest, Bob Wheeler. Bob is a CPA and has cross-pollinated his accounting practice with his desire to help people understand how their emotions impact their financial decision making....

How would you react if you were car-jacked and kidnapped for three hours? What lessons can you take from such an extremely stressful situation? And how can you apply those lessons to other stressful situations, especially financial stress? How do you react when someone is suing you for money? When you are fearful of eviction, foreclosure or bankruptcy? Today's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is...

Are you sufficiently saving for retirement? Do you have a 401k through your work, or are you an employer that offers a 401k to your employees? How do you, as an investor minimize the loss in value in your 401k when the market drops or corrects? How do you, as an employer minimize your liability to provide investment advice to your employees through the 401k plan? This week's guest on the Crushing...

You can't earn any money after filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The Chapter 7 Trustee will come into your house and take all your stuff. Chapter 7 is now harder to file. These are all myths about filing a Chapter 7 (Liquidation) bankruptcy case.  Last week, I talked about thirteen myths about Chapter 13, and this week, I'm following it up with seven myths about Chapter 7. What are the other myths?  Yo...

A Chapter 13 requires you to pay ALL of extra money to the Trustee every month! You are prohibited from moving, buying a new car or taking a vacation during a pending Chapter 13! Your creditors have to approve the Chapter 13! The Trustee will take all your stuff when you file Chapter 13! Yes, these are all myths and untrue when you file Chapter 13. This week's episode came about from a consultatio...

CBS News Headline: "With Evictions Set to Restart, Housing Advocates Fear Another Coronovirus Wave." Los Angeles Daily News: "Why Unprecedented Spike in Evictions is Expected as Federal Moratorium Expires." Miami Herald: "Avalanche: Miami Renters Brace for Mass Evictions as Moratorium Ends." The last time the CDC extended the eviction moratorium through July 31, 2021, it was intended to be the fin...

How did you get started in business? Do you enjoy what you do?  What do you enjoy most? How do you support your local small business community? Today's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is Realtor Donnie Hathaway of Berkshire Hathaway. Donnie is a Florida native, born an raised in Pinellas County, Florida, who began his real estate career in 2016. While Donnie and I do discuss the local real esta...

Do you know how to invest to pay down student debt while planning for the future? What is the likelihood of federal payments resuming in October 2021? What do you need to know and how can you prepare for either outcome? How can you figure out your best path forward? To determine if you should refinance or if you should work toward forgiveness programs such as a PSLF (Public Student Loan Forgivenes...

What should the tenant do when the landlord dies during the term of the lease?  What if the lease is month-to-month and there is no term?  Can the landlord's heirs evict the tenant to sell the house and cash in on their inheritance? You can find the related blog post here: My Landlord Died, Is My Lease Still Valid? | Florida Landlord Tenant Law (yesnerlaw.com) We have a few listener-related landlo...

Being on the Freddie Mac Exclusionary List is a bad thing. It means you are unable to participate in any real estate transaction where Freddie Mac is a party. Mostly, this impacts Realtors, Mortgage Originators, Title Companies and Title Attorneys, inspectors and appraisers. However, we've seen this impact real estate investors and other people simply trying to buy a house using Freddie Mac financ...

Do you want to buy properties for pennies on the dollar? Do you want to create consistent cash flow buying, selling and renting properties? Do you want to quit your job? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is coach, mentor, trainer and real estate investor Todd Ashton. We talk about: How to get started in real estate; Strategy of buying, selling and holding tax liens; Its all about cont...

Do you know the banking aspects of digital currency? Are you a company that wants to accept payment in bitcoin or alt coins? Are you a business leader who wants to learn more about wholesale banking and how it relates to your business and business processes? Do you want to provide your customers with the best solutions for their businesses or personal needs? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt...

What is blockchain technology? Does blockchain have any application outside of crypto currency?  What is crypto currency? Can investing in Bitcoin or Alt Coins (like Ethereum, Dogecoin, etc) help you eliminate your debt? This past weekend, I attended the Florida Bitcoin and Blockchain Summit and it was amazing.  There were many sessions dealing with Bitcoins and other Alt Coins, but there were als...

Do you feel forever stuck in debt? Do you feel stuck on a "hamster wheel"? Do your monthly payments barely pay interest and make no dent in principal? Over the course of the Crushing Debt Podcast, I've talked about different ways to eliminate debt. In today's episode, I talk about nine strategies that have worked for my clients to eliminate debt. Did I miss any strategies? Are there any that you h...

Learn how to eliminate debt by moving a houseplant from one part of your house to another! This week's guest is Patricia Lohan, Feng Shui expert, manifesting magnet, alchemist, healer, spiritual nomad, and real-life Irish Celtic Shaman. Some people call her the "Mary Poppins of Prosperity, Abundance & Peace of Mind." I had so much fun in this interview that I joke about what Feng Shui is, and I no...