Money Plan SOS - Personal Finance for Everday Americans

15 after since the launch of this podcast - and 25 years since my wife and I started doing life together - a lot has changed!  In this episode, I share:  How compounding has made my wife & I millionaires despite crashes -How we qualified for a *big honkin' mortgage on only my self-employed income - and WITHOUT a traditional credit score or manual underwriting  And the 1 thing I should have...

Welcome! If you are new to the Money Plan SOS podcast then sit back. I'll share with you the 20 best episodes, 10 "staple" episodes, and the 13 worst episodes. I also share my journey through money over the past two decades. The full show notes are at https://moneyplansos.com/best-and-worst-of-money-plan-sos

#200: The MoneyPlan SOS podcast is now retired with this final episode. It was recorded LIVE at FinCon15 with nine bloggers who learned about money while blogging about money. In this final episode, nine financial bloggers answer the question, "Have you learned anything about money since blogging about money?" Eric Rosenberg (Narrow Bridge Media) Emily Guy Birken (Wisebread, Book: 5 Years...

#199: Is tithing mandatory for Christians? Chris Brown and I discuss this to get to the root of the problem - which has little to do with ten percent. Chris Brown has been a pastor for several years, speaking to congregations and audiences all over the United States. In this episode, Chris and I tackle this touchy subject of tithing: What is a tithe? Who is called to give a tithe? What about the &...

#198: OG (aka The Other Guy from Stacking Benjamins) joins me to share the 8 Great Mistakes in Investing Full show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/8-great-mistakes-of-investing-and-fractional-savings-accounts/ The 8 Great Mistakes of Investing are: Under-diversification Over-diversification Euphoria Panic Leverage Speculating Investing for yield and not total return Cost basis dictating decision...

#197: Matt Ham is an author, speaker, and small business owner. Five words uttered by a nurse changed the way he looks at life - and inspired him to redefine rich. Full notes with links at https://moneyplansos.com/matt-ham-has-redefined-rich/ Takeaways from this interview: It's not how much you give - it's how you give it (The Widow's Mite) We shouldn't feel guilty to spend and, su...

#196: Jon Stein from Betterment and I discuss robo-advisors, why Betterment is so different, and what it takes to open an account. Use http://SteveStewart.me/Betterment to receive 30 days FEE FREE investing at Betterment Full show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/ins-and-outs-of-robo-investing-interview-with-betterments-jon-stein/ _______________________________________ M.J. Cossel wrote in about...

#195: Do you know why stories of people with $.32 refund checks are in the news? Because they are so rare! Most people want to get a big tax refund. Getting a huge refund is an extremely inefficient use of money - both for you and for the government. I recommend adjusting your withholding so you can bring more money home and put it towards your goals: High-interest rate debt Building up reserves S...

#194: Although he has an entrepreneur's heart, Ace doesn't believe anybody should start their own business. It is much easier and profitable to buy an existing business, improve it, and sell it for a profit. Full notes at https://moneyplansos.com/ace-says-skip-the-startups-and-buy-a-business/ Ace's book: The Ace Formula: How To Buy A Profitable Business and Live Life On Your Term LIKE...

#193: Many people are being lured by the attractiveness of directing their own retirement plans. The trick is to do it right and have an asset, business, or income-producing entity that makes sense for YOUR retirement planning. Kirk Chisholm is a Wealth Manager, Economist, & Principal at IAG. He is also an expert of investing in alternative investments in self-directed IRA / 401k. Full notes a...

#192: Kai used to be responsible for staffing at a firm. She knows first-hand what companies use to check on an applicant's background. While a company may check credit reports, they do not review credit scores. Once again, this is proof that the bare minimum to succeed in America is to simply pay your bills and debts on time. If you don't have any debts and don't have credit cards, yo...

#191: Heather van der Hoop from ThePennyHoarder.com comes on the show to offer these suggestions for creating an income - and many of them involve stretching your boundaries as a teacher. 1. Teach English as a Second Language' 2. Teach Abroad 3. Sell Your Lesson Plans Online 4. Work at a Summer Camp 5. Drive for Uber, Lyft or Sidecar 6. Rent Out Your Driveway 7. Rent Extra Space in Your House...

#190: Jason Hartman only wants mortgage debt - and he will take out as much as he possibly can. Full show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/inflation-induced-debt-destruction-with-jason-hartman/ Jason Hartman has been investing since he was 20 years old and learned how inflation is the enemy of home equity but the golden goose of real estate income property owners (my words, not his). We first hav...

#189: Are you a Pessimist or Opportunist? Take this quiz to find out! Full notes at https://moneyplansos.com/which-half-glass-investor-are-you/ Topics covered in this episode: Pessimists, Opportunists, and the Half-Glass Investor Quiz How a GOOD credit score is all you need Ponda from the Honda Cool resource for your email: Wisestamp (support the show by using this link) http://SteveStewart.me/wis...

#188: Leah Bell shares her story of growing $32k in student loan debt - and why it makes her angry! In this episode: Leah Bell, The Angry Grad, did what she thought everyone does: Goes to college to get a degree. What she didn't know was her chosen major narrowed her options just before the recession of 2008. Leah is now on a mission to educate others about education. We also check in with Jas...

#187: An informed consumer is a better consumer. This episode will show how Credit Cards make money from processing fees. I also give a few tips for reducing fees and a new way to send a friend money for free. Full notes at https://moneyplansos.com/how-credit-cards-make-money/ Infographic with credit and debit card statistics: http://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-hidden-plastic-economy How Counting...

#186: What could be better than taking a 30-day journey across the U.S. in a van? Full notes at https://moneyplansos.com/being-phroogal-on-the-road-to-financial-wellness-mpsos186/ Jason Vitug from Phroogal is leaving for a 30 day journey throughout the U.S. to promote financial wellness. Visit http://Phroogal.com/Road to find a location near you Also: Debit cards, auto-pay, bill-pay, and checks: T...

#185: It's impossible to be immune to card fraud, but you can reduce the opportunities of being a victim. In this episode I share steps you can take to use your Debit card responsibly and reduce the chance someone will steal your card. More information and full show notes with links can be found at https://moneyplansos.com/protected-but-not-immune-from-card-theft/

#184: Identity theft is no joke - and it's on the rise! Should you pay for monitoring? Full show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/what-makes-id-theft-companies-worth-the-cost-mpsos184/ Keith Bunn of CavusFinancialCoaching.com compared four companies to see if their services are worth the cost. Also in this episode: 'Ponda from the Honda - My mailbox is wasting a lot of energy Upcoming web...

#183: Dave Ramsey announced his new budgeting software - EveryDollar. It is awesome - and have many similar features to YNAB (You Need A Budget). Which premium budgeting software is best for you? Let's compare the different features and methods to identify the right one for you. Also: Holla from the Impala is changing. Listen to all the reasons you shouldn't buy a car from a long distance....

#182: Carl Richards was a ditch-digger, fell into a securities job, became a Certified Financial Planner, then became the Sketch Guy at the New York Times by drawing financial concepts on paper napkins. He released his second book, the One Page Financial Plan, and shares with us his journey from ditch-digger to NYTimes writer. For a more complete list of notes with pictures and links, go to https:...

#181: Joseph Michael is an average guy who saw a need and is now making 6-figures helping writers solve a problem. They love to use Scrivener - an incredible writing and organization tool - but had a hard time figuring out how to use it efficiently. Enter the Scrivener Coach. Joseph doesn't work for Scrivener but came up with an easy-to-follow, step-by-step video course that takes a lot of the...

#180: The year 2015 marks the celebrates the 10th anniversary of Dan Miller's life-changing book "48 Days To The Work You Love". He joins me in a conversation about resumes, extra curricular activities, and creating your own career from nothing. Also, Debt Freedom Fighter Bob Lyons shares his success story of passing on a job opportunity, getting laid off, and then finding two companie...

#179: What is BitCoin, how does it work and how can we get some? Brian Hoffman from OpenBazaar.org joins us to talk about this new payment option that will change the way we spend money - literally! Full show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/were-talking-bitcoin-with-openbazaar-mpsos179/

#178: Joan Sotkin has been through market upswings and personal bankruptcies - and she sees things as opportunities, not failures. You can find out more about Joan at ProsperityPlace.com Full show notes can be read at https://moneyplansos.com/interview-with-joan-sotkin-mpsos178