Crushing Debt

Is there good debt or bad debt? Should people who have spare cash flow pay off debt first or save first? What is financial freedom? Where do you begin in your journey to financial freedom and where do people get stuck? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Al Zdenek, an entrepreneur and a leader in the Wealth Management industry for more than 40 years.   He is...

What is your favorite vacation? Have you been on a cruise? How can you enjoy vacation without coming home to a boatload of debt? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about the finances of cruising. In fact, on the day this episode comes out, Shawn and his boys will be heading to Port Canaveral for a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean! Shawn & George talk about: A c...

As of the date of this week's episode release, we have Around 30 days until Halloween Almost 60 days until Thanksgiving Almost 90 days until Christmas Is your budget ready? Are you Credit Cards ready? How can you manage holiday spending this year, next year and the years beyond? Thirty-seven percent of all Americans have holiday debt, and the average household spends around $1,500 per year on gift...

Do you play fantasy football? In that same vein, George and I put together a fantasy draft of the worst money habits, to create a team of "bad" money habits.  Do you agree with our draft choices?  Would you have drafted or waived any of these? Our draft consists of: Round 1 — Franchise QB: the habit that drives the whole offense Lifestyle Inflation  Keeping Up with the Joneses / Social Comparison...

How can you be still licensed, but effectively not licensed? What is the Freddie Mac Exclusionary List (or EList)? If you're on the EList, can you work around it? How do you come off the EList? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about the Freddie Mac Exclusionary List.  Shawn has multiple other podcast episodes and YouTube videos on the topic if you want to le...

Some of us like to, or try to, keep up with the Joneses, but what about doing better than the Joneses? What are 10 signs you're doing well financially?  Better than most Americans financially?  How behind are you financially, if at all? In this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, we look at 10+ factors to help you judge whether you are better or worse off than the average AND we talk abou...

Why is Labor Day the real turning point of the financial year? What is Labor Day, and why is it ironic? After summer camps, vacations, back to school shopping, graduation, home improvements and other summer expenditures, what did the summer really cost you? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George take a look at Labor Day, what it means, and why it is important for your...

What is the real reason your first accounting hire is drowning? When should a business owner stop DIY'ing their numbers and bring in real help? What is the messy truth about the first 12 months as a CFO? Why do strong finance hires fail in the wrong setup? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA, the Chief Financial Officer of Access...

How does networking contribute to your financial freedom?  To you being debt free? What are some networking mistakes people make in their debt-free journey? In this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about networking (which is how they met) and what we use networking to accomplish.  We also talk about mistakes people make while networking that hurt their bottom line - thus hurting their ability t...

Why does one unexpected legal expense knock your entire financial life off track? How do you create, fund and use an emergency fund? Is your emergency really an emergency, or something you could have planned for? In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about emergency funds and the apparent inability to absorb an unexpected expense without: Using a credit card, per...

Now that the World Cup is over, we can turn our attention to "American Football." The NFL Preseason kicks off on August 6, 2026, at the Hall of Fame Game - Carolina Panthers v. Arizona Cardinals. What are the hidden costs of football season? How can you tailgate without sacking your budget? What is the Fantasy Football trap? Do you bet on sports? What is your financial winning playbook? On this we...

How do you teach your kids about money? How do you teach your kids without it seeming like a chore? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn and George talk to Greg Junge about his book "Tenn Money Mindset: 8 Essential Money Skills They Don't Tech You in School." With a proven track record as a Four-Time Best-Selling Amazon Author, Real Estate Investor and entrepreneur, and Perso...

What costs are involved in pet ownership? Shawn's late wife promised their son that they would buy a dog if he earned straight A's in school.  That happened in the last quarter of the 2025-2026 school year, so the Yesner Family welcomed Luka to the pack on the fourth of July. That came with some large and some small expenses, including: Vet bills Pet Insurance Training Toys, Food / Treats, and Sup...

Although we're in summer, the start of school is just around the corner.  Are you ready? How do you get ready for school every year? Shawn has two kids - one in high school and one in middle school. George has one in college (and one who just graduated college). Some of the expenses you may incur for kids going back to school: Books Supplies Lunches Clothes / Uniforms Sports / Extracurricular Acti...

Back in March (episode 507), we did a show about the "Sweet 16" worst money habits to see which was the worst for your wallet and budget.  We decided to bring that episode back, but with 16 new "bad" money habits based on a World Cup-style seeding. Group A: Everyday Leaks Subscription creep Food delivery apps Impulse buys ("just this once") Convenience store runs Group B: Big Ticket Traps Buy Now,...

Why will paying off debt not make you wealthy? What is the tax trap inside your debt payoff plan? What is the difference between being debt-free and financially free? Most business owners who end up in financial crisis did not get there because they failed to earn enough. They got there because nobody ever showed them how to keep what they earned. Revenue is not wealth, and that gap is where the r...

What are the known and hidden costs of getting sick? What about a medical emergency? Are you prepared for the cost of unexpected health issues and how can you protect yourself, your family, and your bank account? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about Shawn's son, who broke his arm recently, requiring surgery to fix.  His son is expected to make a full recov...

Are money problems spilling over to work? What can you do for your employees to reduce stress?  Reduce down time? What can you do for employee retention? What is a "stop for this" purchase? As an employer, how can you reduce the chance that you get asked to give advances of payroll to employees? In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Barry Sanborn about the cos...

What are some of your more expensive habits? What impact does summer have on your spending? In this week's episode of the podcast, Shawn & George talk about summer's most expensive habits, including: Weddings / Vacations / Family Outings Summer Camps & Kids Activities Concerts Home Improvement Projects Pets Subscriptions Back to School Shopping Cost of Living Changes What other summer spending hab...

It is officially  the start of Hurricane Season in Florida! Are you prepared? What are some funny hurricane truths? How much water should you have?  Toilet paper? Flash lights and batteries? How should you prepare your family and your business for the financial impact of a storm? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about these topics, including whether you are...

Why do people think bankruptcy is bad? True, it has a negative stigma and it will be a hit to your credit score, but why is bankruptcy perceived as a massive negative? Is bankruptcy the best solution for everyone?  Put simply, no it is not, but it is better than most people will admit. On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podccast, Shawn and George talk about rising debt levels, rising gas...

Are you celebrating your freedom this weekend?   Or are you still trapped by debt? Or are you spending like you're out of control? Memorial Day   weekend is here… The grills are out, the coolers are full… and somehow your bank account is empty by Tuesday.  Memorial Day  isn't just a long  weekend. It's about honoring those who gave everything. Freedom comes with a cost. What are you doing with the...

How is that summer body, bathing suit body coming along? Every year around this time… people start talking about getting their summer body ready; eating better… hitting the gym… cutting back… but nobody's talking about their summer budget. J ust like your body, if you ignore it all year and panic in May, things get uncomfortable real fast! Summer bodies vs. summer budgets! On this week's episode o...

What is one piece of advice you received that is really useful? What about advice that you would rather ignore? On today's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, as Graduation 2026 nears closer, Shawn & George talk about financial advice you may have received - good, bad or otherwise - like: Follow your passion Do what you love Take risks while you're young Money will come later You deserve it - pu...

Buying a house?  Can you get assistance with your downpayment? Are there income requirements for getting downpayment assistance? Do you have to be a first time homebuyer to get downpayment assistance? What is the difference between MIP and PMI? On this week's episode, we talk to Michael Banner for his fourth appearance on the show.  You can hear Michael on episodes: 400 - Sleeping Giant of the Sen...