Crushing Debt

To prevent the spread of COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered a prohibition against eviction if the tenant filed an affidavit with the Court and the landlord attesting to five criteria: Tenant used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing; Tenant earns no more than $99,000 in annual income for the Calendar Year 2020 - 2021 (or no...

Over the last few years I lost about 50 pounds by running, coaching my boys in sports, and eating better. The problem is that when I went to Court, I looked like I was wearing "grandpa's suits!" Erin Wamboldt with Bespoke & Co. changed my image, helped me pick out suits that fit correctly AND were comfortable. I could feel a renewed confidence knowing my clothes were comfortable and looked good! M...

Are your friends, loved ones or clients showing signs of impairment that is affecting their financial lives? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, we talk to Elder Law attorney and professional guardian Ha Thu Dao about the signs of cognitive loss and to suggest steps to take to help those who may suffer from having an impact on their financial well being. How can you recognize the...

Financial issues are often the cause of divorce, but what happens to joint marital debt when parties get divorced? How can someone getting a divorce manage their debt? How can someone protect themselves when the Court orders an "equitable distribution" of the debts & other liabilities? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is Shiobhan Olivero, an experienced trial lawyer, business owner,...

I am very excited about this week's guest on The Crushing Debt Podcast. His daughter was on Episode 63 - discussing ActionCOACH Tampa Bay and The Five Ways system. His wife was on Episode 193 - OMG! WTF! Today's episode is my interview with third ActionCOACH Tampa Bay partner - Ford Kyes! I've known Ford for more than 13 years and we discuss: How business owners can break out of a slump Developing...

When I moved to Clearwater to take a job at a foreclosure mill law firm, the firm provided a retirement account to all of its employees. I remember meeting with the financial advisor. Instead of getting financial advice, I got graphs and charts all in pretty colors.  I didn't understand a thing about what the advisor was suggesting, but the colors on his charts were pretty! This week's guest on th...

Will evictions and foreclosure ever resume? Since being inaugurated, President Biden has by executive order extended federal moratoriums on evictions, foreclosures, and student loan repayments first implemented by the CARES Act, the CDC, and the previous administration. Although recorded recently, some of the timelines in this episode have already changed.  As of this post: Evictions for purposes...

When would you send someone flowers? A birth? A death? Graduation? Promotion? Medical recovery? Just moved in? Employee benefit? What if, instead of flowers, you could send a meal made with fresh ingredients by a gourmet chef? My interview this week is with Micah Serwitz, owner of Instead of Flowers, a gourmet food delivery service.  I've used Instead of Flowers to send meal gifts to someone recov...

Do you dream of taking your business to the next level, but don't know where to start? Do you want to work on the things that light you up versus the things that drag you down? Learn how to maintain a positive attitude even in the face of adversity! Do you feel stuck in a hole or stuck in a rut and want to get out? Have you created complimentary businesses to provide additional revenue to you and...

What books have been the most influential to you? Who are your favorite authors? For as long as I can remember, I have read - books, magazines, articles, whatever I can get my hands on. I enjoy reading and believe that the most educated becomes the most successful. In 2020, I made a goal to read 50 books. I accomplished that goal on December 15, 2020, and read two more books, bringing my total to...

As 2020 comes to a close, most people will set resolutions for 2021. I think setting resolutions is wrong.  I think people should set goals. Resolutions are rarely kept. Goals are accomplished. How do you set goals? What are SMART goals? Should goals be framed in the positive or to avoid the negative? What will you do to accomplish your goals in 2021? I've used these same systems for years to set...

This week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is very special. We needed to record a few days ago because he's preparing for a flight later today. My guest knows if you've been naughty or nice! I was introduced to this week's guest through my friend, Joe Cairns, who practices family law and helped my guest with his marital problems years ago.  Although he's a divorce attorney, Joe helped my guest...

Imagine you've bought a home, likely the largest investment you'll ever make in your lifetime. The house is perfect: enough bedrooms for your kids to have their own space, great kitchen, master bedroom with walk-in closets, a yard outside with space to set up your grill and entertain, etc. You move in and things are great, for a few months.  Then you notice things start to go wrong. Something does...

It seems like lenders grant or deny loan modifications at random, but there is a set of criteria that they follow, that until now has been a bit of mystery. Our guest on this week's Crushing Debt Podcast, Sue Reynolds, a Realtor with Archer Realty, created a worksheet using the bank's formulas to support when clients should qualify for a loan modification. Sue created the Homeowner Expense Analysi...

Do you know the five factors that make up your credit score? Do you know what drops your score or how to improve your score? This week's guest on The Crushing Debt Podcast is Kristi Nowrouzi. "Credit Kristi" has been a mortgage loan officer for more than ten years and was a short sale negotiator at my previous law firm for four years. Kristi is a credit specialist and has seen thousands of credit...

This has been an unprecedented year, filled with highs and lows.  The year will, unfortunately, be defined by a global pandemic that has taken countless lives and affected each and every one of us. But today, on Thanksgiving, we want you to take a step back, take a break, and consider all you have to be thankful for. While we've all suffered hardship and loss this year, the purpose of The Crushing...

What do you do best? If you own investment property and your answer is anything other than "property management" then this episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast is for you. In today's episode, I interview Mark Sorokurs of Central Pinellas Realty and Collman Properties. I've known Mark about five years and he's been in real estate for about eight years now after "retiring" from IT in 2012. Mark and...

Imagine coming home from work and having to tell your spouse that he/she HAS to go back to work to make ends meet. Unfortunately, that's where I found myself a few years ago. In 2008, I left the first firm I first founded to start Yesner Law, from scratch, again. This time, however, I had an established network and knew a little about how to generate referrals. Still, I needed to find a way to hav...

Florida had a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. That moratorium ended with some controversy, but ultimately was not renewed because the Federal Government also has a moratorium in place; evictions potentially halted by the CDC and foreclosures of federally-backed mortgages halted by the CARES Act. At some point, tenants will have to pay rent again, and homeowners will have to pay mortgage...

Have you engaged your Information Network? How do you create a Support Network? Do you feel like your business is struggling as a result of the pandemic? Could you use some outside opinions to help kick-start your revenue? What would your business look like if you could: (1) make your business #1 in your industry, (2) have fun with your peers and mentors, (3) create lasting relationships to help y...

When negotiating, do you make the first move, or wait for your counterpart to offer first? When selling, do you ask the prospect how you can help, or let them window shop? Every six (6) months, my community association has a garage sale. Since garage sales are low-intensity sales negotiations (for most) I use the time to practice a sales or negotiation skill. If I miss, I'm out a few bucks, or I d...

Do you know how to buy property for a fraction of its value? This isn't some late-night infomercial scam - this week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is Melanie Finnegan of Tax Lien Wealth Solutions, who helps her clients buy tax deed properties. Tax Deed investing is a great strategy because: You get reimbursed your investment plus some rate of interest, or You get property at a fraction of i...

Is there a tidal wave of evictions and foreclosures coming in Florida? Recently, Florida's Governor DeSantis refused to extend an Executive Order that put a freeze on foreclosures and evictions in Florida, where the payment default was due to a loss of income caused by COVID. What can someone do who is in fear of being able to pay their bills due to a loss of income caused by COVID? This week's gu...

What type of student loan do you have? Federal? Subsidized? Unsubsidized? Private? What repayment options are there? Consolidation? PSLF? IDR? Settlement? Can a bankruptcy discharge student loans and what are the options available in bankruptcy court? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is Joshua Cohen, the Student Loan Lawyer. Joshua's practice is focused solely on Student Loan resolut...

Does your social media generate massive engagement and sales on demand? Do you have access to any social media influencer with a simple call, text or email? Can you create your own celebrity? Or do only your friends and family engage on your social media?  Today's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is best-selling author, speaker, consultant, tech expert, advisor, CEO, entrepreneur and master conn...