Crushing Debt

How does debt play a role in different ages and milestones? How do we minimize the negative impact of debt during each stage of our life? In there a difference in how debt during young adulthood, mid-life, and retirement? What is the average debt per person in the US, versus the average salary in the US (hint, visit www. USADebtClock.com )? In this week's episode, George and Shawn talk about the d...

Happy Spring Break! How did you spend your Spring Break? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about: Vacation spending Vacation technology Reverse Mortgage issues When to start planning Housing rates & Interest rates Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends! Please also visit our sponsor, Sam Cohen of Attorneys First In...

What are some financial stressors out there? What triggers your financial stress? What is Surge Pricing?  Dynamic Pricing? In this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about the various things that can cause financial stress.  Situations like: bankruptcy & foreclosure, job loss, reduced work hours or income, lack of savings, debt, health care costs, separation or divorce, the loss of a spouse, taxe...

If you have adult kids living with you, do you charge them rent? If you are living with your parents, do you pay or contribute to household expenses? Do you support your friends or family financially? Are you a part of the sandwich generation? This week, George and Shawn tackle the topic of contributing to household expenses. Nearly 1/3 of 18 - 34 year olds are living at home with mom and dad, and...

Should you lease or buy? What happens when your lease is over? Should you buy out your lease?  Buy a new car?  Lease a new car?  Buy a pre-owned car? Shawn was recently faced with these questions when his lease was at the end of its term. Find out what Shawn did and some of the questions he faced in this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast. Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so,...

Should your partner get a second job, when you both make over six-figures? Where was the world's first paper money created? What is the origin of the "greenback" nickname? What is the origin of the $ symbol for the US dollar? Each week, George and Shawn (mostly George) finds interesting articles on the internet discussing various topics, questions, advice or other information.  This week, it's a f...

What are the signs of financial anxiety? How does financial anxiety affect you? How can you handle financial anxiety? We apologize for the audio quality of last week's episode. Apparently, taking a month hiatus also impacted our recording equipment! That issue has been fixed, and the quality of Shawn's voice this week is all mother nature's fault.  George takes the lead this week, talking about fi...

After a one-month hiatus, we are back with new episodes of The Crushing Debt Podcast! Have you experienced any life changes recently? How did those changes impact your budget? Our apologies for our silence during the month of January. In this epsidoe, we explain our absence and how it relates to both the Podcast, our daily lives, budgets, debts, medical bills, and other issues related to major lif...

Welcome to the first episode of 2024 - which should have been the last of 2023 except for a technical glitch. Why is a wholistic approach to health insurance, life insurance and wealth building important? How can you create a healthy money mindset? George is solo this week, speaking with Paola Rodriguez, a wealth building and insurance expert. She is a proud native of Dominican Republic, a graduat...

Why are homeowner insurance premiums on the rise? What happened to the insurance market? What is reinsurance and how does it affect your premiums? On this week's episode, Shawn and George welcome back Rich Ficca, owner of Advanced Rick Consultants and Director of Risk Management for Florida Coastal and Aureat Group. Rich has been on four episodes previously: Episodes 221 and 220 - Business Interru...

Why do some people go broke? Better yet, how can someone avoid going broke? Or even better, if broke, how can someone dig theirself out of it? On today's episode, Shawn & George talk about the top 15 reasons why people may go broke, and how to avoid those things. Some of them are obvious - not making enough money, burying your head in the sand.  Some of them are not so obvious - penny wise and pou...

WOW!  Four Hundred Episodes! Who knew way back in 2015 that eight years later, we would be 400 episodes in! So what is the sleeping giant of the senior real estate world?  What is a HECM and can it be used to purchase a home? How can a HECM actually INCREASE the commission paid to an agent? How can a senior use the equity in their previous home to upsize or downsize into a new home? On this week's...

Looking back a few years, what trends did you see coming?  What trends did you miss? Looking forward a few years, what trends do you think are coming? In this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about financial trends that they see coming, including: Investing Marriage College Planning Side Hustles Crypto Digital or Virtual Money Finance Apps AI Loyalty Programs Judgments Do you think we're off on...

What do you talk about on Thanksgiving?  Typically, we try to avoid topics like politics and money at the Thanksgiving table, but it possible to talk about your investments while passing the gravy? In this week's episode, Shawn & George discuss some conversations starters that may appear taboo for the Thanksgiving table, but could result is some positive interactions with family, such as: Gratitud...

How do you manage your feeling about money? How do you manage your habits around spending, saving, or investing money? How do you speak with your family and other relationships about money? This week, George and Shawn talk to Maggie Baker, PhD, a practicing psychotherapy for 30 years, who is passionate about helping folks put their minds at ease during stressful financial situations. Dr. Baker kno...

What apps or websites do you use to save money? On December 8, 2023, Shawn will be speaking at the More Entrepreneur Summit 2023.  You can get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/SYSummit23 While these podcast episodes last as long as George and Shawn have content, Shawn's presentation at the summit is only five minutes, so Shawn wanted some help narrowing down all of the great technology tips to pr...

How do you talk to your kids about money?  About saving, spending and investing? Do you pay your kids an allowance? On this week's episode of the podcast, George and Shawn talk to Maya Corbic, a mother and seasoned CPA, with a background as a CFO, tax accountant and auditor. Maya is also a newly published author with her book "From Piggy Banks to Stocks: The Ultimate Guide for a Young Investor" wh...

What strange purchases have you made online? What ridiculous things are available on Amazon? What absurd purchases did people make during (and post) the pandemic? This week, George and Shawn talk about some ridiculous purchases available online. You can read the articles that formed the basis of this week's eposide at: Our Most Ridiculous Pandemic Panic Purchases (and What We Did With Them) | Revi...

Welcome to our bi-annual Garage Sale lesson episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast! In this week's episode, we put it all together into one over-arching sales presentation. Each year, in October and May, Shawn's neighborhood hosts a community-wide garage sale. Shawn has tested and practiced different sales techniques at these bi-annual events in a low-risk, low-pressure environment! You can listen t...

Is it too early to start thinking about the holidays? Is it too early to start buying presents for the holidays? Nope! and Nope! This week Shawn & George talk about a few articles we found on the internet around ways to save on Holiday spending, whether gifts, travel or other holiday-related expenses. You can read these articles at:  29 Ways To Save on Holiday Gifts | GOBankingRates 12 cheap holid...

Do you have a voice at the table - the financial table? Do you have your financial house in order? Did you know that men and women view and treat money very differently? Have you been on a Money Date or planned a Money Party? Are you prepared for the unthinkable? For the windfall? This week Shawn (solo, George is back next week) has Cassandra Smalley, a Certified Financial Planner, holder of the C...

What is the best way to pay for college? How do college visits factor into the cost of college? What is the total price of college? Is it the same as listed on the schools' websites? What price should parents or students expect to pay for college? What is the real price difference between private and public universities? What is late-stage college planning? On this week's episode of The Crushing D...

When is the right time to start a new business? What should the economy look like?  Why do startups fail? What pitfalls should a new owner understand and avoid? In this week's episode, George and Shawn talk about these issues, with a focus on income, debt, financial statements, and other issues that may affect the new, small business owner. Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please...

When is something free? When can you spend money and make money? What is "Girl Math"? In this week's episode, George and Shawn delve into the strange Social Media trend of "Girl Math."  Yes, that's a real thing - there is a growing trend of social media influencers with millions of views and followers promoting rules that they believe help save people money. Under "Girl Math" in certain scenarios,...

What are some ridiculous, absurd, wasteful, dumb things you've spent money on? Certainly Shawn & George have purchased things that maybe were not the smartest buys, it happens. However, in this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about a few articles we found on the internet, having a little fun (and some serious talk) about items that are maybe not the most ideal buys, although some may be ... ht...