Basic Training

BECKY OLIVER: From Investigative Reporter to Real Estate Expert

Her career as an investigative reporter earned her dozens of awards, changed laws and sent people in federal prison.  Now Becky Oliver is writing her next chapter as a realtor.  We sit down to talk about what she's been up to and what you should know if you're thinking about buying or selling a house but don't know where to start.  A must listen! 

Tara Harper - Idea to Invention (and BRAVO Reality TV)

Reality TV veteran, entrepreneur, animal advocate, "Most Beautiful" list topper- there's not much Tara Harper isn't involved in.  Fresh from a spot on QVC, we sit down with the woman behind the Blushly makeup vanity to talk about how to turn ideas into inventions. (And for those of you who recognize her name from Most Eligible Dallas on BRAVO, yes, we dish about that too!)   

Is that 5G I see? How to navigate the new speed of information

What's 5G?  When is it coming?  Or is it already here? My 4G phone says 5G is that marketing or a miracle?  We sit down with a tech expert from Samsung to talk about 5G, its evolution, capacity and what you need to do to get on board as we take your questions on this week's episode.  

Organizing 101

From clearing clutter to organizing old photos and trinkets, organizing expert Jessica Nickerson is in for a one on one talk which includes questions from our listeners.  Who doesn't have a box of "stuff" collecting dust?  Jessica can help you weed through your mess, display what's special and create a sustainable system for your lifestyle. 

Surrogacy - Our Journey to a Growing Family

tarting a family is an amazing journey. There's an emotional part, a practical part and even a financial part. Starting a family through surrogacy has all of those things, plus some challenges that only someone who's gone through them can really appreciate.  Heather Hays joins Steve to discuss "Surrogacy - Our Journey to a Growing Family." CLICK HERE TO WATCH the video component

Hiring a Roofer

Eric Armstrong, President and Partner at Quick Roofing talks with Steve about all the questions you should be asking before hiring a roofer – and probably don’t. Do roofers have to be licensed? Insured? Should you have to pay money upfront? How to discuss setting a completion date with your roofer What the term ‘bonded’ really means and why you should be cautious of it How to spot common roofing mistakes and what to do about them

FinCon Special: Hey, Richfriend!

Steve talks with Nicole Walters about monetizing your life by knowing your worth!   Topics include: Adding a price tag to your knowledge Overcoming the fear of getting started Using social media as a tool to build your business

FinCon Special: Savings Angel

Josh Elledge, founder of SavingsAngel.com, joins Steve to talk about how to save money, make more money, and live a more abundant life.  Topics include: Knowing the rules for getting the best deal Accessing upgrades, freebies, perks and discounts Why the best deals go to nice people!

FinCon Special: Best-selling author David Bach

Steve talks with author David Bach about wealth and how to retire the way you want to.  Topics include: The concept of paying yourself first Budgets – why they don’t work and what you should use instead The ‘Escalator to Wealth’ and why Millennials are missing out

FinCon Special: Broke Millennial

Broke Millennial

FinCon Special Erin Lowry, Author and Personal Finance Expert, joins Steve to talk about the lesson of the Candy Tax and how to get control of your money, YOLO, FOMO and the biggest barriers to get Millennials to start saving, social media and the fear of losing friends by being seen as frugal.

FinCon Special: Nerd Wallet

Nerd Wallet writer Liz Weston joins Steve to talk about figuring out where you are in your savings plan and how to automate the whole thing.  Topics include: Why it really is harder than it used to be to save What to do if your employer doesn’t offer a 410(k) retirement plan Choosing the best credit card for you Why you may need a ‘credit freeze’ after the Equifax data breach

FinCon Special: Blooom

Steve talks with Blooom CEO and co-founder Chris Costello about helping people get the most out of their workplace retirement account.  Topics include: The most common mistake people make with their 401(k). What’s considered ‘bad’ debt and why you should get rid of it first. If there’s a ‘right’ amount you should be saving for retirement.

FinCon Special: $5 Meals

Erin Chase, The Meal Plan Guru, saves you time, money, and stress by down-sizing your grocery bill.  Topics include: Cutting the cost of your groceries 20-percent by getting one ingredient on sale Using the store sale prices and coupons to help decide what’s for dinner Coupon apps vs store circulars – which is better?

Couples Figuring Out Finances

Handling one person’s finances are hard enough, here’s how couples can grow their cash together.  Steve talks with Michelle Manners, First Vice President - Investment Officer, Wells Fargo Advisors about: Where to begin building a financial future together When to keep some accounts or credit cards personal What to do when one of you has dents in his/her credit How clean should your credit really be (hint: VERY) The right amount of debt to keep and why that should determine which credit ...

Dealing With Dodd-Frank

President Trump’s agenda may be big changes to the Wall Street reform law. Here’s how to get ready. Steve discusses possible changes in the Dodd-Frank Law with Ken Goodgames, CEO of the Community Council of Greater Dallas about: What the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was designed to do. Why avoiding knee-jerk reactions to bad financial news can help you succeed Avoiding ‘predatory lending’

New Year's Resolutions

Dr. Robert Vasquez and Steve discuss the best ways to make healthy changes in your life – and make them stick!  In this episode – why you shouldn’t try and lose weight or get fit on your own, deciding what change you really need to make and which ones are a waste of time, and technique to get your conscious and unconscious minds working together to help you!

Take Control of Your Money

Certified financial planner Ken Moraif from Money Matters with Ken Moraif joins Steve to discuss how to get started on saving money and building wealth - no matter how much money you make! Plus: the biggest misconceptions people have about money management, why financial planners are not just for rich people, what's the difference between fee-based vs. commission-based advisors, how to max out your savings potential, IRA and Roth IRAs explained, facing up to a financial rough spot and how to...

Responsible Giving

Mary Jalonick from the Dallas Foundation talks with Steve about how to make every dollar count when you donate to charity.  Find out: How to pick a charity Why you should volunteer with an organization before giving money What to look for on charity monitoring websites like GuideStar or Charity Navigator Why sharing the news that you donated will help multiply your gift How to give to charity as a family Explaining the ‘Giving for Good’ card to benefit any charity in the United States

Year-End Tax Strategies

Former IRS attorney Deborah Gregory talks with Steve about beating the tax man – and saving money - by planning ahead.  Find out: What to expect from a Trump tax plan and how you can take advantage. If you have losses there is a way to capitalize on how you report them. How to dig yourself out from under a big tax bill. Why getting an extension doesn’t buy you any more time to pay.

Rather Be Shopping!

Kyle James, founder of Rather-Be-Shopping.com spends his days trying to find the best online coupon codes, printable coupons, and bargains at all your favorite online stores. Steve and Kyle take about: - Developing in-store relationships to find insider tips and deals - Which stores have the best deals on which days (like Anthropologie, Best Buy, CVS, Old Navy) - How to spot the products that haven’t reached their lowest price - Which stores will likely give you price adjustments on cle...

Brad's Deals

Coupons aren’t just for your parents anymore!  Casey Runyan joins us from BradsDeals.com - a team of deal experts scouring the web every day to find the best deals on just about everything.  Casey and Steve talk about: - Customizing deals available just the ones you want - The best way to prepare for Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to max out savings - Good news about Xbox and Playstation pricing this year

Extreme Couponing

Jen Freeman is a television personality, nationally acclaimed speaker, was featured on TLC’s ‘Extreme Couponing’ and ‘Extreme Couponing All-Stars’.  Steve talks with Jen about: - Taking the ‘extreme’ out of extreme couponing and still getting the savings - Why printed newspaper coupons are still the best way to save - Timing coupons and sales so that you don’t get worn out by constantly clipping and saving - How to get deals (including meat and produce) without having to overstock

Kroger Crazy

One store – LOTS of savings!  Katie Cooksey runs KrogerKrazy.com, a wrap-up of the best deals from Kroger.  In this episode, Steve and Katie discuss: - Changes in couponing (no more double-triple coupons) and new ways to save - Details on Kroger “Mega Events” - How to use your store loyalty card to its fullest potential - Saving up to a dollar per gallon of gasoline at Kroger fuel stops - Stocking up on coupons for full-price items and waiting until they go on sale

Back to School Food

Steve talks about improving your child’s diet to help their school performance with nutrition advisor Alaina O'Daniel from Natural Grocers.   Topics include making healthy grab-and-go breakfasts, getting vegetables – yes, vegetables – in your breakfast, how food choices affect attention and school performance, best brain foods and ‘Good Fats’, and how to buy the most nutritious eggs.

Back to School Family Management

Steve talks about keeping a busy house under control with the start of the new school year.   This week’s guest is best-selling author and ‘Family Manager’ Kathy Peel.  Topics include setting up a family Control Center and working as a family team, school activities and how to prevent over-scheduling your child, why school is the child’s career, just like their parents and managing your child’s time with their electronic devices.

Back to School Jitters

Steve talks about school start “jitters” with Nicholas J. Westers, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist at Children’s Medical Center and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.  In this episode - telling the difference between nerves and fear, how to be a supportive parent and not a “helicopter parent”, finding your child’s strengths in life and school, helping kids deal with the pressure of social media, and avoiding competition with other kids and other parents.

DIY Shanty 2 Chic

Two sisters from Fort Worth, Ashley & Whitney, describe themselves as “two power tool wielding DIY queens, on a mission to create beautiful and affordable furniture, turning houses into homes.”  Steve talks with them about how they turned their hobby into a career building – and teaching others how to build – home furnishings. - Biggest misconceptions about starting your own woodworking projects - What the essential tools you should have to start a building project - The basics on selecti...

DIY Egypt Sherrod

Realtor, author and TV host Egypt Sherrod has been named “America’s most beloved real estate agent” as host of HGTV’s top-rated show, “Property Virgins”, now in its twelfth season, and the upcoming “Flipping Virgins”.  Steve and Egypt talk about:  - When to sweat and when to relax when you’re just getting in to real estate - How to keep from getting emotional about buying and selling a home - Why Egypt snickers when Steve mentions real estate websites like Zillow!

DIY Going Yard

DIY: Going Yard

Chris is host of DIY Networks "Yard Crashers" and appears with Peyton on HGTV's "Going Yard" where they transform backyards, one house at a time.  Steve talks with Chris and Peyton about: - Easy yard projects that give homes the biggest bang for their buck - Starting small and building out when it comes to yard projects - Picking plants and planning for long term for your yard - What their audience doesn’t always get to see on TV - How to decide what to plant for your local community

You Need a Promotion!

Are you promotion material?  Business consultant Susan Steinbrecher talks with Steve about the things you should be doing right now to maximize your chances of taking a huge step forward on your career path!

You Need a Raise!

You need a raise!  But you've probably been too afraid or too cautious to ask.  That's where we come in.  Steve talks with author and negotiation expert Linda Swindling about the right way to ask for a raise.

Investing for the New Graduate

You're out on your own after college and now that first paycheck is starting to burn a hole in your pocket!  Before you get the urge to spend it all, listen as Steve talks with Jamie Blum, Sr. Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab, about how to make good financial decision from the very beginning of your working life.

Property Taxes

We talk with Dallas Central Appraisal District's Cheryl Jordan about how to save money on your property taxes.  We'll talk about why the appraisal district is NOT out to get the highest price for your house, what exemptions are available and how to get them, and the best ways to get them to lower your appraised value!

Finding a Good Contractor

How to research a good, reputable, building contractor. We talk with The Good Contractors List founder and CEO John Hill about what everyone can learn from the criteria they use to screen contractors.

Urgent Care vs Emergency Care

The number of "free-standing" emergency rooms has skyrocketed, leaving consumers with serious questions about the difference between emergency and urgent care and the huge difference in price between them.  Dr. Jay Woody, founder and Chief Medical Officer of LegacyER explains the differences.

Credit Card Secrets

"America's Money Answers Man" Jordan Goodman talks with Steve about credit cards, credit card debt, airline cards, and the one state that routinely has the lowest credit card interest rates.

After the Storm

North Texas often takes a beating from wind, hail, and rain and Steve Noviello has a Basic Training special to help you repair the damage while protecting your money!  QUICK TIPS: 1. Assess damage and then make temporary repairs 2. Contact your insurance company immediately. 3. Choose contractor carefully - ask neighbors for recommendations, check online reviews. 4. Be cautious of paying anyone in cash. 5. Final payment or completion agreement should never be made until you are happy with t...

Credit Reports 101

Credit is a financial tool.  Debt is a financial problem. Rod Griffin with credit reporting company Experian discusses what goes into your credit score and how banks and lenders use it to evaluate you.

All About Travel

Rick Seaney, CEO and founder of FareCompare.com, talks about the best day to shop for airline tickets, which airlines lead the way on cheap air fares, and what rights you really have when you’re stuck for hours on the tarmac!

Credit Crunch or Crisis?

Steve sat down with Ken Goodgames, CEO of Transformance, formerly Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas (CCCS).  In this episode, we'll cover:   Overcoming shame to get to the truth about your financial condition How to recover when you suffer a financial relapse Being a part of the first generation of retirees to carry college debt into their golden years

Credit Unions vs. Banks

Steve explores what you should know about credit unions with Courtney Moran, executive director of the Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation. In this episode, they'll discuss what a credit union is, who can join, how they're regulated, why rates are often better than most banks, and the biggest reason why many people don't make the switch.

Student Financial Aid

Steve talks paying for college with Sarah Jenson, Deputy Director for College Access at “The Commit! Partnership”.  Hear why local students left $30 million dollars in financial aid unclaimed last year, why every student should be filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and the mistakes PARENTS make that can cause major complications for their kids!

Financial Planning: Part 2

Everybody would love to have a lot of money, but often don't know what to do to get it!  Steve talks with financial planner Derrick Kinney about the "rules" to the money game and how to increase your chances of winning it! In Part 2 of this episode:  what to do if your job doesn't offer a 401K savings plan, the difference between an IRA and a Roth IRA,  how aggressive you have to be in saving, and whether retiring at age 65 too optimistic.

Financial Planning: Part 1

Everybody would love to have a lot of money, but often don't know what to do to get it!  Steve talks with financial planner Derrick Kinney about the "rules" to the money game and how to increase your chances of winning it!

TV Buying

In this episode, Steve's talking about buying that big screen for the "big game" -- and beyond.  Learn what you need - and what you can probably do without - in your new TV.  Scan rate - how high do you really need to go?  What is OLED and do you really need it?  How far can you get from "top of the line" and still be happy with your purchase?  Plus, find out how big your TV really needs to be for the room it's in.

The Tax Man Cometh

In this episode,  find out who should do their own taxes, why you shouldn't freak out if you don't have all of your records, whether or not  it really matters when your file your federal income tax return,  how to find the dividing line between a business expense and a personal expense and what to do if you're inheriting money or if you won the lottery!

Home Buying

Home Buying