Money Plan SOS
214 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 131 ratingsPay attention - not interest.
For most, that’s all it takes to get their money under control. That’s how Steve and his wife got out of debt completely - even the mortgage…and you can too!
Your host, Steve Stewart, shares his extreme-but-proven ways that money really works. The show isn’t just about making a Money Plan (aka: a budget). Steve also explains what’s really wrong with credit cards and credit scores (spoiler alert: It’s not what you think). You’ll also learn about rich habits, how various investing vehicles work, and how you can have no debt, no credit, and no problems!
The show is retired, but still relevant in today’s radically changing financial world. Begin with Episode 201, then go back and listen to the archives in your favorite podcast app!
Money Plan SOS is the response to the call for help with your finances.
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Episodes
The BEST and WORST of the Money Plan SOS Podcast
November 23, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBWelcome! 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
Roundup: The BEST (and worst) of the Money Plan SOS Podcast
November 23, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBWelcome! 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
The BEST (and worst) of the Money Plan SOS Podcast
November 23, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBWelcome! 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
What People Learned About Money By Blogging About Money
September 23, 2015 20:12 - 30 minutes - 21.4 MB#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 Before You Retire) Katie Austin (Writes for ActiveHours.com) Todd Tresidder (FinancialMentor.com) Stefan...
Is Giving a Tithe Mandatory? Chris Brown from True Stewardship
September 03, 2015 22:45 - 37 minutes - 17.4 MB#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. Full show notes at He recently became on of Dave Ramsey's Speakers and now hosts the popular True Stewardship Podcast. In this episode, Chris and I tackle this touchy subject of tithing: • What is a tithe? • Who is called to giv...
The 8 Great Mistakes of Investing. Also, Fractional Savings Accounts
August 28, 2015 13:50 - 1 hour - 31.7 MB#198: OG (aka The Other Guy from Stacking Benjamins) joins me to share the 8 Great Mistakes in Investing Full show notes at 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 Thanks to OG for coming over. You can find him at http://StackingBenjamins.com - my favorite podcast. Also mentioned in this episode: The Great Beanie Baby Bubble by Zac Bi...
Matt Ham has Redefined Rich
August 21, 2015 02:00 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB#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 Takeaways from this interview: It’s not how much you give - it’s how you give it () We shouldn’t feel guilty to spend and, surprisingly enough, we feel richer when we give. Whole Life Matters Podcast: __________________________________ 3 important things to remember when buying a car This post fir...
The Ins-and-Outs of Robo-Investing - Interview with Jon Stein
August 13, 2015 19:33 - 55 minutes - 26 MB#196: Jon Stein from Betterment and I discuss robo-advisors, why Betterment is so different, and what it takes to open an account. Use to receive 30 days FEE FREE investing at Betterment Full show notes at _______________________________________ M.J. Cossel wrote in about an article she read in the Dallas Morning News: Bad credit score can double insurance premiums in Texas My response: Yes. Poor credit scores equal higher insurance premiums - but that’s only one consequence of not payin...
Less Taxes, More Money In Your Paycheck - Running a mid-year tax return can improve your cashflow
August 06, 2015 12:35 - 34 minutes - 16 MB#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 Saving or investing Run a mid-year income tax assessment Making course corrections in August he...
Ace Chapman Says Skip The Startup and Buy a Business
July 30, 2015 08:30 - 50 minutes - 23.5 MB#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 Ace's book: Find Ace at: Or Twitter: ______________________________ Don't worry about your credit score. Do what's RIGHT with your money. When it is time to prove your credit worthiness call on eCredable: (free monthly membership with this code: SOS)
What You Need To Know About Self-Directed IRA's
July 23, 2015 20:35 - 51 minutes - 23.8 MB#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 at Key takeaways from our discussion: Self-directed IRAs are a great arrangements for making non-tr...
Interview with The Vault Key and I Can't Live Without My Smartphone
July 17, 2015 01:53 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MB#192: Kai and I have something in common: We both left the comfort of a regular paycheck to focus on helping others with their personal finances. In our conversation we discuss: Why Americans allow themselves to become trapped in debt How much responsibility do we place on the education system to teach children and young adults about financial literacy The truth about employers pulling credit scores or credit reports The 5 Dangers of Buying Cheap and “Splaving” For full notes, visit
Do Companies Check Credit Scores?
July 17, 2015 01:53 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MB#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, you won't have a credit score. However, you will have a clean credit report - or no information for a credit ...
Summer Jobs for Teachers and Destination Debt Freedom
July 09, 2015 08:00 - 47 minutes - 22.1 MB#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 8. Become a Local Tour Guide Destination Debt Freedom Alan Steinborn and Jackie Beck are spearheadi...
Inflation-Induced Debt Destruction with Jason Hartman
July 02, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 30.7 MB#190: Jason Hartman only wants mortgage debt - and he will take out as much as he possibly can. Full show notes at 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 have to understand how inflation plays into this investment strategy: Jason says he is playing the same game as governments and central banks to win the investing game.
Which Half-Glass Investor Are You?
June 26, 2015 02:52 - 37 minutes - 17.4 MB#189: Are you a Pessimist or Opportunist? Take this quiz to find out! Full notes at 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)
A Pleasant Conversation With The Angry Grad
June 20, 2015 15:39 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MB#188: Leah Bell shares her story of growing $32k in student loan debt - and why it makes her angry! Upcoming webinars: July 1st: Get more out of your money by Spending Our Values http://MoneyPlanSOS.com/webinars June 23rd: Premium Podcast Player Showdown 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 e...
How Credit Cards Make Money - ON YOU!
June 05, 2015 15:25 - 36 minutes - 16.9 MB#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 Infographic with credit and debit card statistics: How Counting Can Work Even When Budgets Aren’t Accurate: Ponda from the Honda: Fight Big Business by Cutting Up Credit Cards
Being Phroogal on the Road to Financial Wellness
May 29, 2015 13:35 - 35 minutes - 17.2 MB#186: What could be better than taking a 30-day journey across the U.S. in a van? Full notes at 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: There are multiple ways money can come out of our accounts. It's more important than ever to balance our checking account every month. I give 7 reasons to balance your account and...
Protected but not Immune to Card Fraud
May 21, 2015 19:16 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MB#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
What makes ID Theft companies worth the cost?
May 07, 2015 15:09 - 26 minutes - 18.7 MB#184: Identity theft is no joke - and it's on the rise! Should you pay for monitoring? Full show notes at 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 webinars and recent appearances Testimony from a listener who learned risk vs reward from an engineering book
YNAB vs EveryDollar Comparison
April 16, 2015 06:28 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MB#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. For more information, visit the show notes at
One Page Financial Plans and Cocktail Napkins - Interview with Carl Richards
April 08, 2015 20:56 - 44 minutes - 31 MB#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
Money Plan SOS ON FIRE with Joseph Michael
April 01, 2015 03:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MB#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 guesswork out of the process. I've taken the course and am using Scrivener to create my Audacity Wor...
Dan Miller, helping people find the work they love for 10 years
March 25, 2015 15:40 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MB#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 companies battling for his employment - all without breaking a sweat because he was following a moneyplan. In the Hol...
We’re talking #BitCoin with @OpenBazaar (2015)
March 19, 2015 01:41 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MB#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
Spiritual Beliefs and our Behavior with Money (Interview with Joan Sotkin)
March 12, 2015 06:19 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MB#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
When She Makes More: Interview with Farnoosh Torabi
February 17, 2015 13:07 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MB#177: Farnoosh Torabi is known for contributing to The Today Show and Money Magazine as well starting her own podcast - So Money. But today we are having a conversation with her about her most recent book: “When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women” The book is written for the working woman who earns more in the workplace than her man. While the financial nerd in me appreciates all the statistics and studies included in the book, I also think men will benefit as much by reading "W...
Divorce-proof your marriage with more conversation, less bling
February 02, 2015 19:14 - 51 minutes - 36 MB#176: Derek and Carrie Olsen help us discover if a marriage can survive a foreclosure. Full show notes with links at
Debt Free Testimonies from the Gruetmans and Browns
January 27, 2015 06:27 - 53 minutes - 38.8 MB#175: The Greutmans are debt free and now employ Americans to run their small business - IAmThatLady.com. UPDATE: Lauren has launched a new business and can be found at The Browns just paid off their HOUSE! What are they most excited about? Listen to the testimonies of two families with different reasons for killing their debt - and what it has done for them. Also in this episode: Holla From The Impala - The ONLY benefit from paying interest. Read the full show notes at
Happy New "You" Year (2015)
January 08, 2015 01:58 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MB#174: UPDATE: Even bigger changes came since releasing this episode in 2015. In short: My business failed to grow but a new one EXPLODED in the first half of 2016. You can see what I'm doing now at _______________________________________ ORIGINAL POST: Big changes are coming my way - and yours. Listen to my plans to leave the day job, focus all my time on helping others get out of debt and build wealth. I also have a discussion with my Branding Coach, Ryan Rhoten. He's amazing and has be...
Businesses offer more savings by asking Debit or Credit
December 22, 2014 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB#173: The sign on their front door says "No Credit Cards". How can such a large chain exist without accepting credit cards? Clint Woodman, Vice President of Woodman's Food Market, shares the business side of accepting credit cards as a business and why they never have and never will accept credit cards - for the good of their customers! Also, Gary Leland talks about Stripe, a mobile and web payment option, and why he chooses to use a wireless credit card processing machine instead. For more,...
15 Year-end Tax Tips - Conversation with John Beidel
December 12, 2014 19:29 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MB#172: Tax specialist, John Beidel, joins me in a discussion about 15 Year-end Tax Saving Tips - an article from Betterment.com. Try Betterment for 30 days when using For more information, visit the show notes at
Retirement Limits for 2015 and the Debtors Anonymous Quiz
December 04, 2014 05:36 - 35 minutes - 25.1 MB#171: New retirement contribution and income limits for 2015 have been released by the IRS. Take the Debtor's Anonymous Quiz - 15 questions to help identify compulsive debtors. The perfect credit score has been achieved. How much will it cost YOU? Instead of a segment of Holla from the Impala I present to you: Audioblog while walking the dog I was interviewed by Mint.com. Read about the Convenience Economy and my trick to keep couples at the budgeting table (and you probably have a bottle la...
9 Ways To Curb An Addiction To Shopping
November 20, 2014 13:32 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MB#170: I'm answering listener emails: Patti emailed her concerns about "filling a void" by purchasing things she doesn't need and I answer the question "Should I pay off my $55k mortgage with savings?" For more information, visit the show notes at
Financial Rules, Frugal Decisions, and Henry Rollins tells a debt free story
November 06, 2014 06:45 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB#169: Henry Rollins tells a debt free story. In the episode titled “10 things you don’t know about the almighty dollar” he tells a debt free story about America. It appears that Andrew Jackson was the first and only President to pay off all of America’s debt. LOVE IT! Listen to the episode for more about when America first got into debt Watch the episode here (some restrictions apply): http://www.history.com/shows/10-things-you-dont-know-about/videos/the-almighty-dollar Also on today's ep...
Looking Back at 30 Years of Purposeful Spending
October 30, 2014 05:52 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MB#168: John Pugliano has more than 30 years of purposeful purchases behind him. Full show notes at His wife was able to stay home with all 6 kids while he focused on his career. He retired early and has been able to help others learn how to invest in stocks. Is living on less than you make for 3 decades worth it? Hear for yourself. Also: Holla from the Impala and a listener's testimony.
A simpler and fair solution to taxes
October 24, 2014 16:48 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MB#167: Is it possible to have a simple and fair solution to the US tax code? Yes, it's called the FairTax. 105 years ago the 16th Amendment was passed allowing the US Government to levy an income tax on corporations. Somewhere along the way things changed and we find ourselves buried under 74,000 pages of tax code. Which is simpler: 74,000 pages or 133? The FairTax turns our complicated system into a medium sized book. The FairTax is much simpler: No more income tax withholding No more fi...
How can Dave Ramsey's advice be dangerous to his listeners?
October 16, 2014 16:41 - 1 hour - 48.8 MB#166: Listen to my debate with Joshua Sheats from Radical Personal Finance on various financial topics he deems to be dangerous to Dave Ramsey Show listeners. Links mentioned in this episode: Post: Book: Episode: Joshua's plan for For more information, visit the show notes at
What should I do with my old 401k?
October 10, 2014 02:06 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MB#165: Lisa left her job for another. She could have rolled her old 401k into the new plan, but she wanted more options. Full show notes and resources at What should I do with my old 401k? Lisa Emperador is a young professional who changed jobs after accumulating $8,000 in her old 401(k). She had several options for what to do with the money. Lisa has a bunch of debt and could have cashed it out to pay down a car loan or credit card debt. Instead, she chose to roll it into a ROTH IRA managed ...
Facts about FICO and the truth behind the Credit Score Industry
October 01, 2014 04:38 - 42 minutes - 31 MB#164: Even though FICO is celebrating 25 years as a publicly traded company, this is their very first audio interview. We are going to hammer out the clear and correct information about FICO and the credit scoring industry. Anthony Sprauve, Director of Public Relations at FICO, tells us the truth about: How FICO is able to capture our data from credit card companies, auto loans, student loans, etc. The relationship FICO has with the big three credit score bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Tran...
Save Money on your iPhone and Cellphone Bill with Rey Brown
September 24, 2014 06:50 - 46 minutes - 32 MB#163: Rey Brown explains how the cell phone industry works and gives suggestions for saving money on a new plan. A full list of resources can be found at
How to have Rich Kids, with Tom Corley
September 11, 2014 05:41 - 42 minutes - 29.6 MB#162: Tom Corley, author of Rich Habits, releases his new book Rich Kids. What are 5 activities that will guarantee your kids will avoid a life of poverty? What are the three paths to wealth? Are sports better than after-school activities? Listen to the show and find out. Much more information can be found at
Squirrel Away Your Change With Acorns App
August 28, 2014 05:24 - 40 minutes - 27.5 MB#161: What if you could invest your loose change at the end of the day? Now you can with Acorns. Acorns is an app taking advantage of new technologies and less expensive investment fees to allow anyone to start investing in ETFs from Blackrock, Vanguard and PIMCO. ________ Take the #100challenge in September 2014. See how fast you can save or earn $100 more. Then apply the money to your next goal: Emergency Fund Pay down debt Car replacement fund Save for Christmas Etc... Share your progr...
Biggest Credit Score Myths and #ALSIceBucketChallenge
August 21, 2014 07:21 - 31 minutes - 22 MB#160: You can't turn on the TV or have a conversation with someone about money without the subject of credit scores coming up. With all that awareness you would think that everyone would have a basic understanding of how credit works. Unfortunately, there is a lot of miss-information being spread around. There are many myths surrounding the credit score; believing these myths can not only wreck your finances, but keep you from reaching your financial goals. For more information, visit the...
Steps to buying a cash car with James Kinson
August 07, 2014 03:28 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MB#159: The first 6 steps to buying a cash car are laid out by James Kinson, the Cash Car Convert. He helps everyday Americans kick auto debt to the curb and make smart buying decisions when it comes to automobiles. For more information, visit the show notes at
Debit Card is Stolen? Real life stories from five victims - and why you don't need to freak out!
July 21, 2014 06:53 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MB#158: It is inevitable: Your debit card will be compromised some day. What happens when my debit card is stolen? Money will be taken out of your account Your bank may call you or you must call your bank when you find out The Zero Liability Policy will kick in The money will be returned to your account in short order Any insufficient fund charges will be removed by your bank You will be inconvenienced In this episode five individuals share the experiences of when their card(s) were compromis...
Debt Freedom helped John Lee Dumas launch Entrepreneur On Fire
June 29, 2014 17:35 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MB#157: How was John Lee Dumas able to start Entrepreneur On Fire without ANY income for 9 months? John tells us how in this exclusive interview about how successful people spend money. Also, Suze Orman's Preferred Debit Card is no more and PerkStreet customers get money in the mail! For more information, visit the show notes at
How to Travel without Credit Cards
June 16, 2014 04:49 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MB#156: Would you like to know how we paid for our vacation at a horse ranch without credit cards? It’s easy: We prepaid for our travel expenses with a debit card, prepaid for the week at a horse ranch by check, and paid cash for the rest. Oh, and we saved more than $160 by staying away from credit cards. In this episode I break down the different ways to pay for things like rental cars, souvenirs, and hotels - no credit cards necessary. The reason I stay away from credit cards will become evid...
10 Ways To Pay Attention To Money
May 28, 2014 20:59 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MB#155: How much attention do you really need to give to managing personal finances? Here are 10 ways we pay attention to our money - and most of it doesn't involve a lot of time: Always: Check remaining budget balances before spending. Daily: Enter transactions into your checkbook/software/ Monthly: Balance checkbook/ Monthly: Set up budget (again, we use ) Quarterly: Review investments and retirement plans Annually: Rebalance portfolios and contribution amounts Annually: Reassess emergency...