Money Plan SOS
214 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 130 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
Buy Your Next Car From The Joneses
April 18, 2013 10:05 - 17 minutes - 13.1 MB#105: We bought my wife's last vehicle from the Joneses. You've heard of the Joneses. They have all the freshest gadgets, the most fashionable clothes, and drive the newest vehicles. You can get an excellent bargain if you buy your next car from the Joneses without getting a lemon or ruining your finances. Buy your next [...] The post appeared first on .
Teaching Kids About Work and Money with MyJobChart.com
April 10, 2013 09:15 - 33 minutes - 24.1 MB#104: Gregg Murset, Founder and CEO of MyJobChart.com, believes teaching children early and often is the best way for them to learn how money really works. He should know, he has six children between the ages of 5 and 15! Teaching Kids About Work And [...] The post appeared first on .
4 New Perspectives For Your Money
April 01, 2013 02:03 - 24 minutes - 17.5 MB#103: Car payments, mortgage interest deductions, the morality of money, and who has control of your money: This episode addresses these popular financial topics and we give you a new perspective. Today's show is brought to you from Jon White, my pal and comrade from JW's Financial Coaching. He is all about giving you a new [...] The post appeared first on .
Who are the people who don't need to budget?
March 22, 2013 09:50 - 18 minutes - 14.1 MB#102: Many people can get by without ever doing a budget. Do you qualify as a person that doesn't have to go through this seemingly painful process? The Rich (Financially Independent) Thomas Stanley wrote a book called The Millionaire Next Door. He interviewed millionaires and high income earners. One of the observations he made was a [...] The post appeared first on .
Money 101: Where money and debt came from
March 15, 2013 02:27 - 23 minutes - 17.3 MB#101: Have you ever considered where money came from? The basics of all things finance lays in the concept of a centralized currency with variable purchase power. The great news is that it's a very simple subject, but it has morphed into this horrible set of non-tangible products that are being marketed to you day after [...] The post appeared first on .
Financial Inspiration from listeners and special guest Timm Etters
March 08, 2013 03:10 - 1 hour - 42 MB#100!!! Timm Etters joins me in sharing listener's inspirational stories and quotes in the 100th episode of the MoneyPlan SOS podcast! I also share one of the inspirational people in my life, my best friend Timm. For more about Timm Etters go to the end of this post. Inspirational Quotes from listeners Tony Dungee: "It's about the journey, [...] The post appeared first on .
Getting Ready For Zero Debt with Ready for Zero
February 27, 2013 08:37 - 26 minutes - 18.9 MB#99: UPDATE! Ready for Zero has retired, but the idea they put forth changed my mind about the Debt Avalanche. Ben from Ready For Zero (now owned by Avant) joins me in a conversation about the #1 reason a Debt Avalanche method could actually work better than the Debt Snowball. For more details, visit
Zillow Shares Ways to Avoid Pitfalls When Buying A Home
February 20, 2013 01:15 - 34 minutes - 24.7 MB#98: Erin Lantz from Zillow.com joins me to share ways to avoid lending pitfalls that can prevent you from buying a house. More information can be found at
Zillow's Erin Lantz shares Ways to Avoid Pitfalls When Buying A Home
February 20, 2013 01:15 - 34 minutes - 24.7 MB#98: Erin Lantz from Zillow.com joins me to share ways to avoid lending pitfalls that can prevent you from buying a house. More information can be found at
Could you recover from being married to an addict? Interview with Mandy Knight
February 13, 2013 22:19 - 28 minutes - 20.5 MB#97: How much does someone's past affect your relationship? Do you see someone's past failures as a problem or see them as exercises for personal growth? What if that failure was an addiction? Would you make the same decision Mandy did? Blogger, mother of three, and wife of an ambitious man Mandy Knight is a mom, [...] The post appeared first on .
The Incredible Similarities between Financial Wealth and Physical Health
February 06, 2013 02:37 - 9 minutes - 7.34 MB#96: There is a direct correlation between Personal Finance and Physical Fitness. Currency and calories, consumerism and consumption - they all affect how rich and fit we will become. For more information, visit the show notes at
The Credit Card Surcharge and How to be Responsible with your Debit Card
January 31, 2013 06:48 - 27 minutes - 19.7 MB#95: Purchases are more expensive when we use credit cards. A proposed change to Visa and MasterCard regulations may remove restrictions on vendors and businesses - allowing them to add a surcharge fee when customers pay with a credit card. This fee has always been there, we just never noticed it before. I also share steps you need to take to ensure you are a responsible Debit card user. For more information, visit
Credit Card Surcharges and Responsible Practices for Debit Card Users
January 31, 2013 06:48 - 27 minutes - 19.7 MB#95: Purchases are more expensive when we use credit cards. A proposed change to Visa and MasterCard regulations may remove restrictions on vendors and businesses - allowing them to add a surcharge fee when customers pay with a credit card. This fee has always been there, we just never noticed it before. I also share steps you need to take to ensure you are a responsible Debit card user. For more information, visit
Understanding The Federal 1040 Tax Form
January 25, 2013 18:59 - 23 minutes - 16.9 MB#94: Today I break down the tax return Form-1040 into sections to help us better understand what we need - and why we need it. Income tax returns can be difficult. Breaking the 1040 down into sections helped me to understand it better. For full show notes, visit
Why Your Paycheck is Smaller (and the recent Payroll Tax Cuts)
January 19, 2013 08:47 - 25 minutes - 35.2 MB#93: Congress averted the Fiscal Cliff. Or did they? Effective with the first payroll of 2013, there are a number of changes to paychecks for employees. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“Relief Act”) was passed by the United States Congress on January 1, 2013, and includes several changes ... For more information, visit
Know Where Your Financial Advice is Coming From?
January 09, 2013 03:09 - 43 minutes - 30.8 MB#92: Jon White shares a story of how someone gave really bad financial advice to a young couple. You can read his post here: He and I agree, there is a lot of advice out there that will lead you to make bad decisions with your money. Jon and I talk about How Financial Coaching is [...] For more, visit
Get Out Of Debt with the Debt Movement, Interview with Financial Soldier Jeff Rose
January 02, 2013 01:02 - 27 minutes - 19.5 MB#91: Financial Soldier, Jeff Rose, is starting another movement. He is leading the Debt Squad into a battle with debt and we are taking no prisoners. In this interview he shares how he came up with the idea, the goal, and what he expects will happen in the next 90 days. The Debt Movement [...] For more information, visit the show notes at
How a 401k Can Save You Income Taxes
December 28, 2012 08:14 - 15 minutes - 11.2 MB#90: Putting money into a 401k is a smart tax-saving money move. The Government allows us to sock away up to $17,000 of our hard-earned pay and not pay income tax on it (up to $17,500 in 2013). The money in the account grows without making you pay taxes like a regular investment-type account would, you [...] Read more about how a 401(k) works at
How a 401k Can Save You Taxes
December 28, 2012 08:14 - 15 minutes - 11.2 MB#90: Putting money into a 401k is a smart tax-saving money move. The Government allows us to sock away up to $17,000 of our hard-earned pay and not pay income tax on it (up to $17,500 in 2013). The money in the account grows without making you pay taxes like a regular investment-type account would, you [...] Read more about how a 401(k) works at
Save 1% More in 2013
December 21, 2012 09:27 - 23 minutes - 16.8 MB#89: Certified Financial Planner and IRS Enrolled Agent, Jim Blankenship, is the owner and author of FinancialDucksInARow.com, a blog that focuses on taxes, retirement planning, and Social Security. He saw the savings rates as being too low to enable Americans to retire when they wanted to or that they didn't have enough when they needed. Want to learn more? Visit
No More Mortgage (We're Counting the Days!)
December 14, 2012 14:18 - 19 minutes - 14.2 MB#88: ONLY 38 MONTHS LEFT ON OUR MORTGAGE! What happens when I throw a little bit extra every month towards the principal? The scales tip towards our debt free date, that's what! UPDATE: We paid off our house in December 2015. For more information, visit the show notes at
Smart Moves for Your Christmas Bonus
December 05, 2012 23:06 - 21 minutes - 15.5 MB#87: What is the best thing to do with a Christmas Bonus? It depends on your current financial situation. There are only three things you can do with money: Spend it, save it or give it - and we need to do a little of all three. In this episode, I use the example of a $10,000 bonus check. For more information, visit the show notes at
YNAB Super-User, and fascinating facts about PowerBall
November 29, 2012 01:29 - 24 minutes - 17.8 MB#86: Interview with a YNAB super-user You Need A Budget, an incredibly flexible and easy-to-use software application, started as an excel spreadsheet. Steve Mudie remembers those days as he started using it back in the early days of YNAB. After filing for bankruptcy, Steve Mudie discovered Dave Ramsey. He realized the importance of keeping to a [...] For more information, visit the show notes at
How To Have A Stress Free Holiday
November 23, 2012 03:46 - 27 minutes - 20 MB#85: Professional Organizer Diana Luetkemeyer joins us again to share tips on how to have a stress free holiday. How do we handle the added responsibilities during the holiday season? Write down your favorite 3 holiday tasks Write down least favorite 3 holiday tasks Delegate least favorite to others (hire someone or ask family to help) The post appeared first on MoneyPlanSOS.com
About Financial Advisors, Dealing with Compliance, and Average Joe comes out of the basement
November 15, 2012 00:44 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MB#84: Joe Saul-Sehy is a recovering Financial Planner. Currently, he is the co-host of the 2 Guys and Your Money podcast, COO & chief bottle washer at TheFreeFinancialAdvisor.com, and was the Channel 7 WXYZ-TV "Money Man" in a previous life. He joins us today to talk about Financial Advisors and Compliance. For more details, visit
3 Reasons That Cause Us To Give
November 09, 2012 17:30 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MB#83: We don't give simply to save on taxes - that would be silly. At the center of our spirit is this reason to give: Just because we want to. For more information, visit the show notes at
Understanding Negotiation and Dealing With Conflict, with Dave Hilton
November 01, 2012 10:47 - 31 minutes - 22.7 MB#82: Negotiation is a strategic communication process to get a deal done or solve a problem. Dave Hilton joins us to talk negotiation skills and how to deal with conflict. For more information, visit
5 Things Debt Settlement Companies Won't Tell You
October 25, 2012 05:02 - 43 minutes - 30.6 MB#81: Michael Bovee shares the "" For more information, visit the show notes at
Bankruptcy and Debt Solutions with Emily Chase Smith
October 18, 2012 12:06 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MB#80: Emily Chase Smith is a Debt Solutions Attorney that started by practicing bankruptcy law. Emily knows bankruptcy is not always the solution and she helps people determine what their best debt solution is. Find more information in our show notes at
When To Push Pause On Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
October 11, 2012 22:18 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MB#79: Pregnancy, layoff, or move to another state: These are all situations where you would press "PAUSE" when working Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps. For details, visit
Which Do I Pay Off First: Highest Interest or Lowest Balance? The Scientifically Proven Debt Snowball Method
October 03, 2012 22:51 - 33 minutes - 23.6 MB#78: Which works best for paying off debt: Paying extra on high interest debt or a low-balance debt? For many more details go to
The Personal Finance Winning Formula: INCOME plus BUDGET plus ENVELOPES equals EMERGENCY FUND
September 27, 2012 05:54 - 24 minutes - 17.4 MB#77: How do you get an emergency fund put together? Income + Budget + Envelopes = Emergency Fund More details can be found at
Quick Wins to Save Money Fast - That Last!
September 20, 2012 05:08 - 20 minutes - 15.1 MB#76: 5 ways to save money FAST that will last and last and last. Garage sales are great for getting fast cash but doesn't last. Getting a raise at work is important too - but it isn't fast. For more details visit
Quick Wins to help you Save Money Fast!
September 20, 2012 05:08 - 20 minutes - 15.1 MB#76: 5 ways to save money FAST that will last and last and last. Garage sales are great for getting fast cash but doesn't last. Getting a raise at work is important too - but it isn't fast. For more details visit
You can have No Debt, No Credit, and No Problems
September 12, 2012 17:00 - 27 minutes - 19.4 MB#75: Got 5 minutes? That’s all I need to show you how to live debt-free and not have to worry about your credit score. You can have no debt, no credit, and have no problems – even for a house! Read more at
How Minimalism Fits into Personal Finance
September 06, 2012 17:00 - 45 minutes - 32.4 MB#74: What does minimalism have to do with personal finance? Find out as I talk with Robert Wall, a Minimalist who is living WITH less - which enables him to live ON less. For more information, visit the show notes at
Rolling Credit Card Debt Into a Mortgage? Think it through before you sign.
August 30, 2012 20:42 - 20 minutes - 14.9 MB#73: Rolling credit card debt into a mortgage sounds like a great idea, but does it really make cents? Join me as I go through the math. To follow along, visit
The Simple Math Behind Whole Life and Term Life Insurance
August 21, 2012 01:04 - 24 minutes - 17.7 MB#72: There are two primary types of Life Insurance: Whole Life (permanent) and Term Life (temporary). While I can not make a blanket statement to say you should do one and never buy the other, there are a lot arguments that can be made to show that Term Life is the better answer for the general population - and I have the math to prove it! For more information, visit
12 Key Questions to Ask a Financial Planner Before You Hire One
August 08, 2012 04:50 - 48 minutes - 34.5 MB#71: Scott Plaskett, CFP at , takes time away from his busy schedule to explain the various ways that Financial Planners get paid: Commission based Fee Only Fee based We also take time to discuss the , a report he makes available on his website. For more information, visit the show notes at
Chris Hogan: What You Need To Know About Coordinating FPU
August 01, 2012 05:33 - 33 minutes - 24.1 MB#70: Chris Hogan, a Dave Ramsey Speaker, shares tips for those looking to lead Financial Peace University at their church or community center. For more details, visit
Recovering from ID Theft, with Zander Insurance
July 26, 2012 17:00 - 35 minutes - 25.2 MB#69: More important than monitoring for ID theft is the recovery. It takes many hours to clear your good name, and now there is a service that will do it for you. Diane Sacks - Vice President of Marketing & ID Theft Protection at , explains how their ID Theft Protection plan is different from others - and better! To learn their 3 tips for protecting our ID,l visit
How LifeLock's ID Theft Protection Works
July 20, 2012 05:30 - 31 minutes - 22.8 MB#68: Tami Nealy, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at , explains what LifeLock does and how they can help you keep an eye on your ID. For more information, check out the show notes at
How Long Do We Need to Keep This Stuff? Professional Organizer, Diane Luetkemeyer
July 12, 2012 14:34 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MB#67: How long do we keep tax returns? Where should we store important documents? What in the world should I do with all these digital pictures? Professional Organizer, Diana Luetkemeyer, explains the benefits of organization in our homes and our businesses. For more information visit
Tips for Saving Up and Paying CASH for a Vacation
June 20, 2012 17:00 - 34 minutes - 24.6 MB#66: These simple tips helped us trickle even more money away to pay for upcoming vacations: Route 66 Road Trip, Florida beaches, and a horse ranch in the mountains. For more information visit
How To Be Richer, Smarter, and Better Looking with Zac Bissonnette
June 09, 2012 12:40 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MB#65: Zac Bissonnette wrote his new book with one simple question in mind... What should young people do with their money in order to have the best possible life today and for the rest of their life? Show notes and links for the book are at
Dave Ramsey's New FPU Program (revised 2012)
June 06, 2012 17:49 - 18 minutes - 13.2 MB#64: Dave Ramsey announced changes to the Financial Peace University (FPU) course in a live webinar on June 5th, 2012. Not only have the videos been re-recorded but the curriculum has some exciting new changes. For more, visit the list at
Theoretical Budgets - The Big Budget Theory
May 25, 2012 19:15 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MB#63: My theoretical budget spreadsheet shows you where the opportunities lie in your budget. To download the spreadsheet, visit this original post at
Break-even Analysis for Lower Insurance and Higher Deductibles
May 17, 2012 17:53 - 12 minutes - 9 MB#62: I used a "Break Even Formula" to see if would make sense when closing costs could be recovered by the interest saved on the loan. A listener asked if they could use the same analysis to compare insurance and deductibles. For more information, go to
Using a Break Even Analysis for Lower Insurance Premiums
May 17, 2012 17:53 - 12 minutes - 9 MB#62: I used a "Break Even Formula" to see if would make sense when closing costs could be recovered by the interest saved on the loan. A listener asked if they could use the same analysis to compare insurance and deductibles. For more information, go to
How to Make Your ID Harder To Steal
May 11, 2012 04:39 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MB#61: Don’t make it easy for them! Follow these 8 tips to make your identity harder to steal! These steps can not guarantee your ID will never be stolen, but following these common-sense tips can help make your ID harder for someone to steal. For a full list and show notes, visit