JW's Financial Coaching Podcast

Debt Free Living Podcast-021 Jackie Beck

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:47:57 +0000

Jackie Beck from moneycrush.com and thedebtmyth.com joins us on today’s show to share how her family paid off $52,000 in consumer debt with an additional $75,000 paid off on the mortgage! She paid off her debt in various stages. She and her husband both brought credit card debt into their marriage, but they got serious and paid it off.

Jackie had started to get out of debt a few times, but was never able to fully pay all of it off. The difference this time, she says, was deciding to be serious about it and saying no to debt. The biggest sacrifice she had to make was going without air conditioning . . . in July . . . in Arizona! The getting out of debt process was hard in the beginning, but got easier as it went along. The biggest keys to getting out of debt for Jackie were having determination and an emergency fund. Getting out of debt felt awesome and hit Jackie right away. To her it is, “nice to know that the money is ours and not going to a creditor.”

Jackie started to blog about personal finance to improve her writing skills as well as her personal finance knowledge. One of the main things she has learned about personal finance from blogging is more about investing. The personal finance community has been a big help to her in encouraging her to get debt free. Jackie started thedebtmyth.com to dispel the myth that you have to have debt to prosper and to spread the word that living without debt makes things easier. In addition, you can also download the Pay Off Debt app at her website. Jackie created the app to help people stay motivated and track their progress in paying off their debt.

“As long as you don’t give up, you can get out of debt.” ~ Jackie Beck

You can subscribe to the Debt Free Living Podcast either through Feedburner, iTunes, or Stitcher SmartRadio! The podcast can be found in iTunes under the JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast. If you subscribe you will receive both the JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast on Mondays and the Debt Free Living Podcast on Thursdays.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in iTunes. For a step by step video of how that works please watch this video on how to leave a review in iTunes. Big thanks to my friend Glen Steinson for helping me create the video.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free, I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Credit report errors, joint accounts, and excercise!

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:24:05 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

A lot of different topics covered on today’s show
The “I graduated from college . . . now what?” teleseminar turned out great
How exercise is a great metaphor for our finances
Columbus Dispatch series on errors in credit reports
Joint and Separate money management

First the “I just graduated from college . . . now what?” teleseminar was a big success. Thanks to all of you who helped out. If you missed it you can check out the replay here. I plan on doing more of these in the future.

I have talked about this before, but isn’t exercising a great metaphor for our finances? It does not matter if you are getting on a budget, paying off debt, saving for retirement, or starting a business, whenever you start to make change in your life there will always be some growing pains, just like exercising. I found this out the hard way this past week when I went for a run and soon realized that I had nothing in my legs.

Next, my hometown paper The Columbus Dispatch recently ran a series titled Credit Scars which was about errors in credit reports and how they impact the victims. It was a fascinating series that I recommend you check out. I am not a big fan of the credit score but everybody needs to check their credit report at least once a year for validity. You can do so for free at annualcreditreport.com In addition my friend Steve Stewart at moneyplansos.com just did a podcast on what you can do to prevent identify theft which goes hand in hand with the series.

Finally, we covered an interesting blog series that Emily is doing over at evolingpf.com titled Joint and Separate Money series. In the series she goes over some studies that she has found on couples and how they manage money. It is pretty interesting. You know I am a big proponent of having joint accounts and so far the research has backed up my opinion.

You can now find the podcast on Stitcher SmartRadio! Stitcher allows you to listen to your favorite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond. So if you have a smart phone and want to stream the podcast from your phone, please download the app from their website.

You can subscribe to future Podcasts either through Feedburner or iTunes. Or you may listen to the podcast on the JW’s Financial Coaching Facebook Fan page. In addition, if you have enjoyed the show for a while now, please leave a review of the podcast on iTunes. For a step by step video of how that works please watch this video on how to leave a review in iTunes. Big thanks to my friend Glen Steinson for helping me create the video.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me atJWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-The barriers that hold us back financially

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:04:34 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Three main barriers that hold us back financially
Family issues are the biggest and most common
Our past financial decisions can impact how we make decisions today
Where you work impacts your finances
Important to figure out your barriers and break through them

No matter who we are, we all face barriers when getting our finances in order. They can be large or small barriers but recognizing those barriers and getting past them is a critical part of getting your finances in order.

Family issues are probably the most common and biggest barrier to get around. Like it or not, we learn how to handle money from our parents. So if your parents always argued about money, you think that is normal. If they never talked about money then that is normal. In addition, if you decide to go against the grain you might hear some discouraging remarks from your family. It’s tough to hear that from your family, but I really feel that not caring what others think of your handling of money is the #1 financial attitude to have towards money.

Our past can hold us back as well. We have all done dumb things with our money in the past. But that does not mean that we will continue to do dumb things going forward. Remember, what happened in the past happened in the past! You can change, but you have to make that decision. By dwelling on our past mistakes we are sabotaging our own future.

Finally, our career is a big barrier to where we want to go financially. Where you work does impact your finances. But making more money won’t make your career better. What will make your career better is focusing on what your strengths are and working at a place that you enjoy going to each and every day. By working at a place that you are passionate about, you will then earn more income. But when you work at a J-O-B that you hate, your finances will be negatively impacted because you will overspend to make yourself feel better and ultimately not make the income that you could if you worked at a job you enjoyed. There is a huge correlation between wealth and working somewhere that you enjoy, so work on improving your skills and ask yourself the question, “Where do I want to be in five years?”

Finally, I would love to see you at our free teleseminar on May 17th titled “I just graduated from college . . . now what?” The fun starts at 7:30 pm and the number to call to join us live is 1-218-862-1300 and Conference Code: 251628. Please share with your friends via Facebook or Twitter.

Debt Free Living Podcast-020 Jose Figueroa

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:15:33 +0000

Jose Figueroa from figueroafinancial.com joins us on today’s show to share how he and his family paid off $50,000 in debt in 29 months! Jose’s motivation to get out of debt came from a spiritual conviction he had. He was handling all the finances in his home and it was wearing on him. In addition, he was managing million dollar projects at his job, yet he could not budget his own family’s income.

The big turning point in Jose’s getting out of debt story was when they were first starting to pay down their debt. They had the transmission go out in their car and instead of turning to the credit card, they took the cash out from their emergency fund. It was a change from how they used to do it and signaled a new beginning.

By doing the budget together, a huge weight was lifted off of Jose’s shoulders. Today he and his wife talk about money monthly and work together. Getting out of debt has enabled them to cash flow their son’s college, move closer to family, give more and travel more. One of the things Jose learned from his journey was that he could swallow his pride and ask for help. In addition, getting out of debt has taught him to be patient and has shifted his priorities with money.

Jose has been coaching now for two years. He really enjoys working with people when they have the “I got it moment” and they realize that they can change how they handle their money. One of the common mistakes he sees people make is that they rationalize their decisions. To him there is always a reason to rationalize but you have to develop a reason to change.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free, I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Do you view money as cake or as candles?

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:27:18 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Do you view money like a cake or like a candle?
How you view money determines how you handle money
Doing business can be a win-win situation
Things I have learned from the Debt Free Living Podcast
How you can help me reach out to recent college graduates

One of the best books that I have ever read on money is Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money* by Daniel Lapin. It’s high on my list of recommended reading because it deals with the issue of how we view money. One of the main points brought up in the book and what the show is about today is do you view money like a cake or like a candle?

Viewing money like a cake means that you view money in a win-lose situation. If someone has more cake (money) then that means someone else has less. However if you view money like a candle, that means you believe that money can be a win-win situation. If you use your candle (money) to light other candles then you are creating even more light!

In the past I viewed money as cake, so I was very protective of money. I was also stingy and felt businesses were “out to get my money.” But in the past few years I have changed my view of money and now look at it like a candle. If a business provides quality service to me I am more than happy to give them my money because they are allowing me to live a better quality of life and it allows me to help others.

How do you view money? Please vote on our Facebook poll.

In addition I am proud to announce that I will be doing a free live teleseminar on Thursday, May 17th at 7:30 PM for recent college graduates who are looking to get on solid financial footing. If you can not make it for the live teleseminar, the replay will be available on the website the following day. The seminar is a kickoff for the Finances for Recent College Graduates package that I will be offering soon. You can get more details by visiting the info page.

*=affiliate link

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Your Financial Litearcy Month Questions

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:23:03 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Is strategic foreclosure ethical?
Can technology help out your finances?
Combining finances in marriage or keeping them seperate
The best investment you can make is in yourself
Now taking requests to have guest posters on the blog

We wrap up Financial Literacy Month today by answering a few common questions that I receive when I am among family, friends, and co-workers. The first question is about strategic foreclose. Foreclosure is not a fun topic to discuss, although it does happen, but strategic foreclosure is a whole different topic. Losing the home or having to sell the house because you are behind on bills is one thing, but just walking away from your home because it is inconvenient is another thing. Strategic foreclose has become quite popular in some financial circles, but I highly recommend people not go that route. It might seem easier in the short term, but in the long run you are only hurting yourself.

The second question I get is what financial software should I use to help my finances? There are a lot of good ones out there, but I caution people in using them and thinking that your finances will take care of themselves. They won’t because software cannot force you to follow your budget, only you can! Nothing against software as it can be a good aide in helping you track certain items, but personal finance is PERSONAL. It is about you making decisions to improve your life, not some computer program.

Finally, we wrap up Financial Literacy Month by talking about combining finances in marriage. There might not be any greater controversy in the personal finance world than this question. To me it is pretty simple; I have never coached any couple that is succeeding with money with separate finances. How can you if you aren’t on the same page financially? When you get married “His” and “Hers” becomes “Ours” and that includes your finances. By combining your finances you are working together and having constant discussions with your money which will get you on the same page. Remember, when you agree on your spending, you are agreeing on your life.

If you would like to contribute a guest post to the site you can fill out this form. The only rules for writing a guest post on the site is that it has to be original content and that it has to do with personal finance.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

Debt Free Living Podcast-019 Angie Six

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:34:52 +0000

Angie Six from justlikethenumber.com joins us on today’s show to share how her family paid off $100,000 in debt in 6 and half years! Their debt was made up of student loans from both her and her husband as well as two nice new cars. To get their debt payoff accelerated, they made some temporary sacrifices by selling not one, but BOTH of their new cars. While the sacrifices were not always easy, Angie says she and her husband still had a great time getting out of debt.

Some of the keys for them getting out of debt included being around like minded people to keep them motivated and remembering their goals. Other things that helped them stay focused were a budget, taking Financial Peace University, and being on the same path with each other. Now that they are debt free they have been able to travel more, have started to save for retirement, and are able to send their son to pre-school.

Angie started justlikethenumber.com in 2006 shortly after they paid off their debt. The original goal of the blog was to keep in touch with friends and family when they moved from Tennessee to Indianapolis. To anybody wanting to start blogging, her advice is to just start blogging. It won’t be perfect at first, but just start to write. You can find her on both Facebook and Twitter.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free, I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-0% credit card transfers

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:13:25 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

0% Credit Card Transfer offers
Can help you get out of debt
Figure out the transfer fees and APR first
Must learn how to live on less and stop using credit cards first
Interest rate, however, is not your big problem

Since the month of April is National Financial Literacy Month, I thought I would answer a question I get from time to time when working with clients about 0% credit card balance transfers. You know my opinions on credit card usage and how I want you to pay off any outstanding balance, but I am not against using a 0% credit card transfer offer if you look into a few details and have some other things squared away first.

The things you first need to consider are; what is the initial transfer fee, what is the APR on the card after the 0% offer expires, and are you going to use the card for purchases. The transfer fees are important because sometimes you can actually pay more in the transfer fees than you would in interest. The APR is important because you might be paying more in interest if you cannot pay off the balance before the 0% rate expires. Finally, if you are not serious about getting out of credit card debt and instead keep using the card to make purchases, then I would not make the deal because you are getting caught up in the vicious cycle of credit card debt.

With all this being said, remember that the interest rate on your credit card is only 10% of the problem. The actual DEBT on your credit card is the other 90%. We can spend so much time trying to reduce our interest rate and think that we actually accomplished something, but if you never pay off the debt then you really have not made much progress. So before you do a 0% transfer, please ensure that you are living on less than you make, make the commitment to stop using credit cards and instead use debit or cash, and finally figure out ways to put more money each month on your debt snowball. If you get those areas under control first, then I would consider going ahead with the transfer.

In addition, we also discuss an article I wrote for the blog this past week asking the question “Is your mortgage really a tax advantage?” This question was inspired by The Debt Free Living interview with Crystal and the post breaks down scenarios where a mortgage might have little or even no tax advantage at all. My challenge to you this week is to figure out how much your mortgage is saving you in taxes. Chances are it is saving you a lot less than you think.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Should you retire?

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:26:41 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Should you retire?
Just because you are retired does not mean you should retire from life
Don’t wait until you are 65 to do what you enjoy doing
If you have skills you are valuable, no matter how old you are
Are you envious of other people’s success?

Last week we talked about Investing 101 and gave some general tips on retirement funding. Today we again discuss the topic of retirement, but in a totally different way. Currently in our culture, retirement is a stage in life and is now considered a right whether or not you have the money.

But why is that? If you love what you do and are in good health, why would you want to retire? Today we tackle the question of whether or not you should retire. Personally, I don’t plan on retiring from life. I will always be using my talents and gifts in some way.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

Debt Free Living Podcast-018 Crystal Stemberger

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:00:34 +0000

Crystal Stemberger from budgetinginthefunstuff.com and howimakemoneyblogging.com joins us today to share how she and her husband paid off $39K in student loan and car debt. In addition, they are on pace to have the cash saved up to pay off their mortgage this May! Crystal never really like debt growing up, and the idea of having to owe somebody money was never her idea of fun. But she got the idea to get out of debt by reading personal finance blogs. Eventually, after a few months, she convinced her husband to get on board and they worked together to knock out their debt.

The whole process ended up being easy for them because they knew what they wanted. “Once you know what you want, then it’s not work to do it.” The key to getting her husband on board was having the “fun money” category in their budget as well as seeing their debt go down each month.

Crystal started her first blog Budgeting in the Fun Stuff in February 2010. On her blogs she posts information such as her budget, net worth, site visits, and even her own weight. Doing that has motivated her to go harder and stay honest. She started makemoneyblogging.com over a year ago right after she quit her day job to pursue self-employment through her blogs. She has found her niche in negotiating ad deals for blogs. Her customers exploded from 1 to 300 customers in only a little over 6 months. Additionally, she makes over 5 times the annual income she was making at her previous job! Not bad for somebody who got into blogging just as a hobby.

Crystal’s advice to young couples is to sit down and write everything that you spend money on during an entire month. Then prioritize your spending, eliminating the spending that is not important to you.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review in iTunes. For a step by step video of how that works please watch this video on how to leave a review in iTunes. Big thanks to my friend Glen Steinson for helping me create the video.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Investing 101

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:25:26 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Why Financial Literacy Month is important
General tips on investing
Invest in products that you understand
What to look for in an investment professional
What to look for in a mutual fund

A couple of weeks back I asked all the listeners to fill out a brief survey about the podcast to help improve the show. One of the questions I asked was, “What topics would you like to see covered more on the show?” Well, the results are in and one of the most requested topics was investing. Investing is not one of my strong areas and I am NOT a professional in investing, but there are some things you need to consider before starting to invest.

Today we cover investing 101 by giving you some general advice on investing. Topics covered on the show include: what do we mean when we use the phrase “investing,” whether or not to use an investment professional, what is the right mix of stocks, bonds, and cash to have, the importance of having a long term mindset when we invest, and what to look for in a mutual fund.

For more information and tips on investing please read the following blog posts or listen to the following podcasts:

You can subscribe to future Podcasts either through Feedburner or iTunes. Or you may listen to the podcast on the JW’s Financial Coaching Facebook Fan page. In addition if you have enjoyed the show for a while now, please leave a review of the podcast on iTunes. For a step by step video of how that works please watch this video on how to leave a review in iTunes. Big thanks to my friend Glen Steinson for helping me create the video.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-The Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:15:53 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

My take on the student loan forgiveness act of 2012
Busting the myth that if you get a college degree you will be successful
Education is important, but you can get education outside of college
Can we end the “student loans are good debt” myth?
The lottery provides false hope

Student loans have been a topic on the show more than just once and I have seen firsthand as a coach the detrimental impact student loans can have on people. In fact with outstanding student loans approaching $1.0 trillion, I have called student loan debt the next ‘bubble’ to burst. With that being said, I came upon an article from my friend Deacon Bradley about the Student Loan Forgiveness act of 2012.

Steve Stewart of Moneyplansos.com had me, along with others, as a guest on his show to discuss the proposed bill and share our thoughts on it. Today I am not going to rehash my thoughts on the whole bill but there are some things I do want to talk about that have come up from this proposed bill.

The first is the myth that if you go to college you will be successful. There was this belief when I was growing up that it was important to get a college education and you would be set for life. Well, this has been harmful to many people as we are finding out that just because you went to college does not mean you will be successful.

The second myth that we can put to rest is the myth that college debt is “good” debt. I’ve talked before about the whole “Good” debt vs. “Bad” debt debate. But if we are considering forgiving student loans can we now just admit that student loans aren’t all they are cracked up to be?

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Discussing Stewardship with guest Glen Steinson

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:03:54 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Glen Steinson joins us to talk about Stewardship
Stewardship is about more than just the money
It’s ALL God’s. Not just a 10% tithe
Everyone’s stewardship story is unique
If you want to start being a better steward then pray

I am proud to have my friend Glen Steinson from StewardshipWeekly.com on the show. I invited Glen to talk about Biblical Stewardship because after living out stewardship in his own life and interviewing others about it on his show, he knows what true biblical stewardship is.

[caption id=”" align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”Glen and Elaine Steinson”][/caption]

Often when I think of stewardship, I think of it mostly relating to finances. While our income and assets are an important part of stewardship, there are also two other pieces that we often forget and those are our time and our talents. Just as we need to make sure we are honoring God with our spending and use of our income, we also need to honor God with the use of our time and the abilities that he has given us.

Glen has been doing the Stewardship Weekly podcast now for almost a year and one of the main things he has learned is that everyone’s story is unique. Whether it is buying a car, purchasing a house, or trusting God to provide in a time of need, the Lord provides and meets our needs.

Faith and finances is something that I would like to do more of on the show and I would love to hear your feedback on this show.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Budgeting on an irregular income

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:58:17 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Budgeting on an irregular income can be difficult
The key is to prioritize your spending each month on what is important
Establish a Hill and Valley fund to get you through the lean months
How to budget when getting paid every other week
March Madness should not be what you use to describe your finances!

[caption id=”" align=”alignleft” width=”450″ caption=”Credit: Joseph Sangl”][/caption]

Budgeting on an irregular income can be tough. This goes for anyone who is self-employed or works on commissions. Because it can be difficult a lot of times we give up and do not budget our money, which leads us into problems. To combat that you need to make budgeting a priority even more because of the unpredictable income!

A traditional budget will not typically work with irregular incomes. To help with that I have created the irregular income spreadsheet on our free financial resources page to help out. This budget is much easier for people on an irregular income to use than a traditional budget. Today we walk through how to budget for irregular incomes. In addition, we discuss why it might be wise to establish a hill and valley fund separate from your emergency savings as well as discuss budgeting when you get paid every other week.

With March Madness upon us I encourage you to look at your own finances. If you use March Madness to describe your financial situation then you have a problem that needs to be addressed. If you would like me to help walk with you in this process contact me today. Remember, March Madness should only be used to describe the action on the hard wood and not your personal finances.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Being Debt Free is not the Holy Grail

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:38:07 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

You’ll still have financial dilemmas even if you are debt free
How you look at those dilemmas is what is different
Emergency funds turn potential crises into inconveniences
Being debt free is more of a mindset
April is Financial Literacy Month

As a financial coach I am so passionate about getting out of debt, having an emergency fund, and saving money for your future. However, sometimes it can come off that having all those things will make all your financial dilemmas disappear, which is simply not true.

No matter if we have zero debt or $100,000 in debt you will have have to make some financial decisions. The difference, however, is that by having a plan you have more options and can make the best long term solution instead of being desperate and having to make a decision that gets you through the short term.

But I want to encourage you today that if you are debt free and going through some financial strain, don’t quit! Look at how far you have come and think how the old you would have handled the situation.

April is right around the corner and that is National Financial Literacy month! I will be doing blog posts and podcasts on financial literacy in April, but if you are a personal finance blogger or financial coach, please visit Steve Stewart to see how you can become a part of the FLMonth project and help promote financial literacy!

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

Debt Free Living Podcast-017 Brad Chaffee

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:45:34 +0000

Brad Chaffee joins us on today’s show to share how he paid off $26,000 in debt. Like many Americans, Brad and his wife fell into the debt cycle and had disagreements about money. After reading Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover it just made sense to Brad to pay off his debt. At first it was difficult, but it became easier as they went along.

By getting debt free and working their plan, Brad and his wife are now on the same page in their marriage and have no money fights. Throughout the process Brad got some weird looks from his co-workers, especially after he sold his car and bought a beater. But Brad had a realization that it was only stuff that he was getting rid of and that made it a lot easier to let go.

Brad started EnemyOfDebt.com in April of 2008 as a way to blog about his journey getting out of debt. Brad’s site is less about the numbers and more about the psychology of debt. The best way to get out of debt is to figure out the root cause of your debt in the first place and develop a reason to dump it. For Brad, his reason for getting out of debt was because he was sick and tired of giving other people his money. Today, Brad and his wife do not really have a 5 to 10 year dream of what they want to do because they are living their dream right now! Brad is able to stay at home with his children and home school his oldest son, they have the freedom to travel for long periods of time, and they are currently renting and saving up to pay for a home with cash!

“Debt is a hindrance, not a tool.” ~ Brad Chaffee

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-My take on credit cards

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:17:03 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

Credit Card debt is on the rise
Do not recommend using them
Readers are 50/50 on using them
What are your thoughts on credit cards?
When do you file your income taxes?

Credit card debt continues to rise. Having worked with individuals and couples over the past few years this stat does not surprise me. I have talked about credit cards some on the podcast before, but today I share my full view on them and share your thoughts as well. According to a Facebook poll, you the listeners are 50/50 on your use of credit cards. Some do not carry them and the others have them but pay them off each month. Either way I am not going to be too upset with you. However, if you carry a balance each month then please realize that these cards have not been a blessing to you so please consider closing the account to further charges and start to pay off the balance.

Below are some articles or podcasts I have done on credit cards:

Friday Financial Tidbit-Credit cards are not evil. It is what you do with them that can get you into trouble. 02/24/12
Friday Financial Tidbit-Do you need a FICO score if you are not borrowing money? 02/03/12
Vlog: You are not helping your child by building up their credit! 11/09/11
What happens in your 20′s doesn’t stay in your 20′s 09/14/11
Friday Financial Tidbit-Beware of the Corporate Credit Card 09/02/11
Friday Financial Tidbit-Borrowing money to get out of debt does not work 07/15/11
JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-”Living without credit cards” with guest Steve Stewart of Moneyplan SOS 06/30/11
Friday Financial Tidbit: Want to earn money on your credit card? Pay it off! 04/01/11
JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-The financial issues 20 something’s are facing in 2011 02/17/11
Friday Financial Tidbit-Reward Credit Cards only reward the bank, not you! 01/07/11

In addition, I also filed my families income taxes last week. I am not a tax expert by any means, but why is it that the more I learn about taxes the more I get angry? I think it is because the tax system we have currently is so confusing with so many income restrictions and miscellaneous items you can deduct. But I want to know when you file your income taxes. Are you one who does them right away, do you procrastinate, or do you file when you need a refund? I am doing a poll on Facebook to see when most people file their taxes.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

Debt Free Living Podcast-016 Alex Humphrey

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:56:47 +0000

Alex Humphrey joins us on today’s show to share how he paid off $16,000 in car loans in just under two years. Alex got the loan while he was in college making around $16,000 in annual income. But by budgeting and starting to pay for things with cash, Alex was able to put large chunks of cash on the loan and eventually pay it off two years early.

Alex got married last year and bringing no debt into the marriage has helped them. They have disagreements over money but they do not fight. By being debt free they have been able to travel a lot more then the average couple.

Also, by being debt free Alex was able to quit a job that was not his passion and start his website www.entreprelife.com. He started his business for only $150 and without any loans. Alex tries to write about everyday topics and is good at using real life examples as blog topics. Some of his recent blog posts include his adventures as a pizza delivery man and his ongoing series of selling grandma’s house.

If you have been a listener to the podcast for a while now, please take the time to complete a five minute survey on the podcast. I want to know what you think of the show, ways we can improve, and find out what you would like more of as a listener. Remember, I do this show for you guys, so this is your chance to be heard! The survey is anonymous so please answer honestly.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help

JW’s Financial Coaching Podcast-Cheap Date Ideas with my wife Lisa

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:44:13 +0000

Highlights of today’s show:

My wife Lisa joins on us on today’s show
Our favorite ‘cheap’ date nights
Date nights have been important to us
Having double dates is great too
People on Facebook had a lot of great date night ideas

My wife Lisa joins us once again today to discuss cheap date ideas. Date nights have been a very important part of our marriage the past three years. We discuss why that is for us and encourage you to have routine date nights in your marriage.

A lot of people gave their favorite ‘cheap’ date night on our Facebook poll. The most popular answer was a picnic on the beach. In addition, Lisa and I give our favorite cheap date nights that we do. Remember, you do not have to spend a lot of money to have fun. The best thing about date night is that you are together!

Big thanks to Michael and Claudia Good over at rise365.com for giving us the idea to do this podcast. You can check what some of their readers’ (including yours truly) favorite date night activities were in a recent post they shared titled, “Date night ideas.”

If you have been a listener to the podcast for a while now, please take the time to complete a five-minute survey on the podcast. I want to know what you think of the show, ways we can improve, and find out what you would like more of as a listener. Remember, I do this show for you guys, so this is your chance to be heard! The survey is anonymous so please answer honestly.

You can now find the podcast on Stitcher SmartRadio! Stitcher allows you to listen to your favorite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond. So if you have have a smart phone and want to stream the podcast from your phone, please download the app from their website.

If you have any comments, questions, or ideas for future shows you can send them to me and I will integrate them into a future show. Email me at JWFinancialcoaching@gmail.com - Please put “podcast” in the subject line and keep your questions brief so they are readable on air.

Debt Free Living Podcast-015 Jodi Schaap

JWFInancialcoaching@gmail.com (Jon White) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:49:51 +0000

Jodi Schaap joins us on today’s show to share how her family paid off $70,000 in debt in two years. The journey was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, as they decided to sell their home and rent a 900 square foot apartment for a year. It was not fun, but by, “taking a vacation from normal,” for those two years they were able to get totally out of debt.

By being out of debt they are able to travel more and to save lots of money. That money will come in handy in the next year as their big goal is to buy a home the right way: with a large down payment of over 20%.

Jodi has been blogging for 11 years now and started jodimichelle.com because she is passionate about intentional living, being involved in her communities, and living naked on paper. Some of her best days are when she gets feedback from her readers on how something she posted impacts their lives. One of the main things on her blog is her Life List which is a list of 100 things that she would like to do in her lifetime. By writing it down and putting in on the blog it has enabled her to accomplish a lot more of the tasks than she had imagined. By being debt free she can make this list a reality.

If you would like to take the steps necessary to start living debt free I would love to be a part of your journey. Here’s how I can help