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If this is the first time you’ve visited Money Plan SOS, you are in luck!
I’m going to help you navigate through the 200 episodes of the podcast to find the 20 most ACTIVE episodes, share some of the STAPLE episodes, and avoid the WORST of Money Plan SOS.
THIS is a very unique episode, as we are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the launch of MPSOS.
I hate debt. I probably hate your debt more than you do. So I did something about it and launched the Money Plan SOS podcast on November 23rd, 2010.
The MPSOS podcast covers many of the normal personal finance topics like:
- How to get out of debt
- How to save money
- Basics of Investing
…but the real difference between this show and all the others is this:
The relentless pursuit of the truth about the credit score system and how you can remain credit WORTHY without a credit score.
Even Dave Ramsey doesn’t take it as far as I do.
If you’d like to listen to a handful of episodes rather than binge on more than 4 days worth of content, then focus on the episodes I highlight below.
WELCOME! This is THE BEST AND WORST OF THE MONEY PLAN SOS PODCAST.
MOST ACTIVE (aka: Best Of)
Episode 28: The Debt Snowball Calculator with Eric Lentz
This episode was released in August 2011, yet I still get more people contacting me about it than any other for a copy of the spreadsheet Eric created to help him get out of $53,000 worth of debt.
Listen to his story and how he used the spreadsheet: The Debt Snowball Calculator with Eric Lentz
To download a copy of the spreadsheet for free, simply go to moneyplansos.com/debtsnowballcalculator
Episode 78: Which Do I Pay Off First: Highest Interest or Lowest Balance? The Scientifically Proven Debt Snowball Method
Two researchers from Northwestern University did a study and scientifically proved the best way to get out of debt was by using the Debt Snowball method, which is paying off the lowest balance debt first irregardless of interest rate.
Who knew? (Well, we knew of course)
Listen to Episode #78 to learn the how & why of debt payoff methods – and download the free Vertex42 Debt Snowball Calculator linked in the show notes to follow along.
Episode 81: 5 Things Debt Settlement Companies Won’t Tell You
Interestingly enough, I bumped into Michael Bovee in Orlando at FinCon18. I had never met him in person before, but I heard him talking about 10 feet away from me and thought “I know that voice from somewhere!”
Anyway, Michael shares 5 things you need to know about before going to see a debt settlement company – because they sure aren’t going to tell you these things.
5 Things Debt Settlement Companies Won’t Tell You
Episode 134: 7 Common Denominators Of The Wealthy
Results from studies done by Dr. Thomas Stanley about what helped the wealthy become – and stay – wealthy.
I thought this was a real fun episode – and it’s only 19 minutes long.
7 Common Denominators of the Wealthy
Episode 150: Top 5 Ways To Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Okay, so I had to include this one because it truly was – and is – an episode that continues to get lots of downloads.
Unfortunately, it’s not my show.
On April Fools Day, 2014, I switched shows with Joe & OG from Stacking Benjamins. They’re kind of a big deal in the personal finance podcast space, so you can probably see why this episode is still getting downloads 6+ years later.
BTW: Ignore any talk in there by the Roundtable about credit cards. I’m Steve Stewart, and I DO NOT approve that message.
Top 5 Ways To Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Episode 66: Tips for Saving up and Paying for Vacation
In this episode I share 5 creative ways to save up the money to pay cash for a vacation.
We did many of these to save up for the first of a half-dozen trips to 7D Ranch in the mountains of Wyoming, which ain’t cheap… and was worth every single penny.
Go listen to find out how an old pretzel container can help you save hundreds of dollars. Yeah. Really.
Tips for Savings Up and Paying For Vacation
Episode 76: Quick Wins to Save Money Fast – That Last!
Here I share a couple more ways to make saving easy. One will sound familiar a couple others are tips everybody is sharing now these days, but you don’t hear them while the host is on a recumbent bicycle!
Yep. This was one of 4 episodes I recorded while on my FitDesk.
Quick Wins to help you Save Money Fast!
BTW: A tip. I was still new at this podcasting thing back then. This was all before I realized the importance of GETTING TO THE POINT QUICKLY. Feel free to skip forward a dozen times until you hear me talking more about the topic than whatever chit-chat or promotional thing I had going on at the time. That should save you some more time listening to the BEST of MPSOS. You’re welcome.
Episode 90: How a 401k Can Save You Income Taxes
There’s a lot of numbers in this episode, but stick with me.
I go through examples of how much an American can save if they just invest 3% in their 401k plan at work – and how much they can grow if their company matches the contributions!
How a 401k Can Save You Income Taxes
Episode 98: Zillow’s Erin Lantz Shares Ways to Avoid Pitfalls When Buying A Home
I got an employee from Zillow to come on and share 7 Pitfalls you need to avoid when buying a home.
Need I say more?
Zillow’s Erin Lantz shares Ways to Avoid Pitfalls When Buying A Home
Episode 110: 10 financial products Debt Free people must have
In this episode, I share 10 financial products those of us who want to become and remain debt free should have.
Go! Go listen now!
10 Financial Products Debt Free People Must Have
Episode 75: You can have No Debt, No Credit, and No Problems
In 2012, I attended my first FinCon. One of the evening events was something called “Ignite FinCon”, which is this crazy Ted-Talk-like thing where you give the person in charge 20 slides, the slides auto-advance every 15 seconds, and you need to do a speech or presentation perfectly to match your slides.
I rehearsed a lot…and it went over really well..
Anyway, this episode 27 minute episode was based on that 5-minute talk. If you would rather watch my Ignite presentation than listen to me ramble on about who I got to meet at FinCon, click on the link in the show description for Episode 75, or simply go to moneyplansos.com/75
Episode 95: The Credit Card Surcharge and How to be Responsible with your Debit Card
This topic was an eye-opener for me – and formed much of what I believe about the damage credit card usage is to our neighbors and economy as a whole.
I don’t quite get into that in this episode, but I do go over what I learned about Credit Card Surcharges and how to be responsible with my Debit Card.
The Credit Card Surcharge and How to be Responsible with your Debit Card
Episode 135: Why Credit Cards are Against My Religion
This is actually a staple episode of the MPSOS podcast, but needs to be highlighted as a BEST OF.
Go listen to how credit card use relates to Matthew [22:39] – and about the problems that almost kept anyone from hearing this message.
The Devil Doesn’t Want You To Hear This: Credit Cards Are Against My Religion
Episode 143: What Happens To My Credit Score When I Pay Off Debt?
In this episode I share:
- What makes up a credit score
- What ISN’T included in your credit score
- And the results from my debt-free survey
Go listen to “What Happens To My Credit Score When You Pay Off Debt?”
Episode 158: What Happens When My Debit Card is Stolen?
This episode took a LOT of work to produce, so you should go listen to it!
All kidding aside, this is a great episode to learn what really happens when your debit card is stolen and used for fraudulent purchases.
Spoiler alert: In the 15+ years I’ve been talking to people about money, not a single person has lost money due to a stolen debit card.
Go listen to the interviews with 5 individuals that had their debit cards stolen.
BONUS: I also provide a downloadable pdf of “What to do when your ID is stolen” that is still helpful to this day.
What happens when my debit card is stolen?
Episode 59: Financial Products Keep Middle Class Middle Class
This episode was almost a STAPLE, but it keeps getting more downloads than most of the other episodes.
Similar to Episode 110 (10 financial products Debt Free people must have), this episode juxtaposes financial products that will keep us in the middle class.
Go listen, and pay attention – not interest.
Financial Products that keep the Middle Class in the Middle Class
Episode 71: 12 Key Questions to Ask a Financial Planner Before You Hire One
The title says it all, doesn’t it?
Scott Plaskett, a CFP, explains the difference between:
- Commission based advisors
- Fee based advisors
- Fee only advisors
and then we go through the 12 Key Questions to Ask a Financial Planner Before You Hire One
Episode 72: The Simple Math Behind Whole Life and Term Life Insurance
Okay, so math isn’t always simple. But in this episode, I verbally crunch some numbers to show the difference between buying Whole Life Insurance vs getting a Term Insurance policy.
BTW: I have a $500,000 term policy that will expire in April 2024. Listen to the end of the show to hear about our financial situation and why I’m not worried.
The Math behind Whole Life and Term Insurance
Episode 74: Where Minimalism Fits Into Personal Finance
This episode continues to get downloads – And there is a reason why: It’s good.
Listen to Episode 74 to hear about how minimalism ties into personal finance.
Where Minimalism fits into Personal Finance
Episode 104: Teaching Kids About Work and Money with MyJobChart.com
My daughter got into earning money for doing her chores when the MyJobChart app came along.
The app has since been rebranded as “BusyKid”, and my guest Gregg Murset is still running the company.
If you are interested in motivating your kids to learn how to work for a reward, give this one a listen. I promise it’s worth your time.
Teaching Kids About Work and Money with MyJobChart.com
STAPLE EPISODES
Here are 10 episodes that are staples of everything I believe in and that the overall show is about.
Episode 5: Steve Stewart’s Absolute Simplest Budget That Works
I’ve boiled the process down to the simplest elements and have come up with a signature process that will:
• Show how far your money can truly go
• Foster communication between you and your partner/spouse
• Expose your true priorities – to yourself!
Download this free spreadsheet and work the exercise while you listen.
The Absolute Simplest Budget That Works
Episode 33: Credit worthiness without a credit score? eCredable is INCREDIBLE!
WHAT A GAME CHANGER! AN EYE OPENER!
An ex-Equifax employee turned CEO of eCredable comes on to talk about what’s wrong with the credit scoring system and how eCredable CHANGES THE GAME for debt-free people like you and I.
eCredable is Incredible: Using alternatives to prove credit worthiness
Episode 51: Earn Points and Rewards WITHOUT Credit Cards
Yes. There are dozens of ways to get free stuff without using debt products like credit cards.
You can read this one fairly quickly, but the episode is pretty good to listen to (if I do say so myself).
Earn Points and Miles without Credit Cards
Episode 53: Understanding YNAB Budgeting with Jesse Mecham
ANOTHER GAME CHANGER!
I didn’t “get” YNAB until I spoke with Jesse Mecham, the creator of the budgeting system my wife uses. (That’s a joke)
You don’t have to speak directly to Jesse to understand YNAB. I did it for you. Learn about “The 4 Rules” of YNAB and why you’ve never budgeted like this.
Understanding YNAB with Jesse Mecham
Episode 101: Where money and debt came from
Before Money: Trading was unregulated and inconsistent
We need money to act as a medium of exchange.
However, somewhere along the way someone broke math and created debt.
“Debt” is an impossible number. Yet, our current society THRIVES on it.
Check out this history lesson (24 minutes long) about how God created the universe, and the Devil created debt 🙂
Where money and debt came from
Episode 148: Habits of the Rich: Interview with Tom Corley
SO GOOD! TOM CORLEY comes on the show to talk about Rich Habits.
We also learn about the 4 things that can make you un-fireable.
Just go check this one out. Good stuff!
Habits of the Rich: Interview with Tom Corley
Episode 155: 10 Ways To Pay Attention To Money
How many of these things do you do? If you do all of them, you get an A+ for paying attention to your money – and you’re probably paying less interest!
10 Ways to Pay Attention to Money
Episode 164: Facts about FICO and the truth behind the Credit Score Industry
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
This was THE FIRST EVER broadcast interview with an employee from FICO.
How can I make such an outrageous claim such as this? Because my guest in this episode, Senior Consumer Credit Specialist Anthony Sprauve of FICO said so!
Learn about FICO and hear the truth behind the credit score industry.
FICO and the FACTS behind the Credit Score Industry
Episode 166: How can Dave Ramsey’s advice be dangerous to his audience
I got a lot done at FinCon14. The interview with Anthony Sprauve happened at the podcasting booth on Day #1, the Plutus was awarded to my blog a couple days later, and in the middle of it all I sat down for about 80 minutes with Joshua Sheats from Radical Personal Finance.
Joshua and I went back and forth about the advice Dave Ramsey gives on his radio show (and still does). We ultimately agree at the end, but it’s a great discussion that will make you think about how you accept the advice you hear.
Definitely a staple of the show. How can Dave Ramsey’s advice be dangerous to his audience?
Episode 200: What people learned about Money by Blogging about Money
Capping off the final episode of the MPSOS podcast, I asked 9 bloggers to answer a simple question: What did you learn about money while you were blogging about money?
The episode was recorded live at FinCon15 and was the perfect setting for such a historic event in my life.
If you’d like to hear about the revelations bloggers got as they wrote about money topics, this is the one.
What People Learned About Money By Blogging About Money
EPISODE SERIES
These are episodes that should be listened to in succession – like binging in a Netflix show.
Episodes 17, 19, 20, and 22: Living Without Credit Cards
I take you through the progressive steps of removing credit cards from your life over the span of a couple months.
Your results may vary, but I found 6 months to be PLENTY of time – and I wasn’t even thinking about it.
Each of the 4 episodes covers a full step, so you may want to listen to them all in a row.
Living Without Credit Cards – Part 1
Living Without Credit Carts – Part 2
Living Without Credit Carts – Part 3
Living Without Credit Carts – Part 4
Episodes 111-117 Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps Explained (by a Financial Coach)
Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps is the simplest plan to get out of debt and build wealth I’ve ever heard.
But that doesn’t make it easy.
Throughout this 7-episode series, I cover different examples and scenarios that go deeper into each of the Baby Steps – and some tips to help you get through it even easier.
Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps Explained by a Dave Ramsey Trained Financial Coach
WORST OF
These aren’t necessarily all bad, but if I were to give you a dozen episodes to skip past – these would be them.
Episodes 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 30:
The “Real Life Case Studies” was a great idea about a decade before its time.
The idea was to get permission from one of my financial coaching clients and share their financial information (anonymously) with another financial coach.
The fellow coach and I would discuss tips and solutions this person could take to improve their financial lives.
BRILLIANT IDEA! Not only could people receive free coaching, but the fellow coach would get exposure to help them find new clients as well.
…except it was like pulling teeth to get coaches to come on.
In order to get back on schedule, I decided to scratch the idea and move on.
So skip every 3rd episode, beginning with #3 and ending with #30 (although 30 was a great story by a great couple).
Episode 25: Dave Ramsey’s Great Recovery Action Steps
Back in 2011, DR did a live stream to give people hope in what was the aftermath of the Great Recession.
I did the episode right after the live stream ended with hopes of further explaining and encouraging others to take action.
It was good, but not evergreen.
Episode 57: PerkStreet
PerkStreet was one of the first companies to offer rewards for debit card purchases.
Fantastic idea, but the economics of the business couldn’t sustain PerkStreet’s business model – and they closed down a couple years later.
No need to listen to this one. Move along 🙂
Episode 106: Paying for a Speeding Ticket with Emergency Savings
What was I thinking?
You don’t need to hear my story of getting a speeding ticket – and the subsequent conversation I had with myself about what budget category the money should come from.
Proceed with caution.
Episode 179: We’re talking #BitCoin with OpenBazaar
It’s a good idea to learn about BitCoin and the BlockChain.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure this episode gets the job done.
Where has Steve been?
The Money Plan SOS podcast was my effort to spread financial literacy and grow my financial coaching business.
I started blogging in 2007, launched the podcast in 2010, won awards and was getting great download numbers in 2014 while still working a salaried “day job”.
In 2015, the day job and I parted ways – and I focused all my energy on Steve Stewart Financial Coaching.
I felt the need to retire the Money Plan SOS podcast at episode 200 (September 2015) and launch a new show.
In the mean time, I was approached by J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy and Paula Pant from Afford Anything. We had a call together, and they essentially said “Steve, we just want to hit record. Will you do the rest?”
For years I had been encouraging others in the FinCon community to start their own shows, offering my help wherever I could. This wasn’t what I had expected – and they offered to pay me for my efforts.
The M.O.N.E.Y podcast launched in January 2016 and BLEW UP – reaching #5 on the iTunes Business chart within 24 hours.
By June or July, I had so many others from the FinCon community asking for help with the post-production of their podcast that I had to give everything else up.
AND. I. LOVE. IT.
I miss podcasting and may start another show in the future, but my new business is profiting more than the old salary job – and I get to work from home full time.
Thank you for your time and attention. I hope the Money Plan SOS podcast has helped you in some small way. Or a big way.
God bless you. Keep Paying Attention – Not Interest!
