In this week’s recap, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet revisit the week’s best money moves, from surveillance pricing and credit card minimum payments to why a credit union may be a better home for your savings.

In This Episode

✓ Surveillance pricing and how to check your shopping preferences

✓ What to say when a promo rate expires

✓ Why the credit card minimum payment keeps you in debt

✓ Why you should always request a direct rollover

✓ How credit unions and banks differ, and what it means for savings and car loans

✓ How to size life insurance by the gap, not a rule of thumb

✓ What to do with a court summons or an accidental deposit

✓ Why six figures does not guarantee a mortgage

✓ How guest Tina paid off about $23,000 with a 401(k) loan

If you’ve ever wondered whether your bank or your paperwork is costing you more than it should, this recap gives you plenty to check.

Resources

Live show:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Giveaway:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community:

https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

KingSumo

Claude

Sears and Roebuck

DuPont

In today’s episode, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet sit down with retired banker Tina Poole and break down convenience store overcharging, AI bill negotiators, and the condo market.

In This Episode

✓ A $3.99 pack of gum rang up at $4.99, and Circle K failed 35% of price checks

✓ AI bots now call your cable company and haggle your bill, but who wins when the bots talk to each other?

✓ A $260,000 Colorado condo, a $470 monthly HOA, and a buyer who says he feels trapped

✓ Tina Poole’s 40 years in banking, $23,000 of divorce debt, and the 401(k) loan that cleared it

✓ The Christmas club account, a 40-year savings habit that just paid Tina $650

✓ The Christmas bonus giveaway starts Monday, with a prize that grows up to $1,000

✓ Money move: check your life insurance and who your beneficiaries are

If you’ve ever wondered whether the price you saw is the price you paid, this episode will make you look twice.

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Win Ralph’s Money:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

7-Eleven

Circle K

The Guardian

Rocket Money

Kira

Verizon

OpenTable

Fannie Mae

Freddie Mac

KingSumo

MBNA

Bank of America

Chase

Amazon

Apple

In today’s episode, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet explain how to calculate how much life insurance you need, and why Ralph’s own health nearly priced him out.

In This Episode

✓ IRS employees snooped on taxpayer records 86 times

✓ Housing affordability at a 19-year low

✓ Why boomers’ $93 trillion may not reach their kids

✓ The DIME formula: debt, income, mortgage, education

✓ Term vs. whole life, and what a medical exam checks

✓ How losing 200 pounds changed Ralph’s rating

If you’ve been putting off the life insurance conversation, this episode gives you a number to start with.

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Giveaway:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

Zillow

Ethos

Apple

Walmart

Target

Dunkin’

Sears and Roebuck

ID.me

In today’s episode, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet focus on why debt collectors are suing more people and winning, and what to do the moment a summons arrives.

In This Episode

✓ Debt collectors are suing more, and 3 in 4 cases end in a default judgment

✓ A $600 deposit from a former employer: whose money is it?

✓ Every $100 in minimum payments cuts thousands off what a lender will approve

✓ Side hustle pitfalls: separate accounts, a tax jar, real pricing, boundaries, and paperwork

✓ Roth vs. traditional IRA: pay tax now or pay it later

✓ Money move: check your beneficiaries

If you’ve ever ignored an official-looking envelope, this episode gives you plenty to think about.

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Win Ralph’s Money:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Quicken Simplifi:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/quicken

LawDepot:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/lawdepot

Year-End Tax Review:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/yearend

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

Encore

Portfolio Recovery Associates

Chase

MarketWatch

Quicken Simplifi

LawDepot

KingSumo

Tupperware

Avon

Google Meet

Zillow

Facebook

TikTok

In today’s episode, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet focus on understanding the differences between backs and credit unions, and why Ralph is such a fan of credit unions.

In This Episode

✓ A startup selling AI audit tools to state tax agencies

✓ 52% of working retirees say money is the reason

✓ Car loan interest deduction: up to $10,000 a year, minus negative equity

✓ Banks vs. credit unions: ownership, rates, fees, and FDIC vs. NCUA safety

✓ Money move: find your real life insurance number

If you’ve ever wondered whether your bank is the best place for your money, this episode gives you plenty to think about.

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Win Ralph’s Money:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Quicken Simplifi:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/quicken

LawDepot:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/lawdepot

Year-End Tax Review:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/yearend

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

Govra

Forbes

Quicken Simplifi

LawDepot

Toyota

Kia

Kelley Blue Book

Zelle

Citadel Credit Union

American Spirit Credit Union

Bank of America

Wells Fargo

In today’s episode, we unpack how much Amazon knows about you, cover a few money stories from the news, and answer listener questions, then Ralph kicks off Life Insurance Week with a quick 15-minute check.

In This Episode

✓ What Amazon’s About You page knows about you

✓ How to find and edit your own profile

✓ Money stories from the news that could hit your wallet

✓ Three listener questions on bills, debt, and retirement accounts

✓ Life Insurance Week: a 15-minute check to get started

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Win Ralph’s Money giveaway:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Quicken Simplifi:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/quicken

LawDepot:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/lawdepot

Year-end review:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/yearend

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community:

https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

What do a $5.49 phone fee, a $55 weekly holiday plan, and a $225,000 IRS bill have in common?

They can all change how much of your paycheck you actually keep.

In this weekly recap, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet cover what you missed from Oct. 5-9: a rising phone fee, a simple Christmas savings plan, tax preparer red flags, a $600,000 scam that came with a $225,000 IRS bill, and why a $5,000 raise pays about $3,500.

In This Episode

✓ A phone fee that keeps climbing

✓ A $55 a week plan to pay for Christmas

✓ Tax preparer red flags and why you pay the IRS directly

✓ The 20/4/10 rule for buying a car

✓ How a $600,000 scam turned into a $225,000 IRS bill

✓ Why a $5,000 raise pays about $3,500

If a raise has ever left you wondering where the money went, this recap has the math.

Resources

Watch live:

https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live

Book a call:

https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Verify a tax preparer's PTIN:

https://www.irs.gov

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here:

becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

Google

LinkedIn

Smile Train

Thinking about borrowing from your own 401(k)? This episode covers the four costs most people miss, plus a scam tax twist and the Zelle trap.

In This Episode

✓ A pig butchering victim who lost $600,000, then got a $225,000 IRS bill

✓ The friend who pays for everything, and the red flags to watch for

✓ The 401(k) loan: four costs of paying yourself back

✓ A $4,000 hybrid premium and five drawbacks dealers skip

✓ The Zelle "friends and family" trap

✓ Check in on this week's Money Move: list your fixed and variable expenses

Resources

Win Ralph's Money giveaway: https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/giveaway

Book a call with Ralph: https://www.ralphestepjr.com/schedule

Year-end review with Ralph: https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/yearend

Quicken Simplifi: https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/quicken

LawDepot: https://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/lawdepot

Follow Becoming Financially Confident

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpWqv8jp9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingfinanciallyconfident

Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-financially-confident-7556

Have a money question?

Send it here: becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail

Companies Mentioned

Quicken Simplifi

LawDepot

Zelle

PayPal

Venmo

Cash App

LinkedIn

Toyota

Hummer

Amazon

Hershey's

Reese's