Couple Money Podcast

Today we’re looking at how you can knock out a debt or two before this year wraps up!

Knock Out a Debt Quickly

Who doesn’t want to unload a debt before this year wraps up?

Paying off debt is usually one of the top three goals people make for the year, but struggle to achieve.

That’s not going to happen with you.

I want you to make some headway with your debt-free goals which why we’re finishing up with season with a call to action – we’re going to knock out debt.

Of course, to do this we need money.

There are three ways you’re going too free up money so to speak to pay off those debts faster:

  • Optimize your current budget
  • Consolidate your debts
  • Earn extra cash

We’ve talked about different ways you can save this season, with housing, cars, and how to bake in automatic savings so today I want to look at the other two options.

David Jacobs, VP of Consumer Lending at Coastal Credit Union, is going to talk about the differences between HELOCs and home equity loans.

If you going that route, you really need to understand how they work.

We’re also looking at using side hustles to earn that extra money. Can you really knock out your debts with a side gig?

Kevin is a member of our community and was kind enough to reach out to me about his experience. He’s done both delivery driving with GrubHub and ride-sharing.

What’s cool – at least to me – is that he’s an accountant in his day job. So when he did the side hustles he was tracking not only his earnings but expenses.

I think you’ll enjoy hearing his take on whether it’s a viable way to earn some extra cash.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

  • Understanding debt consolidation options with your home equity
  • Whether side hustles can be a smart way to earn extra cash to pay those debts
  • Ways to stay motivated

Let’s get started!

Resources to Pay Off a Mountain of Debt

If you two are ready to pay off your debt, here are some handy resources to check out:

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

They want to help you achieve your biggest goals!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

  • Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
  • Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
  • Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

 
Direct download: S9E11_How_To_Dump_Debt_Before_The_Year_Wraps_Up.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 8:39pm EDT

No parent wants their kids to go deep in debt, but whether it’s college or trade school, education can be pricey.

Learn what options are available and how to best save up for your kid’s college expenses!

Paying for Your Kid’s Education and College Expenses

With student loans seeming like a weight on many college grads, I think most parents who kids are thinking about either college, trade school, or vocational schools are trying to find ways to ease the burden.

And the advice typically given is to save ahead.

But the price of getting an education is rising pretty quickly.

How do you do that when you juggling your current family expenses and saving up for other goals?

To help me out today is Drew Snider. He’s a director in Financial Planning at Coastal Wealth Management.

He’s also a parent of a 12-year-old daughter and yes, he’s been thinking about this as well. So he’s looking at this from both sides.

In this episode, we’ll get into:

  • The rising costs of college and why its harder for kids to work through college
  • What options you have to save to and invest
  • How you can start saving now

Let’s get started!

Tips on Paying for College

If you two are looking to help your kid skip out on student loans, here are some resources to help you save up.

Key Takeaways on Paying for Your Kid’s College Expenses

Before we close up I want to focus on some key takeaways I got:

  • Start early.
  • Don’t go on autopilot.
  • Have your kid have skin in the game.

If you’d like to chat more about ways to save for your kid’s college and education expenses, please join us in our private and free Facebook group, Thriving Families!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

  • Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
  • Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
  • Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.


Learn how you can talk to your parents about money, their retirement, and beyond with less stress!

Helping Your Parents Prepare for Retirement and Beyond

Learn how you can talk to your parents about money, their retirement, and beyond with less stress! #family #money #podcast

We talk about how to discuss money as a couple and make those conversations less stressful. And I hope you two feel more relaxed when you’re talking about your goals and finances.

I also know that just because you two can talk about money, doesn’t mean that you’re cool with those money chats with everyone.

Especially when it comes to your parents.

My mom is getting closer to retirement I want to make sure that she’s in a good spot. Healthwise things look alright, but I also know that’s not given.

We’ve other relatives have some significant health issues, including dementia and injury and it does make us wonder, how prepared are we to make sure our parents are taken care of?

It’s easy to put it off, but do we really want to?

So how do you start those conversations? How do you prepare for when you need to step in and help out your parents?

Journalist and personal finance author Cameron Huddleston had to deal with it firsthand when helping her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Her latest book is Mom and Dad: We Need to Talk is a fantastic guide on how to come together as a family now so down the line, everyone is on the same page.

So I’m we have her on today.

We also have financial advisor Jonah Kaufman sharing his take as he’s had to help families navigate through these delicate conversations.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

  • Why you don’t want to wait to talk to your parents about money
  • Key conversations you should have and how to get started with them
  • Crucial documents that will protect your parents and their wishes

Let’s get started!

Resources for Parents and Retirement

Here are some fantastic resources to help you two get more comfortable talking about retirement and more with your parents.

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

If you want to be better prepared financially, please consider Coastal’s Retirement Planning Program!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

  • Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
  • Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
  • Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Direct download: S9E9_Helping_Your_Parents_Plan_for_Retirement_and_Beyond.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

When you’re buying a house, there is a ton of paperwork and terminology thrown at you. 

Today we’re going to decipher and explain all the essentials you need to know to get a great deal on your mortgage! 

Getting a Great Mortgage When Buying a House

Even if you’re excited and ready to buy a house, it can still be stressful.

Last week I mentioned that my mom is moving into the Raleigh area after getting a job offer.

She’s getting all that paperwork done for work and keeping her current home in tiptop shape since it’s on the market to sell.

And whenever she’s in town to take care of her work stuff, we’re also driving around looking at places and neighborhoods.

Being with her reminds me of our own house hunt and I remember how at times things seemed overwhelming.

Buying a home is a huge purchase and while you’re trying to make sure it’s the right fit for you, you’re also sorting through all this paperwork.

When you’re getting a mortgage, your lender is combing through your finances and it feels like they request every scrap of information they can get.

And then when you do find a home, you make the offer – hopefully they accept. You have a home inspection, have the house appraised, and get paperwork like title insurance done.

It’s a lot.

And the first time around, we knew we paid a fair price, but we were a little lost.

The second time, though, we felt confident about buying the house.

One part that made a huge difference for us was getting our loan officer to walk us through.

Having your loan officer in your corner, along with a great agent makes the process enjoyable and rewarding.

We’re so grateful to have had that.

And I want you to feel the same way.

So if you’re in the market to buy or you know in the future you’d want to buy a home, I think you’ll enjoy this episode.

I’m sharing one of my favorite interviews on the topic, my chat with Wendy Dawson. She’s the Vice President of Mortgage Lending at Coastal.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

  • What you need to keep in mind about mortgages
  • All the fees and expenses that typically come with buying a house – its more than just the down payment
  • How to decipher the paperwork

I want you to feel comfortable and confident you’re getting a great deal with your mortgage.

I hope you enjoy!

Resources on Getting a Great Deal on Your Mortgage

If you’re looking to buy, here are some resources to help you find a great deal with your mortgage

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

See how Coastal can help you with your mortgage needs!

Key Takeaways on Buying a Home

I want to focus on some key takeaways I got from talking with Wendy and our own experience:

  • Know your numbers (and own them) 
  • Understand your mortgage options
  • Ask questions. 

If you’d like to chat more about buying or even selling your house,  please join us in our private and free Facebook group – Thriving Families

Hope to see you there!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

  • Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
  • Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
  • Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

 
Direct download: S9E8_Best_Mortgage_Tips_for_Home_Buyers.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 10:59am EDT

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