Steven J Richardson Esq Podcasts

By Steven J. Richardson, Esq.

As we approach the summer months, many people start thinking about shopping for a home. The weather is warmer, and it gives potential buyers an opportunity to see the whole home, both inside and out. But is it a good idea to buy a home in this real estate market? Would it be better to rent instead? That's why in this episode of the podcast I wanted…

Where you live can have a significant effect on your financial freedom, whether it's during your working life or in retirement. It can influence cost of living, opportunities in your careeer, or resale value when you are ready to downsize. That's why in this episode of the podcast I talk to Ryan Frederick about how he sees where you live and how lo…

The current economy has people stressed out with inflation and talk of an impending recession. As a result, the process of saving for retirement, already seen by many as a slog and a struggle, can seem even mre difficult and anxiety-inducing. That's why in this episode of the podcast I talk with Dawn Dahlby, who is not only a Certified Financial Pl…

Saving and investing for retirement has always been challenging, but in the turbulent economic times we've been living in lately, it can be even tougher. Inflation and talks of a recession have made many people fearful of the future and whether they will be able to make their investment goals this year. That's why in this episode of the podcast I w…

According to Divorce.com, the U.S. has the highest divorce rate in the world at 40-50%, although the Census Bureau report suggests that the rate dropped from 2009 to 2019. 60% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages end in divorce. Divorce is also expensive, both financially and emotionally. But beyond the lawyers fees, there are many hidden…

There's a lot in the news these days on personal finance, including a possible new repayment plan for student loans, dealing with marital "financial incompatibility," and new laws pertaining to retirement savings. With all of this going on, it can be hard to keep track and get all of the key facts. Thant's why in this episode of the podcast I wante…

With tax season having officially started on January 23, the IRS is expecting taxpayers to file more than 168 million returns, most of them before the April 18 deadline. But depending on how involved your finances are, this can be a rather stressful time. That's why in this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk about the preparation process for y…

Positioning yourself for financial freedom early on in life is the best way to do it, and creates a greater chance of success. However, this can be done at any age through discipline and planning. Certified Financial Planner Eric Brotman has written several books on the process and helped countless people to achieve their goals. That's why on this …

2022 was a rough year with inflation and recession rearing their ugly heads and causing us concern for our financial freedom (at least in the short term). But gas prices have dropped significantly, and recession has not been officially declared, so there's reason for hope in the new year. That's why in this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk a…

In Episode 128 I talked about the divorce of Bill & Melinda Gates, the fact that they didn't have a pre-nuptual agreement, and when these agreements might be a good idea. Although they are of particular importance in community property states, here in New Jersey and other equitable distribution states, it still might be a good idea. But what if you…

The Christmas of 2021 presented its own challenges. Shipping delays and supply chain bottlenecks made it difficult for stores to keep items on their shelves, which led to less than stellar deals and long delivery times. I talked about all of this in Episode 141. But this Christmas is different and requires a different strategy. You, as the consumer…

Becoming permanently disabled can be devastating to your personal finances and seriously challenge your financial freedom and independence. In Episode 28 I covered how to deal with this if it's a result of a job-related injury. But what if it's for some other reason, like an auto accident or a debilitating disease? That's why in this episode of the…

Financial freedom and independence can be achieved by diligently implementing proven strategies and tactics that will get you there. But if you don't have the right beliefs about money, it will be difficult, if not impossible to be successful. I discussed money mindsets in Episodes 34 through 36, but thought it was time to discuss it again. That's …

With issues like inflation, recession, and student loans being hot issues this Fall, there are lots of items in the news discussing them. People are concerned with the rising cost of living, salaries at their jobs that might not be tracking with it, and student loan debt that they are struggling to pay, if they can afford to pay them at all. That's…

With the pandemic essentially over with no more lockdowns of large gatherings, more and more people are setting dates and planning weddings. In Episode 96, I talked about getting your finances ready for marriage. But what about getting Ready for the Big Event itself? Weddings cost, on average, $20,000 at least, even before you pay for the guests at…

Now is an exciting and hopeful time for student loan borrowers. President Biden has announced a forgiveness program that will help many people struggling with payments. But there's more at work here than that. There are programs already in place that could also allow you to pay off your remaining balances sooner or get out of default (and repair yo…

In the last episode, and in Episode 149, I talked about the credit myths that may be holding you beck from building good credit and FICO scores that reflect it. Good credit scores are key to financial freedom and a bright financial future. But what can you expect when you get there? What does good credit look like and what are the advantages? Knowi…

Achieving and maintaining a good credit score is essential to maintaining your financial freedom. It allows you to get credit more easily and at more favorable rates. But many people are thwarted from doing this by all the myths and misconceptions that are out there about credit scores. I talked about this in Episode 149, but in my research I found…

The news media has been talking a lot lately about inflation and the growing possibility of a recession. This has people worried about their short term financial plans, in dealing with inflation, and what a recession could do to their long term financial plans. That's why in this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk about not only inflation (whi…

With inflation driving up prices and straining our budgets, we’re all looking for ways to save money. That includes increasing our take home pay by reducing the bite taken out of our paychecks by the government. That’s why in this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk about ways in which you can increase your tax deductions and decrease your taxa…

Although unemployment is low these days, there are many that are warning that we are headed into a recession, and that not only will the hot job market cool, but that layoffs may be headed our way. In addition, many companies that have made offers have since withdrawn them, often with people who accepted those offers having given notice at their pr…

At its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month, Apple announced that it would be offering a Buy Now, Pay Later program as a part of its financial services to customers. This alternative form of payment for goods and services has had a resurgence during the pandemic, and Apple’s announcement has put it in the news. But what is Buy Now, Pa…

Back in Episode 80 I talked about Health Savings Accounts in conjunction with some high deductible health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. An HSA is a great idea if you have one of these plans. However, since I have been talking about retirement planning and saving lately, I wanted to revisit this great savings option, as these acco…

In the past two episodes, I have talked about financial education for our children and instilling them with a basic working knowledge and literacy when it comes to money. I also discussed in Episode 136 about how you should start saving for retirement in your 20s and how it can be done. But what if you started earlier than that? What if our kids st…

In the last episode I talked with Jake Cousineau, a California educator who teaches financial literacy to high school students. But looking into this further I discovered that attitudes about money (called Financial Personalities) form way before a child reaches high school. Thus, teaching children from an early age (as I discussed in Episode 130) …

When I was growing up, the boys took shop, and the girls took home ec. The latter, as we would say today, stressed gender roles, and consisted of cooking, sewing, and the like. But real home economics should deal with household finances, budgeting, credit, and the like. It should help to prepare high school students for the real world. That’s why i…

There are many challenges that face people on the road to financial freedom, including credit card debt, student loans, and a loss of employment or reduction in income. Overcoming them can be a real struggle, but necessary in reaching financial independence. But women, particularly widowed or divorced women, face particular challenges that need to …

The pandemic has been disruptive economically to many people, to say the least! Jobs have been lost, income has been scaled back, and as we come out of all this, people are looking to rebuild and get a fresh start financially. Part of this is rebuilding their credit. But there are those out there who will be hampered from the start because of all t…

U.S. News reports that more than 50% of those who were infected with COVID-19 or who lost income due to the pandemic are now struggling with medical debt. Even as new infections wane, and it looks like we are coming out of the pandemic, it may still have a longer term economic effect on many Americans. That is why, even though I covered this topic …

Tax time approaches as we head into spring, so it's a good idea to start thinking about what to do once your return is prepared and ready to file. Do you owe money? If so, are you able to pay it? On the other hand, if you're getting a refund, have you thought about what to do with it once it arrives in your bank account? So in this episode of the p…

At this time of year, high school seniors are trying to select a college or university for their higher education. They’ve made their applications, filled out the FAFSA form, and are starting to get financial aid award letters. It’s an exciting time! But the decisions they make now can have far reaching consequences for their future, either good or…

In Episode 136 I talked about how important it is to start planning and investing for your financial future as soon as possible, preferably in your 20s. In the last episode, Episode 144, I talked with Joe Okaly on the challenges families in their 20s and 30s face in achieving financial freedom. Certainly, the earlier you start, the better. But is i…

In Episode 136 I talked about how important it is to start planning and investing for your financial future as soon as possible, preferably in your 20s. Even if you can’t put aside that much initially, that money has the maximum growth potential between now and retirement. But young families face some unique challenges that can make it difficult to…

Once the holidays are over and our attention is drawn to the coming new year, it is inevitable that we start thinking about New Year's resolutions. How can we make 2022 better than 2021 as far as our financial freedom is concerned? That's why in this episode of the podcast, as in December podcasts in previous years, I wanted to talk about the resol…

These days, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency is in the news quite a bit. People are talking about using it for online purchases of goods and services, as well as investing. It is, in effect, becoming the “next big thing.” Buy what is cryptocurrency, how do you get it, and how do you spend it? Plus, is it safe or even a good idea to use? So in this episod…

With all that has happened with the pandemic to date, holiday shopping this year will be a challenge to say the least. Between supply chain problems, inflation, and employment shortages at retail establishments, staying within your budget and still getting the perfect gift for everyone on your list will not be easy. That’s why in this episode of th…

When it comes to the job market and the economy, the pandemic has created an interesting and unusual phenomenon. Called The Great Resignation (or the Big Quit), it is an ongoing trend of workers quitting their jobs that started in the Spring of this year. Characterized by Wikipedia as being in response to the pandemic, the government refusing to pr…

In Episode 110 I talked about how to become a millionaire and discussed the book, The Millionaire Next Door by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley and Dr. William D. Danko. It showed that the vast majority of American millionaires are not who you think they are, and that becoming wealthy is something that can be done. But the path to wealth is a choice and a min…

In the last episode, Episode 137, I talked with Myles Gage about starting a business after graduation. We talked about whether you should take the entrepreneur path, what kind of business you should start, and how you should prepare yourself financially for this step. But starting a business is very risky, as most businesses fail. That’s why in thi…

Those that graduate with a degree and enter into the real world face a challenge and a choice. How do they make a living? How do they start paying back their student loans? How do they make a successful start down the road to financial freedom? In this episode of the podcast, I address that issue and whether you should get a job and work for someon…

When it comes to saving for retirement, there is no better time to start than yesterday. The sooner you start putting money away, the sooner it has a chance to grow and ensure your financial future. But most people, fresh out of school and into their first job aren’t thinking about something that will happen in 40 years or so. That’s why in this ep…

Although we are slowly coming out of the pandemic, nobody knows when it will be over, especially with the delta and lambda variants out there. People are still hurting economically, especially couples with children. Even if they’re back to work, childcare costs can really eat into the increased income. That’s why in this episode of the podcast I wa…

One of the most stressful parts of back-to-school season is making sure your children get everything they need, while spending on a budget and within your means. Teachers today seem to request more and more supplies than ever before. Whether physical or electronic, it’s a tall task to find and purchase the items at a reasonable cost. That’s why in …

It’s been a rough 17 months with the COVID-19 pandemic, but it looks like we are finally coming out of it. One sign that it is ending, though, are all of the end dates of CARES Act programs that have been helping people through the economic crisis, with two of them coming up at the end of this month! That’s why in this episode of the podcast I want…

There’s been quite a bit of talk in the media about how we are heading into inflation. With demand for goods being lower during the pandemic, a surge in demand could cause prices to soar. But how do you deal with this? What can be done to plan for inflation? More importantly, how do you maintain your financial freedom and retirement plans with this…

There are only so many hours in a day. So, if you want to increase your income, but don’t have the time to work a second job, what do you do? How do you generate that income to meet monthly expenses, save for emergencies, and invest for retirement? The answer is: passive income! I talked about this in Episode 91 but wanted to take a deeper dive int…

For some reason, parents seem to have difficulty talking to their children about money. The mindset of good money habits doesn’t seem to get passed down to the next generation. This is why 7 out of 10 American millionaires are first generation. That’s why in Episode 97 of the podcast I talked about this subject at length. However, as this topic bea…

Investing and saving for retirement is something that the earlier you do it, the better! But getting involved in the stock market (or even just mutual funds) can be an intimidating prospect, and many people end up putting off doing it for that reason. But where do you go to learn about it? How can you get the information you need to feel confident …

The impending divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates has been in the news a lot lately, and journalists have been discussing whether or not they should have gotten a prenuptial agreement before getting married. I remember thinking at the time of the wedding that I hoped that he had one, but apparently not. So with so much attention being drawn to the su…