Buying a house? Can you get assistance with your downpayment?

Are there income requirements for getting downpayment assistance?

Do you have to be a first time homebuyer to get downpayment assistance?

What is the difference between MIP and PMI?

On this week's episode, we talk to Michael Banner for his fourth appearance on the show. You can hear Michael on episodes:

• 400 - Sleeping Giant of the Senior Real Estate World - HECM for Purchase
• 384 - The Secret to Moving Forward in Reverse
• 120 - Safely Using a Reverse Mortgage

Michael is also the host of the 62 Who Knew Podcast, which you can find where you listed to the Crushing Debt Podcast. He is also a national speaker on logevity. You can reach Michael at MBanner@APMortgage.com.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Although the PanCAN Purple Stride walk is over, we will be gearing up soon for the 2027 walk. The link to donate for this year's walk will be active until June 1, 2026, MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

AI is becoming a financial "advisor"… but does it know you?

Are you using AI for budgets, investing, medical or even legal advice?

Should you trust AI with your money?

AI can give you answers… but it can't give you accountability."

On this week's episide Shawn & George asked AI for Financial Advice:

• What AI Gets RIGHT (Be fair and exciting)
• What AI Gets WRONG (or Dangerous)
• AI & Investing: Opportunity vs Risk
• AI & Bankruptcy / Debt Decisions
• AI & Jobs
• The Money Impact Everyone Feels
• How to Actually Use AI the RIGHT Way in finance and debt situations.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

If you get this on the day or it's release, there is still time to donate to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

What are some confessions about money that you don't want to admit?

What were you taught about money versus what is reality about money?

If you could start over with money, or had to start over with money, what would you do?

Financial literacy isn't about being "smart with money"… it's about unlearning bad habits we picked up growing up, on TikTok, or just by surviving life. April is Financial Literacy Month… so we're confessing all the things we should've known but didn't—and what to actually do about it.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

Are you using personal credit cards to run your business?

Are you traking what you spend by category?

Do you have multiple "deferred interest" or "90-days same as cash" debt balances?

If so, then this week's podcast episode is an interview by Shawn & George of Nancy Ward, of www.WeeklyDebtPlan.com.

There's a moment a lot of solopreneurs hit: they're putting in the work, the business is moving, and yet the financial reward just doesn't match the effort. Nancy Ward built her entire practice around that moment. As a financial coach and founder of Weekly Debt Plan, Nancy helps small business owners who are running on personal credit cards and avoiding their finances get clear on where their money is actually going, so they can stop the cycle and start paying themselves what they actually deserve. No budgeting lectures, no accountant speak. Just real clarity and a path forward.

You can contact Nancy at the website above, or at Nancy@WeeklyDebtPlan.com. Her website also has a TON of useful resources for solopreneurs that need budgetary help.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

What does TikTok get right, and what does it get very wrong?

Girl Marth and Boy Math, what could go wrong?

On this week's episode of the podcast, Shawn and George doomscroll ... um deep dive into some TikTok advice. What do we agree with? Disagree with? Laugh with, and laugh at?

You can watch the videos directly on TikTok at these links:

• https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelcruze/video/7603832525630246175?q=rachel%20cruze%20advice&t=1774184650776

• https://www.tiktok.com/@oliviasever/video/7308840450155171114?q=girl%20math%20advice&t=1774184451026

• https://www.tiktok.com/@usatoday/video/7601154994749902111?q=financial%20advice&t=1774184742839

• https://www.tiktok.com/@raitryna/video/7594914162141138190?q=financial%20advice&t=1774184777473

• https://www.tiktok.com/@antrobo10/video/7329939633234677038?q=girl%20math%20advice&t=1774184986859

• https://www.tiktok.com/@moneywiselawyer/video/7576439832587554062?q=bad%20bankruptcy%20advice&t=1774185045372

• https://www.tiktok.com/@nikolegalanes/video/7618294100831259917?q=bad%20financial%20advice&t=1774185073171

• https://www.tiktok.com/@baddiesandbudgets/video/7569293608944160013?q=bad%20financial%20advice&t=1774185239819

• https://www.tiktok.com/@terri.tangg/video/7605733466935725325?q=girl%20math%20advice%202026&t=1774185703548

• https://www.tiktok.com/@danirosemusic/video/7577118504843775246?q=girl%20math%20advice%202026&t=1774185858475

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

March Madness is one of our favorite times of the year!

Therefore, we've put together a list of the 16 worst money habits, in a "Salty-16" to see which habit wins as the worst habit.

LEFT REGION: Everyday & Emotional

B1 · EVERYDAY MONEY LEAKS

1 Daily impulse spending

vs.

16 Forgotten subscriptions

People instantly relate.

B2 · EMOTIONAL SPENDING

8 Stress shopping

vs.

9 Rewarding yourself every hardship

When does self-care become self-sabotage?

B3 · AVOIDANCE HABITS

5 Not checking your bank account

vs.

12 Ignoring CC statements

"Avoidance charges interest."

B4 · LIFESTYLE INFLATION

4 Upgrading lifestyle after every raise

vs.

13 Financing things to feel successful

The dark horse of the left region.

RIGHT REGION: Debt & Budget

B5 · DEBT BEHAVIOR

5 Paying only minimum payments

vs.

12 Saying "I'll deal with debt later"

Minimums feel like progress. They're not.

B6 · SOCIAL PRESSURE HABITS

4 Spending to keep up w/ friends

vs.

13 Saying yes to every event broke

FOMO is an expensive habit.

B7 · BUDGET SABOTAGE

6 Guessing instead of tracking

vs.

11 Starting budgets, quit after 5 days

The Cinderella pick. Could go all the way.

B8 · FALSE CONFIDENCE HABITS

3 High income solves everything

vs.

14 One good month = problem solved

Overconfidence is a budget's worst enemy.

Highlighted row = analyst's pick to advance

Who do you think will win? Who is your darkhorse, your Cinderella?

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

What is a lucky break?

Were they lucky or were they ready?

Can you actually create your own luck?

How do you position yourself to be lucky? How do you engineer your own luck?

On this week's episode, Shawn & George, two professionals who've seen it all - one from the courtroom, on from the coaching room - dismantle the myth that financially successful people are simply lucky, and make the case that "luck" is something you can actually manufacture with the right preparation, mindset, and timing.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

Welcome to the Religion of Crushing Debt, where we regularly confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

What sins have you committed that you would like forgiveness from Shawn & George?

In this week's episode, we talk about financial "sins" most borrowers make, even innocently or unbeknownst to them. Some of the sins include:

• I make money but live paycheck to paycheck.
• I maxed out my 401(k) but haven't talked to my spouse in months.
• I used my HELOC to buy Crypto Currency.
• I haven't filed taxes in three years because I'm afraid of what I owe.
• My business is profitable, but I pay myself nothing.
• I bought a car I cannot afford because my friends have one.
• I co-signed for my kids' loan.
• I have a high-paying job that I hate.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at GCFinancialCoach21@gmail.com or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at Shawn@Yesnerlaw.com or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026