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PODCAST

Becoming Financially Confident

Ralph V. Estep, Jr.

Breaking Free from Financial Shame, one conversation at a time. Most money advice assumes you already know what you"re doing. This show doesn"t. Becoming Financially Confident is a live weekday show for people who want to get their financial life in order without being lectured, judged, or sold something. Host Ralph Estep Jr. is a Licensed Public Accountant with more than 30 years of experience sitting across the desk from real people and real businesses — the shoebox of receipts, the tax notice

education self-improvement

All Episodes

56:28

Social Security Benefits for Young Children, Costco...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/10/05

In today’s episode, Ralph Estep Jr. and Juliet cover many topics.Today’s Topics✓ T-Mobile’s fee increases to $5.49 per voice line✓ What T-Mobile’s price lock does not cover✓ When a flu shot may cost you $0✓ The $55-a-week Christmas savings plan✓ Costco Gold Star vs. Executive for a one-person household✓ Sweepstakes entries and scam calls✓ Social Security benefits for qualifying children✓ Separating fixed and variable expensesResourcesWatch live weekdays at 11:30 AM

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17:56

BFC Weekly Recap: IRS Collections, Adult Kids Moving...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/10/03

This week on Becoming Financially Confident, Ralph Estep Jr., a licensed public accountant with more than 30 years of experience, and Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur, dig into the money decisions that can get expensive fast.From IRS letters and credit scores to adult kids moving home, rising health insurance premiums, grocery-store financing, car maintenance, medical bills, and surprise expenses, this episode covers the everyday financial choices that can have a much bigger impact than you

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58:38

Splitting the Check Without Shame, and Why High...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/10/02

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr., LPA & Juliet, first-time entrepreneurWhat happens when even six-figure earners stop feeling high income?In this episode of Becoming Financially Confident, Ralph Estep Jr. breaks down why a Dollar General CEO says shoppers earning $100,000 or more no longer feel high income, plus a simple grocery price check you can try this week.Ralph and Juliet also cover how to split a restaurant check without the awkwardness, why one in five Americans call sports betting an investment,

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59:56

What Happens When You Ignore an IRS Notice, Plus the...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/10/01

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr., LPA & Juliet, first-time entrepreneurWhat happens when a small IRS notice sits unopened in your junk drawer?In this episode of Becoming Financially Confident, Ralph Estep Jr. breaks down how an IRS notice can escalate from a CP14 to a final notice, plus what you should do as soon as a letter arrives.Ralph and Juliet also cover why retirees still need emergency savings, a proposed homebuyer savings match, the iPhone Siri settlement, using AI for money questions, and two

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59:41

Credit Utilization Explained: The 1% to 9% Credit...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/30

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr., LPA & Juliet, first-time entrepreneurIn this episode of Becoming Financially Confident, Ralph Estep Jr. explainsWhy parents should put a simple written agreement in place before an adult child moves back homeCollege freshman money skills: Needs versus wants, compound growth, and responsible credit card use.Medicaid family caregiver programs: How family caregiver pay may work in some states and why approved hours, paperwork, and state oversight matter.Credit utilization:

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55:26

Why 42% of Adult Children Expect No Inheritance From...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/29

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:Average credit scores drop for the first time since 2013, and why you should care about yoursWhat happens when you win $2,000 or more at a casinoHSAs versus FSAs, and why you should put as much as you can if you have an HSAThis week's giveaway update and the money move: checking your withholdingGot a money question for me? Send it to us at

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01:00:51

Do Mileage Cards Make You Spend More? Buy Now Pay...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/28

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:What is direct primary care as a healthcare solutionWhat to consider when evaluating your mileage credit card benefitsWhy stacked buy now, pay later plans at the grocery checkout worry meWhat to consider between mechanical breakdown insurance versus a dealer warrantyThoughts on the proposed 32-hour workweek billOur new weekly Amazon gift card giveawayThis week's

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21:06

BFC Weekly Recap: Fake Bank Logins, Widow Fraud, and...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/26

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur. This week was heavy on scams and money habits. Quick recap:Three scams to watch: kill switches on subprime auto loans, home equity checks disguised as junk mail, and AI callers targeting new widows and bail-money victims, together costing people millions.Two settlements working in your favor: Amazon Prime refunds are jumping to $200, and Amway's own numbers confirm most people lose money on

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01:01:26

A Mortgage Lender Explains Why You Should Date the...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/25

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:The IRS deadline for anyone who filed an extension is October 15, and I'm telling clients to file even if they can't pay in full, since the penalty for not filing is steeper than the one for paying late.A new poll has 89 percent of people 65 and older saying they'd rather raise taxes on younger workers than touch their own Social Security, and I think we're headed

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59:43

Why TurboTax's Mistake Led to a $10,000 IRS Bill and...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/24

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:A fake bank login scam that's cost people $262 million since January, and the bookmark trick I use to stay out of itWhy card surcharges up to 3% are pushing more shoppers back to paying cashA new prison bail scam where inmates use smuggled phones to trick families, including one case where someone sent $12,000 over Cash AppJuliet and I go back and forth on whether

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01:00:12

$1,000 Kids Savings Account, FSA Deadlines, and Your...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/23

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:Consider getting a Trump Account for kids born 2025-2028, the government automatically puts $1,000 in the accountOpen enrollment is coming up, so check if your employer provides a Flexible Savings Account (FSA)You can get cash if an airline cancels your flightReview several side hustles from renting out a parking spot to getting paid as a mock juror.We discuss about

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59:05

The Dollar Job Framework: How to Discover Where Your...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/22

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:A Maryland law banning those unsolicited home equity loan checks starting October 1, and what to look out for yourselfThe December 31 deadline to open a Solo 401k or SEP IRA and maximum your money if you picked up side income this yearDollar Job Framework: Discover your net worth and get clarity on what you want versus what you do, then Design the financial life you

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56:56

How a $694 Million Settlement Wipes Out Car Loan...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/21

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:Amway (an MLM) will have to payout $225 million after promising recruits that they will make $40,000 a year, when in reality it is only $657A $694 million settlement is wiping out car loan debt for thousands of people, so it's important to check your credit reportAmazon Prime refunds just jumped from $51 to $200Community mailbag: Should I loan my brother $4,000? What

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25:30

BFC Weekly Recap: A $250,000 Catfish Scam, a Reverse...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/19

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here are some of the highlights from this week:Ralph's grandmother collected a $3,500 unclaimed money windfall from an old credit union account.A missing beneficiary form cost a client 35% in estate taxes, a 15-minute fix Ralph walks through.Juliet on the self-doubt behind leaving corporate life, and reframing an 18-month payoff goal as $6.60 a day.The Dollar Job Framework, and the real take-home

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01:00:12

3 Numbers to Check on Your Auto Insurance Declaration...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/18

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:Rent payments can now count toward my mortgage credit score, thanks to a new rule from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.Check in on this week's money move: opening a high-yield savings account & set up an automatic transfer.A caller question asking if she should cash out an old 401(k) as a 30-year-old, and I explain why that could cost her close to 40% of itGo through

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57:14

An Accountant Reacts to a $1.3 Million Love Scam and...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/17

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:The Fed raised interest rates a quarter point. What does this mean for your variable credit cards & home equity lines?State Farm is returning $5 billion to drivers who had a 2025 policy. Do you qualify?A $120 million settlement covers MLS home buyers since 2006, with an October 27 deadline to file. Check if you qualify.Love scams, and a story from one of Ralph's

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58:35

What's on your credit report, and is Rover worth your...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/16

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public accountant of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur.Here's what we got into today:Why you should check in on your CDs once it maturesYou may qualify for a car loan interest deduction worth up to $10,000 a yearIs personalized pricing legal?Considerations on whether side hustling on Rover is for youHow to read your credit reportTomorrow, we're getting into timeshares, and Juliet puts Ralph on the hot seat with questions that Ralph cannot prep

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01:00:40

Savings Account vs 529 vs the New Trump Account for a...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/15

Join Ralph Estep Jr (licensed public accountant) & Juliet (not an accountant) as they dive into:What options are there saving for a grandchild (savings account, Trump Account, 529)Annual Notice of Change are being mailed out before September 30, and why it matters even if you're not the one on MedicareWhy naming beneficiaries for your 401K and IRA + a story where a missing beneficiary name turned a 12% tax hit into 35%Dive into the Dollar Job Framework, starting with naming a real money dream,

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58:53

Overdraft Fees, Unclaimed State Money, and How...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/15

Hosts: Ralph Estep Jr, a licensed public account of over 30 years + Juliet, a first-time entrepreneur Here's what we got into today:I broke down the LIHEAP heating assistance program, why renters qualify too, and why applying this week matters since the money goes first come, first servedI explained how to call your bank and opt out of debit and ATM overdraft coverage so you stop paying that $35 feeI talked through escheat laws and how to check missingmoney.com for cash your state may be holding,

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44:03

BFC Weekly Recap: Mortgage Rates Hit 6.71%, the New...

Becoming Financially Confident ·

2026/09/12

Happy Saturday, everybody!Mortgage rates just climbed to a 13-month high, the IRS changed the 1099 threshold to $2,000, and I finally answered the question I get asked more than almost any other: do you owe a dead relative's credit card debt? We also got into what financial confidence really means, the framework I use with clients to give every dollar a job, and a conversation with a finance coach about money and marriage that hit closer to home than I expected.I'm Ralph Estep Jr., a licensed public

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