Hi. I'm Steve Rhode. You might know me as the Get Out of Debt Guy. But that's only part of the story.
In 1990, my real estate business collapsed and I filed bankruptcy. I lost nearly everything. And I discovered something that changed how I think about money forever: debt isn't a moral failure. It's math. When the math breaks, debt is what's left over.
That experience sent me on a path. In 1994, I founded Debt Counselors of America — later renamed Myvesta — and grew it into a 70-person organization with staff psychologists, lawyers, CPAs, and tax specialists. We helped tens of thousands of people. I also saw from the inside how the debt relief industry can pressure people into bad decisions.
I've appeared on FOX, CNN, ABC, NBC, and MSNBC. I've been invited to the UK Parliament to discuss financial literacy. I'm a commercial pilot, a firefighter, and a dog rescue pilot who flies dogs from kill shelters to new homes. (Yes, really.)
But here's what all of that taught me: most financial advice is built for someone else's situation, not yours.
Your Money Actually isn't another personal finance newsletter telling you to skip lattes. It's the money conversation that accounts for reality — your psychology, your history, your actual options — not just what looks good on a spreadsheet.
I write about why conventional money advice often backfires, the emotional side of spending and debt, what the financial industry doesn't want you to know, and the surprising truth about bankruptcy, debt settlement, and credit scores.
You don't need to be in financial crisis to be here. You just need to be curious about money — and a little tired of advice that assumes your life looks like everyone else's.
Welcome. I'm glad you're here.
— Steve Rhode
