Skip to content
Get Out of Debt Guy – Steve Rhode
  • Free Tools
    • 1099-C Calculator
    • Ask Steve
    • Benefits Finder
    • Brain on Debt Quiz
    • Collector Rights
    • Contract Decoder
    • Debt Confessional
    • Debt Stress Test
    • Find Your Path
    • Garnishment Calculator
    • Means Test Calculator
    • Money Quiz
    • Scam-O-Meter
    • SOL Checker
  • Learn
    • Bankruptcy Guide
    • CFPB Complaints
    • Company Reviews
    • Counseling Truth
    • Debt & Marriage
    • Debt & Mental Health
    • Foreclosure Help
    • FTC Actions
    • History of Debt
    • Reader Questions
    • Research
    • Scam Alerts
    • Settlement Truth
    • Snowball Alternatives
    • Student Loans
  • Podcast
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Show Archive
    • Spotify
  • About
    • About Steve
    • Contact
    • Media & Press
    • Testimonials
  • Subscribe

gas prices

Gas Prices Just Dropped More Than 9% for the First Time in Months — Here’s the Move Most People Will Miss (July 2026)

by Steve Rhode

Gas prices fell more than 9% in June 2026 — the biggest drop in months. Here’s what that means for your budget and the one move most people will miss.

How Much of Your Financial Pressure Right Now Didn’t Need to Exist? Here’s What the Math Says.

by

The Supreme Court ruled $164.7 billion in tariffs were unconstitutional. Companies collected the costs from you and now want to keep both the refund and the higher prices. Here’s the math on the policy tax.

Record Memorial Day Travel Despite High Gas Prices — Why ‘Keeping Normal’ Is the Most Expensive Debt Trap

by

AAA projects 45 million Memorial Day travelers despite highest gas prices since 2022. A $2,000 trip at 21% APR costs $2,440 — here’s the math nobody prints next to the headline.

AI Layoffs, Student Loans, and Social Security

by Steve Rhode

Steve Rhode and Damon Day discuss why 69% say college isn’t worth it, Oracle’s 30,000 AI layoffs, Social Security’s 6-year deadline, and why getting out of debt now is urgent.

Recession Warnings Are Piling Up — Here’s the 30-Day Checklist That Separates Survivors From Spirals

by Steve Rhode

NY Fed, CNBC, and Reuters all flashing recession warnings on the same day. Here’s the exact 30-day checklist to protect your finances before the window closes.

Gas Prices Hit $4.39 — The Credit Card Trap Nobody’s Talking About (May 2026)

by Steve Rhode

Gas prices hit $4.39 per gallon — here’s why the credit card trap matters more than the pump price, and what to do this week.

The UAE Just Left OPEC — Here’s What Lower Oil Prices Could Actually Mean for Your Debt

by Steve Rhode

The UAE just announced it is leaving OPEC. If it translates to lower oil prices, here is what that actually means for your gas bill, your inflation expectations, and eventually your credit card rate — and the one move to make if relief arrives.

Consumer Confidence Just Hit a 48-Year Low — But People Are Still Spending. That Is the Dangerous Part.

by Steve Rhode

Consumer confidence just hit its lowest point since 1978 — but people haven’t stopped spending. After 30 years of seeing this pattern, here’s why that disconnect is so dangerous and what to do before the pullback hits.

Spring Clean Your Finances Before Debt Gets Worse

by Steve Rhode

Gas prices squeezing your budget? Steve Rhode and Damon Day cover the 14 percent bankruptcy spike, the hidden 400K cost of minimum payments, and smart money moves.

Iran Ceasefire Extended but Gas Prices Still Rising — The Credit Card Trap Is Getting Worse (April 2026)

by Steve Rhode

The Iran ceasefire was extended but the naval blockade stays, oil is above $100, and gas prices are not coming down. Every month you carry the extra cost on credit cards at 24% APR, the hole gets deeper. Here is what to do now.

Older posts
Page1 Page2 Next →
Steve Rhode

Have a Debt Question?

Ask Steve — free, anonymous, instant answers based on 30+ years of experience. No sales pitch.

Ask Steve Now →

Not sure where to start?

Find Your Path Out of Debt

5 quick questions · 2 minutes · personalized guidance for your situation

Take the Quiz →
Get Out of Debt Guy

Stay in the know — new posts and debt news as they happen.

Follow on Facebook
Get Out of Debt Guy Podcast - Steve Rhode

Get Out of Debt Guy Podcasts

  • Look Broke for a Year or Stay Broke for 10? The Credit Card Debt Trap
  • Budgets Suck: Debt Traps, Emergency Savings, and Keeping Up Appearances
  • Are You Helping Your Kids—or Hurting Your Retirement? – The Money Choices That Cost Millions
  • Should Adult Kids Pay Rent—or Are You Sacrificing Your Retirement?
  • Should You Stop Paying Credit Cards? – Why Banks Won’t Help Until You’re Behind

Free Debt Tools

No email. No cost. No upsell.
  • Scam-O-Meter
  • Contract Decoder
  • Bankruptcy Means Test
  • Debt Collector Rights Lookup
  • Statute of Limitations Checker
  • Wage Garnishment Calculator
  • Get Out of Debt Calculator
See all 11 free tools →

Series

  • The AI Investing Experiment
  • Crisis Guides
  • They Said What?
  • What They Told Wall Street

Debt Hubs

  • Bible & Bankruptcy Hub
  • Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Guide
  • Consumer Bankruptcy Research
  • Credit Cards Guide
  • Credit Counseling Guide
  • Crisis Guides
  • Debt Collection Rights
  • Debt Research Library
  • Financial Literacy Hub

Debt Types

  • Credit Card Debt
  • Debt & Marriage
  • Foreclosure Help
  • Student Loan Guide

Protect Yourself

  • CFPB Complaints
  • Company Reviews
  • Contract Decoder
  • Credit Repair
  • Debt Collection Rights
  • Debt Relief Lawsuits
  • FTC Actions
  • Scam Alerts

Support

  • Debt & Depression Research
  • Debt & Mental Health
  • Find Your Path Quiz
  • Podcast
  • Reader Questions

Free Tools

  • 1099-C Tax Calculator
  • Ask Steve
  • Bankruptcy Means Test
  • Benefits & Free Money Finder
  • Brain on Debt Quiz
  • Contract Decoder
  • Cost of Inaction Calculator
  • Debt Collector Rights
  • Debt Confessional
  • Debt Stress Test
  • Debt Validation Letter
  • Debt vs. Retirement
  • Find Your Path Quiz
  • Garnishment Calculator
  • I'm Being Sued Guide
  • Judgment Proof Checker
  • Money Personality Quiz
  • Scam-O-Meter
  • Statute of Limitations

About Steve

  • About Steve Rhode
  • Editorial Independence
  • Media & Press
  • Talk to Damon Day
© 2026 Get Out of Debt Guy - Steve Rhode
Ask Steve Ready to talk
🔒 Private & Anonymous

Did this conversation help?

Rate this conversation (optional):

Thank you. I'm glad you reached out.

You took an important step today. Come back any time.

Think of this as me — just in AI form. I've walked in your shoes. I filed bankruptcy myself in 1990, and in over 30 years of experience I haven't seen a situation that can't be worked through or a person who deserves judgment. Everything here is built on that experience, that research, and genuine care for you. I can't be there in person. But I can be here.

Conversations are saved anonymously. Personal details are automatically removed before storage. This is an AI — not a financial advisor, attorney, or therapist.

Not sure where to start?

Been here before?

Not legal or financial advice. Emergencies: 988.

Got a debt question?

Steve's here. Free, anonymous, no judgment — 24/7.

Talk to Steve →
Chat With Steve Now Free & anonymous →