BFC Weekly Recap: IRS Collections, Adult Kids Moving Home, and Premium Gas

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 expect.

In this episode, we cover:

• What can happen when you ignore an IRS letter, including wage attachments and bank levies, plus why Ralph recommends opening every IRS notice the day it arrives.
• What to do when you're getting nowhere with the IRS, including asking about penalty relief and exploring Form 911 and the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
• The real cost of an adult child moving back home, estimated at about $1,474 per month, and why 67% say nobody explained the financial plan.
• The tax client who was draining her retirement savings to support her son, and the financial strain that can come with helping adult children.
• Whether premium gas is worth the extra money, especially when it can cost roughly $1 more per gallon and add around $500 a year to your fuel bill.
• How to read "required" versus "recommended" fuel guidance in your vehicle owner's manual.
• How a $900 lab bill became just $26 through direct primary care, plus how HSAs can now help cover this type of care.
• Ralph's $3,500 lesson in skipping oil changes for two years.
• Why buy now, pay later at the grocery store deserves a closer look, especially when 47% of users have paid late.
• The no-income credit card Ralph received in college and the 15/3 credit card payment strategy.
• How your credit score can affect borrowing costs, including what a 775 score versus a 580 score can mean for your loan rate.
• Ralph's $2,600 monthly health insurance premium and the additional $600 increase coming in January.
• Why winning $2,000 at a casino can mean extra tax paperwork.
• The $6,000 average surprise expense and how you can start building an emergency fund with as little as $10 a week.
• Plus, sports betting, self-storage costs, inheritances, and one group trip that went sideways.

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Have a great weekend, everybody.

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Companies mentioned in this episode

LabCorp, AAA, Lexus, LendingTree, Thrivent, Savings.com, Bank of America, Starbucks, Walmart, McDonald's, Home Depot, Domino's, Dunkin', and Costco.