Debt Denial Is Expensive: When It’s Time to Stop Struggling Alone

Debt Denial Is Expensive: When It’s Time to Stop Struggling Alone

July 20, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Steve Rhode and Damon Day discuss the emotional challenges of debt denial and the importance of seeking help to address financial issues.

Debt problems rarely improve while you are avoiding them. In this episode, Steve Rhode and Damon Day talk about the denial, fear, stress, and shame that keep people trapped in debt far longer than necessary. When you are overwhelmed, depressed, or emotionally exhausted, it becomes much harder to objectively compare debt settlement, bankruptcy, credit counseling, and other debt-relief options. Steve and Damon explain why continuing to make minimum payments may only send tens of thousands of dollars to credit card companies without solving the underlying problem. They also discuss bankruptcy shame, the confusion surrounding FICO scores and credit reports, and why protecting a credit score should not become more important than rebuilding your financial life. Sometimes the smartest next step is simply having an honest conversation with someone who can look at the situation from the outside and help you separate fear from facts. Learn more about getting out of debt at https://getoutofdebt.org Damon can be reached at https://damonday.com

People in this episode

Host: Steve Rhode

Guest: Damon Day

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Get Out of Debt Guy, FICO, credit card companies, credit counseling, bankruptcy, getoutofdebt.org, damonday.com

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