Hi, I’m Steve Rhode

My career began answering emergency calls. For three years, I handled 911 dispatch—the frantic voices, the split-second decisions, the weight of knowing someone’s life might depend on getting help there fast.

That experience taught me how to stay calm under pressure, process information quickly, and make decisions when there’s no time to hesitate. Those skills became the foundation for everything that followed.

From emergency response, I moved into medicine—working as an emergency eyecare technician and surgical assistant. I wrote medical textbooks, taught classes across the U.S., and spent years helping people regain their vision and their peace of mind.

Part of this work included serving as an eye bank technician, which meant working in morgues. This gave me direct exposure to the reality of death and trauma—perspective you can’t get from books.

That medical experience taught me how to stay steady when others are scared, how to explain the complex in plain English, and how to be present for people who feel lost. Those skills—clarity under pressure, empathy without judgment—shaped everything that came after.

For three decades, I’ve followed the money trail. As an investigative journalist, I’ve pursued embezzlers, exposed Ponzi schemers, and documented how financial predators operate—and how systems fail to stop them.

I’ve written about white-collar crime, consumer fraud, and institutional corruption. The work taught me something crucial: the most damaging crimes aren’t always the most violent. Sometimes the biggest harm comes from someone in a suit with a spreadsheet.

Since 1994, I’ve been helping people solve financial problems across the United States, the UK, Europe, and South Africa. I’ve guided thousands through overwhelming debt, misleading credit counseling, and the trap of shame that too often comes with money trouble.

I founded GetOutOfDebt.org to offer honest answers with no judgment, because I’ve lived through a financial collapse myself. (I once went from $30,000 a month in ad revenue to $300 almost overnight—thanks, Google algorithm.)

So, I built the kind of resource I wish I had when everything fell apart—one where people can get clear, compassionate help without the guilt trip.

My investigative work and financial expertise have been featured across national media:

Whether breaking down complex financial crimes or helping consumers navigate debt, I’ve spent years making complicated topics accessible to everyday people.

I’m a FAA-certificated commercial pilot with nearly four decades of flight time. I’ve trained in full-motion Airbus A320 simulators and served as Chief Pilot for the Wake Forest Fire Department, where I flew real search and rescue missions for multiple departments and disasters.

As Chief Pilot for public safety, I responded lights-and-sirens to time-critical emergencies—racing against time to reach people in life-threatening situations.

I’ve also flown numerous dog rescue flights, transporting animals from kill shelters to new homes where they were finally loved and safe. Sometimes the most important passengers are the ones who can’t say thank you, but you feel it all the same.

True Crime Cases You Haven’t Heard

A weekly true crime podcast dedicated to unknown cases that never made national headlines but profoundly impacted real communities. Through documentary-grade sound design and meticulous research, I tell these overlooked stories with the dignity and respect they deserve.