Helping People Prepare Before Life Happens
Hi, I'm Tony Steuer, Financial Readiness Advocate, award-winning author and host of the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast.
For nearly four decades, I’ve helped people understand complicated financial issues, ask better questions, and make more informed decisions.
That is why I created the Financial Readiness Plan and why I’m on a mission to help one million people create their in-case-of-emergency plan.
Start Your Free Financial Readiness PlanWhy I'm doing this:
Throughout my career, I’ve seen people face important financial decisions when they were under pressure and had little time to sort through their options. Sometimes it was a question about life insurance. Sometimes a family member needed to step in. Sometimes a major change had happened and no one knew where to find the information that mattered.
Those experiences reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time: the best time to ask questions, organize information, and have important conversations is before a decision becomes urgent.
That is why I created the Financial Readiness Plan, and why I’m on a mission to help one million people create their in-case-of-emergency plan.
Better questions are one of our strongest forms of protection.
What Emergency Preparedness Taught Me About Readiness
While my approach is shaped by nearly 40 years of financial experience, it’s also shaped by being a Wilderness First Responder and whitewater rescue instructor.
That training reinforced the importance of preparing ahead, assessing before acting, identifying what matters most, communicating clearly, adapting as circumstances change, and knowing when to bring in qualified help.
Those same principles apply to financial readiness. The goal is to have the information, people, resources, and judgment needed to determine the next appropriate step.
I bet you’d never guess that….
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I was a whitewater raft guide and taught Wilderness First Responders and whitewater rescue
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I was part of an improv comedy group
- I’m a Deadhead
Who's Tony?
Tony Steuer is a Financial Readiness Advocate, award-winning author, and host of the Get Ready: Before Life Happens podcast. Drawing on nearly 40 years of experience in insurance, financial education, and consumer advocacy, including decades as a fee-based life insurance consultant, he helps people create an in-case-of-emergency plan, ask better questions, recognize red flags, organize what matters, and prepare before life happens. His approach is also shaped by his experience as a Wilderness First Responder and whitewater rescue instructor.
A Trusted Voice in Financial Readiness
- Nearly 40 years in insurance consulting, consumer advocacy, and financial education
- 300+ podcast conversations with experts, authors, advocates, and changemakers
- Podcast listeners in 130 countries and territories
- Five Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Awards
- Eight years on the California Department of Insurance Curriculum Board
- Contributor and expert reviewer for leading financial publications including ForbesAdvisor, Nerdwallet and Bankrate.
What I Believe
After nearly four decades in financial services, I’ve developed a few strong beliefs about money, preparation, and the responsibility we have to help people make informed decisions.
At the center of them is a simple idea: Everyone deserves the opportunity to prepare before life happens.
The Get Ready Manifesto
Mission
Help one million people create their in-case-of-emergency plan.
Vision
A world where people have the questions, tools, knowledge, and support to prepare for financial decisions and life transitions—and help others do the same.
Ten Things I Believe
- Money is a tool for supporting the lives people want to lead.
- Curiosity is the starting point for financial readiness.
- Purpose gives financial decisions meaning.
- Better questions help us understand possible outcomes and make more informed decisions.
- Context connects financial information with real life.
- Communication helps people prepare together.
- Good judgment turns knowledge into thoughtful action.
- Preparation creates more options, confidence, and the ability to respond.
- Everyone deserves the opportunity to prepare before life happens.
- People can learn to recognize scams and red flags, understand consumer-first best practices, ask informed questions, and protect themselves and others.
The Get Ready Principles
The Bottom Line
Financial readiness begins with curiosity. It grows as we ask better questions, understand our options, organize what matters, and have the conversations that help us prepare together.
Because when life happens, the way you think about money matters.
Work With Tony
Strategy Sessions
Work directly with me to think through your Financial Readiness Plan, organize priorities, ask better questions and identify useful next steps.
Book a Financial Readiness Strategy SessionPodcast, Media, Partnerships, and Collaborations
Invite me to participate in a podcast, media opportunity, educational initiative, or collaboration connected to financial readiness, consumer protection, scam awareness, or better money conversations.
Explore Collaborations - Contact TonyExplore the Work
Start Your Free Financial Readiness Plan
A free, practical plan that helps you create your in-case-of-emergency Financial First Aid Kit, organize what matters, and prepare before life happens.
→ Start Your Financial Readiness Plan
Get the Get Ready Newsletter
Ideas, conversations, practical questions and trusted resources to help you prepare before life happens.
Podcast
Conversations with qualified professionals, authors, advocates, and trusted voices that add context, introduce better questions, and help people prepare before life happens.
Books
Practical guides designed to make complex financial topics clear and actionable.
→ Explore the Books
Get Ready Library
Books, checklists, worksheets, and planning tools that help you build on your Financial Readiness Plan and go deeper when needed.
Support the Mission
Become a Get Ready Insider and receive Library access while helping support the mission to help one million people create their in-case-of-emergency plan.
Prolific in lending his knowledge to help others understand and improve!
"I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Tony over the last several years. I have always found him to be knowledgeable and able to add nuances to conversations about financial literacy and insurance, in particular, although I'd be hard pressed to remember when Tony didn't shed insights on any topic!"
A true leader and visionary in the field of financial literacy
"As someone who has been passionate about personal finance, and especially proper risk management planning, I have had the pleasure of following Tony's work and seeing firsthand the impact he has had on the lives of countless individuals, families, and the industry at large."
An outstanding champion of financial literacy
"It is an honor and pleasure to share my experiences collaborating with Tony Steuer. I have found him to be an outstanding champion of financial literacy education, a responsible top-notch professional, with a positive and cheerful attitude who quickly inspires trust and confidence."