We Are Officially Debt Free

Our experience with Prosper has provided us with essential knowledge to better handle our finances. Prior to our enrollment in the “Financial Planning” course we were living as typical college graduates: working full-time jobs with a modest amount of debt from school and living expenses. Our debt payments were always on time and above the minimum balance, however, we just couldn’t seem to pay it off in full. In addition, as we headed into our mid-20s we recognized the need to start investing and planning for our future. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the means or knowledge to do so.

Then, a few months ago, an unexpected change in family circumstances provided us with a modest amount of money. Those funds, coupled with your coaching and guidance, enabled us to take on the mentality that debt elimination was our top priority. We learned the importance of setting specific financial goals, “managing” vs. “tracking” our expenses and the basics of investing.

In addition, the knowledge we acquired enabled us to help our families. The key concepts we shared with them were well received. Their progress has steadily increased as they take responsibility for their financial decisions. Much to our delight, budgets have been created and expenses are being tracked.

On February 25, 2008, we became officially debt free. However, this achievement is just the beginning for us. We are thrilled to begin this new chapter in our lives. The funds formerly set aside for creditors will now be used to build our own wealth. We are eager to increase our savings, begin retirement funds and venture into investments.

Prosper’s “Financial Planning” course removed the fear and trepidation that came with taking control of our financial future. We are grateful for the wealth of information and resources that have been available to us. We are prepared to continue our success with the valuable knowledge we’ve acquired. Thank you!

Cooper & Nina S.
Orem, UT

Our Total Debt Reduction in Our First 60 Days is $34,750

As you are aware Rose and I had already eliminated our first two credit card debts with our original debt accelerator in December and January. Our January sale of the 2006 Highlander Hybrid brought us $25,000 to use to eliminate additional debt. We used this sale to eliminate three additional credit card debts totaling $24,000.

Today we have sold off the 2002 Toyota 4 Runner for $15,000 and used the equity in it to purchase a different vehicle which is paid off.  In the first 60 days we have eliminated 5 credit card debts totaling $26,000 and one car loan had a balance when we started of $8,750.  Our total debt reduction for these first 60 days is $34,750. 

We have eliminated 6 of our 14 debts. We have reduced our credit card debt by 46%.  We will have all of our credit card debt and one more car paid off by the end of the 2008.

Thanks for your help!

SUCCESS UPDATE

Today is our two month anniversary of purchasing the Transforming Debt into Wealth Program and this morning Rose and I completed a significant step toward eliminating our debt and moving toward our goal of financial independence! We have completed the sale of one of our high priced vehicles and made a major move away from: 'Looking rich and being broke.' And we are quickly moving to being wealthy! I have just completed paying off our third, fourth and fifth credit card debts and I am thrilled to be able to say that we are $25,882 closer to financial independence. All in just 60 days!

Today we are looking forward to finding ways to move the process forward and continue to accelerate our journey to being debt free and financially independent! I have rerun our debt accelerator program and we have reduced our debt free date by over 17 months from our original date two months ago. We can now see the end of the tunnel and we are looking forward to continuing our journey forward.

Have an awesome week and go to bed tonight knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of Rose and I and our two children!

Jim & Rose S.
Stillwater, MN


Q: What have you learned/accomplished since starting the coaching program?

A: "Reduced our debt by over $50,000 in 14 weeks and changed our spending habits and attitude about money and credit. Brought our two children of 16 and 20 and have watched them become much more educated regarding money and credit."

Time to Take Control of Our Finances

Our family signed up for the TDIW system because we were unhappy with our financial situation. We were living from check to check and dependent upon credit cards for emergencies. As the parents of one child and a desire to have another, we decided it was time for us to take control of our finances and we believed that the TDIW system would help us.

We believed that our strongest chance for success would be to enroll in the coaching program to help give us accountability.  I am please to report that a mere two months into the program has proven successful for our family. We have begun tracking our expenses and questioning the items that we spend money on. We are consistently eliminating recurring, unnecessary expenses from our lives in order to free up cash flow to pay down debt and reduce our dependence upon credit cards.

Below are the successes that we attribute to the TDIW program, you as our coach, and our commitment to our family:

• Increasing our net worth by $15K in two months (our net worth was negative when we started and we now have a positive net worth!)
• Paying off our student loans
• Increasing our cash flow and building an accelerator margin (we used to have a cashflow shortfall each month and have not experienced that since February 2008)
• Getting rid of our credit cards (we have not used credit at all in the year 2008)

Our debt-free date is June 2013 and we not only believe that this is an attainable goal for us, but it is our motivation to continue on our path to financial freedom.  We are also very pleased to share that we are expecting our 2nd child and as a result of joining this program, the black cloud of financial woe looming over our heads is dissipating.

Freddie & Acacia N.
Fort Worth, TX


Q: How has the coaching program positively affected your life?

A: "The coaching program was the best foundation to get us on the road to success.  Without it, I believe we would still be spiraling out of financial control."

We Have Eliminated $67K in Indiscriminate Credit Card Debt

We think we can do it!! That’s our most prevalent thought. Three years ago, we would have said no way! With the help of Justin Brimhall and the Prosper Learning Center, we are on the right track…we think we can, we think we can, we know we will!!

As our net worth increases and our liabilities decrease, we are excited and encouraged to press on and meet our goal of debt free before we retire around June, 2014. Our biggest change in mindset is that we are using Quicken to monitor our monthly expenses, and consciously pay all bills and purchases using electronic payments, debit card or cash. Contrast this with our rather indiscriminate use of credit cards just two years ago. The reduced debt burden also gives us great confidence and optimism as we approach our retirement years.

We have just a few debts left to eliminate and the house is our biggest! Our only use of a credit card since we started has been to pay off $36,000 on our home equity by using a credit card with 0% interest for a year and we’ll pay this off within the year. This is a great idea that we could never have done before!

Our improved cash flow paid for James’ tuition and replaced his car without further debt. We have eliminated $67,000 in indiscriminate credit card debt. Altogether, we eliminated $165,000 in debt so far, leaving $353,000 to go! An inheritance from a beloved Uncle helped us make long overdue repairs and upgrades and still left us with $29K in cash.

We are trying to restrict our charitable contributions and gift giving. We just need to stay on it, particularly as the holidays are approaching. We also need to continue to monitor additional expenses of air travel to visit our families in AZ, FL, and NY. There is not much we can do about the added travel since it is to attend to close family members who are ill or having babies. Although this is important and necessary, it will keep us from being debt free sooner.

It’s a daily decision to think before we spend…and that isn’t always easy. But, with our goals in mind, we can be more committed to challenging and questioning each other, before we decide to spend money on airfare, gifts, donations, or etc.

Our debt free date with a $3,000 accelerator is January, 2014. Think what we can do if we just increase the accelerator by $1,000! We are off to a great start!  Thanks for all your super coaching! We could use at least one more session on balancing between investments and paying debt.

George & Linda C.
Great Falls, VA

We Eliminated $35K in Our First 60 Days

As you are aware Rose and I had already eliminated our first two credit card debts with our original debt accelerator in December and January. Our January sale of the 2006 Highlander Hybrid brought us $25000 to use to eliminate additional debt. We used this sale to eliminate three additional credit card debts totaling $24000. Today we have sold off the 2002 Toyota 4 Runner for $15000 and used the equity in it to purchase a different vehicle which is paid off. In the first 60 days we have eliminated 5 credit card debts totaling $26,000 and one car loan had a balance when we started of $8750. Our total debt reduction for these first 60 days is $34,750. We have eliminated 6 of our 14 debts. We have reduced our credit card debt by 46%. We will have all of our credit card debt and one more car paid off by the end of the 2008. Thanks for your help!

Jim & Rose Schafhauser
Stillwater, MN

SUCCESS UPDATE ON JIM AND ROSE

Today is our two month anniversary of purchasing the Transforming Debt into Wealth Program and this morning Rose and I completed a significant step toward eliminating our debt and moving toward our goal of financial independence! We have completed the sale of one of our high priced vehicles and made a major move away from: 'Looking rich and being broke.' And we are quickly moving to being wealthy! I have just completed paying off our third, fourth and fifth credit card debts and I am thrilled to be able to say that we are $25,882 closer to financial independence. All in just 60 days!

Today we are looking forward to finding ways to move the process forward and continue to accelerate our journey to being debt free and financially independent! I have rerun our debt accelerator program and we have reduced our debt free date by over 17 months from our original date two months ago. We can now see the end of the tunnel and we are looking forward to continuing our journey forward.

Have an awesome week and go to bed tonight knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of Rose and I and our two children!

Jim & Rose Schafhauser
Stillwater, MN

Big Career and Financial Changes

"It was just a phone call from Prosper and we looked at each other and said, 'Look, we've known we've needed to be out of debt.  We never found a program  that we really though we could buy into, this sounds like something we could buy into, we are going to go take a risk.'

It wasn't even one of those too good to be true programs, you hear a lot of those.  This sounds realistic, this sounds like something we can do. 

This year has been an updside-down year for us.  Little did we know we would both have tremendous career changes.  Not from things that we decided we wanted, but we know that it was all meant to be.  Both of us had long term careers with companies, but they cut short.    

Prosper's goal was to help change our lives."

Mike & Jennifer G.
St. Louis, MO

I Have Paid Off $65K of My Debt and Now Have $10K in Savings

When we joined the TDIW program in February we were continuously paying our bills and getting no where fast. The many hours of working were just not making a dent in the bills although hundreds of dollars were being applied monthly the interest kept them rising along with continuing to use some of them. Robbing Peter to pay Paul had to stop and this program has given us the where for all to do just that. Working with a cash only mentality and dollars in our wallet we have been paying off bills and watching it all work wonderfully. I read of the program and sent away for the tapes and program. We joined the program together to make our dreams come true.

I have seen that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that soon the tunnel will be no more. Blasting the mountain of debt away, gently and with ease has revealed the magnificent landscape of debt free living with possibilities never before seen. We had only dreamed of retiring someday, when was out of the question. Not only do we see it as a possibly but a reality with other money ventures helping us to create the revue to retire and to continue making money and not working so hard to get it. Personally I have seen that money can make money and that a cash only lifestyle is the best to have. Although we still have to charge something for the businesses we are able to pay them off quickly with the revue coming in.

Our debt free date is March 2014, $278,000 paid off in seven years. Leaving us with years if investing in ourselves and living our lives debt free with cash only. Before this program I could not see being financial independent in my seventies never mind in my sixties. We have been given such a gift by the TDIW program and the financial coaching from Kory Koontz from Prosper Learning. Lesly meet John many years ago in Portland, OR at an evening seminar, thought it a good program, but not until I heard it on the radio, thinking its about time to get off this merry-go-round, was I ready to grab the gold ring an jump off. By jumping off that debt-go-round we are now ready to ride the magic carpet to far off places where we can make money speaking and educating others while having fun and enjoying life together as a couple of older gals enjoying life and laughing all the way to the bank and putting money into investments.

We have changed in spending only that which we have and finding that we have done that very easily. We have begun to save money for the future and for emergency times instead of relying on using a credit card. Our businesses have begun to take on new role and images into future growth and wealth. We have started money market reaching to invest to build our portfolio into financial freedom and exciting ways of living simple and wonder filled awesomely fun lives.

SUCCESS UPDATE

Since joining TDIW ten months ago, I have been able to pay off $34,948 in credit cards and $30,200 off my mortgage that is a total $65,148 off my debt. I have also been able to read many books on debt reduction and how to invest money to make money. I have also been able to put $10,600 into savings.

My income has also increased by having multiple income sources to gain prosperity from. I want to thank you and the program for this added financial insight and for your individual coaching.  Thank you once again.

Dr. Kathy
Massachusetts

Off Credit and It Feels Great

I wanted to let you know that the biggest impact this program has had on me so far is developing a new mindset; a non-hyperconsumption mindset! What I want from life is for myself, my loved ones, and those around me to be happy and I'm a very happy person in general. Therefore, it's much less expensive to carry my happiness with me and influence others around me to be happy with out runny around trying to accumulate possessions to make me happy. Besides that my garage is already full.

Next, I decided to start with a margin of $1,300 for now. As we get more months of expense tracking under our belt that number will be revised accordingly.  As for a potential debt free date, I have not been able to get real good numbers into the 'debt free' program because of my neg am/ interest only loans. Our rough target is 6-7 years or better depending on creating extra streams of income with investments and/or extra business ventures.

Finally, Morena and I are off of credit and it feels great. I now associate using credit cards as such a bad thing it's easy to not use them. Of course credit can be a powerful ally, but not when used for the dark side. We are controlling and monitoring our expenses and, as I mentioned earlier, will have a much better grip on how they impact us by category in the months to come. Although we do have some home improvement planned to be completed within the next month and a half, those expenses will come from funds outside our monthly budget.

Within the next six months, Morena and plan to have our '03 Saturn paid off, (remember we just paid the last of our credit card debt) be well into paying our other car off, (the '06 Scion) have a solid plan for creating additional streams of income including consistent income from investments, and adding to our accelerator margin as well as utilizing the debt free program regularly to know exactly what our debt free date is as well as knowing the potential of our investments and knowing how to help others develop a program of their own. 

Thanks for everything!

Richard & Morena T.
Diamond Bar, CA

Our American Dream Come True

Our American dream is being totally out of debt and planning for a self-directed financial future.  This is projected for 5 years.

We listened to the TDIW 3 years ago and because of the cost $600.00 or so, we returned it.  I mean really, charging $600.00 on an already overburdened credit card, just didn't make sense.  Alas, if we had kept the system and implemented it then, we would only have two years left to be debt-free!

We went with the personal coaching system.  Our coach is pretty no-nonsense when it comes to our sessions.  We do not waste time.  We use each and every resource to increase our accelerator margin and we feel like racehorses, ready to take on our debt and defeat it.  Our coach pretty much cut out our excuses for being in debt.  He also listens to our suggestions on how to best manage our debt and encourages or discourages us based on his expertise.  Your coach is not your babysitter!  You and you alone got yourself into this mess.  You and only you will get yourself out.  Your coach is an advisor, who mentors your decision- making and guides you to a more realistic spending lifestyle.

It is week 5 for us and we have paid off a $4,600 debt that was not due until next year.  That means an additional $379 for the next debt.  We no longer carry cash and while we don't brag about our indebtedness, we are more forthcoming about saying, "Sorry, we would love to come, but we are really trying to pay off debt".  (This was for a Bon Jovi concert.  The tickets were free, but gas/parking and supper would have cost $150.00).  This new discipline is not for the faint-hearted, because sometimes it is really hard to tell your kids (for example).  No, we can't afford this.  But, we round it out by shooting hoops or watching movies together.

Good luck and God bless!

Denny & Beth S.
Sylvania, OH

Student Pays Off $11K in Just 4 Months

Well the real reason I got into TDTW system was one day I got up on a Monday and said to my self there has to be a better way than just work get paid , then pay bills. Because it seemed like after I paid bills there was nothing left over for anything, Being in construction I'm not guaranteed a forty hour work week my job depends on the weather and the market .So when I was short for bills I would just go further into debt with the credit cards my big liability.

I have learned know where my money has been going and where I had some leaks. I also can see know how to get out of this so called rat race. I just feel so relieved that there is a reason to go to work now knowing that I have a purpose to do so. When I think about it I get so mad at myself for not doing anything about it earlier. I can see my debit elimination date so clear I can almost taste it, which is by the way October 2013. I really can't wait, because then I know it will get really exciting then. To get rid of 163,186.00 debt and start using my money for me.

I really like the cash flow chart that in alone has made me fully aware of the way I've been not seeing where I really stand with my debits. I have noticed that I take longer looking at things now before I buy them or not usually not. I really enjoy the meetings with my coach he has helped my enormously and my hats off to him for being so helpful. I really enjoy learning about different ways to create more cash flow. And reading some of the books,like millionaire next door, Rich Dad poor Dad,I would like to add one more thing since I started, my total liabilities have gone from 161,782.00 to 150,699.00 that is a 11,083. Difference this is just since I have started just four months ago.

Thanks so very much John Cummuta.

Dennis O.
Rochelle, IL

Thank You for the Excellent Support System

Yes! We are excited to know that we were not that far off from a financial and retirement perspective; a little late joining, but were in the ball game. After talking with our coach for the last 6 to 7 weeks, it has been a real blessing. Going through the process of much reading; approaching money, the thought of having money, how you get money, this has broadened our thought process and we view things now from a different perspective. We are yet identifying other areas to cut back spending, locating our accelerator margin, various types of investments for retirement and to be come Debt Free within 8 to 9 years this sounds really good and it is within our near future.

You often hear people say, get out of Debt. Easier said than done, until someone takes you by the hand, its just a catchy phrase. Thank you for the excellent support system and we look forward to completing the program.

Selwyn S.
Chesapeake, VA

We Have Cut Our Debt By 1/3 in Only 4 Months

We started this program in January 2007 and it is now April 2007. We have cut our debt by a 1/3 in this short time. We have now positioned ourselves to having only one debt payment. We have combined all our outstanding debt into one mortgage. Therefore we will have the tax advantage while eliminating all our debt. We will be DEBT FREE BY APRIL 2012. Ken and I are so excited, we now know that we will not only have a great retirement we will also have so much more freedom between now and then.

Ken is really getting into on-line investing and I am still looking for something that I want to do. I have explored several web-based businesses without success; but, I know I will find something. What I think I really want to do is the real estate field. There are a lot of questions that need to be addressed. One of the great things about this system is not only the one-on-one coaching but the on-line coaching and the weekly telephone group coaching sessions. We get to listen and ask questions of experienced people in the areas that we want to explore. They help us see that we are babies in the woods and we need the expertise of coaches in order to move forward and become as successful as we want to be. We are committed to making it and we know that the coaches at Proper, Inc. will be there for us when we need them.

I believe this whole experience has brought us closer together and happier than we have ever been. We have always had a good relationship without too many problems but the stress of not knowing if the next paycheck is going to be enough is gone. Up to now I had been feeling very guilty about getting us into the debt situation that we were in because I lost my job. Ken never made me feel that way but it was something that has always been on my mind. We are both so excited about this and we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We know that we will not be going into retirement as our parents did; just surviving. We are going to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. From going on any vacation we want to-to doing what makes us happy at home together. There are so many things that need to be done in this country and volunteers are needed. We will not need to make money in order to survive so we can give of ourselves where needed. No Wal-Mart greeter job for us.

We wish all our friends could find their way to this program and see it for what it is. The greatest opportunity to fulfill any dream a person can dream. We will work to get them to see the light.

THANK YOU Prosper, Inc. for this opportunity and showing us how to live our life the way we want.

Ken & Betsy A.
St. Paul, MN

Since Starting this Program I Have Paid Off Two Credit Cards in Four Months

"I signed up for the “Transforming Debt into Wealth” program to get a better understanding of how to manage my resources.  As a 65- year- old retiree, I found myself living paycheck to paycheck with mounting credit card debt.  I had 5 credit cards nearly maxed out.  Since starting this program four months ago; I have paid off 2 credit card accounts and now buy everything with cash.  At the current accelerated rate that I am paying off my debt, I will be debt free in less than 5 years.  That includes my home mortgage.

I owe my success in changing my mind on how money works to this course and a great coach, Brad Gillies, of Prosper, Inc.

Thank you for your insight and patients in transforming my life."

Veda J.
Price, Utah

I Look Forward to My Coaching Session Each Week

I was first introduced to Prosper Learning when I responded to an email which said 'Pay off your house in 5-7 years'. It sounded too good to be true. I was tired of endlessly paying bills, increasing my debt and not saving any money for my retirement. The thought of retirement worried me because I felt like I would have to continue working most of my retirement away. I was $ 218,000 in debt and had no plan to pay it off.

Since becoming a student of Prosper I have learned that tracking my expenses to see where and what my money is going to has been helpful in managing my cash flow. I am also going to try and use check writing instead of a check card for paying. That way I have a few more minutes to think about my purchases.

I have personally received a new outlook for my future through Prosper. I now don't have to marry someone with a good retirement, or miss out on one. I now have a plan to get out of debt and invest in a prosperous future, more than any other retirement plan could offer me.

My debt free date is December 2013. This is going to be one date to remember. I can't wait.  A few of my short term goals are to get my office organized so that I can pay my bills on time, to avoid late fees. I would like to increase my Herbalife sales through use of the E Commerce system. I would also like to get a clear picture and feeling for how being debt free is going to feel. That way when I am tempted to over spend I can talk my way out of it.

I plan to continue tracking my expenses and keep my cash flow in the positive. I also plan to take classes in the investing and ecommerce areas. I hope to have my interest working for me real soon.  This has been a really great learning experience for me. The coaching has been something I look forward to each week.

Vicki A.
McAllen, TX

Our Future is Looking Brighter

We began the training sessions with great anticipation and concern that our financial situation was so out of balance that it seemed hopeless. You helped us focus on our spending habits by starting a spending journal and tracking these expenses.

The most significant thing that I learned was to stop using my credit cards. Paying cash for purchases limited my spending. We joined the program in desperation. You helped us start working together. It has been a worthwhile struggle together.

We changed our credit card payments to making minimum payments on all but one card. This allowed us to make larger payments to pay off our first debt. We are working to increase our accelerator margin to speed up elimination of our credit card debt. I have opened three new credit cards with low interest rates. I have transferred high interest rate balances to them in an effort to close out one credit card with an 18% interest rate. This high interest rate card should show a zero balance next month or the month after. I plan to leave the account open with a zero balance. Our next step will be to use the saved interest amounts to increase our accelerator margin and payments on other debts.

Our goal is to eliminate all credit card debt within the next two years. When that is done, we can concentrate on elimination of the bank loans. Eliminating these we can concentrate on the mortgage. Seven years seemed an impossible goal at first, but it seems more feasible all the time.

One of the biggest changes that we have made is to talk about our expenditures and to consider functional values rather than buying the most expensive model. Consolidating our insurance has allowed us more coverage without increasing out outlay for insurance.

All in all our coach has caused us to look, consider, and proceed in a more knowledgeable way to debt freedom. Our future is looking brighter.

Bill D.
Larned, KS

Students Increase Monthly Payments by $1200

Since we joined Prosper, there have been significant changes in our financial life. As suggested by our coach, we started tracking our day-to-day expenses and discovered how our money was draining in so many ways. We were able to control our spending habits to maximize resources toward a debt-free life.

We reviewed all our income and started with an accelerator margin of $320.00 monthly.  As we paid off a couple of debts which were Macy’s credit card of $58.72, Sallie Mae-student loan of $405.57 on November 11, 2007, Ford Credit of $4,271.32 (borrowed money from a family member in order to get Title as we are selling the vehicle to pay off some bills) on November 11, 2007 and Sears Plus appliance card of $1,203.08 on 1/3/08 by following the program the principles of the program. Our accelerator margin has increased to $755.00 monthly.

We sold the truck on February 2, 2007 and we applied it towards our Discover Card with a balance of $7,526.53, family member of $4000.00 and $1000.00 towards another balance. The remaining we paid the marina for the summer and some went into our savings. This will increase our accelerator margin to $1,035.00 monthly. As we reviewed our income and monthly debts we have decided to increase our accelerator margin to $1600.00 monthly.

We enter all new balances in Debt Free for Windows and ran new reports. The first report we ran once all debt was entered gave us a date of May 2019, 11 years 7 months to living debt free. Now that we have paid off some bills, currently the new report for debt free is now November 2015, 8 years 1 month. What a savings in just 3 months of working this program. We have so much gratitude for our coach.

Paul & Susan F.
Wethersfield, CT

Debt Free in Only 1.5 Years

The program helped me to be able to focus where my income has been spent plus I have been able to set do able goals. The binders have information that I will be able to utilize for a long time. I’ve already been able to reduce some of my expenses on a monthly basis through research of insurances. Through an understanding of the accelerator margin I should be debt free in 1.5 years. The information regarding taxes has also been helpful in capturing more of my expenses as a business expenditures.

Lynn F.
San Jose, CA

This Was a Necessary Step to Take Us to the Next Level

In the past we viewed credit as a “have to.” Meaning we had to have it in order to get things quicker. We now have a different attitude. We have cut up our credit cards and have closed some accounts which we found difficult to do. However this was a step necessary to take us to the next level. Credit is also the banks way of getting rich off of us.

The thing that has helped the most is keeping track of our spending and going through the tax information. The tracking has helped us because it gives us a better perspective on were our money is going. Using cash has also limited our expenses.

Our margin is currently at $369 and our Debt Free Date is March 2016.  Some of our 90 day goals are to further develop our on-line business and pay off the Chase Credit Card.

Darrell H.
Cincinnati, OH

We Now Have an Accelerator Margin of $1000!!

Since we started TDIW we have learned how to use our money more wisely. We have paid off all department store charges, Levin, Buzzatto (braces), and our Truck. Our accelerator margin started at $100 dollars and is now between $950- $1000 dollars a month.

We are now eBay users and have successfully sold a few items from our home. We have a PayPal account and are in the process of setting up a web site and doing ecommerce. Paul and I are attending a seminar Thursday 1-17-08 to learn more about setting up a web page and learning about search engines.

I now look forward to paydays and know that I am taking the right action for my future. Paul and I are both reading more and learning more everyday. We take advantage of free seminars that come our way and are always listen to people for ideas and tools that can help us in the now future.

Paul & Julie G.
Canonsburg, PA

Once You Start, It Opens Your Eyes

Prior to signing up for this program, Ted and I had felt like we were just floundering in debt. Living pay check to pay check, on my end, at least, had really started to get old. Never knowing if you were going to be able to pay all of your bills and dreading the thought of an unexpected emergency. The final straw came when we had to take a cash advance on a credit card to pay our property taxes. Ted saw an ad on television for the TDIW program and thought it would help us to take control of our finances, instead of the finances controlling us. We received the information and started listening to the CD’s. The theory was very simple and basic, but to actually put in to practice this idea of getting out of debt was hard to grasp. I think most people carry around this thought in the back of their minds that “some day” when they have no debt will finally arrive. Well, we don’t live in a fairy tale, and we have to make our own “some day” happen. Prosper has let us see that we can control when our own “some day” arrives.

We signed up for counseling sessions. This incurred another debt that we weren’t happy about. We knew we were in trouble, financially, and this spilled over in to other aspects of our married life. I had to look upon this new debt as a needed expense. I will admit I was defensive of my position on how I viewed finances. I work very hard for the money I earn, and felt I had every right to decide on how to use MY money. I still feel that way to a certain degree, but not as much as before. I am more willing to openly discuss how and where the money should/could go. I have been trying very hard to keep Ted “in the loop” of what bills are being paid, and what expenses are looming. When we were first married, he was very happy to turn the bill paying over to me. He hates to write checks and always had a very hard time balancing the checking account. It was easier for me, and so it became my job. As a result, I became the minder of the store and it enabled me to just coast along paying bills week by week. This was fine when he was working. When he retired due to some health issues we were not ready to live on a limited income. We certainly were not prepared financially, and definitely not mentally. I wish I could go back to those days of more money and live it in a wiser fashion. But again, this is not a fairy tale, but real life. There are no do-overs here. All we can do is go forward and try to make it work.

For the most part neither one of us is a spendthrift. I feel we live a pretty frugal life style. We don’t have to have the latest gidgy-gadget, or fancy cars or clothes. We live in the country and don’t have to try and keep up with the Jones’s. That part was not our problem. Our problem was that there always seemed to be more month at the end of the money.

Now, with the information acquired with TDIW we view money matters differently. When I am in the grocery store and I have my hand on something, I stop and think, “Do I really need this? Can I do without?” Usually I would just toss it in the cart and forget about it. Now I think about it. That mental attitude has stayed with me when I am in other stores as well. I stop and think whereas before, I didn’t think. I just bought. For me, having to write it all down was the key. Yes, it’s hard, and yes, it is a pain to do. But once you start, it opens your (my) eyes as to where all the money goes. Having it in black and white allows you the opportunity to see where you can improve.

I think I have become more open with discussing money issues with Ted. I know that was a big problem for him as he felt I was “hiding” money because in his mind he couldn’t account for where it all went. Once I started to include him on the bills going out, and the amounts, he started to feel better. I think I looked at it as more of a control issue, rather than looking at it as working on a problem together. With this new mindset, I feel as if we are better placed to really start to eliminate our debts.

This program has enabled both of us to take a long hard look at our spending habits, and each other. Discussing money has never been easy as it usually ended in an argument. It’s easier to just not discuss those types of issues. Not discussing them, however, causes other problems elsewhere. In some ways, being able to be open is very freeing.

I did sit down and work out our debt free date and it was scary to see how long it is going to take. The alternative is to see the same figures and visualizing them getting larger and multiplying. It’s like a snowball rolling downhill. Once we see the bills disappearing, we can imagine the snowball as the money we are freeing up- to be used elsewhere, and not staying stagnant.

During this financial educational time (and that’s the way I had to view it-as if I were going to money school) I have been able to take a look at how I was using, or in this case, abusing our money. I don’t think I am as frightened of money as I once was. I look forward to day when I view money as my friend.

Ted M.
Port Deposit, MD

This Program Has Changed Our Attitude

We are really excited about this program; it has change our attitude concerning paying off debt and accumulating wealth. We have always seen ourselves debt free but once we got started into this program the vision truly became real. This program has given us the vehicle to not just pay off debt at a specific time but also a means to build wealth.

Our projected time to payoff our debt of over $500,000 is November 2015.  So far we have paid of two bills and are in the process of paying off the third by the end of December 2007.  Our accelerator margin is currently $1,400 and by adding any extra income, we believe this gold may be reach even sooner than the projected date.

Working with our coach, and the tools provided, has opened our eyes and appetite to learn new financial techniques.  We cannot wait to see our bills paid off and begin the wealth building process.

Lindsay & Jemma C.
Missouri City, TX

I Am Learning a Lot about Investing that I did Not Know Before

I have updated my Cash Flow chart and have an accelerator margin of $297. I'm still not sure how except that I had to take larger dividends from the company to pay for a large car expense and property taxes for our vacation property. And then there was the holiday and Christmas coming up.

Our goals are that we are financially independent by 2012. We will have at least 5 investment properties and on our way to having a fully funded retirement fund. To get there I am learning how to monitor my expenses and income from the Prosper learning system so that I have more control of where my money is going and where I need to cut expenses. It is a daily activity. I am learning a lot about investing that I did not know before and am starting to feel more confident to move forward and actually begin. I am also learning that for this to work, I have to stay very focused on our goals and let nothing get in the way, which is not an easy thing to do, but first we have to pay off our son's student loan and now a VERY large credit card bill.

Rindy & Jim C.
Clackamas, OR

Student Will Save $157K in Interest

I think the spending journal and cash flow management are the two things I thought were more helpful for me. It is helping me to condition myself to be aware of my expenses and (even though I still did not figure out how I will be able to) I am starting to think on how I could set a budget to live within.

I'm also loving learning everything about finances...It gives me a sense of hope, it is exciting!  I've been brown bagging now and I think I will save about 75 to 80 dollars a month...I'm also shopping to reduce my insurance premiums on my car and homeowner’s, trying to increase my accelerator margin.  In considering another source of income, I've started researching about maybe starting to write books for children, one thing I've once dreamed of...

I also want to look into my life insurance I have with Ameriprize too.  I have learned through you if it is the best deal of if I could improve it.  I think I have been very disciplined and really have applied myself on doing my assignments. It is already a great accomplishment.  From the financial point of view, I was well impressed with my current net worth and thrilled when you said I will see it grow fast from now on. I'm starting to apply my accelerator margin this month, with $350 dollars. On January, I will start applying $500. I plan on increasing it as soon as I figure out a realistic budget and improve my cash flow.

Also, I'm cancelling my bi-weekly mortgage payment to use the money to improve my accelerator margin. It will give me 150 dollars to boost my accelerator margin.

If I use the accelerator margin of 500 dollars,(350 from the minimum payments on that credit card I've just paid off + 150 from the biweekly) I will be debt free in 15yrs and 1 month.  I will have saved 157,522.00 in interest.  My retirement fund will be worth 844,292.00. That on 10% interest would provide me 7,036.00 monthly, for the rest of my life.  I'm guess-timating $5,000.00/month... I will need for retirement.  I would like as much as possible for retirement... I guess at least 1 million dollars, if I can.  It is like I said to my brother: This is like my master program and better because it will make a big difference in my financial future. I will invest as much of me as I can.

Mayra B.
Wellington, FL

Our Net Worth Is Now $69K

We joined the program to have a better life after retirement. I plan to retire in 2016 when I am 62. At the present time our accelerated margin is $450 and we are planning to increase this by about $100 in the next few months in order to pay off debts faster. We had no accelerator margin at all before we started and were living from paycheck to paycheck Our net worth is now $69,000, hopefully as we pay off our debt our net worth will go up. Prior to joining, we were about $150,000 to $200,000 in debt living pay check to pay check and not having money left over. We were just getting by. Now we are only about $134,000 in debt and as we go along we shall get that debt down to 0.

We have paid 1 debt and are working on another and should have that debt paid in April 2008. Our debt free date is November 2013 and that will be a very good day when we have no more debt

Dan W.
St. Petersburg, FL

The Resources Available at Prosper Learning Are Invaluable

As the New Year begins, I thought that I would give you an update on my progress in the TDIW, and coaching programs. Since April 2007, I have paid off six debts, totaling $6500.00, and am on my way to being totally debt free by April 2010.

The resources available at Prosper learning are invaluable, the information in manuals are well written, and easy to follow. If I have any question, no matter how big or small , the staff in resource center make me feel at ease.

Finally, I would like to thank you for being there for me. You have a wealth of knowledge that you readily share, and when I struggle with some of the concepts, you remind me that financial independence is a work in progress.  I look forward to the wealth building portion of the program.

Bernadette H.
Cincinnati, OH

I Understand How to Best Pay Down My Debt

My TDIW journey began late October 2007. I ordered John's CD from a radio commercial that I heard at lunch time one day on my way to meet a friend to lunch. I had heard the radio ad before but this time I seriously wanted to invest time and resources into changing my financial situation. I had been praying for guidance in this area and had made a little progress in 2007 but not any where near where I wanted to be financially.

Once I heard the TDIW program, I quickly figured my debt and 7 years to financial freedom (including my mortgage). I immediately called to find out how to learn more in order to get a plan in place to eliminate my debt of over $340K! In November of 2007 I started the coaching program. I spent most of November checking out the system and working with my coach who made it clear that I had to decide to change my mindset on money.

Again, I prayed for the strength to let go of habits that had got me into the level of debt I was facing and make changes. In December, 2007, I committed to a cash basis. I also have been able to get over $200 of margin to apply to my debt by taking control of how and when I spend my money. My debt free date is still being determined based on the best way for me to apply cash that I have to either apply to debt or invest.

In the 2 months that I have been in the coaching program, I understand exactly where my debt is, how to best pay it down, how to acquire additional margin, how I spend the money that I work so hard to earn and my monthly cash flow!  I anxious look forward to where I will be on a monthly basis as I learn more from TDIW program. 

Jodie W.
Coppell, TX

Student Will Save Over $90K in Interest

Since I have started this program I realized how important it is to track spending, stick to a budget, and create a plan with goals.  Now I can eliminate waste in our daily spending and work on getting my kids off of economic outpatient care.  I stopped an insurance policy for $68 savings each month. Raised deductables on autos and home, saving $12.50 a month. Cancelled credit Life and service contract on my truck, saving $2000 on the principle.  My accelerator date is Feb 2014, I hope to find, and create other ways to be debt free even sooner than that.  Saving over $90,000 in interest.

David C.
Midland, MI

We Have Already Paid Off One Credit Card and Our Car Payment

We have settled on an accelerator margin of $1500.00.  Since we started our personal finance program we have paid off one credit card and our car payment and are well on our way to freedom!  We discovered that we will be able to be completely debt free by September 2012!

We also plan to retire – if we want and move to our dream home by 2022 – just 15 years from now.  We are also teaching our daughter, Shama, everything we are learning so that she can start early and never find herself in our situation.

Cristie & Shashank A.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

It’s Empowering to See What Can Be Done with Financial Discipline

When I first met my coach, I was beginning to put together a life plan for myself and children, going through the beginnings of divorce process.  Lots of financial planning things were up in the air, but my coach was able to help me sort things out and a great plan went into effect using the figures available.

My first assignment, going over debts vs income, honestly brought me to tears.  However, with continued reading and coaching, the tears are no longer necessary.  It’s still scary looking at the figures, but with a good plan to follow, its empowering to see what can be done with financial discipline.

Things that I have done to date are: daily tracking of my finances, paying for things in cash, automatic savings each month for my 'rainy day', I have increased my retirement contributions, taken advantage of the pretax health deduction my company offers, pay my bills online, have paid off a few of my smaller credit cards, successfully challenged credit card companies regarding interest and late fees, and I am looking for ways to use my hard earned money to its best potential.

I have taken an inventory of all my insurance policies, read and familiarized myself with emergency planning.  Although I am not making tremendous amounts of money, I feel very good about the way I am managing it. I make daily visits to Finish Rich Coaching and enjoy the transcripts and find them encouraging.

I have been able to teach my children how to set priorities and save in one area so that we have extra to spend on the things we really want and enjoy. We are making plans to change their savings accounts to interest earning accounts with weekly contributions so that they can begin to be responsible for watching their money grow.

For me, it is energizing not to have to worry as much everyday about my finances because I know I have good plans in action and everything is organized and improving daily.

Tricia D.
Hubbardston, MA

I Feel a Sense of Relief that We Are Learning

This is only our third session with the course; but my husband and I feel a sense of relief; just for the fact that we are learning to become financially savvy. It is an exciting time in our lives.  I am learning, thus far, how to invest money into a mutual fund to make it grow. I just opened an online account to pay our bills. I hate spending half of my weekend writing checks and stamping envelopes! Yuk!

I have never been a 'math' person per se; therefore I kind of dreaded the fact that I may be a real dummy. However, I am enjoying figuring out lattes. It is challenging, inspiring, and I am feeling free in knowledge and results.  I swear, I was so frustrated by reading books and not being able to carry out what I learned. I still had so many questions on finances. Different authors would advise on differing points of view. Ahh! These things drove me crazy. Now there is some resolution. We have been saved with this course! Yeah!

God Bless all of you. 

Rose & Ed C.
Sun City Center, FL

It is Amazing to See What I Was Already Worth

My name is Lorna Jean.  I am 38 years old.  I am a am a single mom of two beautiful children.  I own my own home, I have been self employed for the past 12 years.  I was divorced in 2001 and had an emergency back surgery in 2006.  These two major events put me a lot further behind than I would like to be at this stage in life.  I have no retirement savings, no medical on myself and more credit card debt than I would like.  I was never really taught what to do with money.  I mean I know I am suppose to save it, I just would like to learn how to save it where it actually works for me not me working for it.  It is very important for me to build a new home and get out of the neighborhood I am currently in.  It would be a lot safer for my children. 

Since I have joined your program I have paid off a couple of credit cards a lot faster than I knew I even could.  If everything works out for me I’m looking to be out of my current debt by 2010.  I am hoping to be in a new home and have my current one sold in the next two years.  I would like to get my retirement started in the next 15 months as well as medical on myself.  It was amazing to actually see what I was already worth.  It was very easy to apply the program right away. 

The hardest thing is to stay organized with my paperwork, but that has been an issue with me since I was a young girl.  Then program is going to help me with this too I see.  When all is said and done I would like to travel with my kids to Europe.  Maybe later set up some programs to help other single parents get the local kids some kind of educational help.

Lorna Jean R.
Port St. Lucie, FL

I Have Paid Off Two Credit Cards and Am Working on My Third

Had a “Aha!” moment one day while coming home from work feeling overwhelmed and out of sorts when on the radio was a commercial from John Cummuta. OK why not I know I needed to do something if I wanted to retire in six years.

Since October I’ve learned cash is the way to go. So the first thing I did was get rid of the credit cards. That was a tough one but it is getting easier. I have paid off two credit cards and am working on my third. My DEBT FREE DATE is July 2011.

My short term goals have been to avoid the shopping and do something else. My lifestyle has been to slow down and enjoy the simple things. I have changed my thrift to more aggressive and am keeping track on that. I am more aware and think about what I spend and why. I have had a few rough spots but I am taking that snowball downhill. I am looking at a few condos to see what is out there. But my biggest goal is to get rid of the debt. So keep on pushing.

Debbie G.
Frederick, MD

We Now Have Hope About Our Future Together

We are very happy with the Prosper coaching program. Before we started this program we really were not very good with our money, and of course that is why we had so much debt. Our coach has really helped us to change the way we think about our money, and that would have been the hardest thing to change if we were doing this on our own.

We found more ways to save money from our coach and the wonderful materials that we received with the Transforming Debt into Wealth system.  With our current accelerator margin, we will be debt free in 7 years. We have transferred our biggest credit card debt to a 0% for 2 Years credit card and the estimated savings on that is at least $2000. We are always looking for ways now to decrease that time, but because of this program we now know how to do that!

We now have hope about our future together, our dreams are a closer reality now than they have ever been since we have a plan to work toward them, and without our coach we probably would still be stuck in the same place we have always been.

Thank you, Thank you for everything!!!

Todd & Melody A.
Denver, CO

Without This Program, Our Future Would Have Been In Trouble

Giovanna and I were apprehensive about the cost of the program when we signed up. We even had a little 'buyer’s remorse' at first. However, now I have to say we are very glad we did.

I think the single most important thing we can say about the program is that it has given us vision. Vision into our spending habits and where we can improve them and most importantly, vision into our future and how to set ourselves up for success. You helped us realize a consistent positive gain in our monthly remaining cash where before we operated in the negative. And, we have paid off our first bill and close closing the second one. All of this without any extra income.

We're starting with a margin of $400/mo and plan to be debt free by March 2010. I can honestly say that without this program our future would have been in trouble. Along with vision, you have given us the incentive and courage to take our wealth building to the next level. We intend to start our own business and hopefully by the completion of the program we are fully operational. That is our short term goal. Our long term goal, which is now possible, is to be in a millionaire status within 15 years. That is awesome.

Thanks for your help. We will certainly stay in touch and let you know how things are going.

JD & Giovanna S.
Ashburn, VA

We Believe this Program Will Give Us a Plan to Eliminate Debt and Save for Our Future

We first of all would like to thank you for your time and effort in training us to manage our money.  We joined this program to learn a better way to manage our finances and to find ways to save money for our retirement.  We are looking to paydown our debt.

Prior to this program we had no plan for managing our money for the future. We believe this program gives us a plan to eliminate are debt and save for our future.  Seeing where our money is being spent is helping us to decide were are money is being wasted.  We have never looked so closely at the direction of are money that is the money that isn't allocate towards bills. This programs showing us a way to grow in the direction we want to go to be debt free.

We've just started this program so there will be a lot of work to change our bad habits.  Our short term goals are to improve our home based business to get more money to put towards high credit cards, and pay down our home loan.  Our life style to be warm comfortable worry free of debt, to enjoy the simple good life.  One of the big changes in our life is making a chart to live by.  These are hard change to make as we have not lived with this type of discipline in our financial life.  At this point we have a lot more practice to make this program work for us.  Eina is looking for worksheets that will help organize her business for tax purposes, and or tax advantages that will help us.

Eina & Dan B.
Bloomington, CA

We Already Recommended this Program to Our Friends!

My husband and I are both under 30 and already feeling the strains of being in debt.  We were worried about our future and the prospects of starting a family and saving for retirement really scared us.

Since we've started this program our lives have only gotten better. With an accelerator margin of $350 we are knocking out debts one by one. Once we have paid them all off in about 7 years, including our house, we can start saving and investing for that future.

If you asked us 6 months ago if we thought we would be debt free in under 10 years, we would have laughed! Now, we want to beat the 7 year mark and become debt free even sooner. Our whole mindset has completely changed in terms of our spending. We are much more frugal with our finances and it is paying off!  We already recommend this program to our friends and try to pass on the knowledge that we have learned, because it works and will change lives.

Thank you so much!!!

George C.
London, OH

I'm Very Thankful for Getting into the Program

I’m very thankful for getting into the program…I have a vision of getting fully out of debt thanks to this program...I just do the smart things now with my money, I don’t charge any more…I have a vision of getting out of debt in 4 years and have my house paid in 7.

Greg B.
Bagley, WI

Your Coaching Has Been Invaluable

Your coaching has been invaluable. I know I have allowed myself to become distracted by many other areas of my life and left incomplete the work you have assigned me to do. I am going to make a larger effort to move this more towards the top of the priority list. I thank you for your patience and excellent suggestions. I am looking forward to continuing this journey with you.

Sue L.
Antioch, CA

We Were So Excited to Sign Up

One day in October 2007 Joe came home and said he heard this man John Cummuta on the radio and how his program could help us become debt free.  We were so excited we called to sign up. Joe had some health problems which started us thinking about our future and how much debt we have and what is important in our lives. We would like to spend more time with our kids and family and have more time for traveling. We could make our bills but wasn’t getting ahead.

Since starting on our road to debt freedom we learned cash flow management. We saw places we could save money, cut back on things we didn’t need, and keep track of every penny we spent. By implanting the TDIW system we have stopped using credit cards, we acquired a debit card and buy only the things we need not the things we want. We are saving everywhere we can and find ways to put money to our accelerator.

Our debt free date is 2023, which includes all credit cards, primary house, mountain home, and four rentals. This is with a four hundred dollar accelerator. We are working on ways to increase this accelerator amount to drop our debt free date by many more years by expanding into a home based business and increasing rental properties with positive cash flows. We have changed our spending habits by not using credit cards and are constantly looking for ways to increase income. Also we are continuing to monitor our spending to keep costs down. We are learning to implement tax strategies to increase our net income.

Joe & Reba B.
Henderson, CO

We Couldn’t Have Asked for a Better Coach

We started working with Prosper in August 2007. After hearing commercials on the Sean Hannity show regarding the “Transforming Debt into Wealth” (TDIW) program from John Cummuta, we decided to order the program. We were at a point in our lives that we didn’t know how to get out of debt so we could retire “some day”. We were “spiraling the drain” and needed some creative ideas to help us attain our goal of simply retiring. John Cummuta seemed to understand exactly where we were in our lives.

Our coach was very intelligent, an easy communicator, and an extremely positive. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with during this learning process.

Our coach has given us incredible tools for monitoring our 401K, and our other retirement accounts. Before Prosper we were at the mercy of our account manager. We met once a year to make sure we were “in the investments we should be for our age.” Because of our coach, we are now watching our own accounts and will make adjustments as we see the trends change.

All of the valuable CDs, and reading material will be listened to again and again and read and re-read. Along with those tools, are the numerous websites we visit to glean even more information. Among our favorite is Sandy Botkin, and the website taxreductioninstitute.com. Sandy is energetic, intelligent, and quick witted which makes his CDs and books very enjoyable.

After the sessions with John end, we will be able to call him as needed and visit the library at Prosper Learning Center. We will not be left on our own to try and figure out the day-to-day as we continue to track spending and eliminate our debt. We appreciate the support that everyone at Prosper offers.

Donald & Dottie A.
Anderson, CA

This Program Has Given Me a Financially Smarter Future

Status of my Cash Flow & Debt Plan-I will be turning in the leased car on Feb. 1st which will free up $88.00 per month on car insurance, $192.00 per year on car registration and about $1,200.00 a year on gas. I will use this extra cash to increase payments on my zero interest credit card with the idea of paying it off quicker. I need to update and re-evaluate my Debt Free Date. I can honestly say that this program has given me a better sense of a brighter, financially “smarter” future. It will just take some hard work and diligence on my part. But, with the tools provided I believe I will accomplish this.

Lisa R.
Anaheim, CA

We Apply a $350 Accelerator Margin to Our Monthly Debt Payments

Back in October, 2007 June and I were $106,000 in debt with no real idea of how to get out from under all that weight.  We heard about Transforming Debt Into Wealth and decided that we would like to give it a try.  Wow, what a change this program has made in our lives.  We were introduced to our coach, who immediately began giving us tools and ideas to get us started on our way to eliminating our debt and to start planning for our wealth. One of the most beneficial visualizations was the spending compass. North is good spending, South is not the best use of our money, East and West is when we need to pause before putting our money out. EXAMPLE: I decided I needed to go to the store to buy cookies. I had gotten about half way there when it dawned on me that I truly did not need those cookies or to spend the gas money (the South expenditure). I stopped, turned around, and went back home. That may seem a small decision but for me that was HUGE.

Within a couple of weeks we started paying our monthly debts and bills using the $350 accelerator margin and soon the smaller debts were paid off. We then applied the amounts of those payments to the $350 plus the standard payment to Pat's car and were able to pay the loan in full four (4) months early. We are in the process of working on our largest credit card payment by using the amount of our 'new' accelerator margin and applying it to that balance. We are looking forward to being totally out of debt in January 2013.

To think that in January 2013 we can then begin the journey to financial freedom. Our goal is that we will be applying all of the 'new found' money toward our financial well-being by investing in bonds, stocks, cd’s, and futures. In the meantime we are researching and practicing different ways that are available to afford us the opportunity to become independently wealthy.

The best thing about the program is the knowledge that we can do it! We can be and are a success already. Just by making a few small changes to our lifestyle and prioritizing what is truly necessary in the way we spend our money we are now able to look forward to a happier, healthier, and longer future.

Pat & June W.
Lyndon Station, WI

I'm Incredibly Thankful for Coming Across this Program

I'm incredibly thankful for coming across this program. Before now, I felt that I knew what I was suppose to do to keep my books in order, however, that was not the case. I was spending money without really knowing how much money was going out. I would go two months without working on my personal books, yet occasionally looking at my account online. Since working with this program, I am more conscious about what I'm spending and where my money is going. I actually have taken active steps to get my personal life organized. I am a bit hard on myself at my times, however, I am extremely confident that I will succeed and I will be debt free in 7 years.

Bonnie K.
Branson, MO

We Have Seen a Significant Decrease in Our Debt

Since we have started the Transforming into Debt Program we have seen a significant decrease in our debt. With the help of our coach, we have been able to track our spending and increase our accelerator margin from $150 to $1500. This was possible by looking closely at our daily spending habits and how we were investing our money. As a result of our increased accelerator margin, we foresee ourselves out of credit card debt in 3 years. Without the help of this program it would have taken us 9 years.

We initially joined the program because of high credit card debt. We have tried to decrease our debt on our own for the past 3 years but have not seen any significant decreases. Within the first two months of the program we paid off two credit cards, each with a balance of $1,100. We are currently paying off a third credit card that had a $9,000 balance. So far we have paid $4,500 on this card. If we had not been on this coaching program we would not have been able to pay these high amounts.

We are so glad to have joined the program. Our coach as well as the Prosper tech support has helped us achieve goals that we thought were unreachable. Now we are on our way to financial independence!

Craig & Jean P.
Ossining, NY

This Program Will Have a Positive Affect on the Rest of My Life

I have learned so much these past months. My coach was so helpful and explained things so I could understand them, which I know wasn't very easy at times. He was very patient with me. I appreciate that very much.

I cancelled a life insurance policy that I was paying $246.00 a month. It was money I needed to pay of credit cards instead. I now have an accelerator margin of $400.00 I didn't have before. I am about to pay off one credit card and will then have more to pay on the next one. I am learning how the accelerator margin works. My debt is $102,000 and in Sept.2014 I will be DEBT FREE.

I have just started this journey but I have the faith that all I have learned will help me attain my goals. It will have a positive affect on the rest of my life. I plan to show my children the plan to help them achieve the same goals for themselves.

Thank you Prosper.

Jeanne B.
Lakeside, CA

We Can Pay Off Our House in 7 Years

The reason that Judy and I joined the Prosper Program was to learn how we could pay off our house within 7 years. Our projected debt free date is 1/1/2014. I believe that we will pay off the house in less time than that. 

What we have learned is that cash flow management is at the heart of debt elimination.  At this early point in our studies, we have become acutely aware of what we are spending money on and what we can alter to save money. 

Lou & Judy C.
Metairie, LA

We Have Paid Off $5K in Credit Card Debt and Will Save $165/Month

When I first responded to the TDIW advertisement, my financial life was spiraling out of control. I had always lived life day to day spending what I earned. My parents lived that way, so I just adapted that lifestyle expecting that some how things would always work out.

Because I never planned for the future, I was forced to bridge these needs with loans, credit card debt and a second mortgage. At this point my days became worrisome and my nights sleepless. I scrambled for a solution but nothing seemed to fit. Then, one day on my way to work I heard an advertisement for the TDIW program. I read the material and watched the video and thought that finally something made sense. When I was called about the coaching opportunity, I was very reluctant. I thought at that time, and still think now, that the price was exorbitant, but I also thought that if this program can do half of what it promises it will be worth it. So I accepted the opportunity and as I now consider my decision I am glad that I did.

The TDIW program offered me a systematic approach to addressing my debt. It helped me to build a vision for debt free living, and it showed me how to determine leaks in my spending. “The Debt Free for Windows Software” was instrumental in defining my debt free date. Before TDIW I thought I would certainly die in debt, but now I live believing that if I am diligent I can be out of debt even sooner then the August 2016 debt free date.

As a TDIW student I learned to track my expenses documenting every dollar so that I could determine leaks in my spending. Of course, it helped to have a coach as a third set of eyes in order to keep me and Maria honest and focused. In implementing this program, I learned about unnecessary expenditures. For example, I was able to make a clear decision about a universal life insurance policy which offered little gain and was a financial burden. I cashed in that policy paid off $5,000 of credit card debt and saved myself a monthly premium of $165.

As I move forward, I will continue to apply the things that I have learned through the TDIW program. My immediate goal is to find another source of income so that I can be out of debt in four years or less and begin to build wealth so I can enjoy a debt free retirement. My business goals are to settle the obstacles that are currently pressing, and move ahead with a marketing strategy which will help to grow the business by 30% in the next four years

Nick & Maria C.
Rutherford, NJ

We’ve Developed a More Positive Attitude about Our Financial Future

What first attracted us to the system was the fact that you could get out of debt using your existing income. Since beginning the program, we've developed a more positive attitude about our financial future and feel that there is a definite 'light at the end of the tunnel'. It's exciting to know that we are working hard to get out of debt and will be able to pay off all of our debt, including our mortgage, many years earlier than we ever thought we could have.

Since starting the program, we have learned to track our expenses closer, and we now are using the 'spending compass' on a consistent basis. We got through Christmas this year without having to dread paying off Christmas bills in January because we didn't overspend on gifts in December. We sold some baseball cards and added the profit from these to our accelerator margin. We transferred our high-interest credit card debt to another credit card with a 0% APR for over a year, freeing up the interest we were paying each month to now be added to our accelerator margin to get us out of debt ever faster. We are also in the process of doing some adjustments to our W2s and 457 plans in order to free up even more money to add to our accelerator margin. We also make use of coupons, and we recycle and put whatever money we get from recycling into our accelerator margin.

Some of our personal short-term goals are to sell some of our many very nice collectible items on Ebay and add the profit of these items into our accelerator margin and to keep brainstorming ways to 'trim the fat' in our budget.

We greatly appreciate all the help and ideas you have given us to help us achieve debt freedom, and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the future to achieve this goal.

Julie & Kurt K.
Corona, CA

Taking this Course Has Made All the Difference

I have gained some very important knowledge and abilities since I have been studying the TDIW system in the past three months with my personal coach. Also, I have developed some new ways of looking at and estimating my own personal finances. I have been able to establish some important goals for achieving personal financial independence along with some specific ways to accomplish this. My ideas and attitudes toward my finances have become changed. I now feel more realistic and confident about them.

Briefly, I have learned to keep track of my spending in a very systematic and detailed way in the Expense Tracker form on my computer. This has been helpful for me so that I can keep track and be aware of how much and for what purpose I am spending my money. This has been helpful and has provided me a way to keep a much better control and watch over my spending. Also with the Prosper Financial Scorecard, I have been able to find out and record my assets and liabilities in order to estimate my net worth. Also, I have learned about the concepts of cash flow and debt elimination and how they are related to net worth also. I am learning the “business sense” side of life, something very important.

I have also learned about some new ways of gaining income from investing in real estate and from the stock market. I have learned a lot but I know there is still a great wealth of information that is waiting for me in the Prosper Learning Success Center on these subjects. My debt-free date according to TDIW chart will occur in April, 2014. From this time on it means that I could be saving everything that I was spending on the funds that I was using to pay off all my debts. Of course it could come sooner if and when I become proficient at investing in the Stock Market and other ways of earning income from home-based businesses. Since I am just beginning that portion of the Prosper Learning course, I believe that this will be that I will be successful.

All in all, I feel like I have accomplished a great deal with regards to my personal financial goals and my future so far. Taking the course has made all the difference.

Gilbert S.
Melvindale, MI

I Can’t Remember a Time When You Weren’t Able to Answer a Question

I was very pleased with the way you led me through the Transforming Debt into Wealth course. I'm a slow learner and a real Dummy when it comes to finances. I never kept a budget or knew how to. Now I feel like I have more control on where our money is going and where we need to cut back on our spending. I know it was difficult for you to show me how the system is supposed to work with our boss holding back on our paychecks as long as 4 weeks sometimes, but we made it through anyway.

Now that I have my debts in order on my debt free chart and my accelerator margin in place I should be on my way to financial freedom.  I'm looking forward to my new coach and the e-commerce course.  Thank you for all your help and patience with me and I think you’re a very good coach and very knowledgeable in your teaching. I can't remember one time that you weren't able to answer any question I came up with.

Thanks again for your help!

James H.
New Port Richey, FL

We Have Both Made Better Choices on What We Need

We joined the debt elimination program to get back on track with our finances, the path we where taking was leading us away from our ultimate goal of being debt free. We have learned through working with you and TDIW the negative life style we where leading. We learned that it is not feasible to live like the Jones and most of the time the Jones where living a lie and are in debt too.

As far as the cash flow chart and debt elimination program, we have successfully found ways to save money to add to our acceleration margin. We have curbed our spending habits by re-evaluating our needs and wants. For instance, we wanted more satellite programs, but we honestly didn't need them. So we go rid of the packages we didn't need and just kept the basic program, in turn we saved over $50 a month. We also decided that our 401K was going to have to be put on hold for awhile, so the money we contributed towards that each month is now focused on our accelerator margin and our 401K is going to have to work for itself by compounding the interest it gains without adding any new funds to it at this time.  At this time we don't have a date in mind of being debt free, but it is closer to 10 years then 20.

By doing this program together, it helped us realize and be more conscience of our spending habits when we go shopping for food, personal items, household expenses etc. We have both made better choices in what we need as opposed to what we want. We are not contributing to our 401K right now, but that doesn't mean we won't in the future, we just have to ear tag that money for something else at this time.

Jocelyn S.
Edgar, WI

The Coaching Program Has Given Me Tools to Achieve My Goals

My financial plan before joining the coaching program was that I never had a plan. I just lived paycheck to paycheck and charged whatever I thought was necessary. I've learned to live on cash only which is extremely hard because I've never done that before. This is the first time I've decided to live on a cash only basis. It has been a real eye opener to see where my money has been going. My main goals are for right now to learn how to control my spending and learn how to make my money go farther.

The coaching program has given me tools to achieve my goals and keep me from getting too frustrated when I don't see progress that I expect. I realize it takes time but so far it has helped me instill in my children that we need to do things differently as far as spending goes, because this is also new to them. I continually keep a journal of my spending and I try not to spend foolishly. It's early in the coaching program, but I feel good where I am at.

Kevin H.
Jamesville, WI

I Have Already Paid Off Half of My Credit Cards

My name is Michele.  I am a 45 year old divorced mother of a 14 year old boy. I, like most Americans, live pay check to pay check, trying to make ends meet. I do own a home that I refinanced several times to consolidate debt.

I came to a stop and was evaluating my situation and felt that if I didn't do something eventually it would all catch up to me. I actually felt very stressed always worrying about money. One day after work I was driving to my son's soccer game and heard John Cummuta's Transforming Debt Into Wealth program on the radio so I called the number and spoke with the rep, who was very nice. We talked for at least 1/2 hour and decided okay what do I have to lose by purchasing this program. I was already in debt so what was another $225 or so on my credit card?

I received the program and was so busy that I didn't even have time to review it. After a few weeks I received a phone call from Prosper Learning and spoke with very pleasant man. Everything he said made sense.

Well, I am half way there to being debt free of my credit cards. I am hoping to have them all paid off by the end of this year. Then I can start chipping away at my mortgage. I am still currently adding to my Roth account because it is the only source of retirement that I will have because my employer does not offer any type of 401k.

I feel alot of stress lifted off my shoulders because when you have so much debt it really weighs you down. I am going to continue using the tools that are available to me through Prosper Learning for the next year. I have read The Millionaire Next Door and now I am read Start Late, Finish Rich. I am trying to learn all I can to make my life easier. I just wish that I had started 20 years ago.

I am definitely going to teach my son the right way to use credit. I opened a savings account for him four years ago which he adds from birthday money or Christmas or even little odd jobs. When he sees how quickly the money adds up he gets excited. My coach was great!

Michelle D.
Worcester, MA

I Have Paid Off $39K of My Debt So Far

I wanted to express my gratitude to you for your professional guidance throughout the TDIW Program.  As you know, before I began the program, I was in a position where I truly questioned whether my next step would be to declare bankruptcy. I had an immense credit card debt with a diminishing credit rating and skyrocketing interest rates. I really was in a place I don't ever want to revisit.

From the outset, the program's focus on my spending made me nauseous with the realization that every time I had used a credit card I had compromised my future...not just a little but severely. This made cutting up my credit cards very easy, actually enjoyable.

I have found that the daily, weekly and monthly tracking of my spending has become a habit. My debt free date is currently February 2015 but through careful budgeting, reducing my credit card interest rates, and becoming knowledgeable of currency trading I am dedicated to 'accelerating' that date.

I would not have come anywhere near where I am today without your guidance, John. Your ability to listen and structure the program to most help me has been invaluable…and your being there made me want to complete the assignments.

Though I am near retirement age, I never thought I'd be able to slow down. This has been a life altering experience for me because I can actually see a brightening glimmer in the distance. I may actually achieve a slower pace if I follow the tools provided to me (it will be an ongoing review of the materials for me).

It's a brilliant program. I'm looking forward to building wealth although I already have considerably more wealth of determination and confidence to achieve.  Again, thank you for everything.

Mike P.
Souther Pines, NC

We Feel Very Successful in Our Journey to Becoming Debt Free

Before we began The Prosper Learning Classes, we were in a state of worry and concern about how we were going to get out of debt and start saving more for our future. We are not impulse buyers and our attitude and philosophy about life is much like the millionaire mentality. Hal did contribute to a 401 K with his company and we did have some investments, but we were not contributing to them. I was always a coupon queen at the grocery store. I always cut and organized coupons for restaurants, clothing stores, etc. However, due to a lack of education regarding money issues and some financial pitfalls in business, we used credit cards and had a hard time recovering from this. The stress of having this debt over our heads caused some arguing between us and we knew we needed to do something.

One day in September, Hal was driving in his car and heard John Cummuta’s commercial on the radio. He heard it a few more times until he made the decision to order the tapes. Usually we make most spending decisions as a team, but this time Hal decided to be proactive hoping that I would be on board. When we received the phone call from Prosper Learning, we were curious as to how this was all going to work. After listening to the man on the phone talk about the expenditure compass and about credit cards, etc, we knew that this all made sense and this course could set us on the right path. We were very nervous about the cost of the course, but knew that if we stayed focus and were dedicated to make this work for us, then this was definitely a northern expenditure.

In October of 2007, we began the journey to be debt free and have not used a credit card for purchases. We have stayed on course reading all the material and listening to John Cummuta’s tapes. We set our accelerated margin to $150.00 and hope to make this number go up next month. Everyday we document our expenditures on the spreadsheet. We called USAA, our insurance company and after evaluating our coverage, we actually lowered our premium by $104 a year while raising our home coverage. Hal called our internet provider and found out he could lower our bill $5 every month for 6 months. He was informed by the company to call back in February for other promotions to lower our monthly bill. We called for our credit score and it was 762 which is above average for the nation. Hal has continued to contribute 9% to his 401 K and his company contributes 5%.

We have gained knowledge about our current investments by using Morningstar.com. The whole family was saving for a large TV and coincidentally a friend of ours was selling a 40 inch TV plus stand for $200.00. We used gift cards that Hal won in a company contest and so we did not have to use our money that was saved to purchase this TV. After reading “The Secret”, we put up a sign on the mirror that we are going to visualize everyday that we will earn an extra $30,000 extra income for fiscal year 2008. We have been very committed to working at least 3 hours a week on Prosper Learning. A neighbor was giving away some old audio tapes that happened to be about transformation “You’ll See it When You Believe It” by Dr. Wayne Dyer. It ties into the belief that we can visualize our destiny. I have listened to all 12 tapes. We feel very successful in our journey to becoming debt free and independently wealthy.

Paula F.
Alpharetta, GA

Students Make Sacrifices to Change Their Finances for the Better

Before my wife and I started the program we were spending more than we were bringing home mostly because we were living on credit cards making the minimum payments. I knew we were in trouble and needed to do something but was not sure where to go. I heard commercials and saw the Transforming Debt into Wealth program on the internet so I made the call.

Right now we are actually bringing home more than we are spending. It took a few sacrifices but we thought it would be much worse. Following the program without any changes we will have all credit cards and car payments paid off in 5 years and the mortgage in 12 years 8 months and saved $130,985.00.

Rahnold W.
Modesto, CA

I've Learned New Things About My Annual Credit Report

Through the coaching program, I learned a number of new things about my annual credit report (I ordered all 3 at once last May, but learned from the reading that I should order just one at a time, spaced throughout the year)--how to understand it better, how to address any errors, etc.  I also realize that I’m a lot better off than all those people who carry credit card debt since I've never carried any finance-charge credit card debt and have no plans to start.

I'm much more familiar with the positives and negatives of various streams of income-However, just as I get excited that I might be interested in pursuing one of those streams, I get yanked back into reality about the pitfalls. My insight is that I need to think much more carefully about any of this before jumping in.  In the time since I started, I have made changes to childcare expenses and various Latte Factors--Netflix subscription, Prevention Magazine, Reader's Digest, and Kiplinger Finance magazine subscriptions, and the extra principal payments I make to my second mortgage.

I should now save about $150-200/month...I've also recognized the expense tracker had made me much more aware at how much money I pay into my home.  My future goals is to have an emergency fund goal which is about $6K. I also have $1k placed on the side.  I also want to get settled on a new and effective financial advisor with whom I can finally establish a financial plan to give me a roadmap for my current and future investments.  I also plan to continue reading a plethora of finance books, complete coaching assignments, and make time to listen to the archived audio sessions.

I will also continue keeping track of my expenses beyond what I was originally assigned. I intend to do this for an entire year at a minimum to get an overall view of where I spend money throughout the year.

Ria de G.
Davis, CA

Much Thanks to You and the Program for Encouragement and Direction

When we first looked at programs to help us get a handle on our 'out of control' financial situation.  There were issues that were beyond our control and there were things that we just plain didn't do right.  We have been married since our teen years (16 and 17 yrs old), with the typical circumstances of having a baby on the way, and having absolutely no clue about real life, but we were determined to make it.

We started searching for solutions and part time jobs...though we knew we were both too worn out to really manage taking on actual second jobs in the workforce!  We heard John Cummuta's ad about TDIW, in conjunction with trying out other programs online.  Anita sent for the information, since it claimed 'no obligation' and that was the turning point for us....

The journey is just beginning, really, though we've been working the program now with you for 8 weeks.  We are starting to get things in line for what we need to do to begin the wealth building portion, but we are still in the midst of the re-alignment of our resources, so we haven't gotten there yet!  You have been a tremendous asset to us, and we appreciate your patience and steadfast attitude towards our whiny moments. Thanks for the support and the confidence you show us.

We've accomplished much during this period with you. We read through and implemented much of the ideas and concepts of the suggested reading, and listening, as well as attending several webinar-type sessions and archives...lots to absorb and implement. We have a determination to move forward and succeed, much thanks to you and the program for the encouragement and direction.

Terry & Anita T.
Sunnyvale, CA

Financial Student Learns a Great Lesson About Life Insurance

My experience so far with Prosper was fraught with emotional upheaval, and all for the good.  I've dissected my financial habits and found tendencies more Frankenstein than Buckstein. I discovered the past wasn't set in stone, and I've started to remake my future.

Thanks to a series of excellent coaches, I learned how to get out of debt, start mapping my retirement with my IRAs and 401K, interpret my mutual fund portfolio, pay myself first and Uncle Sam second...Just to name a few of the lessons. A major lesson came in a revelation about life insurance (I'm still working to correct that one.)

Again, it's all been good. As I overcome each obstacle, my confidence climbs another notch.  It bothers me that I can't correct everything overnight, but then, it took me years to get here...

At this point, I wonder if I shouldn't pursue two tracks at once--Infoprenuering and Ebay. While I thought the danger was over, I've learned in the past few weeks that my company is still laying people off. I'd like to think of myself as safe, but I'd like to build a second income base...and quickly!

More upheaval, but at least I'm aware, and hopefully prepared.  If the worst doesn't happen and I'm able to continue on the course set by Prosper, I may well be debt-free in seven years and a month, and perhaps earlier--more than 15 years ahead of time.

Caryl B.
Denver, CO

Greetings From an 82 Year Old Grandmother!

Greetings from an 82 year old grandmother who lives in a very exciting community in the foothills of the Ozarks. I taught secretarial science in high school for 19 years and, after getting a Masters Degree from Indiana University, taught in a community college for 23 years. After retiring, I did volunteer work but needed something more stimulating. I took a course which I thought would help me start a business of my own. This did not work out because one business I chose had the lowest rank given by the BBB and the other business turned out to be a scam. From 6/23/06 to 9/18/06, I spent $11,855 on setting up six websites and on advertising, only to find out that the government closed the business and put the owners in prison. They had been taking money for advertising but doing nothing for the business. I put all these business expenses on 0% credit cards.

I have always wanted a business and invested in many, but all of them have been failures. I especially wanted a business at this time. I have rental property, and many of my renters need financial help. Also, my grandson is having trouble paying his college tuition loans. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had the money to help these people?

I needed a business! I thought having an internet business would be ideal. It doesn’t take much money to set up a website, and many website businesses do the selling and handle the products, so all you have to do is advertise. I invested in several businesses and continued putting all the business expenses on 0% credit cards. I paid off each card before the 0% interest expired or transferred it to another 0% card. However, on December 12, 2007, I still had a debt of $13,458. That’s when I heard John Cummuta saying, “Turn your debt into wealth,” and contacted him immediately. I thought I could pay off my credit cards and then find help in getting a home business. By reading the manuals they provided and, with the help of my very patient coach, I set up a plan to pay off my credit cards. Of course, I have the additional expense of my tuition at Prosper, but I expect to pay off the whole amount of debt by December, 2008. If I don’t have to pay much income tax in April, I have another plan to pay my debts by October. Thank you John Cummuta and Prosper. I am now looking forward to the wealth building sessions with my next coach.

Mary Jane J.
Farmington, MO

Student Is Already Down $10K in Debt

Prior to entering the coaching program, I would pay my credit cards down to almost paid off then go off on a spending spree and run them back up again.  When I entered the coaching program I was in debt over $135K with a net worth of about $50K.

Since starting the coaching program I am down to less than $125K of debt most of which is my house.  I am on track to have my final credit card paid off this year and the house is projected to be paid off in 4.5 years.  My 401K investments went from just over $80K ending the year at over $130K.  I have set goals to complete no less than 3 and hopefully 4 online courses this year toward new certifications in my field of work.

By learning how to track, analyze and control my spending habits I am less stressed out about the economy and the possibility of employment loss and am able to enjoy myself more. The Financial Success program is a continuing education process, as you complete one goal you set another higher goal and learn newer ways to make these goals happen.

James P.
Pelham, AL

We Found $600 for Our Accumulation Fund

It may seem premature to declare our success story since we are just newly immersed TDIW fans. I would say that our first success was to come to grips with our financial situation and put down in black and white where we stood financially. I will never forget the look on Lisa’s face when she saw the amount of debt we had wracked up in 30 years of marriage and raising two children.

Our journey began while we were driving to California to see our children. We were in the middle of Utah listening to XM radio when a commercial came on that caught our attention. Lisa called the number from her cell phone and in no time we were being sent material that would truly change our lives.

We felt that we needed more help than just the manuals. We needed coaching and all these years we were too proud to admit that we were terrible money managers. I came to the realization that even the best baseball hitters and fielders need coaches to improve and hone their skills so why not the Flinn’s.

Our main objective was to pay off our mortgage before we retired. When we looked further and put a pen to it we found that with help and guidance we could not only do this in significantly less time but could be debt free in 6 years and 2 months. Our debt free date is May 2014. Almost 30 years sooner than if we did it the “old way”.

By keeping the “spending report” we have been able to see where in our first month we were negatively cash flowing at a clip of 20% of our income. Month 2 we have cut this to about 7% and we now have about another month to be for sure even or positively cash flowing. We were able to identify areas to save and find $600 to set aside for our Accumulation Fund. Our personal short-term goal is to hone our skills using the tools from TDIW and use these forever to stay on top of our money. We both have taken to bringing our lunches at work and eating at home. Eating out is now a rarity. We also have become conservers of energy and fuel making only necessary trips. When grocery shopping we purchase debit cards with a set amount loaded on the card so we can control our grocery spending.

I will admit our first and second Coaching sessions were a bit stressful. Bearing your financial soul to someone else is a bit humbling but it is good to have gotten it off of our chests and gives you a freed spirit. I want to end by saying that we are well on our way to developing a debt free living mindset and habit. My goal is to pass this on to our children so they know these principles and will experience the freedom of living in cash only future.

Jack & Elizabeth F.
Sioux Falls, SD

My Coach Has Taught Me an Investment Strategy to Ensure Financial Freedom

In the autumn of 2007, I was in debt to the tune of six figures, using a self-taught strategy, to reduce my debt burden.

One evening while driving home, I heard a commercial on the radio regarding debt freedom in 7 to 8 years. I wrote down the phone number and subsequently became involved in the program.

In the past five months that I have been in the program, my personal coach has taught me, how to reduce and eliminate my personal debt in 8 years, develop an investment strategy to insure my financial freedom for the future and to formulate and implement a business that will accelerate my financial freedom. My goal is to be debt free by the year 2015.

None of this, I feel would have been possible if I had not acted on the John Cummuta radio commercial. The skills and discipline this program has taught me has been invaluable. I have taught my mother, my two sons’ and even my ex-wife the principles and strategies of the program.

In the short time that I have been involved in the program, using a modest $150.00 accelerator fund, I have paid off several obligations. In doing so, I have been able to increase my accelerator fund to $250.00. Within the next three months, that fund will increase to $300.00.

Thanks Mr. Cummuta for developing a strategy for us Baby Boomers.

Barry L.
Mesa, AZ

We Have Saved $75 per Month

Since we’ve enrolled in the coaching course, we’ve been able to focus on our future dreams and take action to make them a reality. We had a habit of purchasing on a whim (specifically, going out to eat and entertainment). We have set up a max allowance for monthly dining out and used the extra funds ($100 a month) to accelerate our credit card payments.

All in all right now we are using a $550 as an accelerator to pay off my credit card. The card will be paid in full on 2/14/08. At this point we will have an accelerator amount of $710.00 that will be applied to Lisa’s car payment per month. This will put a total of $1169.00 per month payment. This has her car being paid off in 8 months. The plan is to continue this path and be able to use the $1169.00 as an accelerator on my truck payment.

The course has also provided us with the information needed to decide to open our own business. We are taking the necessary steps in researching our business plan, researching financing and set the ball in motion to make our dream a reality.

Most of all we needed a kick in the butt to get us motivated. The course has also opened an avenue of income from starting my own business to getting interested in investing into stocks. There is still much I need to learn about the stock market.

Another aspect the coaching system has taught me is just how much interest rates can effect my monthly payments along with the total interest paid over the course of the loan. I have always been cognizant of what interest I was paying but needed to sharpen my skills of utilizing the power of money leverage.

Lisa K.
Torrington, CT

I Have Increased My Taxable Deductions

In November of 2007, I became painfully aware that I was having great difficulty with my finances. I was living well beyond my paychecks and was charging daily living expenses on my credit card. It was then that I decided to obtain financial help from a professional.

Let me start at the beginning--having been a single parent for most of my daughter’s life, I have played the game of robbing Peter to pay Paul for many years. In March of 2005 (four months after I purchased a new home), I was laid off from my job of 15.5 years and although I received a very generous compensation package, it took me seven months to find a full time job with a salary close to what I had previously made. In the seven months before I landed this job, I worked for the public school board and my entire salary went toward daily living expenses. My compensation package was used exclusively toward my mortgage. I have never fully recovered financially from this struggle.

It is important for me to be a healthy role model for my daughter. I want to show her that as important as financial freedom is, the freedom that it will allow me with my time is much more valuable. I would also like to be in a situation to be able to pay her college tuition.

Within my first week of coaching I could see the light at the end of my tunnel and had a plan in place for paying down my debt and eventually being able to invest my money and make it work for me. Using the Personal Financial Scorecard has helped me to see what I actually spend each month and has given me ideas of where I can cut back. I have increased my taxable deductions and decreased my 401K contribution so that I have additional income to pay toward my debt.

Tina P.
Baltimore, MD

We Can Retire Debt Free—What a Relief!

When I first called for the TDIW system we were heavily in debt and did not know where to turn. We had been living from paycheck to paycheck for a while and were real tired of it. We wanted to retire early but had no plan to get there. With a small savings and more money going out then coming in, retirement was a pipe dream for us. My biggest fear was being a Wal-Mart greeter. Not that that is a bad thing it’s just not how I envisioned my retirement years to be.

After talking with our coach and looking at our finances, we were able to see how much wasted money was actually going out, versus what was coming in. With the development of a plan with the help of our coach we began to see where we could actually retire and to do it debt free. What a relief. No longer were we under the mindset that we would have to retire way into our seventies because that’s how long we had left on our mortgage payments.

After careful evaluation, we have decided to change the way we utilize our money. We have stopped eating out every weekend and are having more home cooked meals. All the unnecessary spending habits we have had we have worked hard to curtail them. We keep being debt free in the fore front of our lives. We remember the dream we have of living debt free and being able to retire early as well as enjoy great family vacations.

After implementing the TDIW plan we can expect to be debt free in twenty-two years, one month. That will be a savings of $449,480.  If the money we spent every month ($6848) was invested at 10% interest, our retirement account balance would have been $6,588,576. That would be a monthly income $54,905 per month. That would be enough for anyone to retire on comfortably and be able to enjoy great family vacations for the rest of our lives.

WOW!!

Angela T.
Hacienda Heights, CA

I Have Eliminated $1967 in Debt Since October

In October 2007 I purchased the program TDIW. At that time my finances situation was to the point that on a biweekly basis I did not have an income to keep our heads above water. At that time we were negative $600.00 in debt each month. I was searching for a way to do something about my situation.

After having the program for a month on my own and studying the forms and information on the CD's; I felt like this program could help me achieve a way out of debt. In December 2007 I began my first coaching session. It took about 2 and half weeks of work on my part to see that I had a negative cash flow on paper. I sat down with my family and explain to them that my intents were to get out of debt using the program. I explain to them that from time to time that this would have periods of ' tough love'. As to saying no when I would normally said yes with out looking at the finances side of it first.

Personally since October 2007 I have eliminated a total of $1967.18, there by increasing a monthly income of $527.00. That would have been going out otherwise on debt. We have also starting using a written grocery list, coupons, store name brands and discounted grocery store for shopping. We have printed off coupons from the internet. We are in constant search for ways to save while spending our spending.

In February 2008 our plan is to pay off $10,264.73 in debt with tax return money. This would free up $567.34. This will changed are accelerated payment of $50.00 to $209.00. We will move up 1 year and months to be debt eliminated. With the program set at hyper-elimination, debt freeing 2017. My personal short term goal is to pay off debt faster than what the program has laid out, so that I can start building a retirement fund other than what my employment has and small investment have done for me.

PROGRESSING MOVING FORWARD.

Michael & Greta T.
Penn Laird, VA

We Have Already Paid Off $12K

We started out with a huge debt—over 60,000 plus a $300,000 mortgage. This debt level snuck up on us, and we weren't really aware of what was going on, until one day we realized we were in a lot of trouble.

After two months, we have definitely learned a lot about debt reduction, and already have been able to get rid of $12,000, through different resources we had and ideas and things that we that we discussed and learned with our coach.

While we still have a long way to go, we have a goal and are able to see how we can get out from under this crushing amount of debt.

We are learning how to live within our means and not use credit, but just use cash, and we have discovered it really isn't that hard!  We don't need to eat out all of the time; we don't need to buy everything we see. We have learned we don't need those things anyway, and have learned that if we wait a couple days before we actually buy something that we had seen that we thought we just had to have, that not only do we not want it then, but often we can't even remember what it was we just had to have.

It has been very exciting to have these successes already, as well as envision how in just 2 years all our debt, except the mortgage will be gone. Then, after a total of only just more that 7 1/2 years all our debt will be gone, and our money will be ours. We can then start building our wealth and retirement.

Doug & Martha M.
McKinney, TX

We Will Pay Off Our Car Two Years Ahead of Schedule

Like many people, we lived on credit. We paid our bills on time and had excellent credit. Too good, in fact. Everyone wanted to give us a credit card. We thought we were doing things right until we listened to John’s tape. We soon realized that if we kept going as we were we could not afford to retire. That was our driving goal in starting the program.

With the information in the program and the support of our coach, we started to see that this could actually work. We will pay off our car in two months, two years ahead of schedule, and we will be debt free in time to retire.

We knew the plan would work and our coach kept us on track, reinforcing the basics of John’s program. We are so grateful we found this program and have shared the information with our children and friends.

Doug & Peggy H.
Rialto, California

Anyone Can Do this at Any Income Level!

We have been in the program for just over 2 months. We went from an accelerator margin of hit and miss to one of $450.00 per month. We will be debt free in just over 4 years!

This may seem like a long time, but in comparison to not knowing or even being able to conceive of being debt free and now having a plan and a date of when we will be debt free is very empowering!

There is no quick fixes or gimmicks, just principles that work. Anyone can do this at any income level.

The coaching really helps to solidify the principles, provide encouragement and the all-important accountability that is so important, especially early on. Our coach really cares about our success. The best part for us is that we now know that long after the coaching sessions are done, we can carry on with the plan and still succeed. These lessons learned are life changing and long lasting which is what real change is all about. It was one of the best decisions we have ever made!

Mary-Elizabeth C.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

We Can Now Talk About Finances without Blaming Each Other

We joined the program because we both felt that we were at the end of the road financially and that if we didn’t do something quick, we would lose everything. Chris had heard of John Cummuta before and felt that he had a very respectable reputation and that if anyone could help us, he could. Our life was extremely stressful, mostly for me because there was so much secrecy about our finances that we didn’t discuss with each other. Both of us were afraid to discuss the situation with other person because it was so bad. I would lay awake night after night wondering how I could sit down and tell Chris how bad things really were. Both of us were so stressed that we were worried about our health. The biggest change I wanted to see in our life was communication. Being able to talk straight about finances without blaming each other. I also needed to have Chris get involved with the bill paying so that he could see how hard it was each month to make ends meet.

What I have learned so far with regard to cash flow management and debt elimination is first of all this will take a long time. You have to be committed for the long haul and know that this is a life style change, not just a temporary fix. The main thing I have learned about cash flow management is that we have none. What little is left over each month is up for grabs. Whatever is the most pressing gets taken care of. I have learned that even the smallest expenditures need to be scrutinized. Rarely do I buy even a soda and sandwich without asking myself is there a real need for this.

Personally, I have become accountable for my share of this problem and it is partially up to me to make sure it works. The biggest achievement is that we have managed to make ends meet now for two months and we have eliminated one debt. That may be small, but I feel very good about this small achievement. Also I think Chris and I communicate better about finances and try to sling mud at the other when things are very positive.

Our debt free date is February 2020.  The biggest change right now is in our spending. Even though we are in the Christmas Season we are doing things very differently. Even though we are probably spending more money than we should, we haven’t done impulsive spending that we usually do. Also I scrutinize every dime I spend. I might go ahead and make the purchase, but the difference is the mindset that every expense needs to be well thought out.

My short term goals are to stay working and possibly get more hours. The other goal is to take this newfound way we look at money and make a comfortable lifestyle. I want to have the attitude that we are not poor, but just discriminating the way we spend. I would like to have an abundant attitude and attract more lucrative business ventures into my life.

Chris & Mary D.
East Falmouth, MA

I’ve Paid Off Two Credit Cards Since I Started My Coaching Program

Our goals are to become financially independent by becoming totally debt free in 5 years. I will continue to use the tools that I'm equipped with through this program to help me track my expenses and pay down my debt each month. I want to be able to be completely free from credit card debt and loans. My DOLP factor is $500 a month. Once one debt is paid I'll have more money to paid down another debt. I've paid off two credit cards since I started my coaching program.

I’ve gained an understanding of what building wealth means to me and my goals to obtain financial freedom is to build wealth through a variety of investments such as 401K, stocks and real estate.

Loveleen C.
Mountain House, CA

I’m Ready for the Journey!

When I began this program I was quite desperate for some help since I made the first contact in the middle of December. I knew I was spending way too much money on Christmas presents; I was angry since I had to use my charge card to pay for a root canal and crown and I was frustrated because I am an educated person who makes good money and pays herself first, yet every month I ended up taking money from my savings just to get by. I was the person who always picked up the check at dinner, always bought the biggest and best gift, always left a huge tip and always gave money to my family - even when I didn't have it. I was a people-pleaser who never said 'no.' Everyone thought I was happy and carefree since that is the picture I presented to my family and friends, but inside I was scared and worried since retirement was 10 years away and I knew that something had to change. Needless to say there were many sleepless nights.

What I have learned so far: to answer that question you have to think back to the movie 'The Wizard of Oz.' at the end of the movie, Dorothy is very upset when the wizard takes off in the hot air balloon without her. Dorothy does not know how she will ever get back to Kansas. Glenda, the good witch, shows up and tells Dorothy that she always had the power to go home. That's what you have done for me...you Darren...are the good witch who has shown me that I have always had the power to be financially secure. I didn't know it at the time. I would always tell people that I am a 'language' person and numbers just confuse me. Well, I can now say that I am learning how to live and finish rich because I am in charge of my finances....and that feels really good! To be more specific - here are some things I have learned so far....it is better to pay with cash - I don't need a lot of cable channels to be happy - I continue to pay myself first - It is really nice to have money at the end of the month - TARGET was my latte factor and it has been a lot easier to give up than I thought - All of my financial papers are in order and in one place so if anything were to happen to me, my family would know exactly what to do - The spending compass has helped me determine if something is a want or a need - I now know where my money is in regards to stocks and bonds and finally - since I know this is so important to you - I need to buy a house since homeowners are wealthier than renters.

The DOLP Factor should be taught to every middle school child around. As much as I hate having debt, completing the DOLP factor has shown me that there is light at the end of the tunnel. By June 1st I will only owe money on my Discover Card and Learning Advantage. I plan on transferring the debt from Learning Advantage to a 0% interest card. Then it will only take me 14 months to pay it off. The Discover card will be paid off before the 0% expires in Sept. And then I can go ahead and begin investing all of the money that I have used to pay off debt. Not too shabby.

I need to find some more money to put aside for my emergency fund and for purchasing my house. I feel like I have 'paying off my debt' under control, but know that I need some extra money. I am anxious to begin discussing the wealth building part of the program and trying to come up with another way to generate multiple streams of income.  I want to be financially secure when retirement comes around in 10 or so years.

So there you have it. Eight sessions into the program and that is what I know for now. Just think how much more I will learn during our last 8 sessions. I'm ready for the journey. Talk to you soon. Have a great rest of the week!

Candy M.
Duluth, GA

Now I Have a Plan!!

I joined the Transforming Debt Into Wealth Program because I wanted to get out of debt and take charge of my future. I was living paycheck to paycheck, never focusing on future plans. Now I have a plan! I should be out of debt in seven years or less. I was hoping to change my financial situation by learning how to budget more, spend less, and make another source of income. I enjoy learning about stocks now and am anxious to begin earning extra income to progress getting out of debt and enjoying my money.

In this program I have learned so much about where my money is going and how to eliminate debt. I have also learned about insurance, budgeting, spending, taxes, consumer tips, investing, saving, and many more tips I would have never known if I wouldn't have joined this program. The resources are never ending. I have the knowledge now to get out of debt and set goals for my future. I am learning about the foreign exchange currency market now and will be earning extra money to help get out of debt, and as a new source of income. I never imagined doing this, but now I am confident that I will make money and pay off my debt much sooner than if I never started with Prosper.

You are a very good coach, John. I enjoy working with you and learning from you.

Stacy H.
Star Prairie, WI

We Have Paid Off 3 of Our Obligations!

My wife and I would like to thank you for the guidance you have shown us. Prior to signing up for the John Cummuta program, we lived from paycheck to paycheck just like the masses. We had no goals since we were so deep in debt. With the suggestions you gave us, we have freed up a considerable monthly amount that we are applying to our debts. We expect to be debt free in May, 2011. The Debt Payoff spread sheet you provided was a wonderful tool for Paula to customize for our needs.

We always knew we had to spend less each month than what we brought in and the spread sheet is just the tool that made our expenditures visible. We diligently worked on removing the slough out of the budget which has become our accelerator. We are so much more cognizant of where each penny is going. We have been able to save up $400 of the $1000 slush fund; we have paid off 3 of our obligations and will have another paid off in a few months. The concept of shifting the credit card balances to other companies that offer a 0% interest is so simple, we have set aside one of the credit cards we have already paid off to take advantage of this opportunity. Our well-being has greatly improved by having a light at the end of the tunnel and the tools to reach it. I no longer give my talents away but charge a base rate commensurate with the other computer repair technicians. We have the tiger by the tail and we are not letting go.

Gary and Paula K.
Corpus Christi, TX

I Feel Relief Since Our Finances Are Under Control

In the fall of 2007 my husband Chris and I were looking for other ways to supplement our income to pay for bills. What we didn’t realize at the time was that we didn’t need to get a third job but to find a way to pay off our bills. I had heard on the radio the advertisement for John Cummuta’s “Transforming Debt Into Wealth” program. At the time I was very skeptical, we had tried other ventures and had lost quite a bit of money. After making the first call I was very encouraged about signing up with the program. My husband was not. We had our first initial call with one of the coach’s and Chris believed we could get our financial situation turned around. That was the time we made a decision to take an active roll in our financial situation to change what we were doing. It was at this time we realized we had accumulated a lot of debt and this was causing a lot of stress for both of us.

In October we began our sessions with Adam our coach. It was very difficult at first, I did not want to give up living comfortably and Adam assured us that this was not the way the program was done. We began tracking our expenses and realized right away that our spending was out of control. We started to cut back and look for other ways we could save money. Adam showed us how to take some the money that we were currently spreading all over our debts and to concentrate our payments into one debt at a time. This has helped us to eliminated four credit card debts totaling $10,000.00 worth of debt in 4 months. We still have a long way to go

to pay off all of our debts but Chris and I feel that we can achieve our goal of being debt free. The biggest thing that both Chris and I have learned is to watch our cash flow and compare it to our expenses. We now do not put anything on credit. We have accumulated money in our account to help pay for unexpected expenses instead of putting them on credit. Our target debt payoff is April 2016 which includes paying off two mortgages, car loans, and student loans.

Chris and I now feel that we have our debt is under control and look at things differently because we now realize that it is not the more money that we have but it is having the control over how we spend our money. Chris and I are now studying the stock market, once we feel we are comfortable in staring to invest in the market this will become our way of “winning in the margins.” Chris and I have both become more focused on what we want and how we are going to achieve that goal.

Chris and I have set goals for ourselves to help us achieve our debt free date. Our short-term goals including continuing to pay off our debt, learning and investing in the stock market with options, and gaining more control in our lives over time and money.

Chris and I approach our spending more educated than before. The biggest thing for me is that I don’t feel deprived but I feel a bit of relief since our finances are more under control. I know we have along way to go until we are debt free but I know now that it can be achieved.

Denise A.
Winter Garden, FL

The Road to Financial Freedom

I began this program in mid-November, so December was the first month I had an accelerator margin to apply to my debt.  As of now, I have paid off 4 credit cards and at the beginning of April will pay off one more.  So. in just a few short months I have successfully eliminated 5 credit card debts.  And all with the money I already had, just like the commercials said.  This program has changed my life.  I had attempted to get out of debt before and had a pretty good plan but was never successful. Until I confronted the reasons behind my spending habits I was never going to be able to get out of debt on my own.  My coach helped tremendously.  The way the program is desinged, he was able to adjust to my individual needs to work through the steps necessary to get me on the path to be debt free.  I see the value in eliminating all debt now because of this program.  In the past, I always assumed it was okay to have some debt because everyone else did.  I never thought I could be completely debt-free so had no motivation to try. Now I can't wait until I can say good-bye to every creditor and never be in debt again.  Because of my coach and this program, that debt-free day will come sooner than I ever thought.

Mary K.
Toledo, OH

Finance Students Quit Smoking to Pay Down Their Debt

Before starting the program we were neck deep in debt. By taking a long look at our monthly spending we were able to shut the holes and we found our $500 accelerator margin and started applying it in February. Our credit cards are now off limits. We buy extras only if there is money left over after paying our bills. We want to be out of debt before our nine and half year date. We are not so stressed because of the lack of money.

Also, thanks to our coach that showed us how much money we are spending on smoking at least one of us has quit smoking and the other has cut down a whole lot. Our goal for six months is to have my business up and running and bringing in at least $500 a month. We also hope to have our first bill cut in half.Our payoff date is October 2015 but I am sure the date will be closer.

David & Sherry F.
Elizabeth, CO

Getting Started on the Right Foot!

When Carol and I began our "financial journey," to say we were skeptical might be the understatement of the year.  But as we both approached our mid-50's (OK, I'm about to hit 57!), we were more than just a little worried about our financial future.  We both have good jobs, mine as a fixed-asset accountant with one of the country's top defense contractors and Carol having almost fifteen years experience as an LVN. And while we gross over $100K a year with our two incomes, financially, we weren't in the best of shape for our ages.

In addition, we have two mentally-challenged sons, ages 31 and 24, who will live with us for the rest of our lives. Our oldest, Chad, is socially-skilled to the point where he has held a job at a local grocery store for now going on three years.  Our youngest, Chris, however, will probably never be able to do the same.

So we entered into the TDIW program and have taken to the program like a duck to water.  In just a few short weeks, we've changed our credit-card based "got to have it" lifestyle to a cash-only (or debit card) way of living.  We've created our Vision Quadrant, have created and determined our Net Wealth (an eye-opener, to be sure!) and are actively trying to determine how and when we'll be debt-free. 

Our thanks to Andrew, our coach, for his weekly 'advice' and encouragement.  We can't wait to complete the journey of becoming debt free and then turning our thoughts and deeds to becoming financially secure for the future, not only ours but our sons, as well!

Thanks to John Cummuta for this wonderful program!  I just wish we'd seen it twenty years ago!!!

Arnie & Carol B.
Rowlett, TX

We Will Save $42K in Interest

We have learned the TRUTH about money and how to successfully manage it. Many tips to save money to come up with the accelerator margin...true wealth building, not just putting a bandaid on the problem, but ELIMINATING all debt FOREVER! We have also learned to stay on track, study, and make our resources a priority. It has brought my husband and I to the same understanding, so therefore is better than marriage counseling, because finances were causing lots of our relational problems.

Weekly coaching has been the most help to us. It kept us on track with the homework, study, and putting ideas into practice. Just when we wanted to quit, and give up, we had a phone call with Cassie to help us feel someone cared and was willing to invest their knowledge in us to help us succeed. Cassie was so inspirational to us and gave us a wealth of knowledge and helpful information.

SUCCESS UPDATE

We will be financially free within 6 years and 3 months, which is 28 years and 9 months sooner than doing it the traditional way.  Also, we will save $42,473 in interest. With using the money that we were using to pay off debt (3,219 per month with a modest interest rate of 4%) and investing it, we would build up $2,078,304. The debt freedom date is October 2011. These are the figures we put in several months ago before we put many credit cards together with Trinity Credit Corporation, and now the figures will be even better when we get them in. We will send you that information soon. Tom is still working on it.
 
When we started with you we were almost hopeless and looking at selling our house. We weren't going to declare bankruptcy (thank goodness), but we were going to sell the house, use the proceeds to pay off debt, rent a duplex, and still owe $20,000. We were hoping Tom's silver investments would yield sometime in the future, and that we would be able to once again be homeowners, but the whole thing was stressing us out, and straining our marriage relationship!
 
Now, through your guidance (helping us see things a different way and effectively use the Prosper materials), we are on track and working together to eliminate debt and build wealth. We are looking forward to each day and it is a challenge now to see where we can save and how we can do better to build toward our future and our children's inheritance. And we have only just begun! If we truly would follow all the teaching we have gotten to a "t", this could happen even faster.
 
We are now to the stage where we are learning about having a home-based business, and learning about taxes and how we can save money on taxes. Our communication has opened up (thank you, Cassie) through money meetings and our phone coaching with you, and we are getting closer together all the time toward having the same philosophies on money.
 
We plan to continue tracking our spending, continue planning for the future, continue to eliminate debt, look for new opportunities to Prosper, and continue to build wealth for retirement. Thanks for opening our eyes, Cassie! You are a wonderful teacher and coach. We are looking forward to giving you even more positive results at our next quarterly appointment!
 
Tom & Cindy C.
Hays, KS

I Wish I Had Known About Prosper 10 Years Ago

I have paid off roughly $12,230.00 since beginning the sessions in May, which represents the complete elimination of 9 debts and a reduction through payments on others.

Debt Free - Using the accelerated Debt-Free Plan, I will be financially free within 5 years and 8 months.  This is 17 years sooner than if I had tried to pay my debts off the way that most people do.  I will have save a total of $147,739.00.

If I invest the money I’m now wasting on debt payments ($5,427 per month, for 17 years and 5 months).  With a modest 10% annual interest rate, I will build a retirement fund worth $3,038,562, which would pay me a monthly income of $25,321 for the rest of my life.

SUCCESS UPDATE

I have paid off one more debt, since the last update on my success story and am working on the final debts.  I have one credit card left with a balance of $9,000.00, a car with a balance of $9,000.00, and then I get into the mortgages.  If things go as I plan, and using some stock assets that I have, I expect to have both paid off by the end of this year.  At that point everything goes toward the mortgage.

I am on my way and I am so grateful to my coach, Milt Larsen, for his guidance and skill at leading me in the proper direction.  This has made it possible to pay off debts, keep from making new ones, and really feeling good about myself and the new direction of my life.  I am fifty five, but with the plan we have established I will be debt free and have a very nice investment income when I retire.  I wish that I had known about Prosper 10 years ago.  I could have been a millionaire by now!

Mike B.
Covington, TN

We Are Not Alone When We Have a Coach to Help Us Plan

With the excellent guidance of our coach, our realistic goal is to be debt free in 5 years. Completing the Financial Independence Plan forms has opened our eyes about our financial health and security.  One of two credit cards is paid off.  That is very exciting!  We’re not in bad shape, but we want to be in excellent shape and have financial security.

We will continue our attack on our 2nd and last credit card until all that’s left is our mortgage.  Our accelerator margin is currently $700 per month, and will be used to eliminate that credit card. Then the accelerator margin will increase to $900 per month.

We refinanced our home with a lower interest rate and included our HELOC, as the interest rate on that was going up each month.  Our payment will increase by $5 per month.  We have requested a mortgage savings analysis from IBS, Inc., which will speed up the pay off of our mortgage.

We have changed the way we shop for groceries and household supplies and eat out much less.  Frugal, frugal, frugal!!!  We have transferred our 401K money into an IRA and are learning to diversify our investments.

We are also entering into investing in pre-construction homes, after due diligence.  We are attempting to sell our Toyota 4-Runner and Tent Trailer in order to pay cash for a Toyota Prius, which will reduce our fuel expenses and eliminate the trailer storage fee, thus increasing our accelerator margin again.  

The very fact that we HAVE a plan to get out of debt is the most important thing!  There is no room for slack, knowing that we will be talking with our coach weekly.  This keeps us on target.

We always feel very comfortable asking questions.  With our coach’s help, we have changed the way we think about and use money.  This is a huge step. Our coach has encouraged and applauded us along the way.  This has been very motivating.  We have entered into an unknown territory that we could not enter into without our coach’s assistance.  We feel we’re not alone.

Robert & Carol W.
Polluck Pines, CA

We Paid Off $50K in Two Months Time

We had always had a good credit rating.  We always paid our bills on time, but had a lot of bills, and were concerned about retirement. We heard the commercials on the radio, and although skeptical, decided to look them over.  We got started on the program immediately and within two months of starting with a personal financial coach, we had paid off $50K of debt!

The Debt-Free for Windows software has been an amazing tool.  We have eight investment properties, one of which we just paid off, and it's a terrific stress reducer to be able to view the debt-free date for each one.  Our marriage is stronger because we've set goals (financial and otherwise) that we review regularly and we're studying the same material each week.

We're now sleeping better and looking forward to a better retirement because of all we've accomplished in just ten weeks now!  Financial education is important, but our coach helped us apply it to our situation--and without the application, the education would have been worthless.

Christine & Carson L.
Joliet, IL

Debt Free in Less Than 8 Years with Over $93K in Interest Savings

Getting out of debt was my original thought for starting on this journey with the Transforming Debt into Wealth program, but it has become so much more. My intentions have gone out into the universe and changes are happening in my favor. Wanting something, and believing it so, are two very different thoughts. After plotting my financial future with your help, I started to believe it to be happening and a position, almost immediately became available at my place of employment to help the process. My income has increased significantly (over 40%) without my learning or moving out of my same job. I see myself debt-free, not in 2017 as was my first debt-free date, but in 2011.  My debt-free date is now calculating at July 2012 with the very real possibility of 2011! Yes sir, I believe!

Now 3 of my 10 bills are now paid off totaling $1900.00 dollars. I have an accelerator margin of $522.00 but have paid over $1000.00 last month. I look forward to getting those 0 amount due statements! After 6 weeks of coaching, listening, reading, and accomplishing, I can see I am going to be out of debt in less than 8 years with over $93,000 in interest savings. I can see me working 'my business' and not someone else’s. Also I am beginning to see me being able to accomplish my dreams. Thanks for your help in this process.

I also now have at my fingertips the information and belief I need to start my 'passive' incomes and achieve my dreams! All in all, I've gotten control of my finances; have a good beginning to building that successful e-commerce business. I have a roadmap for my future. My belief system has enlarged to withstand all the family difficulties and outside pressures trying to stop my progress and I truly now see myself creating an even better, much more secure life than my present one. Whatever else happens in the future, I WILL succeed.

Barb D.
New Kensington, PA

Total Debt Reduction: $50K

First, with bonuses from work and a healthy tax refund, as well as my normal monthly payments, I've been able to pay $17,325 toward debt so far this year. I expect to be paying another $675 through the end of April, so that will take me to $18,000 in payments toward debt for the first 4 months of 2008.

Second, I'm kicking myself for not doing it before, I have restructured my debt, transferring my line of credit balance for which I was paying 7% interest to 0% interest credit cards. This involved opening 2 additional credit card accounts with 0% offers, but the advantage is that all of my consumer debt payments go completely to principal. I am incurring no interest charges whatsoever. I will continue to move debt between credit cards when the 0% time period expires even if it means accepting new 0% offers. I've kept the line of credit open in case I can't transfer credit card balance(s) to another 0% program.

The combination of the above two factors has allowed me to pay off my line of credit balance, which was $43,566 at the start of 2008, and 2 credit card balances, which totaled $13,675 at the start of 2008. The following chart highlights this success:

    * Balances 1/1/2008 4/15/2008
    * Line of Credit $ 43,566.00; Credit Cards $ 22,853.00 $50,669.00
    * Total Debt Reduction: $66,419.00 to $50,669.00 =$15,750.00

The difference between the $17,325 payments this year and the $15,750 identified above is the total payments I've made toward the loan against my TSA (401K). My total consumer debt will be down to $50,000 at the end of April.

In addition to some nice bonuses this year so far, I've also gotten a 4% salary increase with my latest paycheck. I'm going to take the increase and contribute it to my 401K and live off the 'old' net amount. We recently got some organizational changes approved as well, which means I'll be able to backfill my old position, hire a manager to take have my management load, and add two more people to my overall team. This will enable more time for me to work on the software designs that there just hasn;t been enough time for. I'll also be pushing for an overall salary grade increase. All great changes!

The last time we talked you requested a picture. I've attached two, including one of me as Marley in my latest performance opportunity.

I feel better about my financial situation than I have in years. Just continuing with my budgeted payments of $1,500 per month, without considering any bonuses, all my consumer debt will be paid off in 33 months. However, I will continue to play the 0% credit card game as long as it is available and use it to pay off my TSA loans before paying off 0% credit cards.

I'm not sure when or if we'll have another call, but I hope you can sense the optimism in my email. The next life changing moment is my first grandchild - due on April 29th!

Doug H.
Macungie, PA

Bringing My Life-Long Dream to Life

Since I began practicing the Debt Free system, I have started to reduce my enormous credit card debt, which was going up monthly for the last 2-3 years, I have stopped using credit cards as a safety net, and I have cleared up the balance on the card that gave me the most grief.

I have reduced my expenses (and my kids thought I was cheap BEFORE this!) and saved money by canceling cable TV--that savings is now going to reducing my debt. I have learned to track every penny I spend, and I actually had positive cash flow in March!

I have also begun to apply the system to my business management, and have started using an Accelerator Margin to reduce debts at work.  I have learned to begin focusing my goals and bringing my life-long dream to life! I am working hard and learning, and although I started late at 52, I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel!

At this time, my debt free date for credit card debt is November 2010, and I'm hoping to beat that. Total debt freedom date is Feb 2017 and I KNOW I can beat that, too, with the help of the Debt Free for Life system and my coach, Robert!

Cheryl H.
Seymour, WI

Quality Information from Day One

My husband and I had already completed the financial part of the program and felt immensely more confident with our financial future. We were asked if we wanted to continue on with another part of the program. We readily agreed to move further along in the program so that our new found financial confidence would be enhanced by a successful money-making web business!

Stuart & Donna W.
Meriden, CT

We Are Much Less Stressed Talking About Money

We want to say thank you so much for your wisdom. We enjoyed each and everyone of our coaching calls. You made us feel like we were part of your family. Everything was so low key and comfortable. We expected to be preached at and scolded, but not once did you ever do that.

Our day to day life has been effected also. We now sit down and discuss our finances every night and decide where to go the next day, financially. We were able to up our accelerator margin a bit and are still looking for more dollars. As of right now (according to the software) we will be out of debt in mid-2019. Fortunately, you taught us where to look to find more money, and also how to 'plug the leaks' so every week we are able to find more to put into the margin. We are confident that we can be debt free in half that time.

We can also say that, we are MUCH less stressed talking with each other about our finances. We stumbled a couple of times, but were able to get back on track very quickly, with your help. Our personal relationship was strong before the program, but is even stronger now, thanks to you.

When we first started the program we seriously thought we would have to 'go without', but that wasn't the case. We haven't changed anything in our life other than the way we spend our money. THANK YOU!!!  We have continued to sign up for classes, and if we miss the original call, we always sit down a.s.a.p and listen to the replay. The classes that we have been in have been remarkable and complimented our coaching classes. 

In closing we would like to again say THANK YOU so very much for your time and effort!!! You have taken a huge burden off our shoulders. We would be honored to call you 'friend'. Please keep in touch.

Steve & Brenda M.
La Pine, OR

It is My Utmost Goal to Retire Debt Free

My sincere thanks to my coach for his patience and understanding. It seems like the timing could not have been better when I came across TDIW. I just cut up all my credit cards and closed all account. I had made the decision to better manage my finances with the goal of retiring debt free. Before I could not see "how." TDIW showed me the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have learned to become more conscious and able to make informed choices in my spending. Through the spending journal I see clearly how and where my dollars are going and enticed me more to hold back on my unnecessary spending. It was fun to live without using credit card and no payment to mail out.

After 8 months on the program, I have built up an accelerator margin $1065 and paid off $849 my car this March. I am just starting to pay off the $74,000 mortgage on the rental property with a target paid-off date of 2013.

It is my utmost goal to retire debt free and financially wealthy by 2018. I will work tirelessly to build the real estate wealth to reach my long term goal to support my favorite charitable organization, help my sibling’s family and travel around the world.

Remedios V.
Chicago, IL

We Are Saving $100 a Month

It has only been a few short months and already we are seeing positive changes in our financial situation. We joined the program as kind of a last ditch effort to do something about our financial situation as we felt our only other option was bankruptcy. Credit card debt had sky rocketed and we could barely make minimum payments with the late fees. We needed to change things fast and get back on track.

The TDIW program looked like something which might help us.  Our cash flow every month was negative and we keep getting deeper in debt. We couldn't figure out where the money was going. After starting the system and seeing where the money was going we knew we had a problem. Our scorecard looked grim. We learned how to track our expenses and maximize our tax situation to change our cash flow. There were many recommendations by our coach to help us with our cash flow.

We now are in control of our cash flow. We were able to renegotiate some of our interest rates and are saving over $100 a month in interest already! In just a few short months we have reduced debt by $4007. That's a great start! We are looking at a debt free date of June-July 2016. That is over 30 years sooner than if we made our regular payments.

Our personal short term goals are to keep the spending down and creating a supplemental income to increase our accelerator margin. We are looking more at the little things to save money and reduce debt. We have set long term goals of being debt free and having extra cash for doing special things with each other and family. We are getting our children involved and have them looking at there own financial situations with the hope they can keep from falling into the 'trap' that we and many other have fallen into with creditors.

We are already watching our spending and planning ahead for any major future purchases. Our financial future and savings have become a high priority and weekly financial updates in our household help keep us heading in the right direction. In a year we will see some major changes taking place and that had relieved a lot of stress in our household. Thanks so much.

Herschel & Cindy W.
Littleton, CO

We Eliminated $21K in 3 Months

We began this adventure with a debt of $451,131.  We currently hold a debt of $430,049—a total of $21,082 in debt elimination in 3 months.  We paid off a timeshare, 3 credit cards, and a car note.

We began $928/mo. in the hole, which required us to use credit cards to get by each month.  We now no longer use our credit cards and are able to pay our bills, purchase groceries and other necessities, etc., leaving approx. $200 left each month. We have removed our credit cards from our wallets, and they are where we cannot access them.

We have learned to re-think our entire approach to our debt, our spending, our goals and inspirations. We have learned where we needlessly wasted money, and that we need to work for ourselves; paying ourselves the interest instead of someone else. (I’m tired of giving away all of our money).

Thanks for all of your help and inspiration, and we can’t wait to be debt-free, with healthy savings and retirement accounts, a business that works to make money for us, and time to enjoy it all!

John & Kim H.
Saint Leonard, MD

My Net Worth Has Increased $1500 Since Starting the Program

With this tracking, I am able to see the areas that are easy to change in spending habits. But as with most things bad habits die hard and it is easy to fall back into unnecessary spending. That is the advantage of tracking everything. It keeps us accountable.

I now know when and how I will be debt free. I have been using the principles taught me for debt elimination and keeping on track with them. I will be able to be debt free in March of 2016. That is over $400,000.00 of debt eliminated.

Just since I have started down this path I have seen my net worth increase by $1500.00. It may not seem like much but as I watch things roll over it will grow almost at an exponential rate.

I know that although I can do this on my current income with much sacrifice and much work I need to look at other avenues of income. This is my wealth building area. I am now looking at several different areas of extra income.

I have started a multi-level marketing program that will take some time for residual income but I now know with what I am learning that it will develop and provide added income as I near my retirement age.

Myles S.
Hugo, MN

I Have Achieved a Peace of Mind

Since starting the program six weeks ago, my coach has guided me in developing a plan to eliminate my debt. I have been tracking my spending, using the Expense Tracker, Personal Financial Scorecard, and the Debt Free for Windows software. It has been quite an eye opener. Even though I knew I had a lot of debt, I had never actually figured it all out on paper.

I have been able to achieve peace of mind since I started the program by knowing that I now have a plan to achieve my goal of becoming debt free. I am able to sleep better and I have a different outlook on my life.

My debt free date is December 2015, which is fantastic for the $303,000 debt I currently hold. I know as I continue to pay down my debt, my life will continue to become less stressful.

Even though my accelerator margin is fairly low right now, I have been attempting to dig myself out of the hole I had gotten myself into. My taxes will be back shortly, which will give my accelerator margin a huge boost that will allow me to shorten my debt free date.

At least I am on the right track now, thanks to The Transforming Debt into Wealth System I will be able to pay off all my debt and have a comfortable retirement.

Cynthia M.
Colorado Springs, CO

Car Washes Will Be Done in the Driveway

I took the program to get out of debt and reduce stress. The debt load was growing and it looked like I would have to work for the rest of my life. This program has been a revelation to me. By implementing this system I can see my way through this financial bind and it has given me hope for a better future.

My debt free date is still a bit tenuous, but I hope to have all debt cleaned up in 4-5 yrs. As for my short term goals, they are to live a more frugal lifestyle, find ways to reduce spending, and find a way to increase income.

Strolls through the mall will be much less infrequent, car washes will now be done in the driveway, we will eat out less, and in general just cut back as much as we can in as many areas as we can.

Hopefully we will then begin to save enough to start a real investment plan.

Barry & Connie K.
Sicklerville, NJ

Committed to Staying the Course

Nancy and I were in a negative cash flow trend of nearly $3000 a month going to credit card as overdrafts.  We had thought we were frugal, wise and watched our pennies, but the reality is that we did not know where our money was going.

We overspent on groceries, clothing, charitable giving, nutritional supplements, personal needs, and entertainment.  We had payments due on flooring, car loan, extended warranty, furniture and unscheduled car repair costs. We were in the busy season, i.e., four birthdays, Christmas, and school tuition.

Nancy and I have turned the corner and moved into a positive cash flow trend since January with help from gifting from dad, Christmas/birthday money from dad, bonus from work, pay increases, and income tax returns.  We have reduced spending in grocery shopping, eliminated expensive medical treatments not covered by insurance and now receive family therapy where Nancy works for NO co-pays, combined our source of nutritional supplements, stopped charitable giving, and reduced allowances for children.

We paid off our auto loan ($15,000), flooring ($1,280), and applied for cheaper Life Insurance (Nancy approved so far).  I was just approved for a 0% APR Discover card for the “Life of the Loan” and moved my Prosper Learning tuition to it.  I am changing my mortgage payments from 26/yr to 12/yr saving $100/yr in loan charges.  I have opened another bank account where some of my big bills will be paid And I can move money Weekly keeping a level cash flow.  Will use our Stimulus Tax return check to accelerate debt payoff.

Nancy and I are committed to staying the course and continue to find ways to save and begin Building Wealth.  We will start a home-based e-commerce business for an additional income stream and tax savings.

Mike & Nancy Z.
Love Park, IL

Finally Excited About Our Future!

My husband and I are a one income family, with an occasional second income, and three small children. We were living paycheck to paycheck and were having daily anxiety over our finances. We didn't know how to change our situation,
because we didn't have the knowledge about how a family should handle their finances. By joining the program, we were hoping to get ourselves out of debt and learn how to stay out of debt once and for all.

We also wanted to learn as much as we could about handling our money so we could teach our children what we've learned and prevent them from going were we have been. We hope to be able to do great things with our money. We want to be able to be generous with our money, to be able to give without wondering if we will have enough for the bills we have to pay. Finally, we want to be able to wake up and concentrate on our family and life, putting our finances on the back burner for a change.
 
I personally have finally been able to change my thoughts about money. Before, I didn't really care how much things cost. I didn't even really look at cost unless I knew I was low on cash, but even then I would just put it on a credit card. I have learned that it is not fair to my family for me to spend without thinking. I now set price limits for myself, and walk away when the price is out of my range.
 
Right now our pay off date is September 2018, but we have plans to get that date closer to today's date.
 
As far as cash flow management, we learned that just because we have a little bit more in our checking account today doesn't mean we can throw away our new rules on spending. Our debt to income ratio was very scary to look at in the
beginning, and it's slowly beginning to turn around. We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. This program has been such a light bulb moment for us. 
 
Darrin & Kristin K.
Waukesha, WI

A New Meaning of Wealth

My life has taken on a new meaning since enrolling in the TDIW program. Having you as my coach is an absolute pleasure. I joined this program for many reasons.

First, I wanted more control of my career. In the corporate environment the employer controls the promotions, increases, vacation time and quality of work life. Prosper Learning is helping me to change that by exposing me to opportunities that could make me a business owner.

Next, the education on cash flow and debt elimination has completely transformed my mindset when it comes to money. Each time I purchase an item with cash I feel empowered. I do not open my credit card statements anymore because I know the balance is zero. My money is not wasted on late fees and outrageous interest costs. I simply buy what I can pay for with cash and delay any other purchases until cash is available.

Currently, I have paid off all of my credit cards. Only my mortgage and home equity loan remain. To speed up the process I have listed my timeshare for sale. My approximate debt free date is November 2014. I have a new definition of wealth. Instead of accepting a debt filled life until death, I have opted for a debt free lifestyle.

Now I know what true wealth is. It is not the biggest house on the block or the brand new luxury car. It is having your money working for you in all phases of your life even after you are gone. Now I earn money, pay off debt quickly and invest to improve my quality of life.

Tameka H.
Coatesville, PA

A Healthy Role Model

In November of 2007, I became painfully aware that I was having great difficulty with my finances. I was living well beyond my paychecks and was charging daily living expenses on my credit card. It was then that I decided to obtain financial help from a professional.

It is important for me to be a healthy role model for my daughter. I want to show her that as important as financial freedom is, the freedom that it will allow me with my time is much more valuable. I would also like to be in a situation to be able to pay her college tuition.

Within my first week of coaching I could see the light at the end of my tunnel and had a plan in place for paying down my debt and eventually being able to invest my money and make it work for me. Using the Personal Financial Scorecard has helped me to see what I actually spend each month and has given me ideas of where I can cut back. I have increased my taxable deductions and decreased my 401K contribution so that I have additional income to pay toward my debt.

As of this month, I have paid off the following bills: Sears, Toyota, and (1) Visa.  I have increased my accelerator margin to a point where I can stop using my credit card for daily living and put a serious dent on my remaining debt, which I am scheduled to pay off by 2012.

Tina P.
Baltimore, MD

Thank You for Your Dedication to Helping People Like Me!

When I first made the call to Prosper Learning and explained my situation from beginning to end I knew this was going to be a different approach.   I know through experience that admitting that there is a problem is the first step in recovery.  I joined the program, reluctantly (of course) in March 2008, and began to feel anxious and excited at the same time.  I knew I had to make this work and, with help from my coach, I am working it.

My journey has since been no less than exciting for me.  I began to understand the principles of getting out of debt and building wealth.  The tracking of my expenses, and realizing the amount of money I am spending each day/week/month versus what is coming in as income is another enlightening experience.   The understanding of my cash flow is so important for my success in this program as it is helping me to "see" and begin to stop the "leaks" in my finances.  Identifying my expenditures through the use of the "Spending Compass" is helping me realize how my money is working or not working for me.  I now determine the value of what I am purchasing and it is helping me to curb my spending as I continue to learn and act on reducing my unnecessary expenditures.

My coach has helped me "find" and apply more money toward my "accelerator margin" in my debt-elimination process.  Thanks!  My current debt free date is April 2016, but my coach says I can shortened by debt-free date if I find another way to  increase my income and continue to use the program's tools and apply its principles.

I want to personally thank my coach for assisting and guiding me in my understanding of the program and a special "thank you" to Mr. John Cummuta for your dedication in helping people like me by bringing about this amazing program!

George M.
West Palm Beach, FL

March-May 2008 The Beginning

My wife, Suzanne and I have been married 25 years, getting in and out of debt.  We have not been extravagant but just failed to plan ahead for savings and retirement.  We also have a 20 year old son in a private college and twin daughters who will be 17 in June 2008.

After signing up for the program, I was laid off.  We decided to incur the extra debt that included the personal counseling and are getting out of debt.  We started with approximately $27,000 in credit cards and $15,000 in school loans,  We have paid off about 4 cards and a few thousand dollars.  I hope to have a full time job in June so we can really start making a dent and add to our Accelerator Margin.  Fortunately, we have 5 used cars, all paid for.  The program includes great spreadsheets to calculate insurance costs, investments, etc.

We also called the credit card companies and got one company to lower their rate from 28.9 to18.9%!  That will help pay off the balance faster!  Another one cut their rate by 1% and that's still better than nothing.

My wife fortunately has a full time job so we are getting by.  We have transformed our shopping habits to coupons, sticking to lists only and putting money to our Accelerator Margin.  Our biggest debt, is our home which will probably take 15 years to pay off.  We are working with our counselor, Drew, to set up a retirement plan by looking at various mutual funds, even though we don't much money yet to invest, we're using the positive mental attitude and visualizing that books like "The Secret" have taught us.

The only limits on what we can have are in OUR minds, not in other people's.  The Universe doesn't know the difference between $1000 and $100,000, so we can plan for a great retirement.  Truly, the shift of how we think is the greatest benefit of this program.

The spreadsheets, debt eliminator program, risk management and investment forms are tremendous tools.  Our coach's ability to listen and address our questions is top-notch.  Thanks!

We have a plan to succeed and transform debt into wealth now,  We'll keep you posted over the next few years--Stay tuned!

Rob & Suzanne C.
Camarillo, CA

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

I started this program last November.  I had tried other programs and was overly skeptical about this one, but something in this program stood out above all the rest.  A little fearful, I enrolled.  Who would have thought that I could pay down my debt and start a business?  In my mind, I never dreamed that I could be an entrepreneur, much less on my way to being debt free.  I just didn't have the touch and I sure didn't have the capital to start a business, so I thought.

It is now six months later and I have already paid off over $7000 worth of my debt, not to even mention, started my own business.  I paid off two credit cards and two student loans in less than six month of enrolling into this program.  I give thanks not only to God but to my two Prosper Learning coaches.

Things started slow, but gradually picked up.  Meeting and learning from my second coach, Monty Cassel, was one of the greatest experiences I have had in this program.  He was always motivated, always encouraging, and always ready to guide my footsteps to success, even in the midst of my doubt and fear.  I haven't even opened for business yet and I made my first sale.  He is a mountain full of knowledge and experience, and willingly offered all of it every step of the way.

I had been bound by debt for years, robbing Peter to pay Paul.  Living paycheck to paycheck was all I seemed to know.  To pay off some of my debts and see the fruit of my hard work and faith in action, was a dream come true for me.  I thank God and I thank Prosper Learning.

Rosa Kelly P.
Decatur, Georgia

We Already Paid off Our First Debt!

I was driving in my car one afternoon around the middle of March 2008 when I heard a radio advertisement for TDIW free 30 day preview. I immediately called and ordered this because although I didn’t feel that we had overwhelming debt, I knew we weren’t prepared for the future.

We had to see if we could become part of Prosper Learning. This was a life change for us both. We learned in our first couple of meetings that we had to start being accountable for every penny we spend. We started tracking spending and we were appalled by the wasted money that we really couldn’t account for. We learned about compass spending which really made us think before every expense.

Our accelerator margin is $1,650 and we are now selling a little on ebay to try and make the margin larger. We are reviewing the stock market now to see if we can again gain extra income to make our debt elimination date sooner. We anticipate that we will be debt free including our mortgage, on or before June, 2012. We have made changes such as changing insurance companies to save, changing cell phone plans, cancelling memberships and we started shopping smart and saving big.

We have really appreciated you and all of the support you have given to us. You have been so encouraging and we just want you to know that we are blessed to have had you in our lives. We hope to be able to meet you someday.

SUCCESS UPDATE

We just wanted to let you know how great it felt this weekend paying off our first debt! We were able to pay off our boat in just 2 months. We owed just under $4000 when we joined Prosper. This has been such an exciting time for us and we just want to say 'thank you' for all of your coaching and encouragement.

We have been practicing on optionXpress with our virtual account. We have earned $1,100 with just 2 calls but have lost $300 on 2 others. We want to continue to practice through Wednesday, then we will be on vacation for 2 weeks. We are excited to start really buying/selling options upon our return from Minnesota.

Again, thank you so much for everything. We look forward to our phone call on Monday! Hope your weekend is GREAT!

Donna & Jeff S.
Elwood, IN

This Program Will Save Us $177K in Interest Payments Alone

We were the typical household being that as long as we had monies left over at the end of each month then everything was fine. We are a single income family as Emily quit her job over three years ago to stay at home with Owen at the time and then Abby. We felt good about that decision as we determined that one of her paychecks was going to be spent on daycare and we didn't feel like we wanted to pay someone else to raise our kids. Luckily my job was enough to cover the expenses by itself so that obviously was a major factor in the decision process.

Before I cam upon Prosper I was starting to look at our financial situation and came to the realization that our future was not being planned for. As I mentioned above we still had money left over after the end of each month so how bad could things be, since we are probably luckier than others for sure.

The problem is that if any emergency came up or a large unexpected expense then our cushion would be gone. Emily has a 401k from her job that has about $19,000 in it but isn't growing that much considering no more contributions are being made. We also own a rental property along with our primary residence and that is pretty much all we have going for us in retirement.

I ordered John Cummuta's Transforming Debt into Wealth program hoping that it would help provide some answers to our situation. My background is actually in Finance. I have a BS in Finance from an accredited university and up until a few years ago was working in the lending industry. So in a way what was supposed to make me smarter when it came to credit and finances probably made me dumber.

After watching the welcome DVD that came with the kit the light starting coming on and I was realizing that everything that I thought I knew about how to use credit and finances was what the credit industry wants everyone to know and believe me it's not the side of the battle you want to be on.

So Emily and I decided to make the decision that we are hoping will help change our lives from this point on. I have only been in the program for just over a month but I have already realized the futility in using credit cards and loans to get the things you want. All you do is end up paying more for everything that you buy and end up with less monies to go towards your future. So far we have done a few little things like tightening up our grocery budget, we only use a list and have cut back on the number of trips that we take each month.

Prosper has some great elective classes that cover a wide variety of areas that are designed to help you achieve your goals of eliminating debt. One of the best tools is the personal expense tracker, I don't think most people realize how much money they spend each month on frills and junk they don't really need or want but it was there. Once you keep track of your daily expenses it gives you ownership of those purchases so then you start to ask yourself do I really need this and if so can I wait until it goes on sale. I also wasn't aware that I was claiming to many withholdings to the IRS which in return should produce about another $75 a month that I can use towards my accelerator margin.

Using the Debt-Free elimination plan I will be financially free within 17 years and 9 months. That is 21 years and 10 months sooner than if I was doing it the way we had been with no particular strategy.

This program will save us about $176,935.00 in interest payments. With this plan it allows you to invest the monies that would have gone to interest and debt and if I was to do that for the 21 years and 10 months that I would have had to I would have saved a retirement fund worth over 3 million dollars based on a modest 8% return. That would equate to a monthly retirement income of over $21,000 and each day that you wait you lose over $800 of those future payments.

I really have enjoyed the coaching sessions that the program is built upon. It's important to have a guide through this process. I think that's why many people are skeptic about these programs because there are so many of them out there and people get excited buy them and start using them but then almost always run into issues or don't understand a concept properly and the program isn't working the way it's supposed to. Having someone to speak with every week that understands the goals that you have and the reason why you are doing this is a tremendous asset. If for any other reason then to give you moral support through the tough times when it seems to far away. I am a person that likes to know what steps to take and in what order to make sure things get done right and that's exactly what my coach Dan Christiansen has done for me. I have weekly assignments and readings that help me get the important information in the right order so it can have the biggest impact possible.

My goal is to provide a secure future for my family and the Prosper and TDIW systems are the tools I'm going to use to make that happen. Even though I have only been in the program a short time, I have already realized the power that they have if a person sticks with it and more importantly does it right. I plan to look for other areas that I can add additional income, whether through starting a business or looking into investment properties. The beauty of the system is that you are linked up for a whole year so as your needs and situations change so does the information and coaching that you can get. To me that seems to be the biggest asset in this program is that it's not something that I have to do on my own after a month of being bombarded with information, I can choose my own pace and won't feel like I missed out on something because I have the resources available to me at anytime.

I look forward to providing a successful update in the future. I believe that this program and what it offers will allow me to provide for my family throughout all of our lifetimes. Thank you for reading my story and good luck and fortune to you as well.

Grant  & Emily U.
Arlington, WA

We Now Deposit $1000 per Month into Our Mutual Fund Account

We joined the program because we felt that we were on the right track, but needed that extra guidance to gain the extra knowledge to help us make better financial decisions. We were not managing our money the best we could. We didn’t have any credit card debt so that was a good thing that we didn’t have to worry about.

Since we started the program, we have definitely learned the importance of paying ourselves first and also understanding the cash management aspect.  We have now setup automatic savings plans into higher interest accounts, which we didn’t have setup before. We also have a better understanding of where our money is going on a day to day basis and have curbed our spending because of this.

Our personal achievements with implementing the coaching program include opening up a mutual fund account and are automatically depositing $1000 a month now into the account to be invested in specified Mutual Funds. We have opened up a 529 College Savings Plan for our new born son.

We stopped leasing my wife’s vehicle and purchased it so we could get rid of the monthly payment and have paid down our Mortgage about $150,000, which has lowered our monthly payments as well since we have an interest only mortgage.  We have also continued to save money into Higher Interest Savings account which has increased since we started the program.

Antonio N. & Nadine P.
Edison, NJ

We Have Doubled Our Accelerator Margin

We joined the program because we were tired of always being in debt. Having to worry with what credit card to use because they all were close to being full. We own our own business that is seasonal, and we were always maxing out our personal credit to survive the winter months. We were also starting to become worried with how were going to retire, as we had no IRA’s saved up. The Roth IRA’s we had were cashed in to survived the winter of 2001, after our state suffered a sever drought (which affected our business).

AS far as cash flow & debt elimination, we have learned a few lessons. We learned where we had leaks in our cash flow as far as the personal side goes. We first started by tracking all of our expenses, which has helped to find the leaks. One major leak was the money we were spending on dining out. We have virtually cut that spending in half. We have implemented the Prosper Debt Elimination program since January & have stuck by it. We have learned ways to cut expenses and to use the cut to fund our Accelerator Margin. We have also learned ways to generate more cash each month through our farm.

So far, personally, we have reached the date of Nov. 14, 2014 as being our debt free date. Our Accelerator Margin is at $872.00 up from $480.00 when we started in January. We have paid off one credit card & eliminated it. We have done this by reducing expenses (increasing deductible on car insurance, transferring whole life to term life insurance, taking lunch to work) and generating income from horse boarding & selling items from the home.

Jackie & Pedro P.
Scottsville, VA

From Apprehension to Inspiration

We started this Journey on March 26, 2008 with great apprehension. However it quickly turned into inspiration as we immediately paid off three debts before we even had the opportunity to figure out our Debt Elimination Payoff Schedule. Prior to this program we were deep in debt, and did not know where to turn to make the situation better. I heard about the program on the radio, and decided to pace the call. After speaking with the individual on the telephone, I had good feelings, and spoke to Judy and we decided to pursue this journey.

Since we have received the literature, and have listened to many of the CD's, we have been inspired to make this program work in our lives. The information has been not only very informative, but also very enlightening. We are now realizing what we need to change in our lives to make this program effective.

At this time we have consolidated several high interest rate credit cards to a much lower rate, which will allow us to have more of the accelerated payment in order to pay them off more efficiently.

We are continually looking for more ways to increase our accelerator payment. I purchased a couple of vending machines which we hope will help us create additional funds for the accelerator payment. Although it has not been a full month in service at this time, we are seeing progress. Due to being self employed, and business is slow, it makes it a little difficult to set aside a certain amount for the accelerator payment, but we are determined to be persistent in our goals.

I am in the process of making my new accelerator payment schedule. Before we consolidated some of the credit cards, my Payoff Date was July 2011. I am sure when I make the new one, it will be close to that same time frame.

My wife and I find this to be very exciting, and almost unbelievable that we would be debt free other than our mortgage, in just over three years. My wife and I have always seem to be working for others instead of ourselves. We always seem to be living from paycheck to paycheck. At this point we realize the wealth for our future is very important, but for two people that have spent most of their life in debt and struggling , we are concentrating on being debt free. This is very important to us, so that we can live comfortably. We know as the debt is paid , the wealth will fall into place.

We have appreciated the help and the information we have received at this point. We have both learned a lot when it comes to the spending of our money. We find it very exciting to know that the more ways we can cut costs the more it will help add to the accelerator payment in order to pay off our debt even quicker.

We have found our weekly sessions with our coach to be very informative, instructional and encouraging He has been understanding and compassionate to our situation and our financial needs. We thank you for your support, concerns, and your willingness to answer any questions we may have. We look forward to speaking with him each week, and building our friendship in the upcoming months.

George & Judy T.
Fredericksburg, VA

We Have Already Paid off Two of Our Debts

Merle and I joined the TDIW Program because retirement was less than 10 years away and we were up to our neck in debt. If we did not do something soon, we would be working till death us do part. It seemed we were in a dead-end situation, living pay check to paycheck in credit card debt, school loans, and mortgage debt, and it looked like we would never be able to retire comfortably and have enough to visit our children and grandchildren. Just these two months into the program we are tracking our income and increasing our accelerator margin.

We now know that we will be debt free by July 2014 most likely way before. We will not just be debt free but have opportunities to increase our income and have money to invest. We have already paid off two of our debts and have eliminated unnecessary expenses like duplicate coverage’s on insurance’s, reduce credit card interest, reduce grocery bill by 26%. Some of the holes we have plugged are our eating out too often and! spending unnecessarily.

Our lifestyle has not changed much but has been more enriched with the possibilities we see for the future.  We appreciate your knowledge and have enjoyed working with you. Looking forward to the months ahead.

Merle & Sandra C.
Baltimore, MD

Financial Freedom Finally In Sight

When my wife and I started the program, we were over $192,000 in debt.  We would have been paying on our mortgage until I would have been almost 80 years old, not seeing retirement in our future anytime soon. 

Our coach showed us how to save on our auto insurance & our home owners insurance.  We didn't think that we had any extra money left at the end of the month to put back for an accelerator margin.  Our coach helped us by having us keep track of every penny we were spending & we were able to start an accelerator margin to help us pay off our debts sooner than making the minimum payments.

We have already made sizable payments on our debt load and will be totally out of debt in 7 years or less including our mortgage.  It feels GREAT to finally see progress and light at the end of the tunnel instead of a train coming at us.  We highly recommend this program to anybody who is serious about getting out of debt & having financial security.

Stephen & Charlene S.
Lebanon, PA

Taking Steps to Eliminate my Debt

I am now on the road to debt elimination by paying my first credit card debt off in two to three months.  It has become a habit with me to write down all my daily purchases and taking into account every penny I spend.  I have never been a big spender, but I do shop all the discount shopping store and markets to find the best prices around.

I am in the midst of establishing a small business for a part-time stream of income to take care of a larger chunk of my debt elimination process.  I have always been interested in cooking so my venture will be in pies of all kinds.

I am reading more financial books on getting out of debt and have enrolled in an aggressive 401k plan for automatic pretax deductions for retirement purposes.

Thanks Prosper for being the guiding light to my new life plan.

Pam W.
Lexington, NC

Let the Success Begin

Carol and I have been married for 25 years and we have had many great times. The only thing we never did was put our heads together financially. This always bother me. Then I heard about TDIW and this help bring us together with our finances.

Prosper is teaching us how to bring it all together and start making more money at home with a ecommerce business so we can get to were we want to be financially. Yesterday was the start of our first business together. With all the support at our disposal with Proper Learning we have the confidence to go forward and we have only just begun.

Robert K.
Leesburg, FL                                      

The Gappa's Road to Success

I heard the commercial on the radio about John Cummuta's "Turning Debt into Wealth" program several times and each time I thought we desperately needed some help.  I finally made the call without even discussing it with my husband.  When the materials arrived, I immediately viewed the DVD and started reading the system manual.  I told my husband about it that same day and he also viewed the DVD and reviewed the manual.

My husband Bill had lost his job in April of 2007 and had been out of work 4 months totally without income.  When he did find a job, his income was greatly reduced.  Since we relocated to Phoenix in 2000, he has been laid off from 3 jobs and with each new position, his income was lower than before.  We were sure that the program was for us, but we have such a debt load that we were using savings every month to even pay our payments.  We weren't sure where to find our accelerator margin.

When we were contacted about the coaching program, I was very interested, but so afraid about adding additional debt that I almost said "no, we can't do this".  My husband was very enthused and convinced me that we should do this.  So... we took the leap.  I was in shell shock for the first few weeks wondering if we did the right thing by adding even more debt to our already overloaded financial status.  After starting the coaching program and working on the assignments weekly, we started cutting back here and there and the negative cash flow started getting smaller.  We have started with only a $100.00 accelerator margin, but we are on our way.  We have learned so much about debt, wealth, investing, saving, small business, internet businesses, millionaires, and successful people it is amazing.  We both are constantly listening to audio books as we commute and when we are traveling together just doing errands.  We only wish that we had started this program 25 years ago - but it is never too late.  We were like most people who still believed that using credit and having debts and "the got to have it now" way of life is OK, with no concept about how much it is really costing to live this way.

Since starting the program, we have achieved the following:

1. Cut up all credit cards and using cash only
2. Cut back in areas such as eating meals out, groceries, satellite TV, and gifts.
3. Shopped around and reduced our automobile insurance by $1500.00 per year
4. Have created a financial statement and know where we really stand
5. Have debts in the elimination system worksheet and are using our accelerator margin to pay them off one by one.  Our debt free date is March 2014.
6. Spending every penny wisely.
7. Working to start a business and also a web page to create additional income

So, this is the Gappa Success Story to date and it goes into the future -- as far as we can see -- we’re going to be debt free!

Pat G.
Mesa, AZ

The Resources This Program Provides Are Fantastic

It’s amazing how much money I’ve wasted in my life time.  Thanks to Prosper, I now realize how to make my hard earned money work for me instead of the credit card companies.  I have plugged the leaks in my finances and have a do able plan to be debt free prior to my retirement.  I actually look forward to my bills coming in the mail so that I can check them off for the month and see how much closer I am to the realization of my goal.  It’s great and it feels so much better than the bill dread I had before the program.  

The resources that this program provides are fantastic.  My coach has been great in helping me take the coarse information and actually applying it to my life.  The online coarses have been extremly informative and useful.   Thank you Prosper for giving me my life back.

Laurie  G.
Albuquerque, NM

With My Coach's Help, I Know I Can Be Debt Free

I got into this program because I felt helpless in my situation. Since my husband passed, it has been hard and I simply got myself in a situation I couldn't get out of.

One morning as I was listening to the radio and trying to wake up, I heard about how to get out of debt and a phone number to call. I wrote the number down. I didn't call right away. It was probably a couple of weeks before I called the number.  I didn't know if I wanted to invest any more money as the business I had tried didn't work out and it cost me money, but I went ahead and started this program and so far I feel like there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

By keeping close track of my money going out, it has cut down on my spending. I hope to be out of debt in about 8 years, but I hope it can happen even sooner. My date to be out of debt is August of 2014. By using this program, I can save $40,714 in interest. If I invest $1,553 a month for 17 years 10 months at 8% interest rate, my retirement fund could be $732,656. Monthly I would get $4,884 for the rest of my life. I think I could live on that quite nicely.

Mentally I feel challenged to see how I can change my spending habits. I am learning how to cut out some things and save money by doing things in a different way. Physically, I feel less stressed and am able to sleep better at night and not lay awake at night wondering what I am going to do.

I feel the lessons with my coach are really helpful. He shows me different ways to do things that I hadn't thought about, and when I feel like a failure and stupid that I got myself in this mess, he makes me feel like no matter how bad my situation is, I can change and will be able to be debt free if I follow this plan.

I am looking into maybe cashing in one of my annunities and using that money to pay off some debt and be able to free up some money to get more debt paid off faster. I hope I can use some of the money to get my roof fixed, it needs it done soon. With my coach's help and really understanding how this program can work for me, I know I can be debt free soon and live a better life when retirement comes.

Rosalee R.
Angola, IN

Our Life Will Become New, Without Financial Stress

We have completed our first set of coaching sessions and have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about finances. Its encouraging to know we can continue to learn and use the resources of Prosper.

We had a wonderful coach that is very patient and put us at ease about fairly frustrating issues. We are working with a $600 accelerator margin as far as we can tell with last month being our first month of actually putting the accelerator into effect. We have paid off two debts totaling approximately $600 so we now have $700 and some dollars to use this month towards the next debt. The Windows software is a wonderful tool to keep us on track.

We are very thankful for the Prosper program right now, and as we continue to see the debt disappear, our life will become new and without the stress of financial worries which is priceless.

Tom & Debbie P.
Vancouver, WA

Upon Completing Our Program, We Will Have Saved $97,000 in Interest Alone

I am 59 years old and my wife is 56. We are in debt to the tune of about $180,000. I have been trying to find a way to get relief from these bills we have accumalated over the years, but with no success. Then one day I heard on the radio about this guy who maybe could help us.

I called and that is how it all started. I was put in touch, with a gentleman (I can't remember his name) that gave us a general outline of the program. We felt from listening to him that we had to give this a try. The amount of money involved for the program was a little bit high, I originally thought, but we were pretty convinced that this would work.

We were put in touch with our coach and he has lead us through the program with kid glove care. We now keep our daily expenses on the computer and that has showed us how we can be more accountable for what we spend. He has got us to the point where we have started the program this month, May, and will be totally debt free in 5 years and 3 months, plus save approximately $97,000 over that period in interest. Dan also showed us the different types of programs in trying to get to the shortest possible time, but the first one was the best.

My wife and I spend about 7 to 8 hours a week on the program and have gotten a lot from it. I wish that everyone who needs something like this, could afford to do it. Maybe that could be one of my goals, to help people find their way out of debt, and become debt free.

It is a shame, like John says, that no one has the fore sight to teach people that the system we get from our friends and family is not the right way to live. I have not used a credit card, since I listened to the first CD, where John said this is not the right way to do things, which has been about 7 weeks ago.

I am glad that we deceided to do this program and that we got paired with our coach, who has helped very much.

Ray & Sandy S.
Pittsburgh, PA

We Will Save $20,000 in Interest Payments

We became interested in the 'Transforming Debt Into Wealth' when we had an automatic debit from our savings account to cover a check for our house mortgage. That left us with about $1000 in savings and the realization that we were about two weeks from bankruptcy. That started the quest to find a way out of the downward spiral of debt. I called the 800 number for TDIW and ordered the program.

After realizing how well this program would work, we decided to take the next step and sign up for the personal coaching with Prosper Learning. We are highly motivated and dedicated to achieving financial stability and independence. Our 'debt free date is June 2012, but I believe we will beat that by at least 2 years. Through the program we have had a change in our mindset about debt, money, and spending habits. We are much more aware of every dollar we spend and how it affects us in the future, not just today or tomorrow.

Since beginning the program last month, we are on course to pay off debt number one THIS MONTH! The snowball has rolled off the hill and is gaining speed. It can't be stopped now. We have already saved $2,000 and by the time we have eliminated all our debt, we will save almost $20,000! I'm 55 years old and Sherry will be 55 in August. We don't have many earning years left. We have to maximize our resources. I expect to double or triple our net worth in the next ten years. That can only happen with directed investing and saving.

I know from studying and leading men's ministries that accountability and responsibility are the keys to success, therefore we chose to utilize the one-on-one coaching as a means to ensure complete success. Our coach, Dan Christiansen, has kept us focused and is fine tuning our plan so we will achieve our designated goals. When you're running a marathon, it's hard to see the end from the beginning but when you're running with someone, it keeps you on track and on time. This is the value of the coaching for us: stay on course, stay on time. When you can SEE the finish line, you are encouraged to reach the goal and we can see it! Thanks to Dan and the entire team at TDIW and Prosper Learning.

Larry & Sherry M.
Somerset, KY

I Have Already Paid Off 4 Debts

Below are two pictures that my daughter had, there old but all you need to do is add about 30 lbs to them and it will be up to date. Also, here is a brief summary of my debt free plan. I have 12 debts to add up to $60,109 with an estimate payoff time of 53 months.

Please note that my RV and Land in not included in this plan. The reason being that I wish to payoff my credit card and loans first than the two major ones. Hopefully this will be done by mid next year, with my Lottery winning playing a big roll in that. I started out with 16 debts all to gather, and paid off 4 by using this plan. Two were credit cards and the other two were loans. I foresee that by the end of this year I will reduce the debt from 12 down to 8 which will add up to $205.00 per bill as and acceleration payments.

Donald D.
Washington, DC, United States

Everyday Filled With Excitement and Adventure

We’ve paid off several smaller balance credit cards, about 3 to $4000 in the three months we’ve been using John’s TDIW system. Using the equity in our home, we’re about to do away with our largest interest rate credit card of 21% replace it with 6% this month and will really begin to ‘work the program.’

As far as short-term goals, the first is discovering the ability to not have to depend on credit cards to live your life and secondly, the knowledge that there is hope for the future to be debt-free and to begin accumulating wealth for those retirement years. In addition, I look forward to the ability to begin learning about the stock market and how to make additional income to pay off debts and increase wealth as I improve upon my opportunities in the market.

Finally, the reality of a “stress free” life, knowing that you have a plan to succeed and a means of doing so makes every day a new day, filled with excitement and adventure.

Thanks again you John Cummuta, for your help and your system. It’s a life-saver and a life changer!!

Arnie & Carol B.
Rowlett, Texas

It is Encouraging to Know We Can Be Out of Debt in Less than 6 Years

It is encouraging to know that we could be out of debt in less than 6 years.  We got things in order and we are trying to follow the program.  The debt free program gives you a plan and it has been a big help.  I am thankful for this program and glad to not have that hopeless feeling all the time.

Barb S.
Kalispell, MT

We Have Paid Off Several Accounts

This is the final update for us and what we have accomplished.  We have paid off several accounts passing the 'savings' to pay the next credit card.  We put our land in North Carolina for sale for $159,990.  We are pursuing 'educational consulting' for Alberto as a side income, as well as a vehicle to write off expenses. We are in the process of identifying either an accountant who has extensive knowledge on this matter or an attorney who specializes on this

We have suspended payroll deductions in the form of US Savings Bonds which come off our net pay is not tax deductible and will be substituting that for increasing our payroll deductions contributions through our 403B in order to decrease our taxable income and get a bettr return on our investment.  We have stopped all credit card use/transactions.  We pay the montly minimum on all the cards and direct as much money as possible to paying off the next credit card.

Maria & Alberto R.
Miami, FL

God Bless You and the Whole Team at Prosper Learning

I've enjoyed our mentoring chats and your assistance in helping me through the course of TDIW. So many new things I've learned about myself and so many things I've changed or in process of changing, and all for a healthy and positive financial outlook and future. My stress level has decreased SHARPLY in the past 6 weeks. Listening to Cummuta's tapes, reading the books and doing my 'homework' assignments have shown me a better path and better way instead of the same old treadmill, which we all know isn't working..

I am looking forward to being totally debt free within 5 years, though you and I discussed that I will focus all my energies into being debt free in 3-4 years. I will send you progress reports and keep you in the loop. I also look forward to the next part of teh program, building wealth, once the debts are gone.

Reflecting on the past several weeks, my 'mindset' on how I view people and especially myself has drastically changed. I thought I was doing things in the right way, then did a 180 degree turn after listening and learning the truth of the treadmill I was on. The 'illusion' as Mr. Cummuta so aptly puts it was right in my face and I didn't care for it at all. I have started on this new and better approach to my personal finances and I WILL report to you when I'm debt free. Making better choices on how, what, and when I purchase items, looking at necessities and 'wants' has been a fun experience and has not come as a 'self-denial chore'..

Finally, as you know, I've been in the 'Financial industry' for over 37 years and for the first time, I've learned something USEFUL.. I'm looking forward to July, when I can finally get things started and get my accelerator margin really working for me.

God Bless you and the whole team that is with Cummuta and Prosper Learning.

Eileen C.
Branford, CT

Being Debt Free is Right Around the Corner

We started making changes.  I went to work on the computer and I worked on our accelerator margin and our debt.  We signed up for the coaching program.  Our whole life was different.  We were happy with eachother financially.  I was a shop-oholic and he wasn't good financilly either.  When I finished my first money of tracking expenses, I realized I was giving my money away.  Now being debt free is right around the corner!

Geovanny & Vialda M.
Carteret, NJ

Financial Freedom Here We Come

Greetings to you from all of us in Montana.  Just a short history of where we are at financially.  We were caught up in the Rat Race of life hoping to pay our next batch of bills and yes hoping for a raise so we could get ahead.  We have been pursuing the American Dream like this for over twenty four years and no end in sight.  We like many others have many credit cards and most of them almost maxed out.  Then things changed. 

I read your book Start Late Finish Rich.  This has changed our whole outlook on our personal finances and has given us a light at the end of the tunnel.  We now have a goal to pursue and a plan to get there.  Our financial coach has given us the tools to monitor our spending and a plan to DOLP all of our bills.  Our coach is a very positive and inspiring person.  He has been a pleasure to work with. 

Since we started in April of this year we have "DOLPed" four monthly bills.  Our monthly cashflow has risen to $591 in just two months.  With the current plan in place we will be debt free including our mortgage paid off by September of 2013.  This will be over ten years sooner than if we just kept doing the things we have in the past.  We are now approaching the wealth building portion of the class and are having a hard time deciding whether to pursue Real Estate or the Stock Market training.

Once again Thank You!!!
   
Charles, Deborah, Ryan, Skyler, & Emily D.
Manhattan, MT

Good Bye Credit Card Debt- Hello Financial Freedom

We are thrilled with excitement with relief because we have paid off our last interest-bearing credit card.  The finance program has allowed us to view our life with a different vantage point.  Now we no longer pay high interest rates to credit card companies.  Instead, we have created a family budget, which has reduced our monthly expenditures by almost five thousand dollars.  Yes I did say $5,000.00!!  WOW!!!  BEST of all, it has only been 6 weeks since we have begun our journey to financial freedom. 

We thank prosper and our coaching team to help make this possible. We are eager and look forward to increasing our cash flow and building wealth.

Chris & Chryste H.
Greensboro, NC

I Only Wish I Had Stumbled Onto this Program Earlier

I've paid off my smaller cards and have not purchased anything on credit since I began the program, remembering if I can't pay cash for it, then I can't afford it anyway.

I recently paid off my car and I am looking for an insurance broker to lower my insurance premiums. I definitely think more intently about what I truly want and either delay the purchase or see how I save for or budget it into my current monthly income. I love the webinars. They have truly been informative and I am excited about revamping and planning a healthier IRA and 401K.

I feel that the retirement planning webinar was the most empowering as I won't feel so uninformed or uncertain about where my money is being invested. I want to increase my accerlerator margin as I now understand how much money I could be investing sooner as opposed to later. I feel that I will now be able to attain my dreams such as owing my own home. I feel excited about the future and my decision to do the coaching program and access to the success center with a multitude of priceless education.

I only wish I had stumbled onto John's program sooner. I want to try my hand at ecommerce and with your help I believe that it's totally do-able. I have a long way to go and I will forever be a student in some way, but now it's different, now I feel knowledgeable instead of just taking someone's financial advice or being taken by get-quick-rich promises.

I've made mistakes and before this program I definitely felt a looming sense of being forever trapped because I was not really focusing of tracking my expenses and the concept of the accelerator margin for example and felt no end was in sight. But I had to get real and face the music. So I just want to say thank you so very much to everyone at Prosper who is out there helping folks like me attain bright, smart, fun, future.

Melissa R.
San Jose, CA

Thank You for Your Encouragement and Support

I joined the program because I needed help in getting myself out of debt. I got myself in debt and am struggling to free myself of it. I am the only source of income in my household and do have a partial disability which hinders me at some types of work. I have a full time job and a second job during tax season. I have been putting resumes out for a second job or a better job than I have now.

I want to become debt free so I can someday retire and also have income other than SS to live off of so I am able to do things with my family and also go on hunting trips with my son. I don't want to be a burden to my family either.

The program has made me aware of spending. I think twice before I just go buy things. When I see an ad or hear a commercial I chuckle to my self at how the try to sucker you into buy their products. I really like to listen to the tapes. I am having a slow start since I have very little cash flow. I hope to be debt free in at least 5 years.

I am grateful for the support and encouragement I am getting from you. I will meet my goal.

Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. Don't give up on me.

Barb T.
Newburg, PA

For the First Time in My Adult Life, I Have Cash in My Bank Account

I joined the program because I was about to loose my home and everything I have.  It was either going bankrupt or try to get myself out of debt.  My last option was to join TDIW program and I am very happy that I did.

I have learned that you CAN live on cash only, I don't need credit cards for anything.  In the past 2 short months as a student in TDIW program I have paid over $4,000.00 off on my debt and for the first time in my entire adult life I am having cash left over in my bank account each month.

My debt free date is 11.6 years on $174,551.30 of debt.  I do not use credit anymore, everything is payed for in cash or I don't need it, I am also learning about investing and finances.

Dominick C.
Bridgeport, WV

Next Stop: Financial Freedom!

Holly and I felt we were always responsible with money, but both of us realized that the future moved quickly and neither one of us felt prepared for it.  We had debt like everyone else did, but didn't think anything of it because we were just like everyone else.  We didn't struggle for money, we paid our bills even a little extra on most, but we wondered, how were we going to make it to retirement and be able to live comfortably.  We didn't live extravagantly, we have a house, a couple of motorcycles and nice belongings. 

We had the debt to go with them as well, we still owed money on one of our cars and one of the motorcycles and had two mortgages which allowed us to buy the house we were in.  I had heard the commericials for the John Cummuta Transforming Debt Into Wealth System for quite some time, but thought it was too good to be true or that it was a debt consolidation program. 

We got the program in January of 2008 and immediately made changes in our way of thinking about spending and credit.  We did not charge anything on our credit cards and have not used them since.  We began paying off debt and using our money to the best advantage.  I paid off a personal debt, the motorcycle and a credit card which added up to almost $25,000 all within the first few months of the program.

We quickly learned about debt elimination and cash flow management and how every cent makes a difference if you are using it to pay off debt or using it to earn more money for yourself.  We set our financial goals, created a declaration of wealth and a vision quadrant and financial vision and set out to make it happen.  Besides the coaching, one of the best tools we have received to help us was the financial goal worksheet.  It helped us track our money coming in and our expenses going out.  It was an eye opener as to exactly where our money was going.  This was one of the biggest factors in helping us change our spending habits. 

We began the TDIW program in January of 2008.  We began with Prosper Learning in March of 2008.  We have seen our total debt drop by almost $30,000 in that time.  We have paid off a motorcycle, a credit card and personal debt.  We have begun a bi-weekly payment plan on our mortgages and have changed things around to squeeze every penny out of every source that we can.  We are on track to eliminate our short term debt within 3 to 4 yrs and the mortgages should be paid off within 2 to 3 yrs after that.  We hope to accelerate this process as much as we can, and shorten those times even more.

Val & Holly S.
Frederick, CO

My Coach is Easy and Enjoyable to Talk To

I had been hearing the advertisement for John Cummuta’s Transforming Debt into Wealth program on the radio on and off.  I didn’t know if it could help me under my current circumstances.

My husband had gone into the hospital last December, when he got out 5 weeks later, he started outpatient rehab.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have any sick benefits with his company, so until he was released to go back to work, 4 months later, we didn’t have any income for him. I in turn also had surgery, but my company let me file for unemployment (which amounts to almost nothing). I wondered how I was going to pay my bills and now I have doctor and hospital bills to pay. Our savings was slowly going down.

So I called the number and had the info sent out to me. After listening to the CD’s and reading the manual, I thought, wow, I would have never thought about doing debt elimination in this way. It really made me stop and analyze the situation.  The way I was going, I would probably be paying for the rest of my life to my creditors, as they got rich off the interest I would be paying.

I keep a scorecard that tracks all my expenditures, income, assets and liabilities. I have a little notebook where I enter the cash I have spent. It is really amazing how you can go through money and not even realize where it has gone. I find myself buying smarter at the grocery store and looking for those sale/bargain items. I have learned to tighten those purse strings.

I have no department store credit cards anymore and my goal is to eliminate the Visa’s and Mastercard’s within the next year. My debt free goal date to have my vehicles and mortgage paid off is September 2015.

I feel that the one on one with my coach has really been an inspiration. He keeps me focused and on track. I find that having someone to report to really makes you want to show that you can and will do this. My coach is easy and enjoyable to talk to. He keeps our sessions interesting and up beat.

My future goal is to get my husband back to work, which would give me another $3000 a month to work with, I would like to cut my debt elimination date in half and be able to start investing money for our retirement.

I realize now that you don’t have to look like a millionaire to be one. Your next door neighbor could be one, and that’s where I am heading. I want to be able to invest money and leave comfortably off the interest. I wish I had heard about this program about 5 years ago, but since I didn’t, I’m going forward one day at a time.

BJ S.
Glenwood, IL

We Are More Focused Now Than Ever

I was driving in my car one afternoon around the middle of March 2008 when I heard a radio advertisement for TDIW free 30 day preview. I immediately called and ordered this because although I didn’t feel that we had overwhelming debt, I knew we weren’t prepared for the future.

I explained to Jeff that I had ordered this and at first he laughed because I have always been a spender and he just assumed that I would never do this. When our box arrived, I spent the next few days reading, listening to discs and I signed the certificate of independence. I told Jeff that I had never been this sure of anything. I was serious about doing this.  Jeff and I both listened to the discs, it made so much sense! John Cummuta was brilliant, why hadn’t we thought of this before!

I then called for our free consult and Jeff and I listened and both agreed that we had to make some changes. We had to see if we could become part of Prosper Learning. This was a life change for us both. We learned in our first couple of meetings that we had to start being accountable for every penny we spend. We started tracking spending and we were appalled by the wasted money that we really couldn’t account for. We learned about compass spending which really made us think before every expense.

Our accelerator margin is $1,650 and we are now selling a little on eBay to try and make the margin larger. We are reviewing the stock market now to see if we can again gain extra income to make our debt elimination date sooner. We anticipate that we will be debt free including our mortgage, on or before June, 2012. We have made changes such as changing insurance companies to save, changing cell phone plans, canceling memberships and we started shopping smart and saving big.

I have talked to about selling on their behalf for commission.  We are definitely looking towards the future. We have dreams of seeing mountains, the ocean, taking a cruise to Alaska, owning a lake cottage and so much more. With the continued learning and accountability that we are getting from you Adam and Prosper Learning, we know that our dreams will come true. We do have a future!

Adam, we have really appreciated you and all of the support you have given to us. You have been so encouraging and we just want you to know that we are blessed to have had you in our lives. We hope to be able to meet you someday.

SUCCESS UPDATE

We are doing fine. Our accelerator margin is $1,650 and we paid our boat off last month in just 2 months and we only owe a little over $400 on our one and only credit card, which we will pay off next month. We are continuing to track our expenses and learn about the stock market and trading. We are still using our virtual account to continue to learn and get familiar with trading also. We are excited about what we are learning.

We know that we will be successful because we are more focused now than ever. We have had a goal to have a lake cottage/home but now we are taking it to another level...we would like to eventually relocate to the state of 10,000 lakes...Minnesota!

Donna & Jeff S.
Elwood, IN

This Program Was a Big Help for Me

With the help of my coach I made up my mind to stay out of the stores and the malls, since I love to shop.  I have learned to cut back on my utilities and was able to reduce my auto insurance per year and get back at least $300 from my insurance for this year by taking of collision and comprehensive because my car is at least 13 yrs old.  I will be cutting back on more expenses as I go along, even doing my own nails as coach suggested.  Every penny counts.  I was able to cut back on my cable bill and telephone bill.  I will be able to implement a solid and stable budget spending plan with the help of the books that was recommended by my coach.  I am now in the process with the help of Kenny Gregg trying to focus on paying down my principle on my interest only 1st and 2 nd mortgages.

My goal is to be debt free in at least 10 years or sooner.  I would like to retire early and have a family own business in Trinidad and Tobago.  I appreciate all the help that I got in the short space of time.

SUCCESS UPDATE

It was good knowing that you were always there to advise me, even though I did not fill out the score card.  But without filling it out, I knew exactly where my money was going.  I was spending a lot of money on clothes, jewery, handbags, and shoes which I did not need.  I do not spend money during the week since I have always bought my breakfast and lunch everyday to work except for Fridays when we ordered out, but I was always in the stores shopping.

Now I know that it was just a waste and I gathered a lot of stuff which I did not need.  I had to get rid of a lot of stuff and I feel a lot lighter since I got rid of most of them.  I now have a sense that my money is too valuable and I worked too had to just waste it.

This program was a big help for me.  Like they say, 'we were not taught how to handle our finances in school and our parents never really taught us'.  So I would like to take this time to let you know how much I appreciated your help in this matter.

Ann Marie P.
Dorchester, MA

Kudos to Our Coach

Thanks to our coach and the Cummuta program--Curt and I have had and are still working on becoming debt free.  We have a debt free date of 5-8 yrs 06-01-2013-2016.  We have succeded in paying off a sears card and are now working on a charge card; by applying the accelarator program, we have learned how to manage our grocery spending and spending in general to free funds to establish this

Thanks to our coach and his positive attitude and assurances of accomplishment I feel we are wll on our way to greater success--thanks again and kudos to our coach.

Betty S. & Curt P.
Union, NE

My Coach Went to Great Lengths to Help Me

Overall, I know my coach is a cut-above on so many levels.  He knows what it really takes to make his clients successful.  Dealing with anyone's financial diary is a very personal thing.  It takes a great deal of involvement, insight, and professionalism to be in my coach's position and really give clients the kind of help they really need.  My coach did not have to go to the lengths he did to help me.  He could have coasted through our sessions with half the effort and guidance I needed and he would have 'done his job.'  I feel very privileged to have spent the time with my coach. 

Christal S.
Carson City, NV

My Goal is to Pass this On to Our Children

Our journey began while we were driving to California to see our children.  We were in the middle of Utah listening to XM radio when a commercial came on that caught our attention.  Lisa called the number from her cell phone and in no time we were being sent material that would truly change our lives.

We felt that we needed more help than just the manuals.  We needed coaching and all these years we were too proud to admit that we were terrible money managers.  I came to the realization that even the best baseball hitters and fielders need coaches to improve and hone their skills so why not the Flinn’s.

Our main objective was to pay off our mortgage before we retired. When we looked further and put a pen to it we found that with help and guidance we could not only do this in significantly less time but could be debt free in 6 years and 2 months. Our debt free date is May 2014. Almost 30 years sooner than if we did it the “old way”.

By keeping the “spending report” we have been able to see where in our first month we were negatively cash flowing at a clip of 20% of our income. Month 2 we have cut this to about 7% and we now have about another month to be for sure even or positively cash flowing. We were able to identify areas to save and find $600 to set aside for our Accumulation Fund. Our personal short-term goal is to hone our skills using the tools from TDIW and use these forever to stay on top of our money.

We both have taken to bringing our lunches at work and eating at home. Eating out is now a rarity. We also have become conservers of energy and fuel making only necessary trips. When grocery shopping we purchase debit cards with a set amount loaded on the card so we can control our grocery spending.

I will admit our first and second Coaching sessions were a bit stressful. Bearing your financial soul to someone else is a bit humbling but it is good to have gotten it off of our chests and gives you a freed spirit. I want to end by saying that we are well on our way to developing a debt free living mindset and habit. My goal is to pass this on to our children so they know these principles and will experience the freedom of living in cash only future.

Jack & Elizabeth F.
Sioux Falls, SD

I Have Paid Off All Credit Card Balances

In August, 2007 I meet a friendly guy wearing a button asking me if you want to get out of debt ask me how. I was curious but he abruptly moved without helping me. Amazingly a month later I got an email from this John Cummuta about getting out of debt. I eagerly soaked in his no nonsense down to earth practical lessons and started to think and work toward becoming debt free. I needed more personal assistance though. I was desperate without a light at the end of the tunnel, working 7 days a week for vacation less years paying bills. Some debt was thrust upon me beyond my control but mine to pay.

In October, 2007 my Prosper Learning Coach (Mentor) started a journey with me. He encourages me and helps me stay the course. I learned to successfully use the margin eliminator and rank debts for painless payoffs. My coach lead me to rethink debt and spend and develop a new uplifting mindset. With tools supplied I easily track of my cash flow and use the Debt Free program to guide my payments toward my awesome wonderful feeling of being debt free in Aug., 2012 or sooner.

Temptations to unwise spending are now easier to ignore. I’m giving more and also understand the expedience of saving 10% for my future. My mind is forming goals and plans about how to make cash and investing it wisely. One must cease opportunities as they come.

My newly emerging, developing mindset is attracting more good to my life. My income has risen along with personal contentment and hope. I see an ever brightening light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks Coach and Prosper Learning.

SUCCESS UPDATE

My accelerator is now $1035.  I can't actually say at the moment how much debt I've paid off in actual numbers, however none of my credit cards have balances carried now.  I owe on the house, car and child support.  These are about $100,000.  I've been making consistently more money this year.  I hope to make $100,000 + this year. This will be great to help fix up things around the house and pay even more debt off, etc.
 
Leonard M.
Palm Bay, FL

We Paid Off One Vehicle, One Credit Card, and Opened a New Savings Account

TDIW has been a positive learning experience.  When we joined the program, we did not have a plan in place for paying off debt in a timely fashion, did not know how to pursue investments, and did not seem to be saving money because we were always using our extra money to pay creditors.  By committing to the TDIW program, we hoped to learn to
increase our cash flow, pay off debts, reduce taxes, and build wealth.

Since we have implemented the TDIW program, we have paid off one vehicle, one credit card, have made adjustments on auto insurance policies, and have opened a new savings account.  Our debt free date is estimated to be November 2010!

We have made several changes now for a secure future not only for ourselves, but also for our family.  One of the major changes is that we will no longer be using a credit card for routine purchases.  We will use cash.  We have also learned to be more conscious of our financial purchases and their long- term effects.  Books such as The Automatic Millionaire and Debt Proof your Marriage are excellent readings to help keep focused on the goals.

Thank you for your time, teachings, and encouragement.

Greg & Michelle B.
Alexandria, KY

I Have Eliminated 20 Percent of My Debt in Less Than 6 Months

The biggest thing I have gleaned from Prosper so far is the accelerator margin.  What a fabulously simple idea!  I see how it works.  In only 5 months I was able to come-up with an accelerator margin that allowed me to pay-off 1 account out of 4 to present (the second account payoff is not far away either!).

Using a modest $ 400 accelerator margin, I could be debt free in 6 years 6 months or less, and I anticipate my accelerator margin will grow .  December 2013 could be my last payment.  I am feeling more confident every day that I can overcome the consumer habits and am eager to see the results.  I also enjoy the feeling that I have knowing that I am in control of my money, and that my money isn't controlling me any longer!

My coach was terrific and was a very good listener as well as adviser.  The TDIW program truly is life-changing. The day I heard the commercial on the radio was my new birthday!

SUCCESS UPDATE

In less than 6 months one credit card was wiped out using it.  A second one is now almost gone.  I was an impulse buyer, but those impulses have been all but eliminated (I did regress twice last year, but only twice, and I know that extended my financial freedom by a few months because of it).

God has continued to bless me for my hard work and I have been able to help an indigent sister and nephew, as well as my parents. But my desire to buy isn't nearly as great now as is my desire to decrease my debt.  I am in control of my money now; it isn't controlling me.  If you keep adding to the accelerator margin, any additional debts will be eliminated even quicker.

I would guestimate that at least 20% of my debt is paid off, and my original financial freedom birthday was December 2013. It will be a little sooner now, due to my new way of life, and the fact that I am a newlywed with a husband who is not an impulse buyer at all and he will keep me on the straight and narrow as well.

Patty P.
Schererville, IN

We Have Been Blessed by Having a Great Coach

We had no control over our finances before we started the program.  We spent money on impulse and lived paycheck to paycheck.  We accumulated thousands of dollars of debt.  We desperately needed someone to help us manage our finances.  We did not know the value of a dollar.

Paying yourself first has been instrumental in our journey to financial freedom and independence.  As a result, we are now more organized.  We have put a cash flow management system in place.  We have learned to use financial charts to keep track of our income and expenditures.  We have become very conscious of how much we spend and what we spend it on.  This is how we developed the “millionaire mentality.”

I have increased my 401K savings plan from five to fifteen percent.  We have established emergency and freedom savings accounts.  We have also opened up a mutual fund.  This has sparked our interest in the stock market.  However, this time we are taking a different approach to investing, by doing thorough research before making any commitments.  We intend to pursue a stock market course to help us achieve our financial goals smartly.

We have learned that nothing gets done until you work the program.  That is when you will start to see the results.  We have made tremendous progress in just a short period of time by being proactive.  The program has instilled a sense of purpose, discipline, and responsibility in our lives.  We are now more goal oriented.  All our savings accounts have been automated with monthly contributions.  We have implemented the system to enable us to pay off all our debts by December 2016.  We also want to open up an educational savings account for our son by December 2008.

Cheli and I have been blessed by having a great coach.  He has motivated us and given us advice that has contributed to our success.  We have learned that although it is good to have money, it is not the most important thing in life. It is the joy that you get from day to day living. It is even more vital to pass this joy on to others and to help others in need.

Pete & Cheli T.
Miami, Florida

We Have Paid Off Nearly $10,000 in One Year

Our story is pretty typical.  Our differences concerning money weren’t really apparent until we got married.  One of us is a saver, the other a spender.  One had the attitude of it's only money, we can always get more; the other felt way more comfortable with at least a few hundred dollars extra in the bank.

In January 2006 Javier started testing for the county sheriff’s office.  We decided on this route because the hours at FedEx were sporadic and didn’t go over 35 a week.  In February we found out he got the job with the county.  It was what we wanted and in March we celebrated by getting a new car.  Our payment doubled and we knew we needed serious help.  Also, I had emptied our bank account by buying jackets for the kids without even realizing it.  That was it for us.  We needed to get a better grip on our money.  I needed to pay better attention and know what was necessity versus what I wanted.  Javier found this program on the Internet and we took a deep breath and knew things were about to change.

And so they have.  We postponed our official participation in the program while Javier was at the academy, but we followed the basic principles.  We’ve learned to curb impulse buys, make lists and stick to them.  We keep much better track of where our money is going and have been able to keep our bank account in the black.  We know now that it is possible to eliminate debt.  We have a plan and we are partners who help keep each other on that plan.

We have not used any credit card since April 2006.  We are more of a team and make decisions together.  I used to not look at bills at all because I didn’t want to know how much money was going out.  When Javier was at the academy I did them all and felt great about it.

Our debt free date is now March 2012 instead of “someday.”  We are trying to teach our children about saving and not making impulsive decisions on purchases.  When we go out shopping we have a list of items we are going to buy and look at ads to comparison shop before we leave the house.  We are also looking to put money we have on hand into a money market account with a high rate of return.

Kirsten is currently looking into starting an affiliate marketing business with her father.  He has been looking into affiliate marketing and is about to get started.  We are pretty excited about our financial future.  We are slowing learning about the investment market and look forward to the future when we can start our portfolio after our debt is eliminated.

SUCCESS UPDATE

Since last year, we have managed to bring our debt down.  Our car loan sits at $16,588.96 as of right now because we have been making an extra monthly payment (down from $24,337 when we started accelerating).  Our credit card is at $11,294.70 at 0% until October and that's down almost $2000.  According to the payoff schedule we do the car first followed by the student loan and then the credit card and will be debt free by March 2012.

We have managed to put just over $6000 in a money market account.  I am in the process of changing it from our bank to Capital One as they have a higher interest rate right now.  We are putting away Javier's overtime checks to pay for his uniform package at the end of the academy.  His first OT check was $100 and his uniforms will be about $1200.  The state will loan us $750 which we can pay back on payroll deductions.

Javier & Kirsten A.
Calipatria, CA

Getting on Track

Before stating the program, I was at my wits end. I was living paycheck to paycheck and sometimes not making it that far; I felt like I couldn't breath.

On May 28, 2008, I signed up for the program and before my first coaching session I had already payed off my first debt, which would have taken until Feb. 2009 if I just kept making the regular payments.  Even with the cost of living going up these days we are staying pretty close to my original out of debt date which is Oct 2013.

Thanks to Prosper Learning and to my coach.

Richard & Judy P.
Princeton, IL

The Grand Awakening

For years we have been swimming facing upstream but moving down stream.  If there is one particular story to come out of our experience, it's the refocusing of our financial eyes to a plan that will enable us to rid ourselves of the debt burden we have.  I have had little difficulty in assisting people in their estate and business planning, only to realize that many of the principles I had assisted others to employ were badly lacking in my own financial picture.

Fortunately after having been in the insurance and investment planning business for 35 years I still have the tools and client base that is enabling us to increase our income sufficiently to grind down our debt and recoup what we have drained out of our reserves.  All I'm doing is shifting my focus on an older market and products that are valuable to that market, i.e. the Baby -Boomers.  Thus far a little effort has given evidence that much of our existing clientele is ready for another round of sales.  We have a six year time horizon based on the plan formula, but feel that it can be accelerated even faster that we supposed.  All this is true assuming good health and steady exercise of faith in providence.  We will do it.  I'm estimating instead of 5-6 years we will be able to cut it down 4-5 years to complete

Lela & Walter Z.
Mesa, AZ

Prosper Gives Me the Support and Information I Need to Make Better Choices with Money

When I came to Prosper Inc., I had been back from Iraq for almost a year.  I had been discharged because of my depression.  Part of recovery is figuring out what your triggers are and learning to deal with them.  Another part is finding support in your journey.  

One of my triggers has always been money.  I was brought up not wanting for anything and I want to keep it that way.  I don’t want to ask my parents for help anymore, although while in recovery I have to resign myself to the fact that that might be necessary.  My goal is to be able to provide for myself the way I have been provided for and to not constantly worry about money.  Signing up with a coach from Prosper is giving me the support and the information I need to make better choices with my money.

One of the things I have learned since starting the program is how much interest eats up your money.  I’m in the process of making some changes regarding the credit cards I have now as far as paying them off and using them less and getting a better interest rate.  Thank goodness I don’t have that much debt or it would really be daunting.  But the snowballing of debt payments is really easy and makes total sense.  I’ve also learned where I can cut some corners and save some money.  

So far I’ve been able to pay off one of my credit cards and I’m working on a plan to increase my income through my side business.  I plan to be debt free by June 2009.  

Jennessa W.
Peoria, IL

This is a Life-Changing Experience

We were sinking financially when we decided to start this program.  We had no direction and no idea how we were going to begin to get out from under the debt we had created.  I do not think that we were being honest with ourselves about the situation.

We had our conversations on the phone with a sales consultant and started to get excited about the fact that there was a plan that we could use and commit to that might work for us-- and actually not only have us out of debt but on our way to a much better life financially.

With the help of our coach we have begun to see a light at the end of the tunnel of debt and have established a plan for paying it off.  Right now our accelerator margin is only $100.00 a month but we know that will increase as we are able to find other ways to save money on our day to day living expenses.  We have cut down our cost of car insurance by $10.00 a month; we have consolidated our phone -internet - and cable TV to save $30.00 a month.  We have decided to put our camper up for sale as it is a lot more of a southern expenditure than anything else.  We have taken a good hard look at how the rest of our money is being spent and are learning to say no to a lot of the wants and not needs.  This is a life changing experience and is not easy as we have established some bad spending habits throughout our lives. The positive effect, however, far outweighs the discomfort of the change.

Right now our Debt Freedom date is August 2019 and we will save $123,253.00. That is huge but even better is that we know we can do it and even sooner than that.

For the remaining coaching sessions I think we would like to focus on First--living expense reductions-- helping us see other ways to get out of the bind we created for ourselves. 2nd -- Tax liability reduction -- to help us keep more of our money in our pocket; 3rd - Home Businesses -- something we can work on together while we still have the jobs we do right now.  Our biggest focus right now is getting out of debt!!  When that is done we would like to have the knowledge and planning in place as to what we are doing with the money we have saved.

Sharon & Todd V.
Broomfield, CO

This Will Help Me Save $117,000

I sat down one day and listed all of my debts, totaled them up, and was appalled.  Then I realized that in one year’s time, my income was going to drop by over $1,000 per month when my daughter’s survivor’s benefits expired.  

The realization struck me that if I did not do something now, I would be forced into bankruptcy.  I was frustrated that every payday, I sat down and gave most of my pay away to my creditors and had very little left for me, in spite of the fact that I make a decent wage.

I talked to some of my friends.  One told me they had declared bankruptcy.  Another said they had contacted an attorney who negotiated with their creditors a lower debt amount.  Both friends had had their credit rating negatively affected by these actions.  I wasn’t in favor of following either of these paths as I felt a responsibility to pay off my debts, not maneuver out of them.

That’s when I heard a radio ad for the Transforming Debt into Wealth program.  I had heard it a couple of times before I actually called.  I was on my way to work, when I pulled over and made the call.  I signed up right then and there.

Since beginning this program, with the help and advice of my financial coach, I have organized my financial information, and formed a plan to pay off my debts and prepare for retirement.  I have already paid off three of my debts, and have a debt free target date of February 2015.  That will mean I will be debt free in 6 years and 9 months.  That is 31 years and 4 months sooner than not doing it the Cummuta way.

This will save me $117,000 by doing it this way and line up a great retirement fund to be able to live off of.  I will take some savings and pay off some of the debts now which will make my pay off date even sooner.  I am on my way to financial freedom.  A huge pressure has been lifted from my shoulders.

Janet B.
Royal Oak, MI

I Paid Off $20,000 in One Year

I have been down for about two months now due to rupturing my right Achilles tendon on May 3rd.  It happened at the Home Depot where I still work part time.  Ten days after utilizing the crutches to get around, my right shoulder started to bother me to the point where the pain was so great I didn't know I had a problem with my leg.  I had surgery to repair the tendon on May 8th.  I had an MRI done on the shoulder and now they want to do another more exact MRI and shoot dye into me. They found something in the right shoulder that will require surgery as well.

Financially I have saved up my emergency reserve fund to the point where I can relax a little (I have $5000).  I still have a ways to go as far as my credit card debt yet I see the light at the end of the tunnel as I have paid down $20,000 in the last year.

Chuck R.
Bethel, CT

We Have Paid Off $30,000 Since Joining Prosper

Holly and I felt we were always responsible with money, but both of us realized that the future moved quickly and neither one of us felt prepared for it.  We had debt like everyone else did, but didn't think anything of it because we were just like everyone else.  We didn't struggle for money, we paid our bills even a little extra on most, but we wondered how we were going to make it to retirement and be able to live comfortably.  We didn't live extravagantly; we have a house, a couple of motorcycles and nice belongings.

We had the debt to go with them as well, we still owed money on one of our cars and one of the motorcycles and had two mortgages which allowed us to buy the house we were in.  I had heard the commercials for the John Cummuta Transforming Debt Into Wealth System for quite some time, but thought it was too good to be true or that it was a debt consolidation program.

We got the program in January of 2008 and immediately made changes in our way of thinking about spending and credit.  We did not charge anything on our credit cards and have not used them since.  We began paying off debt and using our money to the best advantage.  I paid off a personal debt, the motorcycle, and a credit card, which added up to almost $25,000 all within the first few months of the program.

We began the TDIW program in January of 2008.  We began with Prosper Learning in March of 2008.  We have seen our total debt drop by almost $30,000 in that time.  We have paid off a motorcycle, a credit card, and personal debt.  We have begun a bi-weekly payment plan on our mortgages and have changed things around to squeeze every penny out of every source that we can.  

We are on track to eliminate our short term debt within 3 to 4 yrs and the mortgages should be paid off within 2 to 3 yrs after that.  We hope to accelerate this process as much as we can, and shorten those times even more.

Val S. & Holly Z.
Frederick, CO

We Now Have a Positive Financial Balance

Once I ordered the Transforming Debt Into Wealth system, I realized that this may be something that could help.  It wasn’t until we actually set aside some time to speak with the financial coaches that I realized how much we would have to change our attitudes and mindset in order to make a difference.  I admit that I had not even opened the box for the system until after I began talking to the coaches (it sat unopened for a couple of weeks).  We were living the life of being too busy for this or that, but somehow hoped things would just change one day.  Once we sacrificed a few hours here and there to speak with some of the representatives and coaches from Prosper, we decided to invest into the program beyond just the basic plan (we would need as much help as possible). 

Our financial coach was very patient, understanding, and encouraging.  We quickly learned that in order to change our situation, we would have to want to change first, work together second, and learn and understand more about the power of our money, which includes where it is going.  Through the sessions with our financial adviser, the CDs we received in our package, and some of the online classes, I must say that we are beginning to make progress.  It’s just so amazing how aware of our spending we have become and I guess it is more shocking of how unaware of our money flow we really were. 

Now we have become more money conscience and make more informed decisions about our spending which has caused us to already go from a negative balance at the end of each month to a positive one.  Our Debt Free Date is Aug 2019 currently.  We are also going to begin to implement more strategies that can help us reduce our debt even faster and accumulate wealth.

Samuel & Kiana W.
White Plains, NY

We Have Paid Off Our Suburban and Finished Q2 12% Ahead

Right now we are only doing the debt elimination program.  Our suburban was paid off last month and we used the accelerator margin this month for a family camping vacation.  We now have $1,065 for an accelerator margin, and should be on track for debt elimination on April 2012.  

I received my first bonus check, which helped us pay off the suburban a month early, and I completed Q2 12% ahead which means at the end of August I should have another boost to the plan.  The bad news is that my wood products customers (@70% of my customer base) is falling apart and requiring HUGE amounts of my time.

We put our Prosper program on administrative hold until I can get some stability and time to continue the e-commerce program.  The next debt to be eliminated is our mortgage, so it’ll be a while.

David D.
Spokane, WA

You Have Helped Me to Take Action

This program has been a most uplifting experience for me.  When we began, I could not see how I was going to be able to gain any more efficiency in my spending and outflow of cash.  I was feeling the gamut of emotions -trapped, frustrated, depressed and really scared.

Before starting this program, I had worked hard to realize financial efficiencies in my budget.  I certainly could not see any way to have more than $200 at the very most for additional money to apply to my debt.  I now believe I will be able to apply double that amount.

You have helped me see things in a different light.  To begin with, I now see my purchases differently.  I am taking my time and really thinking about my spending.  No more impulse buys.  I am still perfecting this, but my mindset has definitely changed.  You have helped me find additional savings in places I had looked before but was blind to what was staring me in the face.  My tax withholding and cell phone bills are prime examples and I am evaluating all my monthly expenses for hidden costs.

I had read books on money and being debt free, but you were able to steer me to the right books to help me (I hope you can give me an all inclusive list to continue in the future as you know I love reading so much).

Finally, you have helped me maintain my motivation and to take action.  I have learned and accomplished so much in the past few weeks that I do not want to stop these coaching sessions.

I see now that I can achieve financial independence in just over 5 years which has brought me hope.  I certainly have the determination to see it through.  There is light at the end of this tunnel!

Patti H.
Beavercreek, OH

I Am Excited to Pay Down My Mortgage

I joined the program mainly because of my business finances.  I specifically asked if this program would be helpful in this area and they assured me it would.  I had incurred debt over the Christmas season that I was unable to pay off due to lower sales and two very slow months in January and February.

I became very frustrated with my cash flow, and the fact that I am preparing to sell the business and want it to look good as it is a viable business in our community.  I began to search for a support service that would help me with my overall finances.

I joined this program for that purpose, as well as helping me to see a brighter future financially.  Being that I am sole owner, the debt is mine regardless.  I started with a personal Master Card debt of $1600 in the Month of May which is paid off as off today.

I have started my own personal cash flow management which has enabled me to find money at the end of the month to pay down the Master Card.  I have also reinstated a Cash flow management for the business which is taking longer than I would like; however, it is definitely making me more aware of the need for better management.

I am excited about the fact that I will pay down my mortgage and I have a goal for this for January 2011.  The Transforming Debt into Wealth tapes were most helpful.  My coach has made me aware of the need for reviewing insurance policies, lowering interest on debts, and putting money to work for me.

Steve & Ruth J.
Wainwright, AB, Canada

This Will Allow Me to Invest in My Future

This is week #10 and it's been a fantastic ride so far.  I just paid off my ex-wife last week—$2,000.  My 'Ax Number’ is $600 and Sears is next in line.  I am still visualizing the spending compass, reading, journaling, applying all that I've learned, and living well below my means.

My financial blueprint says December of 09 is my debt free date.  That will allow me to invest in my future big time. That's exciting.
Thanks for the tools you've given me to make that possible.

Phil S.
Magnolia, IL

My Coach is Not Only My Coach, He is My Friend

I have an interesting story about why I joined the TDIW system.  I work second shift at a local stone quarry.  After getting off work at about 2:00am, Saturday morning, and having to be back to work by 6a.m., I was shot.  I was driving home flat exhausted when I heard John Cummuta’s commercial on my car radio.  I wrote the number down on a pizza box in the passenger seat.  I called the following week and ordered the program, but did not get started right away.  BIG MISTAKE!!

I have since got an awesome coach, I have paid off three bills, and I have a totally different outlook on my finances and my future.  This program is so exciting.  I’m a single man, one income I owed close to $150,000 dollars when I started this course in the middle of April 2008.  Read this carefully:  My get out of debt date is March of 2012!!

This is no joke.  I would also like to add my income varies from $35,000 to $45,000.  What I’m getting at is you don’t have to go get a second job.  Use your money!  All you need is a want to, to be out of debt and a great coach.

My coach is not only my coach; he is my friend.  I revealed to him that I had a bad drinking problem.  I expected him to say get your personal life in check then get back to me.  That didn’t happen.  He has been in this battle with me all along and man you talk about a ton of money saved since I quit.  

My coach has also got me from being floundering in debt to being a debt eliminating steam roller.  I could write all day about this course it is so exciting.

If you are not in this class and you want to be out of debt quick, STOP WASTING TIME AND MONEY.  JOIN!!

Tim A.
Bloomington, IN

This Course is a Real Eye Opener

I'd like to take a moment to answer the testimonial questions and say a little about our experience.  My wife and I were a little skeptical at first with so many programs promising wealth.  However, after starting the program we realized that the program wasn't promising magic, just common sense.  It truly was a pleasure having our debt elimination coach.   Our coach is very knowledgeable and very easy to work with.  Our only regret so far is that we won't have him as our wealth building coach.

This course is a real eye opener as far as where your money goes and that you can have a comfortable life just by doing very simple things.  Our reason for joining the program was that like many couples we felt buried by debt, but after the first couple classes it really seemed possible to be debt free.  My wife and I learned a great deal about cash vs. credit and gaining the right mind set to become debt free.  

Our personal achievements have been paying off credit cards and starting two different businesses as well as a weight being lifted now knowing that we can be debt free.

The biggest change that we have made is not using credit cards unless you truly need to, NOT want to.  We are very excited to move into the wealth building class and truly now look forward to the future, thanks to this program and our coach and all of his help.  

Scott P.
Mt. Pleasant, OH

We Will Save $46,894

We are going to save $46,894 from transferring a high interest balance on a credit card to a lower interest credit card!  We just saved $5100 by applying for tuition aid for our children's private school.  God truly blessed us since we can the most we can receive in aid is 50% which is what we received.  We had hoped for 20%!

Our personal payoff date is July 2013.

Jared & Heidi R.
Chaska, MN

We Have Already Paid Off Two of Our Credit Cards

The reason my wife Sherri and I joined up with you was because of your commercial on the radio.  Before the program, my wife and I were living pay check to pay check and that is still about the same today, but what is different is that when we needed money we would pull out the credit cards to solve our problems.  We wondered how we would ever retire and if we would ever be able to enjoy a stress free life.

What we have learned so far, is that like you, we see the credit cards as our enemy now- not our friends.  They were eating us up alive.

What we have achieved thus far is that not once since we have started have we used any one of our credit cards and as to date have paid off two of our credit cards and will pay another one off this month.  We did have a cash flow emergency where in the past we would have pulled out the card, but this time we adjusted our accelerator margin to cover the expense and then the following month proceeded on course.  What we have achieved so far is that we now can see that there really is a possibility for us to retire before were to old to enjoy it and that we can also retire and help our children with college etc.

The changes in our approaches in spending are huge we really think about all purchases and if we don't have it we don't get it, it's that plain and simple my wife and I want to break these chains A.S.A.P. and we are embracing your program and staff whole heartedly.

Mike & Sherri W.
San Ramon, CA

I Appreciate Your Help on My Road to Being Debt Free

Since I signed up with TDIW program in April 2008, I paid 2 loans—a car and a timeshare.  I hope to sell the timeshare in the near future (with some luck) so I don't have to keep paying for the maintenance fees.  I am still working on paying the student loan, equity loan, and mortgage.

I greatly appreciate your help and input in my road to being debt free.

Gemma G.
Livermore, CA

OUR FIRST MILESTONE

We have completed our first month of coaching sessions and celebrated our first paid-in-full debt this week.  It was a modest amount, but the small minimum payment would have taken 26 years to pay off.  WE DID IT WITHIN ONE MONTH!!!!!  Now we move to the next target creditor.

My wife and I have been most surprised by the process of changing our thinking regarding how we manage our resources.  We realized that like many others we had bought into the credit lifestyle and accepted that we would always owe someone.  We now understand that we can and will end the costly debt burden and take back our lives.  Why can't we be millionaires?

Dan & Darlene F.
Florence, SC

Captain of an Oil Supply Boat Begins His Voyage to Financial Freedom

I purchased the TDIW program and shortly thereafter went back to work offshore, as a Captain on an oilfield supply boat, before receiving the program.  I did nothing with it until the next work schedule but when I finally took it with me and started going through it I was sold.  

While on vacation the next time home I interviewed for Prosper while my girlfriend enjoyed the pool at a hotel we were staying in near the beach in Florida.  What a way to spend a vacation, but I was motivated after receiving a call to explain the program to me and help me get oriented into the TDIW concept.  In a few short months I have an accelerator margin of $2,000 and have increased my 401k contributions from 6% to 15% and contributions to an ESPP plan thru work from 5%-10% for the next 6 month period.  I will cash out the 5% ESPP with about a 40% gain next month and add it to my accelerator margin.

I will do this when each ESPP period matures. Let me back up and say that although we are taught, in most circumstances, that it is better to pay down debt before going over what my company is matching me in my 401k that I am in a high tax bracket whereas this will save me from losing about 37% on the higher end of my income. Being that none of my debt interest rates are anywhere near this I thought it a good move.

On the other hand my coach over and over during our last session told me I needed to stick to the TDIW system more than expanding my Cabin rental B&B, at least for now, and his persistence got through to me.  I realize I will be much better prepared to expand and invest once my debt is under control.  I am listing my monthly expenses as well and it has been eye opening to say the least.  And after listing my Mortgage on my property ($157,000.00) and 8 other combined debts in the TDIW program, the total is about $250,000.00 between secure and unsecured debt.  I can be debt free in as little as 4.5 years with my current margin but can probably do better soon as sales increase and my salary does as well.

David J.
Bogalusa, LA

My Husband and I Are Now Partners in Every Sense of the Word

We are Steve and Pat from LaVernia, Texas.  We have been married for the past twenty-five years.  We have two grown children and I guess you could call us ‘middle-aged’.  For the first part of our marriage, I took care of paying the bills and for second part, Steve has been paying the bills.  As a couple we rarely talked about money except that we didn’t have very much or don’t spend any more until payday.  I just hated the word ‘budget’ and Steve learned not to use the word with me.  So, as I said we just didn’t talk about money.  Now that we are getting closer to retirement age, we both were getting concerned about having enough money for our retirement years.  Even though we both had investments through our jobs, teacher retirement fund and possibly social security the future just didn’t look real promising for retirement anytime soon.

Steve heard about the Transforming Debt into Wealth System and purchased the manuals and discs.  He read the system manual and started to put into practice what John Cummuta had outlined.  He started making an accelerator payment on our daughter’s car.  Then he tried to explain the system to me.  I said that I was willing to try.  Then we received an invitation to apply for counseling sessions and the ability to listen to experts explain financial strategies in online elective courses. We applied.

However, once again I thought ‘oh, boy!  Another way to do a BUDGET’ Steve and I were accepted into the program.  Through counseling, elective courses, reading, talking about money and starting a fledgling business on line we now understand a little more about financial matters.  We track our money spent.  We apply the accelerator principle to paying bills and we now talk with each other about money.  By no means is it easy.  There are monthly occurrences that are unexpected, but we are now better equipped to handle the financial aspects of living day to day.  We have an eBay business which we started in the beginning of July 2008 which our entire family is working to make a success.

The calculations from the program indicate that we should be entirely out of debt by February of 2014.  However this is a little deceiving because we are bringing in extra money with our new business and adding the income to the accelerator payment should help knock more time off of our February 2014 debt free date.  So what do Steve and I like about this program?  We are now partners in every sense of the word.  We talk money; whether it is good or bad.  We have set up a record keeping system which is easily understood by us.  We have found success all ready in that we have paid off one credit card debt and our next short term goal is in sight: we hope to have one of our vehicles paid off by Christmas time this year.  The Transforming Debt into Wealth Program has given us a bright outlook to the retirement years--completely out of debt and we are looking forward to being millionaires!

Steve & Pat R.
Lavernia, TX

We Will Save $60,000 in Interest Charges by Following this Program

We joined the program because our financial situation seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.  We were stuck in vehicle contracts that seemed to grow every year.  We were spending foolishly without any control; we could not save any money or pay down our debts.  By joining the program, we hoped we could learn how to be financially responsible.  By tracking our expenses and income we learned where our money was going in doing so we found the cash we were wasting could be placed on our debt.  

We also learned the snowball effect of concentrating on one debt at a time and turning that payment on the next debt.  We have achieved a new understanding of debt and income management.  We learned the importance of being frugal and living below our means in 2 months we paid down 2 credit cards and 1 sears credit card totaling $3900.00 using what we were taught. 

We also reduced our mortgage time from 5 yrs 11 months to 2 yrs 3 months using information gained from the program.  Our debt free date is 5 yrs 2 months.  We will be saving $60,000 in interest charges.  We hope to restart our business, a home based catalog product business. 

By using the program, our personal finances will improve to enable us to save and invest in our future.  We are working towards retirement for my wife in the near future. 

Gary T.
Liverpool, NS, Canada

A Goal Worth Working Toward

We began the program lost and burdened.  We felt there was no hope and no future.  The weight of our finances being out of control was exhausting.

Since starting the program, we have revealed a lot of wrong thinking and bad attitudes, in many areas, including money.  We have begun to develop a budget and for the first time ever, have spent less than we brought in.

We are learning about risk management and are adjusting in the places that need attention.  It is fun to learn how to invest in ourselves.  The one on one coaching is a godsend and the electives are fantastic.  We feel challenged and encouraged about where we have been and where we are going.

We have a long way to go, but we feel free and motivated to continue learning, growing, and reaching forward.  We will be out of debt in 11 years, or less, and just knowing that gives us a goal worth working toward.  We feel so much better.

This is a great experience.

Vince & Shelley Q.
Montclair, CA

We Can Now Take Time to Smell the Roses

When we first received the box from John Cummuta with the TRANSFORMING DEBT into WEALTH SYSTEM MANUAL, with CD’s, DVD’s, and other manuals, I was very upset. But we had talked about how we could ever get our debts paid in our life time, and we knew we did not have the answer! Bob had heard the advertisement on talk radio as he was driving, called the number, and said we could at least take a look & see what their plan was all about. We put the beginning DVD on, listened as we were looking through some of the materials and realized it was making sense.

We immediately started making a list of all our debts, payments, interest rates, total amounts owed, and our total monthly income! Now we were getting excited that we possibly could pay off our debts in our life times, and this was very good news! We read in the manual about how to determine which debt to concentrate on first, determined what we could probably use as our Accelerator Margin, and were ready to get started!! We used the formula in the manual and have made 2 accelerated payments on the debt it said we should use. However, since we have the DEBT FREE FOR WINDOWS installed now, it has shown us some different ways to figure things and we will be making the accelerated payment on a different debt starting this month! But we have been really excited about how much we have paid down on the one debt we started 2 months ago!! Our plan could change, but we for right now can see that we will be debt free in 9 years. This will save us over $146,000 by doing it John’s way. We see we are losing $1357 in lost savings by delaying the plan. We will sell off our rental home in the future which will make our debt free date even sooner. We can actually see light at the end of the tunnel of debt, we just pray we have the health to work the plan as presented and truly be ‘Debt Free’ in a few years!!

One of the biggest obstacles to us has been the home-work, trying to get some of the classes recommended and keeping up on the reading! Bob works 5 days and 6 nights a week! I work 2 days a week and go with him at least 2 nights a week to help drive and be together!! We have to keep this schedule to make everything work as planned for the present time! This is why we are excited about getting out of debt & being able to relax & enjoy one another and our new home. Which is another issue, we moved the first of May and there is much to be done to make this OUR home, inside and out!! Time is a premium in our lives and we do not have the energy level we had 40 years ago!! As we have told each person we talked with in connection with this program---we will be wealthy when we can slow down or even quit working altogether and be able to "stop and smell the roses"!!

Thank you for providing us a plan to be able to see our dreams come true on this earth, & as we work the plan, we will continue to serve our Lord & Savior here until He calls us to our Heavenly Home!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!

Bob & Sue M.
Ellenton, FL

We Went from a Negative $600/Month Cash Flow to a Positive $600/Month Cash Flow

We began this program in April 2008 with $328,000 in debt.  Since that time and with you help and guidance, we have paid off $17,900 in debt and have gone from a negative $600 monthly cash flow to a positive $600 monthly cash flow.  We are on a cash only basis now.  Since April we have also paid $3800 for repairs to our A/C system without having to use any credit.  We have also paid several hundred dollars of dentist procedures without credit.

I am making some additional overtime and am working to pay down our next debt over the next 3-4 months.  Tammy and I believe we may have settled on a business to start, but I have a little more research to do first.  We should be ready to begin working with our wealth coach in the next week or two.  I will send you an update monthly going forward with our progress.  Our anticipated total debt-free date is August 2015.  We intend to find a way to cut that time by at least 50%.

Thanks for all your help and encouragement.

Rick & Tammy S.
Gonzales, LA

We Appreciate the Wealth of Information Contained in the Course

After studying for several weeks, we have both come to appreciate the wealth of information that is contained in the course.  The course is comprehensive and is made up of discussions based on assignments and current questions related to our reading assignments.  Thus far, we have been able to read the assigned pages in the Start Late, Finish Rich book, the Workbook and the Binder and have come to a basic understanding of what should be done to make positive financial changes.

We are happy to know that the information is available to us on the WebSite.  Unfortunately, we have time constraints that prevent us from being as aggressive as we should in the program.  The following are some of the benefits that we have garnered from the excellent coaching given by our coach who should be commended for his friendly and professional attitude, as well as his knowledge of the material.

We have called and negotiated with credit card companies to obtain a lesser interest rate and removed a pone line from our home.  We have also downgraded CABLE-TV services to basic programs and charted out expense sheets for the home for the months of May, June, and have initiated July, 2008 (Journal of Expenses).  From these and other changes we created a Latte Factor of $800-$1000.  We will use this money to apply towards debts and savings following the DOLP ranking chart that we completed.

So far we already paid off lesser credit cards for businesses such as Home Depot, Radio Shack, and J.C. Penney and put away the major credit cards and use cash or debit cards, if needed.  We also paid off one bank loan for Noel.

Overall, the coaching was excellent!

Noel & Anna L.
St Thomas, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Thanks for Just the Beginning of this Journey

This past week has had me doing many things that I would not have done before these coaching classes.  I lowered my cable bill by $60 I lowered my phone bill by $60.  I called my credit card companies and got my Visa card to lower my interest rate from 13.99% to 4.99% by paying off the current balance of $1,800 (which I got a tax refund of $1,000 from my husband and my $600 tax refund to do just that) and transferring the $12,000 balance from Mastercard with a 15.99% interest rate. 

So, now I will have consolidated $12,000 to a card with 4.99% interest, and have another card with $7,000 with 8.8% interest....yippee!!

Getting my one file drawer organized has been a big accomplishment.  I still have a ways to go, but I now feel like I am going in the right direction and if I can make these kinds of changes in a week, what more can I do....anything!!!

Thanks for just the beginning of this journey.

Karen M.
Akron, OH

The Coaching Program is the Best Feature of Prosper Learning!

The coaching program is the best feature of Prosper Learning!  Having a live person to talk to has really increased my interest in the course.  

I have given up on so many self-learning courses because there was no one to talk to if I had a problem I could not fix myself.  I enjoy how and what Prosper Learning has done to encourage people to really look at themselves and discover how they can control their finances to become debt free.

Marsha M.
McCormick, SC

One-on-One Coaching Provides Much Needed Motivation

Judy and I learned many things – some that we already knew about but never tried, some new and easy to check on or get started with, and many other ideas, cost saving measures, hints and an enormous amount of information, websites and resources to continue our learning.

We have made some easy changes in our finances that will add up over time, including tracking our spending, paying off a car loan and investing the monthly payment, reviewing and adjusting (lowering) auto and house insurances, adjusting a mortgage to bi-weekly, and shopping with coupons and sales.  We are looking forward to implementing your bigger, more involved suggestions in many areas of our lives also, including reviewing our investment portfolios, and aggressively pursuing additional real estate investments.

Next week we start our consultations with our Real Estate coach, although I need to talk to him or someone sooner than that! I have several properties that I crunched the numbers on but am having difficulties coming up with the required down payment of 20% to 25%. I don’t want to cash in any retirement funds for this and need other options. I still have not found an investment club here in Vermont or in nearby New York or New Hampshire.

We are continuing to work the program into our lives but need more motivation that the one-on-one sessions provide us. We look forward to learning and earning more, paying off our debts!

Thanks for the help so far and we look forward to staying in touch with you.

Peter & Judy H.
Waterbury Center, VT

Ready for the next step

I wanted to take a little time to say thank you for the coaching sessions.  Phil and I have been on the program for 6 months now and have paid off 3 credit cards totaling about 7 thousand dollars.  Our accelerator margin is now $1300 dollars and we continue to press towards our future debt free world.  With our debt at around $300,000 with mortgage and cars we will be debt free by 1st Qtr of 2014.  That is only 5 years!

The biggest lesson for us has been that we view money so differently now.  Everything we purchase is with cash and all cards have been cut up except for one.  Although we are not quite ready to invest money because we are focused on the margin, we most definitely look forward to putting our money to work rather than giving our money to our creditors so they can continue to get richer.  We look forward to starting our own business with the help of our future coaching.

Philip K.
Thornton, CO

Our Future is Bright and Ours to Grow

Chris and I joined the coaching program because we are tired of living paycheck to paycheck.  Chris works out of town all the time and I ‘m bored with my current job of 10 years.  I knew this program would teach us to manage our expenses and help with our cash flow, which will help eliminate our dept.

Since we have been with Prosper, we have learned to track our expenses daily and to reduce our expenses weekly and monthly.  We have reduced our monthly expenses by $700 so far.  We have done this by shopping smart, not eating out as much, firing the pool guy, not going to the nail saloon, and canceling credit card insurances.  We are shooting for a $1200 accelerator margin, that we will start applying to our dept in September.

Our dept free date is September 2013, but we are striving for September 2012.  Our main goal is to become dept free, but in the mean time we are going to learn other ways to gain income.  Whether it may be the internet or something else not sure right yet.  We are still learning and applying everything we have learned so far, the changes in our lives have been rewarding and we will continue to change.  We thank you so much for all you help our future is bright and is ours to grow.

Kim & Chris L.
Sweeney, TX

We Will Be Out of Debt in 7 Years, Including Our Mortgage

When my wife and I started the program, we were over $192,000 in debt. We would have been paying on our mortgage until I would have been almost 80 years old, not seeing retirement in our future anytime soon.

Our coach showed us how to save on our auto insurance & our home owners insurance. We didn't think that we had any extra money left at the end of the month to put back for an accelator margin. Our coach helped us by having us keep track of every penny we were spending & we were able to start an accelator margin to help us pay off our debts sooner than making the minium payments.

We have already made sizeable payments on our debt load and will be totally out of debt in 7 years or less including our mortgage. It feels GREAT to finally see progress and light at the end of the tunnel instead of a train coming at us. We highly recommend this program to anybody who is serious about getting out of debt & having finanical security.

Stephen & Charlene S.
Lebanon, PA

I Will Save $63,751 in Interest Charges Because of this Program

I have learned to be more confident in my plans and ideas.  This program has only reconfirmed my belief to pay with cash.  I have paid off my single credit card and almost all of my education loan.

I have focused on my financial status, and really started planning for my retirement instead of avoiding it.  I will be saving $63,751 in interest because of the program.  I will be debt free in 12 years and 10 months, and then will save $1,237/month for retirement.

Sue S.
Lakeland, FL

We Have Saved $2,096 to Date in Interest Charges

The most significant thing I have learned that I can do this and not be mired in worries about how the bills are going to get paid.  By applying what I have learned, I am steadily paying down debt in spite of the roadblocks.

We have saved $2,096 to date in interest.  Actually I feel that this is much greater because we refinanced our mortgage in April at 5.75% APR to pay off the $45K in credit card debt we had.  The interest rates on those ranged from 9% to 15%.  Now the entire accelerator can go to the low interest mortgage.

I will be debt free Mar 2016.  Saving 6 years 10 months.  Interest saved $30K.  Saving for retirement for that 6 yrs 10 months = $206K.  We are already retired and have $75K in our IRAs.  A more important issue for us is what to do financially now that we are retired, getting out of debt is a no-brainer and using money that could be saved makes perfect sense.  We feel that our income is 'safe' unless the federal government goes defunct since our income comes from that source.

Kathleen & Jim L.
Vernon, AZ

We Have Erased About $10,000 of Debt

When Steve and I first enrolled into the Transforming Debt into Wealth program, we must admit, as much as we wanted it to work, we were a bit worried and skeptical.  As educators, it just didn’t seem like we would ever be out of debt.  But now we can see it more clearly that it is going to be possible for us to not only get out of debt, but also to feasibly build up enough wealth to live a decent retirement.

We have been involved in the training for about seven weeks now and already we have seen considerable changes.  First change had to take place with our mindset and dependence on credit.  As of today, we have erased about $10,000 previous debt by selling assets.

According to our schedule, we will be out of debt by January of 2016, eight years from now.  With an understanding of applying acceleration margin of 300 each month and increasing our income in creative ways, like having a garage sale generating $360, we believe that debt will be eliminated even sooner.  Then the fun will begin of building our future wealth accumulation into the millions. Yes!

Kay & Steve F.
New Caney, TX

I Have Less Stress Now Because I Am On the Right Track

Before I contacted Prosper Learning, my expenses were a mess.  I had lived most of my adult life with a tiny mortgage relative to my income, so I didn't need to budget.  I did have some good money saving habits, like never having a car payment (buy old, pay cash), but I always had enough of a buffer than any 'crisis' could be handled by dialing back on the frivolity for a month.

In late 2006, I bought a new house, mostly because I wanted the land (12 acres) and it was next to most of my friends, and instead of selling my old house, I started renting it to my brother.  Now my monthly expenses were high enough that each 'crisis' was put on the credit card (brother lost job, so no rent income; tax bills and repairs on both houses; insurance bills for my small side business; etc).

I started with Prosper as a way to add some financial discipline to what I was doing.  It has helped by letting me find where I have been "nickel and diming" myself.  The debt free for windows software says I should be debt free (including the main mortgage) by Nov 2024, and I have been paying an extra 430 a month to the main credit card to drive it down faster (If I keep it up, should be paid off by May 2021).  It also says I will save $167,418 in interest payments.

I have less stress because I know I am going in the right direction, and I can plan for some of the “crises”, instead of getting spun up when they arrive. I would like to concentrate on marketing my current small business for my next session.

Stuart T.
King George, VA

I Have Paid Off Nearly 3 Credit Cards

Since I signed up to do this program, I have paid off 2 smaller credit card and half of a $5,000 credit card.  I am constantly looking at how to get out of debt faster.  I also have sold 2 household unused items on eBay.  I will be going through the house now to see what else I can sell.

I have submitted my papers needed to get additional credentials for my Daycare business.  This should bring more income into my business.  However, I will be loosing 2 children on Aug. 25th.  But I have already gained 1 additional child, pay is higher with one child from one family and my youngest son will start to pay board to me in Sept.  So I actually come out ahead of the game. Less work, more pay.

Christine H.
Belcamp, MD

I Have Paid Off 3 Major Debts Since Starting this Program

I joined the financial coaching program with the goal of obtaining the fundamental tools and principles that would lead me to a life of prosperity and debt freedom.  I have learned several things while participating in this program.

One of the most important principles that I have learned is that it does not matter how much money you make, but how you manage your money.  I have started to track my spending, thinking consciously about every purchase.  I primarily shop with cash with my debit/check card.  Credit cards have become a thing of the past for me.

I have paid off three major debts since starting this program.  My goal is to continue on this path.  I am currently looking into alternate career opportunities so that I can accelerate my debt pay offs.

My goal is to become totally debt free in the next 5 yrs and establish a successful career in real estate investing.  I have found that I have possessed the fundamental principles needed to live a debt free life all along...I just needed someone or something to open my eyes.
 
H.W.
Charleston, SC

Thank You for Giving Us a Bright Future

My husband Todd and I invested in the coaching program just 4 short weeks ago but we are already well on our way to financial freedom.  We have goals, the desire to become financially independent, and have learned many ways to decrease spending.

As of right now our debt free date is March 2012, but I know it will happen sooner than that.  We are excited about our future and what it will hold for our family.  The coaching program gives us that little push and reassurance that we need each week to stay on track toward our ultimate goal to be financially free and happily jobless, working for ourselves instead.  Thank you TDIW for giving us such a bright future!!

Angela S.
Harrisville, OH

I Can't Even Imagine How Bad Off We Would Be Without this Program

Coaching has definitely helped us.  The accountability has kept me on track until the new habits are truly learned.  It is also nice to know I have my coach I can call or email when I have questions.

We are doing pretty well.  We have switched over to all cash which is HUGE for us because it means we aren’t getting farther into the hole every month.  I really feel like I have something I can focus on.  I have trouble putting a number on my latte factor, (Our initial goal is set for $125 per month) at the same time I know that we would not be where we are if we weren’t at least trying to have a latte factor.  I can’t even imagine how bad off we would be without this program.

My next goal is to continue working with my directors at Mary Kay and get a plan of action so I can increase my income and put it completely toward debt reduction.  I am really excited about that. I just can’t wait. Our goal is to have almost all of the credit card debt wiped out by the end of 2009!

Kelly T.
Glen Burnie, MD

We Have Paid Off Almost 4 Credit Cards

We have been very successful since we started the program.  By implementing only a few of the ideas from the program we have identified our $500 latte factor, by using the expense tracker.  Using the Latte Factor we have paid off 3.8 credit cards.  WOOOHOOO!

We no longer have the need for instant gratification; we haven't charged anything in 2 months!  Can you believe that???  Don't think we saw that one coming.  We have also opened a money market checking account.  We save $10 a day and haven't even missed it!  That's $300 a month.  WOW!

We have also learned to get rid of high interest credit lines (cards) by transferring to lower rates and we started a small business (Total Turn Services), we saw a need for quality turnkey service with the management company that we own a part of.

By now we have begun to despise interest rates and want to get to the point where we are not paying any interest at all.  We have also learned that the way we used credit in the past (for instant gratification) was not beneficial to us at all.  Now we will use credit as a vehicle to drive us to our future retirement plans (investing in real estate).

Nichole and I are like different people now; we think more of the future than we did before.  Instead of focusing on how much debt we have, we now focus on what's the next card we are going to pay off.  We save more, pay down debt, and still do the things we enjoy (eating out, going to the movies).

Our debt payoff plan consists of paying one card at a time, which keeps us focused on the task (paying off debt) at hand. We know it will not happen overnight, but it will happen for us!  We have learned that you CAN pay off debt save and do the things you enjoy by finding the leaks and fixing them.  It's not about making more money, it has become being wise with the money you do have, anything extra is bonus (more debt can be paid off, or more saving for retirement).

Terri N. & Nichole M.
Hoover, AL

We Are Enjoying the Process of Becoming Empowered

We lead a very intense, busy life here in the Silicon Valley.  For last 7 years or so, we have been immersed in raising our children, running a household, running our successful, yet high maintenance practice, taking care of our staff and referrals, and getting rooted in the community.

Our toughest challenge was finding the time to devote to our financial progress.  It seemed impossible to take on more when we feel like our plate is always way too full. But we knew that we cannot put off our financial health any longer.  So after talking to our consultant, we decided to make the commitment to the coaching program.

With the encouragement, support, and accountability of our coach, we are making excellent progress toward our financial goals.  We feel liberated from the rat race, empowered to take charge of our financial health, and excited about our future.

We love working with Charlie because he consistently give us his BEST, regardless of what his day may have been like.  He seems to genuinely care about our success and well-being.  He always listens and explains patiently and respectfully.

He has a high personal standard, and it reflects in his high standard of care for his students/clients.  He is positive, giving, trustworthy, insightful, considerate, and humble.  We sincerely look forward to our session with him each week.  And we always feel more motivated, encouraged, and empowered after our session.

Since we started the coaching program, we have established regular discussions about finance and creatively made time for on-going financial education and application.  Most importantly, we are enjoying the process of becoming empowered.  We have greatly increased our knowledge, insight, and awareness on financial management and wealth building via coaching, webinars, books, and CDs’.  We have also automated most of our deposits and payments and pay ourselves first.  From coaching we have also learned stock market investing basics, tax strategies, and real estate investing.

We have now got started on real estate investing and selected the area and the type of real estate investment we want to focus on, found a RE agent who is motivated and experienced with working with investors in our chosen area, and contacted a couple of mortgage brokers for good faith estimate.

Since we do not carry credit card debt, we plan to apply an extra $18K annual latte factor to our real estate holdings.  Over the next 90 days, we want to accomplish finding a great team for our real estate investing business, Start a business entity (LLC) for our RE investing business, Get prequalified and find out how much we can borrow, Order a free credit report to find out our scores and to make sure there is no error of any kind, find more RE professionals and obtain recommendation of property management companies, home repair/improvement team, mortgage brokers, and etc. Start investment for our kids (Roth IRA &/or non-retirement account) and find a great financial advisor!

Nadia N. & Joseph K.
Menlo Park, CA

There is a More Relaxed Atmospher at Home

Prior to coaching program, my husband and I did not have a good handle on our spending habits.  Also, we did not communicate very well in regards to finances.  Through the coaching program, we have learned to set goals for ourselves in regards to monthly spending for groceries, etc to have a better cash flow.  We have set a goal for ourselves to become debt free in about 7 years.  We have a better understanding of where our money goes each month and we work on the finances together.

By taking the coaching program, it has helped us emotionally.  We get along better and there is a more relaxed atmosphere at home.

Charles & Mary S.
Millersville, MD

For the First Time We Have Actually Been Able to Think About Retiring

Before we started this, we were living paycheck to paycheck, sometimes using our savings to pay bills, just getting by.  We stupidly charged on our charge cards, never thinking about all the interest we were paying for the merchandise.

Thanks to Prosper and Transforming Debt into Wealth we now have an emergency fund, have paid off our truck and are paying our bills down.  We found that we had far to much life insurance and were having too much in federal taxes withheld from our checks.  We now have a lot more income to work with.  We will be debt free in Nov 2015 and for the first time we have actually been able to think about retiring.

Peter & Betsy F.
Dallas, NC

I Am Proud of Myself for Signing Up for this Program

Prior to joining this program, my finances were completely out of control.  I had incurred a lot of debt and it would have been worst now if I had not sought professional help.  It was difficult to get out of the debt circle on my own.  I felt hopeless and stressed out by the condition of my finances all the time, but it was not something I opened up to my family and friends.  I felt too embarrassed.  Frugality was a word I didn't understand.  I was living way beyond my means and helping people even if I couldn't afford it.  I realized that if I want to be financially independent, I have to learn to say NO to myself and to others.

I've learned many things in the TDIW program.  One thing I will value forever is the way that my mindset has changed when it comes to spending.  I'm learning to value the money I'm making for me and my future, not for show-off at the moment.

I've been tracking down all my expenses and trying my hardest to stay within my monthly spending plans.  When I go grocery shopping, I try to only get the things I need for the week and get out of the store as soon as possible.  I never realized that using coupons is fun and rewarding.  A big adjustment is for me is cooking more and bringing lunches to work rather than eating out everyday.  It freed up a lot of cash to add into my accelerator margin.

I'm very excited to share that in about two-weeks, I will be able to pay-off one of my credit cards and my car!  I can’t wait!  And in less than four years, I will be completely out of debt!  I can’t wait even more!

In conclusion, I'm really glad and proud of myself that I signed up for this program.  Although it's hard being frugal now, I'm so willing to do it because I know it will bring me a brighter future.  There are so many things I'd rather do with my life than working till I'm 65.  There has to be a better purpose in life.  I would like to be able to retire in 20-25 years.  I would like to travel abroad with family and friends and help plant churches all over the world.

Beth A.
San Mateo, CA

I Can Be Debt Free in Just Under 5 years

The John Cummuta program has been helping me tremendously.  Tracking my spending has really curbed unnecessary spending and has opened my eyes as to how much money I was throwing away.  When I calculated my debt payoff, I used a very conservative figure and found that I can be debt free in just under 5 years.

I've been interested in selling on eBay for a couple of years, and it wasn't until I met with my coach that I put the thought into action.  I've made a total gross profit $800 in just 2 weeks worth of listings.  With the extra income I hope to be able to cut the debt payoff time dramatically.

Rachel D.
Marshfield, MA

Debt Free Life on the Horizon

Earlier this year I was driving home when I heard an ad for the TDIW program.  I chuckled, but found myself writing the number down as the topic got me wondering why I was still in debt since my salary had almost doubled over the last 3 years and my business was growing at a modest 30%.

Granted, I was spending money on my business, but I realize now that I was a consumer of the worst magnitude and had only changed the direction of my spending, thankfully toward the North, but there was no method to my madness and credit to grow was hit or miss.

A mile or 2 up the road I was dialing the number and 10 miles later I had purchased the TDIW program and shortly thereafter went back to work offshore, as a Captain on an oilfield supply boat, before receiving the program.  I did nothing with it until the next work schedule, but when I finally took it with me and started going thru it I was sold. 

While on vacation the next time home I interviewed for Prosper while my girlfriend enjoyed the pool at a hotel we were staying in near the beach in Florida.  What a way to spend a vacation, but I was motivated after receiving a call to explain the program to me and help me get oriented into the TDIW concept. 

In a few short months I have an accelerator margin of $2,000 and have increased my 401k contributions from 6% to 15% and contributions to an ESPP plan thru work from 5%-10% for the next 6 month period.  I will cash out the 5% ESPP with about a 40% gain next month and add it to my accelerator margin.  I will do this when each ESPP period matures.  Let me back up and say that although we are taught, in most circumstances, that it is better to pay down debt before going over what my company is matching me in my 401k that I am in a high tax bracket whereas this will save me from losing about 37% on the higher end of my income.  Being that none of my debt interest rates are anywhere near this I thought it a good move.

On the other hand my coach over and over during our last session told me I needed to stick to the TDIW system more than expanding my cabin rental B&B, at least for now, and his persistence got thru to me.  I realize I will be much better prepared to expand and invest once my debt is under control.  I am listing my monthly expenses as well and it has been eye opening to say the least and after listing my mortgage on my property ($157,000) and 8 other combined debts in the TDIW program, the total is about $250,000 between secure and unsecure debt.  I can be debt free in as little as 4.5 years with my current margin but can probably do better soon as sales increase and my salary does as well.

Being a sailor for 27 years I have related my experience to being set adrift for many years at the whim of the currents and winds.  I have found some treasure along my trek westward but the winds have been variable at best. Before the TDIW and prosper program my course was turning a little more Northwesterly but I was still floundering. Lee and Jeremy spotted me on the horizon and I trusted and became indebted to them for their show of brotherhood on the turbulent sea I was in, but am confident that the few spoils I had to forfeit will come back to me on the next catch. Since the program I am now being towed more Northerly every day finding ever increasing islands of opportunity as some find me as well…my Rabbits are fat yellow fin Tuna and I expect they will be jumping into my boat a little more frequently now you could say. With all the positive thinking good things are happening and I have been approached by a local magazine that is doing a featured article on my Cabin rental business for July.  Talk about landing a big one!

David J.
Bogalusa, LA

Our Journey to Wealth

During the last week, September 10-15, 2008, we contacted our telephone company to discuss ways to lower our monthly bill.  We also contacted the natural gas company and got on a budget plan to enable us to pay the same monthly payment, making it easier to budget for.

I (Carmen) have continued to place items on eBay for sale and it has been a successful venture.  I am very excited about this small success.  Every step is bringing us closer and closer to our goal!!

Zenford & Carmen M.
Potomac, MD
 

Thumbs Up

I must admit, I was really skeptical as to how Tina and I would benefit from the financial coaching, but know I must admit it has really made a difference in our financial future.  I would have never thought that having someone "outside the box" looking for holes or weakness and that the concept of accountability could make such a difference.

The last 8 weeks has really fast tracked our way to financial independence.  We have accelerated our debt payoff by 30% and will be completely debt free (including the payoff of a 30 year mortgage) by 2017, and that is just the beginning.  We also  utilized some of the methods of asset protection and estate planning that I was unaware of, and have even started an online business (www.qualityprotectionproducts.com) just by utilizing the elective courses six weeks before our e-commerce coaching even starts.

Our coach has been really great and I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is seriously looking for ways to improve there situation.

Thomas & Tina J.
Wagoner, OK

Our First Six Weeks

Faced with mounting debt and impending financial disaster, Carmen and I were searching for something to help us get out of the mess we found ourselves in, and something that would help us achieve financial independence.  You see, we found ourselves in over a million dollars worth of debt (including our mortgage) and spending more then what we earned every month.
 
We were even borrowing money to pay our monthly bills.  I was driving home and heard a commercial about “Transferring Debt to Wealth Program” on the radio.  I had heard this commercial a week earlier but was unable to write down the information, as I was on the highway.  This time I was able to write down the number and I called it immediately.  After receiving an introductory package, I called the number in the package and was introduced to a coaching program called “Prosper Learning.”  I was skeptical at first, because the coaching program would put me into further debt and this was something I was trying to avoid.  After a long discussion, Carmen and I decided to join the program.

After being accepted into the program Carmen and I received one-on-one coaching.  We have been instructed to read the additional materials we received and to fill out not only a “ Financial Statement Suite” to track our daily and monthly expenditures, and a “Debt for Windows Program,” that enhances the program by showing us a full charting of our financial success and gives us options to reach our goals.

During the past six weeks, Carmen and I have received not only hope, but a vision showing us not only ways to get us out of debt, but we even have a date for financial independence.  This date is based on the “Debt for Windows Program,” is14 years and 1 month.  This will make me 72 years old, which is 21 years and 3 months ahead of time based on our present acceleration module rate (payoff amount).  This will be a saving of $583,223.  This date is calculated based on the current earnings and accelerator margin.  It does not take into account additional funds that will be available to increase the accelerator margin, thus getting us out of debt sooner.

The above good news is only the top of the iceberg. The change in attitude Carmen and I have experienced about finances and spending is the most important factor that has benefited us in this program. In the lessons we learned about the negative aspects of credit and how companies use various things to get us, the consumer, to spend our money and get deeper and deeper into debt. We realized that even-though we stated that we were not the type of people that would live our lives, keeping up with the Joneses, that is exactly what we were doing. Someone else was in-charge of what we wanted and how we spent our money. We learned how credit really worked, and how true millionaires really live. We learned how to manage our spending and how to stay out of the spending traps. We learned what assets were truly assets and what real liabilities were.

Based on the above lessons, we looked at things differently and made many changes in our life, our interests, and our spending habits. When our friend visited us the same week that he purchased his new Porsche Cayman, we could only see that he had paid too much, and the bad debt the dealership and credit company had put him in. This has caused us to look closely at our own future vehicle purchases and to make adjustments to purchase wisely and only when necessary.  We now view a car purchase as a liability and a true southern direction purchase. We only food shop with a list, and with coupons when available, surrounding our meals. We stopped eating out four to eight times a month. We evaluate any purchase on the bases of need, not want, or as we have been taught in the past, deserve. We are in the process of evaluating all of our expenses, such as, utilities, television, telephone and internet needs, and have placed ourselves on several budget programs and changed our usage. We have placed our three time shares on sale, now viewing them as liabilities instead of assets.

In my early years, I had actually established an acceleration margin, but never carried it to the point that we would be debt free. I stopped using this program after freeing myself of some credit card debt, to actually have to repeat this process time and time again. With this new outlook and the use of “Debt-Free for Windows Program,” we are attacking the high interest debts and working ourselves toward a debt free, financially successful lifestyle. As calculations show, this will leave us with amble funds for retirement and investments many years prior to our expectations.  Retirement is actually a reality now, and not something that we thought we could never achieve.

Based on the good news and the lessons we learned, we are attempting to pass these methods on to our children, family members and friends. If you would like to hear more of what we have learned and are doing, let us know.

Zenford & Carmen M.
Potomac, MD

Students Pay Off $17,000

Our plan to be Debt Free is based on an accelerator margin of $500 per month.  We will be Debt Free by March 2014, if we stay on plan.  So far we have zeroed the Visa credit card for Jay - $17,000. Also, we have increased payment margin to reduce Shakun’s Visa card BALANCE at $19,222. We have set aside $10,000 in savings for son who will be emigrating to South Africa, to start internship, part-time work and completing studies in Cape Town.  Some of our concerns are Jay’s job is ending in July, 2008 – and will need to find new job / contract work immediately. Savings buffer money will run out by August, so we need to cut down on expenses or sell home to square all debts pronto. We are working on 2 opportunities that were to close in July.  We are continuing with more job web site and media searches.  We see opportunities for both of us in ecommerce and would like further coaching in that area.

Jay & Shakun D.
Markham, ON, Canada

Thank You For Your Effective Coaching

My credit card debt wasn't going away fast enough when I joined the finish rich program.  I wanted more out of life and a map to retiring early but I wasn't sure how to get were I wanted to be.  The program taught me how to manage my money, turbo charged eliminating my debt and the benefits of paying myself first to the max.  I now contribute fifteen percent of my salary to my 401k, which is the maximum allowed by the company I work for.

My savings is now automatically deposited in a high yield money market account and my credit card DOLP date is January 31, 2009.  I'm looking forward to increasing my income by generating more customers needing PC repair, invitations, brochures and programs.

My goals are now more within my reach.  Thanks for your effective coaching!

Joann F.
Spartanburg, SC

We Are Very Impressed with the Curriculum and the Coaching

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with our coach regarding our finances. He has been highly professional, intuitive, knowledgeable, encouraging, and very helpful.  We have projected to date that we should be out of credit card debt in 24 months and then adding that money to the two mortgages, we would then be debt free from those mortgages in another two years.  So totally debt free in four years.

We are so excited!!! We are very impressed with the curriculum and the coaching and look forward each week to our counseling session.  We are planning on encouraging our family and friends to utilize this program as well.

Rob P. & Sandy W.
Geneva, OH

My Coach Has Provided Me with Wonderful Directions

Since I started the coaching program, I have learned how to calculate and track my net worth. This will be an important tool for me to track my progress as I continue through the program and the rest of my life.  When you know how and where you are spending your money it is easier to control and manage.  I have identified an extra $250 a month that I can put toward investments.  Even though I do not have a lot of debt, I have learned a fast track method that can be used to eliminate debt.  I have learned that it is important to develop other sources of income if I want to finish rich.  I have yet to identify in what areas I will use to develop other sources of income.  This is my goal for the next 90 days is to identify what areas I feel most comfortable in, develop a plan, and then get started.  

I would not have learned about any of these things without the coaching program.  It has also provided me with the needed motivation.  My coach has provided me with wonderful directions.

David S.
Doylestown, PA

I Am Working on a Cash Basis Only

When I joined the TDIW program, I was going through a divorce and I didn’t have a good idea of my financial situation. I was hoping to avoid bankruptcy and set a financial plan in place to become debt free.  Unfortunately because of thing outside of my control I will have to declare bankruptcy within the next couple of month. On the other hand, I have a good idea of my financial situation and will be completely debt free by July 2024, using an accelerator margin of $10 per month. 

As a result of the program I am working on a cash only basis and will continue this way for the rest of my life. The stress of debt is just not worth the price I have been paying.

Ray H.
Albuquerque, NM

We Have Paid Off Our First Credit Card

We now track our all our expenses. We are constantly looking to see how we can reduce them. We have increased deductibles on our insurances lowering those bills. We have ompared insurance policies and I just saved $70 on my 6-month premium. We make a menu and a list before we go to the store and stick to it. We buy off brand when we can. We eat all left-overs. We talk about whether we need items or not. I have found consignment shops to buy Tali's clothes and toys. I try to consolidate all of my errands to 1 trip/wk saving on gas. We don't just take everything for granted; we really scrutinize to get the best deal.  We will be out of debt completely by Aug of 2012. We are working on several website businesses to increase our income to pay off debt sooner. I do laundry for some of the guys here on the job, for pay (I have to go to the laundry anyway).  We have paid off our 1st credit card and Tom's truck will be paid off by Oct. We know we have to trade our camper (the one we got was a lemon) and we are going to try to stay in the same price-range so we don't extend our get out of debt date (we would have just gone and bought a brand new one before).

We are looking at other ways to invest our money in the future so we have several streams of income, without having to exchange hours for $.  Tom would like to be able to not have to be on the road once Tali starts school so we have 4 years to get things paid off and other income coming in.

Terri Lee C.
Ashland, WI

So Far We Have Paid Off Three Credit Cards

Thank you for being my coach. I first heard your name when I saw you on a webinar, Shop Smart and Save Big, and I saw how you interacted with the group, of which several were your students.  Thanks to you, I now know how to keep track of my expenditures, how to go about cutting back on some of the impulsive and unnecessary spending, so that I could amass a positive cash flow by the end of each month.

Both my wife and I are hard workers, so we’re trying to pay off as many as credit cards as possible in the shorter amount of time; therefore, we have created a monthly accelerated margin of $520, which keeps on growing with each credit card we pay off.  So far, we have paid off three credit cards, and working to pay off the fourth very soon, so then we can move on to the biggest debt of all, the mortgage. If we keep going at this rate, we can be debt free, including the mortgage, in about 12 years; we’re hoping to get there even sooner, if possible.  The other objective was to be financially free within 7 years, if possible, and use that financial freedom to explore the world, spend some quality time with my family overseas.

Domenico L.
Lyndhurst, NJ

We Have Paid Off Our Sears Card and Our Car

Debt free Oct 2012 with an accelerator margin of $1500. However, we feel like we will be able to do better. We have paid off sears and car is also paid off. Also, we got an interest free card to transfer the credit card to for one year. We should have it paid of before March 2009.  Have started paying the new Visa card off which is a no interest card for 12 months. Plan to pay it off in 7 months. Should start paying more on the house note in the next month. Started looking into more ways to cut spending since prices are going up.

Wish I would have known about this program about 8-10 years ago.

Michael & Susie Q.
Baton Rouge, LA

We Paid Off Our Suburban and Finished Q2 12% Ahead

Right now we are only doing the debt elimination program. Our suburban was paid off last month and we used the accelerator margin this month for a family camping vacation. We now have $1,065 for an accelerator margin, and should be on track for debt elimination on April 2012.  I received my first bonus check, which helped us pay off the suburban a month early, and I completed Q2 12% ahead which means at the end of August I should have another boost to the plan. The bad news is that my wood products customers (@70% of my customer base) is falling apart and requiring HUGE amounts of my time.  We put our Prosper program on administrative hold until I can get some stability and time to continue the e-commerce program. The next debt to be eliminated is our mortgage, so it’ll be a while.

David D.
Spokane, WA

You Have Helped Me to Take Action

This program has been a most uplifting experience for me. When we began, I could not see how I was going to be able to gain any more efficiency in my spending and outflow of cash. I was feeling the gamut of emotions -trapped, frustrated, depressed and really scared.  Before starting this program, I had worked hard to realize financial efficiencies in my budget. I certainly could not see any way to have more than $200 at the very most for additional money to apply to my debt. I now believe I will be able to apply double that amount.

You have helped me see things in a different light. To begin with, I now see my purchases differently. I am taking my time and really thinking about my spending. No more impulse buys. I am still perfecting this, but my mindset has definitely changed. You have helped me find additional savings in places I had looked before but was blind to what was staring me in the face. My tax withholding and cell phone bills are prime examples and I am evaluating all my monthly expenses for hidden costs. I had read books on money and being debt free, but you were able to steer me to the right books to help me (I hope you can give me an all inclusive list
to continue in the future as you know I love reading so much). 

Finally, you have helped me maintain my motivation and to take action. I have learned and accomplished so much in the past few weeks that I do not want to stop these coaching sessions.  I see now that I can achieve financial independence in just over 5 years which has brought me hope. I certainly have the determination to see it through. There is light at the end of this tunnel!

Patti H.
Beavercreek, OH

This Will Allow Me to Invest in My Future

This is week #10 and it's been a fantastic ride so far. I just paid off my ex-wife last week—$2,000. My 'Ax Number’ is $600 and Sears is next in line. I am still visualizing the spending compass, reading, journaling, applying all that I've learned, and living well below my means.  My financial blueprint says December of 09 is my debt free date.  That will allow me to invest in my future big time. That's exciting.  Thanks for the tools you've given me to make that possible.

Phil S.
Magnolia, IL

Student Improves Health and Financial Habits

I have an interesting story about why I joined the TDIW system. I work second shift at a local stone quarry. After getting off work at about 2:00am, Saturday morning, and having to be back to work by 6a.m., I was shot. I was driving home flat exhausted when I heard John Cummuta’s commercial on my car radio. I wrote the number down on a pizza box in the passenger seat. I called the following week and ordered the program, but did not get started right away. BIG MISTAKE!!  I have since got an awesome coach, I have paid off three bills, and I have a totally different outlook on my finances and my future.

This program is so exciting. I’m a single man, one income I owed close to $150,000 dollars when I started this course in the middle of April 2008.  Read this carefully: My get out of debt date is March of 2012!!  This is no joke. I would also like to add my income varies from $35,000 to $45,000. What I’m getting at is you don’t have to go get a second job. Use your money! All you need is a want to, to be out of debt and a great coach.  My coach is not only my coach; he is my friend. I revealed to him that I had a bad drinking problem. I expected him to say get your personal life in check then get back to me. That didn’t happen. He has been in this battle with me all along and man you talk about a ton of money saved since I quit.

My coach has also got me from being floundering in debt to being a debt eliminating steam roller. I could write all day about this course it is so exciting. If you are not in this class and you want to be out of debt quick, STOP WASTING TIME AND MONEY. JOIN!!

Tim A.
Bloomington, IN

This Course is a Real Eye-Opener

I'd like to take a moment to answer the testimonial questions and say a little about our experience. My wife and I were a little skeptical at first with so many programs promising wealth. However, after starting the program we realized that the program wasn't promising magic, just common sense. It truly was a pleasure having our debt elimination coach. Our coach is very knowledgeable and very easy to work with. Our only regret so far is that we won't have him as our wealth building coach. This course is a real eye opener as far as where your money goes and that you can have a comfortable life just by doing very simple things. Our reason for joining the program was that like many couples we felt buried by debt, but after the first couple classes it really seemed possible to be debt free. My wife and I learned a great deal about cash vs. credit and gaining the right mind set to become debt free.

Our personal achievements have been paying off credit cards and starting two different businesses as well as a weight being lifted now knowing that we can be debt free. The biggest change that we have made is not using credit cards unless you truly need to, NOT want to. We are very excited to move into the wealth building class and truly now look forward to the future, thanks to this program and our coach and all of his help.

Scott P.
Mt. Pleasant, OH

We Are Going to Save $46,894

We are going to save $46,894 from transferring a high interest balance on a credit card to a lower interest credit card! We just saved $5100 by applying for tuition aid for our children's private school. God truly blessed us since we can the most we can receive in aid is 50% which is what we received. We had hoped for 20%! I just had the opportunity to have a book fair fundraiser at Children's Hospital in MPLS. Our personal payoff date is July 2013.

Jared & Heidi R.
Chaska, MN

We Have Already Paid Off Two Of Our Credit Cards

The reason my wife Sherri and I joined up with you was because of your commercial on the radio. Before the program, my wife and I were living pay check to pay check and that is still about the same today, but what is different is that when we needed money we would pull out the credit cards to solve our problems. We wondered how we would ever retire and if we would ever be able to enjoy a stress free life. What we have learned so far, is that like you, we see the credit cards as our enemy now- not our friends. They were eating us up alive. What we have achieved thus far is that not once since we have started have we used any one of our credit cards and as to date have paid off two of our credit cards and will pay another one off this month. We did have a cash flow emergency where in the past we would have pulled out the card, but this time we adjusted our accelerator margin to cover the expense and then the following month proceeded on course.

What we have achieved so far is that we now can see that there really is a possibility for us to retire before were to old to enjoy it and that we can also retire and help our children with college etc. The changes in our approaches in spending are huge we really think about all purchases and if we don't have it we don't get it, it's that plain and simple my wife and I want to break these chains A.S.A.P. and we are embracing your program and staff whole heartedly.

Mike & Sherri W.
San Ramon, CA

I Have Paid Off My Car and a Timeshare

Since I signed up with TDIW program in April 2008, I paid 2 loans—a car and a timeshare. I hope to sell the timeshare in the near future (with some luck) so I don't have to keep paying for the maintenance fees. I am still working on paying the student loan, equity loan, and mortgage. I greatly appreciate your help and input in my road to being debt free.

Gemma G.
Livermore, CA

I Have Paid Off My SUV

My Debt free Date is May 2012. My Accelerator Margin is $200. I have paid off my SUV and I have cut back on some of my bills to free up some money to help me to pay off my debts. I am also in control of my spending. I have applied the principles taught in the TDIW course by being able to save on bills to help pay off my debts. I've also learned how to invest my money that is saved to different types of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds and other types of money market accounts. I also am in the process of learning how to run my business that I have invested in.

Garland S.
Shreveport, LA

I Have Saved Up $5,000 and Have Paid Down $20,000 of My Debt

I have been down for about two months now due to rupturing my right Achilles tendon on May 3rd. It happened at the Home Depot where I still work part time. Ten days after utilizing the crutches to get around, my right shoulder started to bother me to the point where the pain was so great I didn't know I had a problem with my leg. I had surgery to repair the tendon on May 8th. I had an MRI done on the shoulder and now they want to do another more exact MRI and shoot dye into me. They found something in the right shoulder that will require surgery as well. Financially I have saved up my emergency reserve fund to the point where I can relax a little (I have $5000). I still have a ways to go as far as my credit card debt yet I see the light at the end of the tunnel as I have paid down $20,000 in the last year.

Chuck R.
Bethel, CT

I Will Be Debt Free Within the Next 90 Days

This program has provided me with tremendous knowledge. I now know where my money goes, which is a big accomplishment for me. Through tracking my expenses, I was able to cut down about 15% of my spending on food. No more credit card debt! I have a home payment which I will pay off and will be totally debt free within the next 90 days. Watching my  spending has also helped me become aware of my needs vs. wants.

I still continue to gather information. Investing was very foreign to me. I’m now more comfortable and through this program I now know the difference between the 401k, 403b and Roth accounts. I have also gained more knowledge about CD investing. My coach helps give me answers to all of my financial questions and holds me accountable.

Asiah I.
Wiscasset, ME

We Have Paid Off $30,000 Since Joining Prosper

Holly and I felt we were always responsible with money, but both of us realized that the future moved quickly and neither one of us felt prepared for it. We had debt like everyone else did, but didn't think anything of it because we were just like everyone else. We didn't struggle for money, we paid our bills even a little extra on most, but we wondered how we were going to make it to retirement and be able to live comfortably. We didn't live extravagantly; we have a house, a couple of motorcycles and nice belongings. We had the debt to go with them as well, we still owed money on one of our cars and one of the motorcycles and had two mortgages which allowed us to buy the house we were in. I had heard the commercials for the John Cummuta Transforming Debt Into Wealth System for quite some time, but thought it was too good to be true or that it was a debt consolidation program.

We got the program in January of 2008 and immediately made changes in our way of thinking about spending and credit. We did not charge anything on our credit cards and have not used them since. We began paying off debt and using our money to the best advantage. I paid off a personal debt, the motorcycle, and a credit card, which added up to almost $25,000 all within the first few months of the program. We began the TDIW program in January of 2008. We began with Prosper Learning in March of 2008. We have seen our total debt drop by almost $30,000 in that time. We have paid off a motorcycle, a credit card, and personal debt. We have begun a bi-weekly payment plan on our mortgages and have changed things around to squeeze every penny out of every source that we can.

Val S. & Holly Z.
Frederick, CO

We Have Already Paid Off $21,500

When we started this program, we were in debt with no realistic way to get out. We were paying for 2 autos, had two mortgages, and a major credit card debt. I heard many commercials for John Cummuta's Transforming Debt into Wealth, and I wondered just what he knew that I didn't know. I ordered the CD's and found I could not stop listening to them. Everything he said made sense. I am an accountant and have always felt that putting money away was the best way to prepare for the future. However, after listening to the CD's, I realized that I was throwing good money after bad. My debt was increasing much faster than my 401k. It became quite evident that something had to change.

Since joining Prosper, we have been able to pay off both cars in the amount of about $20,000 and begin the process of paying off the rest of our debts. We have learned that no matter what the rate, credit is not the way to buy goods and services. Why make someone else rich with our money. We no longer use credit cards to buy anything. This has allowed us to begin to reduce our overall debt by not adding to it. We now have a totally different approach to debt. It is called, let's get it paid off. In addition to paying off two cars, we have paid off one credit card of about $1500 and are about to pay off another. We take one bill at a time and when that is paid off, we move on the next. This has been working quit well for us. Utilizing this program we anticipate being debt free by 2012. We have been using an accelerator margin of $1300.

Unfortunately, I feel that this will have to be reduced somewhat, but not significantly enough to effect our debt free date. We have begun utilizing eBay as a way of making some extra money. Jeannie is going to flea markets to find items that can be sold for a profit. We have already sold a scanner for a significant profit and now that our feet are wet, we are ready to begin a more vigorous approach to marketing our stuff. We have made several changes to our approach to how we do business. When it comes to spending, cash is the only accepted method of payment.

Savings has had to take a back seat while we pay off our debt. I am still contributing to my 401k since the company matches 50% of the first 4% I invest. We are now looking at ways to make money from home, and you have given us some very good ideas. I am now looking at my 401k to determine which options provide the greatest potential for growth. The most important lesson we have taken away from this process, is the only way we will ever improve our financial position is to become debt free.

Richard & Jeannie M.
Mt. Zion, IL

We Have Paid Off One Credit Card, Paid Off Another, and Refinanced

While working with the Prosper program, Diane and I have paid off one credit card, paid down on another, refinanced a first and second mortgage with interest rates of 10.5% and 22% respectively, and now have one mortgage at a 6% interest rate. We have also had important mind-set changes where we now see restaurants as southern expenditure entities. We're clipping coupons for the first time in years and seeking out other avenues for being thrifty. We are working toward total debt elimination, including credit cards, loans, and mortgage. We are also working towards becoming financially independent and wish to do so while building wealth and absorbing knowledge that allows us to share what we've learned with others.

Thanks so much for your help along our journey to financial freedom.

Frank M.
Ankeny, IA

We Just Paid Off Our Second Debt

Jeff and I are doing great. We just paid off our second debt...our credit card!! It feels so great to drop those envelopes into the mailbox. We are continuing to learn options trading and we are trying to soak in everything we can. We are hoping to make our first live trade in the next couple weeks or so.

Donna S.
Elwood, IN

Now I Am Feeling More Helpful

I spent a lot of time worrying about my financial situation before the coaching program; however, now I'm feeling more hopeful. I've become more aware of where my money is going through the simple exercise of tracking every expense. I have the goal of paying off charge cards, the car, school loans and eventually, the mortgage. At the same time I would like to be investing in my retirement and continue learning about how to manage my money. I understand now that addressing my financial concerns is really life awareness, not just money awareness. I've started tracking my finances and investigating retirement possibilities.

Jamie D.
Florissant, CO

I Recommend this Program to Anyone

Since joining the program, I have really paid attention to my finances. I didn't realize how much money we made and brought home and especially the spending. I knew we could pay our bills monthly and that was what mattered until the money kept getting tighter and tighter. But with my coach, I have learned a new language. My accelerator program showed me another way of getting rid of debt instead of putting band aids on the problem. I'm being taught how to cure the problem with the debt elimination program. I will be out of debt in rather a short period of time compared to my strategy.

My husband and I are committed to seeing this through to where we did overspend on the grocery bill and without asking the lunch came out of the food that was bought, brown bagging. I can't wait to see the end results. Each year a bill or bills will be paid off each year and I'm grateful for the program. I look forward to my weekly phone call and as time goes on I don't have as many questions as I did when I first started but I learn something each time I speak with my coach. I recommend the program to anyone that is willing to listen and obey.

Moneak P.
Fayetteville, NC

Now I Can Begin to Use My Money More Wisely

My credit cares were keeping me going on minimum payments. I could not see that with my purchases that I was paying more for the on sale items than they were worth. With just a few training sessions so far I have been able to cut up my credit cards and vow to never use them again.

Now I can begin to use my money wisely and save for retirement and for any emergencies that might come up. I can also save for a trust fund for
my children. I am looking forward to feeling financially free with no worry of money.

PEACE AND SERENITY.

Lynn E.
McCloud, CA

Words Cannot Explain How Much Happier I Am

I would like to say that I never believed that my mortgage could be paid off. When I heard that announcement on the radio as I was driving to work, I felt I needed to give them a call. I have a flexible mortgage and the thought of it alone was strangulating. Since starting this program, I have come to realize that it is not only possible to pay it off, there is a system that can actually help one pay it off earlier than imagined. Words cannot explain how much happier I am. I sleep better, I am at peace, and I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I believe I would be able to build wealth and touch it. I see wealth for myself and for my children.

I have been able to find free money. I can account for every dollar that I make and I can direct the dollar to where I want it to go which is mostly north. I have also become more cohesive and organized in my regular expenditure and accounting.

Maria A.
Memphis, TN

We Wish We Had Found this Program a Lot Sooner

We heard about the program through a radio commercial and it seemed too good to be true: transform your debt into wealth. We talked it over and decided to join the program. We were hoping it would show us how to pay off our debts sooner than the path we were presently following. We also hoped that by gaining some better control of our finances it would reduce our stress and worry.

As soon as we began reading the TDIW manual, we could see that implementing this plan would indeed do what it was intended to eliminate debt. By starting to use a spending journal we began to find ways to manage and better control our spending and give us more cash flow. By using the manual, we were able to start out with an accelerator margin of $227. Since starting the program we have already paid off an installment loan 2 years ahead of when it would have been. This month we are going to pay off another of our credit cards. Our debt free date is June or July of 2016. Now that we have been in the program, we have better control of our finances. By making wiser choices in spending and having goals to achieve we are less stressed out. Two other helpful tools in the program have been the elective classes and an excellent coach. We now try to save money wherever we can by being frugal, but we still enjoy life and do have some fun on occasion.

We are learning more about investing and about improving the return on the investments we have now. Once we are debt free we will use that money to build our wealth and become financially free. We wish we would have found this great program a lot sooner.

Ray & Barbara S.
Alliance, OH

Our Future Has Never Looked So Promising or Prosperous

I’ve been trying to get us out of this rut we've been in for years. We make good money we pay our bills, we just never seem to make any headway. The money comes in the money goes out. The problem was that we did not have the knowledge to do the right thing with our money that would head us in the direction to being debt free or financially secure for the future. We had no direction.

So now we have started the program, we have found out that things that we thought were the way it [spending money] was supposed to be done was not the right way at all. We were all out of whack. We have found out that we were spending on stuff that in the end was keeping us from realizing our goals and that we did have the money that we needed to realize this dream was already coming in to the house. We soon realized that to make this work we would have to readjust our way of doing things. Easy you say. If you are honest with yourself and follow the proven plan that John Cummuta provides for your future well being then yea easy. What hits the hardest for me was finding out how much money we waste on just spur of the moment stuff that we did not need and no longer have, it’s gone. Need or not?

This is what our numbers looked like. A 25 year mortgage a truck , 3 credit cards, and a collage loan that we picked up for our children. [guilt for not saving enough to begin with] $126,000.00 in debt and no end in sight. We would have been debt free in the year 2056. Now our debt free date is very much a reality. We will be debt free in the
year 2015 that is 7 years 4 months This is a total revelation for us; we will have cut 41 years off of our debt. And in turn this action will have saved us $ 52,822.00 in interest payments. I know that the actions we take today will have a profound affect on how we are going to spend our retirement years. Our future has never looked so promising or prosperous.
 
Thank You John Cummuta & Prosper learning for empowering us.

Don & Lori E.
Pulteney, NY

I Paid Off Our Visa Bill Entirely and Will Start On Our Next Soon

I set up a pretty thorough accelerator margin for my business and set a consumer debt-free date of March 2012. I finished reading Automatic Millionaire. I set up an automatic withdrawal from our home checking for $150 on the 15th and last day of month each month in an ING Mutual Fund Savings plan. Hope to boost this up to $400/month in near future once we've tracked our monthly expenses for three months.
 
I will set up a similar savings plan for my son and daughter tomorrow. I also found out if you put away $3,000 a year for five years between the ages of 15 and 19 and never add a penny after that, at age 65 it totals more than $1.2 million. That's only $250 a month and I hope to set this up for my children starting next year (my daughter turns 14 on Sept 18). Will plan on paying down an additional principal payment each month on home mortgage and will call bank about setting up a 2x/month business mortgage payment. I need to continue adding my expenses to the monthly tracker. It gets away from me some times. I did pay off our VISA bill entirely and will start the Chase account next.

Janelle S.
St. Cloud, MN

The Support is the Best Aspect of the System

The reason I got into the TDTW system was for the support. I had been telling myself for years that I needed to do something to get away from the old scenario of living pay check to pay check and never making any headway on paying off my debt. Now because of the support of my coach I have a goal. My debt free date is October 2013, and this includes actually owning my home. I have paid off my first credit card in only 2 months and now I am ready to start on my next debt, and it feels great. The one credit card I saved for emergencies is locked in a safety deposit box and the rest are cut into little pieces and in the trash.

 Using the cash only aspect of the program has made me actually think a little more before I buy and is keeping me on track to my goal. Thanks for the kick in the rear to get me going in the right direction. I believe the support is the best aspect of the program. Just knowing you have someone on your side, and there to help keep you moving forward is the push I needed to get started to becoming debt free.

Debbie V.
Farmersburg IN

This Program Will Save Us 48 Years of Payments and $58,000 in Interest Payments

For the past three years we have been considering different options for dealing with our credit card debt. We had become so overwhelmed with the extent of our almost $70,000 debt that we didn’t know how to even begin to find some relief. We had called different organizations and were disappointed with them. It was hard to fight the feelings of being discouraged due to the heavy burden of having the majority of our income go to credit card bills. Sometime in December of last year, we prayed and asked The LORD to reveal to us on that particular day, a phone number of an organization that could help us. I happened to come across a sample cassette tape of “The Transforming Debt Into Wealth” program that we had received a few years prior and had not listened to and then, as an even greater confirmation, I heard the radio ad for The Transforming Debt Into Wealth Program with a phone number to call. We knew that this was the answer to our prayer! That call has blessed us tremendously! It wasn’t easy having to face the reality of the extent of our debt and the negative prognosis that we would have been doomed to if we didn’t begin this program, but we were grateful to have the resources available through ‘The Prosper Learning Center’.
 
Through our weekly coaching sessions we have been able to now look at our total debt and see it broken down to a plan that will allow us to be totally debt free in just a few years. In one of our coaching sessions, our coach had us consider the possibility of cashing in a CD we had worth about $27,000. Larry did not want to even consider it until Dan showed us the 2 scenarios of having a CD earning 4% interest and credit cards charging us over 20% interest on some cards. Larry went from being totally opposed to the idea to being in total agreement with it.

At the time we began the program, our debt was up to over $85,000. We decided to let our parents know about the extent of our debt and they decided to give us money to help towards the debt. Initially, when we first came into the program our Accelerated Debt Free date was November 2013. This is 43 years and 1 month sooner than if we hadn’t done anything different. Plus it would have saved us $58,137!!!

But now, with the money from our parents and the CD we want to cash in this August, and using the cascading debt elimination plan, we can be Debt free by August 2010. This is 26 years and 6 months sooner than if we hadn’t done the program! That’s unbelievable!!! We have gone from being in a state of hopelessness and confusion to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel closer than we ever imagined. We still have to continue making changes and planning our wealth building plan, but all this has taken place during an extremely hectic time for our family and yet, we’ve been able to make headway. We’re planning on devoting more time to making life changes so that we and our children can enjoy more of the prosperous life!

Larry K.
Kings Point, NY

Having a Coach Has Been a Positive Thing For Me

One of the positive things that happened is that I'm actually doing it and that's because I have a coach. In the past I have bought or done different things to learn or make money and allot of the times they just sat there. For me, having a coach or someone to be accountable to has been a positive thing. When I'm given a plan for the week, I feel it’s my responsibility to get it done because I said I would. My conscience won't allow me to not try. Sometimes things happen beyond our control but then we just press on.

I'm in a unique situation financially. My only debt is my mortgage. That should be taken care of by the 14th of July since I sold my house. So the past couple of weeks have been very time consuming. I have not done all that I think I could be doing from what I learned so far, but with my kitchen being empty and having little time to prepare for things its been difficult to find successes except for the knowledge that I am acquiring that I can start implementing when the move is over, but I always thought my situation was hopeless. That I would just be living paycheck to paycheck with never any hope of getting out from under.

Prosper and John Cummuta has shown me the different strategies I could do to check my spending and learn how to save on my spending. In addition to that I was in the dark when it came to investing but now at least I have a better knowledge of the different investment vehicles that are out there. I also think I saved myself a considerable some of money by taking my coaches advice about buying a new work truck. So to some it up as far as my one on one coaching goes I would probably still be on the first or second chapter of one of the manuals hating myself for spending the money and not doing or implementing the materials.

Overall this program has opened my eyes to different ways of spending my money and with the lessons and electives that I have yet to do I know I will learn more. The thing that makes me feel the best about this is I can advise my children in a positive way about money.

Mark H.
Raleigh, SC

Here Is to a Bright Future

We felt trapped with our financial problems before we started the Finish Rich Coaching. I had to find a solution before our problems got any worse. At first I had doubts, even though I did invest some money into the program. Eventually, the coaching sessions gave us the confidence to work our way out and improve our situation. The main reason why the program works because someone keeps track of your progress and you are held accountable. We have gotten more organized and aware. We do not have to worry if we have enough money to pay the bills because we have been educated on keeping track of our expenses and staying in control. Most of all, we make smarter decisions. Here's to a brighter future.

Thank you coach for your guidance.

Marive C.
Las Vegas, NV

We Paid Off One Bill in Three Months

Working with Prosper Learning and, more importantly, our coach, has opened our eyes to how much money we have been spending needlessly. With the tools that our coach provided us we were able to reduce our outflow which we were spending on useless items and increase our accelerator margin by $1000 a month. We have paid off one bill in 3
months and well on our way to paying off the second.

Our debt payoff date is approximately March 2016, but every month we find new ways to either make more money or to reduce cash outflow and increase our accelerator margin. Our goal is to have everything paid off in 5 years. Which we now know is entirely possible. The best part is that we're working toward the same goals and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We can accomplish true freedom—it’s only a matter of time!

Thank you Prosper Learning!

Robin G.
Auburn, WA

We Eliminated $6748 in Debt This Month

We have eliminated $6748.72 in debt this month. In addition, we have added about $1800 to savings. We still have a positive cash flow for the month and all bills are paid. Yeah!!

Ali S.
Simi Valley, CA

TDIW Has Given Me a New Lease on Life

Helenita and I have learned that all is not lost. That has gone a long way to getting me out of my sense of hopelessness and despair. To plot a course of action with TDIW has given me a new lease on life. Whereas I thought I would die before getting out of debt, now I am happy to know that I will be debt free by October 2010 using a margin of $100/month. Your cheerful, positive coaching has taught me to not worry so much. There is a solution to all our problems whether I know immediately what the solution is or not. It will come. I just need to keep on doing the basics and keep learning the principles of debt reduction. The same principles apply to building wealth. Thank you for bringing us this far.

We look forward to going much farther.

John & Dorothy T.
Baton Rouge, LA

We Are On the Right Path and It Feels Good

Well we are very happy to report our success since beginning the program in February 2008. The program has retrained our thought process in every aspect of our finances. Our level of awareness is up on spending and spending wisely. Now, I am anxious to get on the expense tracker and see where we are at for the month and plug in any of my debits. We are working together and have our goals set in place to pay down our debt and hopefully purchase some real estate to rent out for another source of income.

One of the most helpful tips we learned is to budget before any outing. We are proud to report recently took our family of 5 on a vacation to Ocean City, NJ. We saved in advanced and paid cash for the entire trip. We were able to rent a house for a week with family. We had our family of five and PAID CASH for the trip. This is our FIRST trip we are able to say that we were conscious of our spending on the trip, but enjoyed ourselves. We allotted $1500 for spending there and back. We came home only spending $1200.

We are on track with our bill payments and have eliminated one small medial debt in April and plan on eliminating our next student loan debt in Jan. Another financial accomplishment is changing our health insurance to save us about $750.00 a month. We are working together and it will take us 12 years to be debt free, but we are on the right path and it feels good.

Kyla & Bill A.
Monroe, CT

My Creative Juices Are Flowing

Right now I am a little hyped because my creative juices are flowing:). I started this program about the beginning of June and right now with a low accelerator margin, I'm due to get out of debt by March 2016. My thinking has changed in the sense that I now pay attention to what I'm spending and it's getting harder for me to spend if it's justified as a waste or not necessary. I also will not make a large purchase without thinking about it for 24 to 48 hours, better yet I would have to talk it over with my adviser first. Until you start holding yourself accountable you really don't know how wasteful you are.

Right now, I'm on a mission and I have started by making some purses that I am rather proud of and am now seeking a way to get started with my business to become profitable so I can get out of debt even sooner than my scheduled plan.

Edna J.
Lorain, OH

I Should Have 3 More Debts Paid off By March

I just finished my wealth building coaching sessions with Josh Willis on 7/14.  I learned a lot about the stock market & am doing paper trades in hope of eventually doing real trades.  I am continuing to do the stock market elective classes until I've done all of those.  I am continuing to pay on my debts with my accelerator margin of $200.  I should have at least 3 more debts paid off by 3/09.  

Janice S.
Indianapolis, IN

Financial Success in the Virgiin Islands

After studying for several weeks, we have both come to appreciate the wealth of information that is contained in David Bach course.  The course is comprehensive and is made up of discussions based on assignments and current questions related to our reading assignments.  Thus far, we have been able to read the assigned pages in the Start Late, Finish Rich book, the Workbook and the Binder and have come to a basic understanding of what should be done to make positive financial changes.

We are happy to know that the information is available to us on the WebSite.  Unfortunately, we have time constraints that prevent us from being as aggressive as we should in the program.  The following are some of the benefits that we have garnered from the excellent coaching given by our coach who should be commended for his friendly and professional attitude, as well as his knowledge of the material.

We have called and negotiated with credit card companies to obtain a lesser interest rate and removed a pone line from our home.  We have also downgraded CABLE-TV services to basic programs and charted out expense sheets for the home for the months of May, June, and have initiated July, 2008 (Journal of Expenses).  From these and other changes we created a Latte Factor of $800-$1000.  We will use this money to apply towards debts and savings following the DOLP ranking chart that we completed.

So far we already paid off lesser credit cards for businesses such as Home Depot, Radio Shack, and J.C. Penney and put away the major credit cards and use cash or debit cards, if needed.  We also paid off one bank loan for Noel.

Overall, the coaching was excellent!

Noel & Anna L.
St Thomas, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Thanks for Just the Beginning of this Journey

This past week has had me doing many things that I would not have done before these coaching classes.  I lowered my cable bill by 60.00 I lowered my phone bill by 60.00 I called my credit card companies and got my Visa card to lower my interest rate from 13.99% to 4.99% by paying off the current balance of $1,800 (which I got a tax refund of $1,000 from my husband and my $600 tax refund to do just that) and transferring the $12,000 balance from Mastercard with a 15.99% interest rate.  So now I will have consolidated $12,000 to a card with 4.99% interest, and have another card with $7,000 with 8.8% interest....yippee!!

Getting my one file drawer organized has been a big accomplishment. I still have a ways to go but I now feel like I am going in the right direction and if I can make these kinds of changes in a week, what more can I do....anything!!!

Thanks for just the beginning of this journey.

Karen M.
Akron, OH

The Coaching is the Best Feature of Prosper Learning

The coaching program is the best feature of Prosper Learning!  Having a live person to talk to has really increased my interest in the course.  I have given up on so many self-learning courses because there was no one to talk to if I had a problem I could not fix myself.  I enjoy how and what Prosper Learning has done to encourage people to really look at themselves and discover how they can control their finances to become debt free.

Marsha M.
McCormick, SC

One-On-One Coaching Provides the Motivation We Need

Judy and I learned many things – some that we already knew about but never tried, some new and easy to check on or get started with, and many other ideas, cost saving measures, hints and an enormous amount of information, websites and resources to continue our learning.

We have made some easy changes in our finances that will add up over time, including tracking our spending, paying off a car loan and investing the monthly payment, reviewing and adjusting (lowering) auto and house insurances, adjusting a mortgage to bi-weekly, and shopping with coupons and sales.  We are looking forward to implementing your bigger, more involved suggestions in many areas of our lives also, including reviewing our investment portfolios, and aggressively pursuing additional real estate investments.

Next week we start our consultations with our Real Estate coach, although I need to talk to him or someone sooner than that! I have several properties that I crunched the numbers on but am having difficulties coming up with the required down payment of 20% to 25%. I don’t want to cash in any retirement funds for this and need other options. I still have not found an investment club here in Vermont or in nearby New York or New Hampshire.

We are continuing to work the Finish Rich program into our lives but need more motivation that the one-on-one sessions provide us. We look forward to learning and earning more, paying off our debts!

Thanks for the help so far and we look forward to staying in touch with you.

Peter & Judy H.
Waterbury Center, VT

We Will Be Out of Debt in 7 Years, Including Our Mortgage

When my wife and I started the program, we were over $192,000 in debt.  We would have been paying on our mortgage until I would have been almost 80 years old, not seeing retirement in our future anytime soon.

Our coach showed us how to save on our auto insurance & our home owners insurance.  We didn't think that we had any extra money left at the end of the month to put back for an accelerator margin.  Our coach helped us by having us keep track of every penny we were spending and we were able to start an accelerator margin to help us pay off our debts sooner than making the minimum payments.

We have already made sizeable payments on our debt load and will be totally out of debt in 7 years or less including our mortgage.  It feels GREAT to finally see progress and light at the end of the tunnel instead of a train coming at us.  We highly recommend this program to anybody who is serious about getting out of debt and having financial security.

Stephen & Charlene S.
Lebanon, PA

I Will Save $63,000 in Interest Charges Because of this Program

I have learned to be more confident in my plans and ideas.  This program has only reconfirmed my belief to pay with cash.  I have paid off my single credit card and almost all of my education loan.  I have focused on my financial status, and really started planning for my retirement instead of avoiding it.

I will be saving $63,751 in interest because of the program.  I will be debt free in 12 years and 10 months, and then will save $1,237/month for retirement.  At retirement, I will need $4,000 per month.  As a goal, I would you like invested at your retirement $1,000,000, if investment return is earning at least 10%

I reevaluated my car insurance and found they were over charging me.  I was able to get almost all of it back.  I have re-evaluated my life insurance and made adjustments.  I will be re-evaluating my house insurance this week. And I have cut back on a few expenses.  I am going to consult with someone on a starting a new business.

Sue S.
Lakeland, FL

Changes and thought

Since the last success story additional changes have been made on how we think about money and how we view debt.  The current market situation that is revealing how mortgage and credit companies have successfully destroyed many American families by pushing individuals into debt by marketing procedures and lacks in procedures has left me with stark realities that we have been duped. 

Based on the new awareness we canceled our annual News Years Eve cruise and the first class airline tickets to Miami, that was linked to the cruise.  This is a savings of over $8,000.00; that does not include the money we would have spent on the cruise.  Typically during a cruise, we would spend an additional $2-3,000.00.  This is resulting in a savings of $10,000.00 plus.  We will miss our annual New Years Eve ritual, but we both know now that these sacrifices are necessary to plug up the leak in the dike. 

Zenford & Carmen M.
Potomac, MD

A Long Haul, but Worth the Step

Brian and I have been married for 9 years and together for 24.  We have always had excellent credit and never felt we were in a bad situation.  Since discovering Prosper, we have come to realize how much we have DEPENDED on credit to get by for everything.

Since starting the program, we have no credit cards and survive on solely cash. This was the hardest thing we ever did.  You really realize how much money you don't have.  We have now paid off 3 creditors since starting and are still working on streamlining our spending.  This has taken us several months.

Since this time we have sold one of our vehicles to limit gas and insurance expenditures and continue to work toward paying off the 2 other credit cards, then focusing on paying off our mortgage.  We have been able to develop an accelerator margin of approximately $400.00 per month and this will be increasing as bills are paid off.  Our debt free date will be November 2016!!!!!

Brian & Lisa W.
Salinas, CA

Starting over

My husband and I first learned of the transforming debt into wealth program on the radio and called to inquire.  We had no idea of the wealth of knowledge we would learn.  Three months later we have started a business and learned to make a profit, became aware of how to reduce our tax burden, save through coupons and discount items, reduce spending, secure our finances for our future and future generations, increase our retirement capitol, and invest wisely.

Patty & Martin C.
Fair Lawn, NJ

Small Beginning Steps

We are very new to Prosper and have been learning quite a bit of new information.  We have been using only cash for the last few weeks.  It was painful at first, but we are quickly getting used to being off of the credit cards.  We are not big spenders and found it "convenient" to just put everything on "the card" and pay it off at the end of the month.  Not anymore!

We recently relocated across the country and had two mortgages for about 13 months.  Talk about a stressful financial time.  Thank God for my wife's in-laws.  They helped us out until our one house was sold.  Our down-payment on our current house is more than we had anticipated and money has been tight ever since.  We know that it took us time to get into our current situation and we know that it will take time to get out of it, but we are ready to go "full steam ahead" and get our family of 5 out of debt as soon as possible!

Noelle & Robert H.
Peyton, CO

We Have Been Looking for a Program Like Prosper for Years

We have been looking for a program like Prosper Learning for years.  Both of us realized that our problem has not been that we haven’t earned enough money to provide for our family and future but that neither of us had been brought up with any financial skills.  We’ve been guilty of carrying too much debt and eating away at our equity in our home to consolidate consumer debt.  Although we currently live comfortably on our income we knew that if we didn’t do something serious to adjust the way we managed our finances that we would not have adequate retirement to enjoy our later years.

From the first interview with Prosper Learning we realized that this course offered a very pragmatic approach to finances that we could understand.  The Financial Compass made complete sense to us and provided a mental framework to absorb and assimilate the information we were getting from the mentoring and from the assigned reading.  At first we questioned whether we should start the course when we did because we were anticipating the marriages of two sons over the summer and the associated costs that we knew would be adding to our debt ratio but we decided that no time was better than now.

We immediately benefited from the cash flow spreadsheet and looked at every expense in our budget to see how we could adjust. We wanted to adopt the millionaire attitude and immediately started looking for margin in every budget category.  We also started into the financial planner manual and the list of books that we were given to read by our mentor.  Over the course of the summer we read more books on finance than over the previous 10 years.

By searching for margin we reduced expenses in almost every category of our budget.  For example, we sat down with our insurance agent and reduced both our home and car insurance.  We changed our phone plans and reduced our expenses by almost 2/3rds.  We sat down with a new tax agent and filed an amended tax return that got us another nearly $1000 in additional tax deductions.  In addition, for the first time we correctly filed the W9 so that we get nearly $1000.00 more a month in the family budget instead of getting it back with a tax return.  We went to a less expensive cable plan that saved us another $20.00 a month.  We’ve changed our driving habits so that we make sure we use the more fuel efficient car over the SUV to reduce fuel expenses.  We watch our utilities much closer to reduce the cost of those bills, and the list goes on.

We had no idea that we had so many ways to squeeze out margin in our budget to help apply to our debt free date.  Our debt free date is Nov 2012.  Now instead of wondering whether we’ll be able to retire or not we look forward with some faith that if we’re disciplined about living with our new understanding that we’ll be able to be completely out debt and have a retirement ahead of us to accomplish some things we’ve wanted to do our whole married lives.

We will have all of our wedding debts accrued this summer paid off by mid Nov. so that we can apply all of our newly acquired margin on our original debts.  We have a goal of selling our vacation club to finish paying our student registration for the course and accelerating our path to our debt free date.  We’re working on building our emergency fund.  We’re saving for our summer vacations in advance instead of dipping into the hole and paying them off each Nov. with our bonus checks, which have been “iffy” in some of the lean years.  This course has changed our approach to spending, saving and financial management.  We finally have tools that we share together to help us communicate on common, shared financial goals that allow us to be accountable to each other for the progress we’re making.

Wayne & Jennifer L.
Folsom, CA

Prosper Learning Has Given Us the Tools that We Needed

Since we started our coaching sessions with Prosper Learning we have noticed a lot of changes!  The biggest change has been how we view our money and our spending habits.  This is due to the amount of financial knowledge and focus that we have gained during our sessions with you.  To date, we have increased our net worth by over $6000.00 and this is only the beginning!  With each pay check we are one step closer to our goal of financial independence! 

 We now have a savings plan that is growing each month and once that reaches our goal we will direct money towards our retirement.  We are busy looking into other avenues to build our wealth like real estate, e-commerce, and stocks.  I believe that we will be involved in all three in the near future!

Prosper Learning has given us the tools that we needed to focus our energy and work towards our goal of financial independence.

Darren & Jody W.
Fort McMurray, AB, Canada

With Your Help We Can See the Light at the End of the Tunnel

We were in deep credit card debt and spinning our wheels trying to get out.  We are making more money than we ever had in our lives and found ourselves living pay check to pay check.  Since we've joined Prosper, our credit card debt is coming down and we have money left at the end of the month.  

We've been with Prosper for 2 months.  In that time, with the help of our coach we have paid off one credit card, will have a second paid off by the end of this year, and two other by November 2009.  Our goal was to be debt free by 2012.  At our current rate, we hope to beat our goal by at least 1 year.

With our coach’s help we are also starting an eCommerce business on eBay.  Our first sale was last week and we have a couple more pending for this week.  What's even better, is when we retire we can continue to run our eCommerce business wherever we go.  Thanks coach and everyone at Prosper.  With your help we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ron & Jane G.
Bucks County, PA

This is What I Needed

I have been looking for programs to improve my life style for many years.  I have tried a few without success.  I received an offer in the mail about Debt to Wealth by Prosper and found that it wasn’t selling a get-rich-quick scam, but rather an educational program to learn how to better manage the assets, debts and income I currently had.  Before joining, I was just getting by.  I have been in business for myself for close to forty years where income is sporadic and budget planning almost impossible.  I needed help!

Prosper’s “Transforming Debt into Wealth” program was what I needed to train me about debt elimination and cash flow management.  Although I was already doing debt elimination as they taught, I hadn’t taken it to the next level.  I would borrow money from a credit card that was offering zero interest for six months or a year, divide the load by the months and that would be the payment per month.  This worked for me.  When that loan was paid, I would find some other use for the money rather then add that money to the next loan that needed to be paid off.  This is what the program has taught me to do.  Keep increasing the acceleration fund to the next debt.

My debt has only two parts, one credit card and the home mortgage, a total of $399,900.  The credit card will be paid (by my method) in January 2009.  Then I can start working on the mortgage.  This will take some time until I can increase my income through other streams of income.

I really want to build the emergency fund first, as I have none.  The suggested amount is $40,000.  This is going to take some doing.  Other expenses have risen dramatically.  Heating fuel, gasoline and real estate taxes have all doubled in cost.  Therefore, addition funds have to be diverted to these expenses.  I need to increase cash flow through other streams of income to meet the obligations and build the emergency fund and then reduce the mortgage.

Through what I have learned so far and what I will learn in the next months, should put me on the road to my goals of no debt, an emergency fund, and income to live comfortable the rest of my life.

Kenneth L.
Brookfield, CT

You Definitely Enriched Our Lives

Two things occurred to us last April.  First we found out that we were expecting our third child and secondly we knew that we had to do something about getting out from under our mountain of debt but not knowing really knowing how to do it.  For months we talked, fretted and just got plain stressed out about our situation.  We knew to change what was happening we had to change what we were doing, but no matter how we looked at our situation, it looked as though we would never get out from under the debt.  Then we discovered quite by accident John Cummuta’s “Transforming Debt into Wealth” program on the radio and thankfully were introduced and accepted into Prosper Learning’s mentoring program.

This was the first time in years that we could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We both were making bad financial choices.  Charging purchases on credit cards because we simply wanted whatever it was now, not discussing our purchases with each other, and therefore spending way too much.  We knew what we were doing was wrong and we soon realized that we were preventing ourselves from living the very lifestyle we wanted to experience by charging it away to the plastic.

The mentoring sessions through Prosper have been such an enlightening and rewarding experience.  Through our coach we have not only learned that we can indeed get out of debt but he has given us the tools to look down deep inside ourselves and visualize our dreams so that we can realize them.  We now have hope.  I know it sounds cliché, but it is true.  

We have learned that we need to get ourselves centered in the right thing—our principles—because no matter how much money you do or don’t have wealth will not grant you happiness or prosperity if you are focused on the wrong things in your life.  Our coach has given us so much.  We will always be debtors, but only to him for all the knowledge and wisdom that he has given to us.

We have currently paid off one of our debts and we are now working on the next one.  Although it will be a while yet before they are all gone it is exciting to see the snowball start rolling down the hill instead of seeing it teeter on the top only to come back down and smack us in the face.  We will be debt free by the end of 2012, but we hope to speed up the process by finding ways to increase our accelerator amount and increase our cash flow.

We would like to thank John Cummuta and Prosper for offering such a great vehicle to help us realize our goals and dreams and last, but not least, we would like to thank our coach for all of his help and great advice.  You have definitely enriched our lives by sharing with us what you have learned, yourself…Thank You!

Jim & Susan B.
Cambridge City, IN

We Can Be Debt Free in 8 Years

Taking the financial education course forced us to admit we were wasting money by not knowing exactly where our money was going.  Through self-analysis, we learned about our bad habits.  We had to get ourselves and our finances organized so we could accurately account for our spending.  By tracking our expenditures, we could “plug the leaks” in our ship of “wealth” before we sank it.

We learned how to keep a cash flow sheet to see exactly how much we were spending and where that money was going. This helped us realize that we could not exist on one salary and pay off our debts at the same time.  This discovery provided the spark to fire up our enthusiasm to get our web-communication business up and running before the Holidays of 2008, if possible.  It also made us think about other ways to increase our income streams.  

We decided to rent our second home, continue to pursue whole-house solar power (and be paid by the power company for any overage that we produce) and look into my collecting Social Security early, instead of waiting six more months to get to my “full retirement age”.  We discovered we can be debt free in 8 yrs. and 7 months using the software program using a margin of $100/month.

Jack & Barbara O.
Lake Panasoffkee, FL

We Are Looking Forward to Our Debt Freedom Date

In the two months we have learned a fair amount, the challenge is putting it into practice.  As you know we are on a fairly tight budget and since the credit card bills are just starting to come now this is proving to be even more difficult.  With that said, we have found the most valuable thing so far has been to track our spending on the cash flow management spread sheets.  Debt elimination and paying ourselves first is in progress.
    
As I said earlier the cash flow management has proven to be the most valuable part of this program so far, it has helped us to change some of our spending habits and also to see that getting out of debt is a possibility.  We are looking forward to our debt freedom date of August 2018.

Aron & Lisa B.
Merlin, ON, Canada

I Have Paid Off Two Credit Cards and Started Paying Off Another

The reason I joined Prosper Learning was to learn more about investing in real estate.  While I was learning about the different types of real estate I realized I needed to clean up my debt before being able to personally invest.  My credit is not very good (but getting better now).  

I also moved since I started with Proper Learning into a better place.  With the knowledge I learned from Prosper I was able to find a foreclosure and one of my friend’s fathers won the bid and was able to purchase the foreclosed property and I was able to rent from him without my credit being pulled.  Now my living conditions are much better.
 
Two weeks after I moved in, I was laid off from my job.  With the information given to me I knew financially I was able to survive on unemployment until securing a job.  I have been unemployed since February, 2008 and I am now going back to school (through unemployment) to get my Certificate for the Microsoft Suite which will help me secure a better job in my field.  Also I am going to school at night to get my real estate license.
 
I have learned how to keep track of my income, expenses which helped my understand how to eliminate my debt.  Using the basics from John Cummuta “Transforming Debt into Wealth” was the biggest eye opener.  I was now able to come up with a plan on eliminating my debt.

Since April, 2008, I now have paid off two credit cards and started paying off another.  I should have another creditor paid off by the end of the year.  I will continue to take the payments including the accelerated amount and continue to add it to the next monthly minimum payment until my debt is paid off.  Once my debt is paid off I then will be able to invest the money.

My first calculation in April, 2008 to have all my debt paid off was 8 years and 2.5 months.  That is if I stay on the same salary I receive from unemployment.  In the beginning of September I recalculated and from April to September have calculated I have paid off approximately $4,000.  I also found I forgot to add $1,600 additional debt to my original calculation, but now I have added it in to my debt elimination plan I now calculated my new debt payoff date is now left at 7 years 7.5 months which I know will be less once I get back working full time.

My finances will fall into place in a short period of time.  

Darlene K.
Boonton, NJ

I Am Excited to See What the Future is Going to Bring

My actual journey started a year before I actually joined the TDIW program.  My finances were not out of control like the typical American, but I was tired of being broke, just getting by and feeling as if the debt would never end.  Not to mention the fact that since I was just getting by I knew that if one semi-small emergency happened, that would be the end of the road for me.  Then I’d be right there alongside the typical American.  So I called up and ordered the TDIW system.

After getting and listening to the program I decided that my best interest at the time was to work on lowering my debt first before I could comfortably invest into anything else.  After all, I was just making it by.  It was a very rough year, but in that year I managed to eliminate about $12,000 of debt.  It was awesome and it felt great!  This was all just because I listened to TDIW basics!  However, I was not increasing my wealth and I still had much debt to get rid of.

Having paid off so much debt in the previous year, I finally felt comfortable taking the next step and invest in to my future.  I checked on many other forms of so called “wealth building” businesses but nothing seemed quite right and I kept coming back to TDIW.

Long story short, I joined and in the last two months with the help of my coach I have found about an extra $350 per month to go towards my debt, learned how to save hundreds per year on my grocery bill, have been able to pay for 2 minor emergencies and finally have been helping a very special loved one through a rough financial time—all without going further in debt!  

As a matter of fact, I have still been paying my debt off!  My goal debt free date is July 2013.  The next step is to start the wealth building aspect of the program and for the first time in a very long time I am very excited to see what the future is going to bring.

Tricia C.
Chatham, IL

My Coach Has Been a Great Help to Me

Before the program, I was just making ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck.  With this program, I can see how I can change that situation. 

I am able to see how compound interest is working against me.  Tracking my expenses has made me aware of where and how much money is being spent.  How I view credit now?  I just want out of it.  Using credit you are only paying more for an item.  I also now have the option to saying no using credit and do not plan to use it unless it is an absolute emergency.  This is going to allow me to operate more on a cash type of a basis.

So far, I have paid off the car, which now gives me an extra $535.00 accelerator margin to use to pay down the credit card and my student loan for these sessions.  Based on the Debtfree For Windows package, my debt free date is May of 2015.  My coach has been a great help to me and the materials have also been helpful.  I always enjoy our conversations and the ideas he has.

In the next 90 days, I hope to have paid down the credit card and be on my way to clearing up that debt.  The challenge for me is to use my money wisely and pay off my debts so I can work on paying off the house.  I know I can do this, I must for my boys.

Greg F.
Boyton Beach, FL

Thanks for Pointing Me in the Right Direction

Since signing up with the John Cummuta’s Debt Elimination Program and working with my financial coach, I have been challenged to review and make changes in the way I spend the money I am receiving to become debt free.  Getting organized had been very challenging for me.  However, an assessment of my situation in almost completed and a debt payoff plan has been calculated to have all my debts paid between 5 and 7 years or not later than 2015.

With some other income streams and the resources available through the Prosper Resource Center Coaching Program, the 5 to 7 year projection to being debt free can be reduced considerably.

Thanks to the John M. Cummuta’s Transforming Debt into Wealth Program for pointing me in the right direction for debt relief.

Willie C.
Memphis, TN

We Are Now Much Closer to Realizing Our Dreams

Since being on this program, our outlook on money has changed.  We can now see where all of our money is going, and why we really don’t need credit cards.  The program has made our relationship stronger, as well as given us the tools to keep it strong.  We are overjoyed to see how near our debt free date is.  We see that having goals makes the long road a lot easier to travel.

Our spending is much more controlled.  We think before we buy just about anything.  The difference between a need and a want is becoming much clearer.  Even though we are a young couple, we realize that we can’t work forever.  The earlier we start, the easier and the earlier retirement will be. Cash and debit cards are the only forms of payment we use.  We have destroyed are credit cards and only have one for emergencies.

We are now that much closer to realizing our dreams.  We can start looking for a home of our own, and we have the knowledge to pay it off quickly.  Starting our own business and retirement are no longer a distant dream, but a very achievable reality.  Thank you for all of your help and coaching.  We are well on our way.

Seth & Christina M.
Lauderhill, FL

I Enjoyed the Program Very Much

I enjoyed the program very much. Prior to joining the program, we had a lot of different ideas on how to pay our bills and spend our money. We always seemed to have more money than we needed in order to pay our bills. We just had a hard time finding the best use for that money. The first calculation that shocked us was how much interest we were paying each year. Then realizing a debt free date of July 2019 was really exciting for us.

Also, we learned the importance of tracking all of our expenditures and payments.  From tracking this information we can keep up with how well we are doing in accomplishing our goals.  The most important thing we have gotten out of the program is a plan. We can see our future goal, set out a plan to reach that goal, track our progress, and ultimately achieve our goal. Prior to the program, we couldn't really determine which path we were taking toward our goal.

Over the course of this program we have made quite a few financial changes.  Each of these changes was made to help us move toward our goal of being debt free. We have changed our retirement contributions, fixed our tax withdrawals, outlined a plan to prioritize our debt repayment. We have also found ways to spend less money by not eating out as much, shopping with lists, and generally shopping less.  In fact, I believe we'll easily be able to beat our debt free date.

Robert B.
Villa Park, CA

It is Very Exciting to See this Working

I joined Prosper as it sounded like the ideal way to learn to better manage my income and help me to find a way to get out of debt and maybe be able to retire one of these days.  As I am in my late 50's it is imperative that I get some saving/retirement put away or I will never be able to retire much less get some bills paid off.  At this point, I am learning to document every penny that goes out and also comes into my account.  This has been a challenge as I am one to spend and get instant gratification and thus get myself into some trouble, financially.

The program has really opened my eyes about changing my spending habits and how much my mindset plays in this role.  If I think spend, spend, spend and accept the fact that I will never be able to save, save, save, then that is exactly how my life will continue to move.  The Millionaire mindset is totally the opposite of my mindset.  The drastic change I am learning to make is to think positive in every aspect of my life.  Set goals and KNOW THAT I CAN GET THERE.  Know that I do not need to have anything and everything I see and want. It needs to be a necessity in my life to purchase it.  I am learning to stop and ask myself, 'Do I really need that or is it that I just WANT that?'  This really has made me stop and think and what a difference it is making already at this point.  I am now looking for ways to make adjustments in my household in order to save a little here and a little there and it is not hurting my lifestyle in the least.
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I am also learning that I need to focus on one bill at a time, get it paid off and then take the money I was paying out on that bill as well as an additional amount, that I can adjust to, and put them together and continue to pay down my debt.  This will not happen over night but patience and persistence is the way to go.  I also have learned that this is not always so easy but it is something that I have to stick to.  Since beginning this process, I have paid off one bill and almost completed another two.  The money allocated to all of those will then be used to pay down my visa, then my car and then the BIG ONE'S. My second Mortgage and then my entire house payment. It is very exciting to see this working.

Deb M.
Apple Valley, CA

Life Changes

My life started to change when my son wanted me to get a home near him.  I looked into it.  I could have probably gotten the house but I would not have enjoyed it because I would need to work all the time to pay all my bills.  I saw an e-mail for a Debt into Wealth teleseminar and decided to give it a listen.  I filled out the paperwork and saw that I had only paid off about three thousand dollars in debt in the past year and a half.  I needed help.  I sought and found that help.

With the help from my counselor and books I have read, I am learning not to have a consumer attitude.  I am learning how to make my money work for me.  My payoff schedule is Jan 2013, that includes all my debt even the house.  My insides did the Happy Dance when I got that date.  I will then be free and can then use my money how I want.  It will go where I want it to go.
 
I now know how much I need in my emergency fund and in my retirement and feel confident that I can meet if not exceed those amounts.  Another change is that my son and I are starting to talk about what I am learning.  He is very interested.  Things are changing and I am thrilled about it. 

Sheila O.
West Memphis, AR

Finance Students Reduce Debt by $25,000

We have cut back down on credit card use.  We are still using our personal cards, but only on items that we know we can pay back at the end of the month.  We are down to one 'long term' card that we are paying down systematically and will have paid off in full in 20 months on the current schedule and in even less time if our income increases and we can divert more funds into that payment.  Where we can, we have consolidated business credit into accounts with lower interest rates.

Business income has decreased this year, so plans to pay off larger amounts of the credit debt have had to be changed, but the debt is being lowered monthly and new debt is not being taken on!  Through the spending charts, we have learned to really see how much and on what we spend money each month.  While we have not seen any great reduction in spending dollars, we are much more aware now and have cut back down on frivolous spending.  The sum of our debt at the start of the program was $190,553 and is now $163,969—over $25,000 less.  The remainder is credit card debt which is being paid off via the DOLP schedule with a fluctuating latte factor with a minimum of $500 monthly.

We have also started saving automatically and are putting away $600/month right now, and plan to raise this amount when our income stabilizes and we can afford to do so.  We never would have thought to put away money while still paying off our credit cards without your coaching.  We now have a better handle on where our investments are.  While we are running a loss for the year (is there anybody who isn't?), we have kept a large percentage of our savings in cash or cash vehicles, so our losses have been minimized by our diversification out of the stock market.

We believe we have done everything we can to lower our spending and reduce our debt with the funds we have to work with.  The next step is to raise our income so we can become debt free even faster and reach our goal of growing rich.

Thank you for all of your help.  We would not have taken any of these steps without the advice and education you have given us during our sessions with you.  We look forward to updating you with our continued successes.

Debbie & Straw W.
North Hollywood, CA

We Are Greatly Appreciative of the Program and the Resources Offered to Us

Coaching with Prosper has extremely improved our financial knowledge.  We have learned a variety of strategies to manage our debt and build a savings with the income we currently have.  Our plan indicates that we will be debt free in four years.  We are sticking to the plan and have not incurred any additional debt.  In addition to this, we have utilized the elective courses to start ecommerce businesses.  We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the information we have learned is taking us on a road to be financially free for the rest of our lives. 

Our coach is very knowledgeable and supportive in helping us realize our dream.  He knows exactly what we need to be successful in our businesses and debt management.  We are greatly appreciative of the program and the resources offered to us.

Will & Allyson G.
Bellflower, CA

We Have Paid off $7000 in 6 Months

I wanted to take a little time to say thank you for the coaching sessions.  Phil and I have been on the program for 6 months now and have paid off 3 credit cards, totaling about $7,000.  Our accelerator margin is now $1300 and we continue to press towards our future debt free world.  With our debt at around $300,000 with mortgage and cars we will be debt free by 1st Qtr of 2014.  That is only 5 years!

The biggest lesson for us has been that we view money so differently now.  Everything we purchase is with cash and all cards have been cut up except for one.  Although we are not quite ready to invest money because we are focused on the margin, we most definitely look forward to putting our money to work rather than giving our money to our creditors so they can continue to get richer.  We look forward to starting our own business with the help of our future coaching.

Philip K.
Thornton, CO

The More I Learn, The More I Feel Excited About My Future

As you know I moved to Canada in April this year.  Prior to that I had sold my house in Australia and felt like I was doing ok financially.  I had made money on the sale and paid off all my debts but then when I moved here I found that by the time I had bought a townhouse, car and things I needed to start again I was slowly ending up with more debt and feeling like I was heading backwards again.  

My goal for years has been to be financially free and be able to help other people in need and to work less so I could even think about fostering children or something like that.  While I was shopping one day I saw the books Smart Women Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach and decided to buy Smart Women Finish Rich.  I started reading it and saw that there was a website so I looked it up and then filled out the form to get a free consultation and the rest is history as they say!

I can't say things have been easy as I've had challenges with my debt being in Australia and still needing to buy things here to prepare for my first very cold winter, but I'm slowly working my way through it.  I've managed to find ways to send money back to Australia to pay off my debts and also to find bargains when shopping for winter coats and boots etc.  I have all my monthly payments automated so I won't ever have to pay late fees and I'm always looking for ways to reduce expenses.  It has definitely helped to be accountable for my purchases and to have guidance and encouragement.  I've also been able to share what I'm learning with friends and that is exciting for me.  I've read four books on financial principles; have increased my knowledge on how things work and what it available and I'm very excited about achieving more financially.

My first short term goal is to be free of credit card debt by December 1, 2008.  As soon as I've done that all my debts are in Canada and I want to truly set things up to pay myself 10%, use 20% to pay debts and live off 70% (including 10% tithe).  I already have a partnership with my parents and I'm working on increasing my knowledge of e-commerce to build our income from the websites we already have and to develop new ones.  I can't remember my exact debt free date, but it was about 2022.  My goal is to build my knowledge and income so that it will be much sooner than that - I have a written goal to be debt free in January 2012!

The more I learn and can implement financially the more I feel excited about my future and the possibilities that exist.  Thank you for all your support and encouragement through the challenges.

Kerryn W.
Calgary, AB, Canada

We Have $3000 in Savings and $7000 in Checking

We have paid off some smaller unexpected bills that came up prior to my departure from the states.  We have $3000 in savings; currently have $7000 in checking, paid $1880 towards the Capital One card (present bal-8000).

The plan is to have this paid off by the end off Nov and then to tackle the Home Equity Loan of $84,000.  $1000 a month is pumped back into our DVD Now business.  $500 is my monthly expense over here.  Starting in December the goal is to pay $4000 a month towards the HELOC.

Steve S.
Tallahassee, FL

30 Days Closer to Being Debt Free

When you have taken your last straw, when you have written the last check for the last dollar, when your back is against the wall you start looking for a way out.  Many times you are between a rock and a hard place.  You are being squeezed so hard you feel the pressure in your body, and breathing becomes difficult.

I was there, I am there.  The only way out is to stand firm in my faith and know that God did not bring me here to fail me, to leave me.  I got here because of many decisions I made on my own and the difficult times with the economy that have affected my business.  I am here to learn and grow, I will not fall.

Out of pure desperation I made a call in response to an ad about helping you get out of debt.  I spoke to two different people who broke me down.  I do not say that in a bad way.  I have to be strong in order to run a business and support my family.  My pride had to be broken before I could admit I needed someone to direct me into a different path, a different understanding of money.  An understanding I knew in the past, but had walked away from.  I knew to continue on the same path would not lead to change and if we were going to survive these difficult times then I must change.

I am 61 years old and do not have the years many have left to get out of debt.  I have not always been in the position I am in now, but I also did not have the skills and knowledge to stay out of the situation I am in now.  I have always been motivated, positive and self disciplined.  I believe that everything I have or have ever been given was a gift from God, even the gift of prosperity.  These past 30 days I have come to realize I was taking my gifts for granted.  I must value each dollar, control each dollar and start using my gift of prosperity to plant seeds for my future.  The plan shows me know that I can be debt free in 11 years 8 months and save over $596K by doing it quicker.  My goal is to work to be out of debt in 7 years or sooner.  You see, my future is now.

I am doing this on my own without the support of my husband.  He watches what he spends, he uses his Social Security to purchase what he wants so what I bring home can go directly to bills and home expenses.  The majority of the cuts will come from my spending.  I am not a big spender.  I have never been one to spend on expensive clothes or other “stuff.”  My big expenses in the past four years have been my marathons and the money and time it takes to coach, train, enter and travel with a team to a marathon.  These cut backs also eliminate my volunteer work with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  These are hard cuts as the people I have met and the experiences I have had watching adults train and fulfill a dream keeps me motivated.  I have always felt I received so much more out of coaching and mentoring than I ever put into it.  However, I must do what I have to do in order to get my debt under control.

It has been helpful to have my coach call every week.  I look forward to doing the assignments and being encouraged each week.  Accountability is huge in anything you do that requires change.  Accountability helps to keep you “training” and “growing” with each new step.  Our coach has had to step a little out of the normal coaching as I have asked him several questions regarding my business and asked for suggestions as to direction.  I think even though I asked the questions, I already knew the answers.  It is encouraging to hear someone reinforce what you know but do not want to deal with.  It puts it all out there for you to do what you knew in the first place you had to do.  Sharing your troubles has a way of lifting the weight of stress.

I have hope, I have faith, and I have trust that God is working and something great will come out of all of this.  I have been through many difficulties in my life and with each one God has given me much more on the other side of the valley than I could every have dreamed.  I know by tracking all my expenses, making some cut backs, learning to value my gifts (again), setting boundary’s with my children and grand children, and most of all keep taking one step at a time, I will prevail.

There is a saying about running a marathon and it works for getting out of debt.  You do not look at a marathon as 26.2 miles.  You look at a marathon as one step and then another and another until you reach the finish.  Well my first step was 30 days ago.  I am 30 days closer to being debt free, to reaching my finish line.

Marsha N.
Riverside, CA

We Have Made Small, but Significant Steps

We set out to join the David Bach program because neither one of us wanted to work until we were 65 years old, wondering how much social security we would get (if any), and if we’d saved enough during our working years to live on in our retirement years.  We were both unsure exactly the best way to save, which avenues to use to make money, and if we were investing in a way that was best benefiting us and our future years.  We were financially stable, both making good salaries with extremely solid jobs, had savings accounts, were somewhat thrifty, have 401Ks and money market accounts, had all credit cards paid off, and had the usual debts of mortgage and car payments.  What we didn’t know was how to make our money work quicker and more efficiently for us and how to get ahead of the debts.  Mark also runs a Martial Arts school on the side that was steady, but only making enough to pay bills and loans.

We hoped that the David Bach Program would give us guidance into smart investments, money saving ideas, and a means of bringing in an additional cash flow so that the idea of being debt free and retiring early was more than just a distant hope.  Mark also wanted tips on how to make his business grow, expand, and bring in a positive cash flow.

What we have learned through our coach’s guidance is common sense spending, or should we say, not spending.  We learned to basically watch every penny spent, and realize that there are some things we just don’t need.  We learned that once a debt is paid off, to not use that extra cash to buy something else, but to apply it to the next debt.  We’ve learned to reinvest our money in something like a Roth IRA rather that a money market account, and that money can be made in stocks (with the proper research) and through the Internet (again with the proper research).

By following the program, we have made small but significant steps toward our debt free date of November 2015, just seven years away.

1. Kept our spending down and our credit cards balances at zero.
2. Started our “Ten Ben” stash and are more than half way there.
3. Reduced the interest rate on our existing credit cards.
4. Paid off our son’s vehicle and now apply that money to one of Mark’s loans.
5. Gone back to coupon cutting.
6. In the process of changing our money market accounts to Roth IRA’s.
7. Researching stock to invest in (through Morningstar first for 3 months or more).
8. Researching E-Commerce, affiliate marketing to bring in additional cash flow.
9. Continue upkeep of spreadsheet to watch cash flow.

Susan & Mark T.
Houston, Texas

Our Coach Read Us Well and Taught Us at the Right Speed

 
Once upon a time, we took our first hesitant, and slightly reluctant, steps into solving our long term debt.  After our first official meeting with Nick on Monday 23rd June, I think we were both still a little concerned as to whether we had done the right thing in signing over 9 1/2 grand and making our situation a little worse.  

Certainly, we had to do something.  Our previous attempt to work with a local guy offering something similar, but less comprehensive and less expensive, had Kitt and I on opposite sides of the fence—and as I would be doing most of the work, we had to look for an alternative.

With our first session with our coach completed, I became a little more comfortable with the concept, as we understood it at that time.  With our increased knowledge from reading and listening, the comfort level increased little by little.

I think most of us know quite a few of the facts and figures being presented to us-we just don't know, care to bother, or find the time, to put the puzzle together.  What is being taught is not 'rocket science', but it is a very new mind set for us.  Not wishing to make excuses before it happens, but I see 'finding the time' as being the BIG problem, especially in the early days.  I spend all day at work behind a computer, and don't particularly enjoy that, damned if I want to do more at home in the evening!

On our first attempt to participate in a live 'elective', we hit our first physical barrier.  The speakers on our computer are rubbish!  The following day it brought home my speakers from work with volume control.  They proved to be the answer.

It did take longer than expected for things to 'officially' roll-but we had made up our minds to attack the credit card debt first.  We sent $1800 in July and $700 in August.  When we were introduced to working with the graph, we saw that that was not the right choice for #1, but the overall package is being helped.

On the subject of the graph, it was a bit of a surprise to see the order in which debts were attacked.  If I had spent a little more time fully digesting both the audio and written homework that may not have happened.  So, armed with the graph, and half an idea on how to use it, I tried a few differing scenarios.  What a bunch of surprises that turned out to be, not all of them good.

Ignoring the revised time line by reducing the Learning payment by $3500, a simple increase in the accelerator margin from $700 to $800 would remove 6 months, increasing it from$700 to $900 would remove 11 months.  I suspect that $900 accelerator margin is not realistic, but $800 may be possible when we settle down into a routine.

Our debt free date with the 'as taught' option will be Sept '16, if we use the $3500 wisely and optimize the plan, we could remove 1 1/2 years or more from that.  One thing is for sure-we had no idea just how bad our long term financial situation was. This is the solution to the alternatives of bankruptcy or leaving the problem for the children.  As an aside, I doubt that we will ever have the time to build future wealth from this plan-but the concept is great.

They say that timing is everything.  I've heard the John Cummuta ad’s on the radio for several years-wish I'd taken notice earlier.  We were already committed to several new expenses as we started this program (the new deck, awning and vacation) and most of it has already been paid for by existing cash funds.  I may not have been so prepared to do it that way prior to starting this program-and got us deeper in trouble-that's what we have been learning, pay cash if at all possible, think hard and long about all financial decisions, and be skeptical of all advertisers-they're just after your lucky charms!

There were times in the past that I wish that our coach had pushed us a little harder or faster - but now on reflection - he read us well and saw the other factors that controlled our lives and taught us the plan at the right speed.  As we continue to 'tweak' our financial plan, become more fiscally aware and simply do a better job we know the future is financially brighter.  Quite how much we will save hasn't been worked out yet, but it's going to be huge!

Thank you for guiding us out of the trouble we didn't really know we were in!

Paul B.
Utica, MI

My Own Plan Would Have Taken 40 Years, Now I Can Do it in 9

Prosper Learning has helped me to make significant changes in my life.  My coach has been a great help to me.  With his help I learned how to use the Debt Free Windows program which showed me how I could quickly reduce my debt load.  

If I used my own plan it would have taken 40 years to pay off all of my debts, but the Debt Free Windows program showed that I could accomplish this within 9 years.

Within three months of working with my coach I had a solid plan in place and clearly understood what I needed to do.  I've already started to work towards that goal.  As of November 1, 2008 I will eliminate $14,000 of debt and by January 2009 my total debt elimination will be $70,000.  This is not even based on a one or two year schedule; it would have taken only 8 months to wipe out $70,000 worth of debt!

I commend my coach for his knowledge, patience and professionalism.  He also gave me the support I needed to move my plan from the developmental stage forward.  I now have insight as to what I need to do to eliminate my remaining debt load and I'm excited about completing the remaining portion of my program.

Debbie Y.
Milwaukee, WI

We Should Have Our Third Credit Card Paid Off this Month

When we joined with Prosper we were like most middle class families, living pay check to pay check.  Bringing in enough money to pay the bills, but never enough to get ahead.  At the end of the month we always wondered where our money went.  Once we started keeping track of our spending we realized where a lot of our money was being wasted.  With having six children and both of us working full-time, it was easy to fall for today’s conveniences, or we deserve it attitudes.  

Once we realized the amount of money we were throwing away monthly on these things we quickly decided to buckle down and work together to stop the reckless spending.  We now make shopping list, and more importantly, stick to them.  We go shopping less often, and plan meals out for the week.  We use cash only, it's amazing how much you can save by using cash only.  Since July we've paid off two credit cards, shredded all but one card that's put away, just in case.  We're moving forward even with our stale mate with Mike needing his right hip replaced.  He was off for six weeks, so that put us a little behind on our debt pay off plan, but we didn't accumulate more debt during this time!  Going over a month without one spouse's income and no having to charge is a success to us!  We should have our third credit card paid off this month!  Our debt free date is December 2013.  We can't wait!

Michael & Donna O.
Kenosha, WI

We Will Pay Off Our House in 2 Years, 23 Years Early

Before starting on the Prosper Financial coaching program, we were already in a decent financial situation.  We had paid off all our debts except our mortgage and were loosely paying extra each month to pay the mortgage off sooner.  In this comfortable mode, non-stressful mode we were pretty lax with our spending (music purchases, frequent DVD rentals, lunch out, dinner out, take out, etc…..we like to eat) and with tracking our spending in general.

I was aware that lots of miscellaneous dollars were slipping through the cracks each month and that that was part of the reason we had not paid down the house as much as I thought we could have.  With Prosper we learned the concepts of tracking our expenses like a company does….documenting everything.  The whole process makes you more conscientious of every dollar you spend.
 
We continue to use the tracking spreadsheet and it feels good to be able to look at it and know where our money went, versus just the sick feeling of knowing that it’s gone.  This also is allowing us to have more realistic expectations of spending for different categories, which I love.

Also through taking the elective classes on personal finance and cash flow, I was inspired to re-evaluate our current expenses and look for areas where we could cut cost and direct more money toward paying off the house.  My biggest victory was with our auto insurance.

We were paying $1800 dollars a year for insurance on 2 older model American cars.  With some shopping around I was able to get the vehicles insured for nearly half that amount.  Now that extra cash is going toward our mortgage.  With our debt plan now in place we will pay off our house in a little over 2 years – that’s 23 years early and a hundred thousand+ dollars (saved) extra in our pocket.  We are also working with our real estate coach to help expedite that date and develop passive income that will help fund our early retirement!

Timeka Y.
Lanham, MD

I Look Forward to Mondays at 12:30pm

Three years ago my financial situation started to change for the worst.  I was trying to be smart by changing my 30 yr. fixed mortgage payment to an adjusting ARM in hopes of selling soon, and making money from the equity in the home.  

Well, the ARM is not a good choice and so I refinanced again to a different type of arm.  The housing market was not looking good so I refinanced one last time in 2007.  The last refinanced cost me an additional $600.00.  With the rising cost of everything, I found myself running out of money before the next pay day.  I had been hearing Transforming Debt Into Wealth on the radio for many months but never called.

In June I decided that I had nothing to lose so I call for the free tape. Little did I know that the company would be calling me within three days to see if I had listened to the tapes. Well, I hadn’t. I was looking for help with my finances from anywhere. The person I talked to helped me to understand where my finances were and what I could do to change my situation. Automatically I wanted to do the system. I really did not know what to expect.  I still think it is too costly.

I talked to you, my coach, and you were so encouraging and helpful.  I am still learning how to think differently when it comes to money.  Everything is starting to makes sense.  In the time I have been in the program, I have learned how to cut my food bill in half.  I make fewer trips and I do no shop as often.  I know how to bargain shop better which has cut my clothing costs in half.  I use more coupons; go to the stores with a list which I stick to.  I have learned how to buy and sell on eBay.  I have made a little money and I plan on making more.  I have learned to keep track of my money and I find myself asking myself whether or not I really need some of the things I would have just brought without a second thought.  I think rich to be rich.

I feel that I am on the right track and I know it will take time. Each day I fell that I am closer than I was at being debt free. Some of my goals are to make money on line and whatever you can suggest that can make me money. I Plan to sell my home which is where most of my money goes, when the market improves. I have read many books on finances which have been very helpful. I have been using many of the suggestions from you and the web classes.

Thanks for all of your help.  I looked forward to Monday’s at 12:30 p.m.  You always called on time and were pleasant.  I have enjoyed working with you.  I am wealthy and I am successful and as time goes on where I am now as far as my finances, will be even better.

Barbara B.
Yorktown, VA

Coaching Gives Us Something We Need

Coaching gives us something we need.  If it was not for the weekly accountability, we would probably have not done anything.  Coaching also gives us the timeline we need on when to accomplish our assignments.

Since we started with this program Brent and I have looked at our spending habits differently and really focused how we can get extra income flow to put in our debt accelerator.  Before the program we never focused on what we spent.  We only spent.  Now our purchases are decision made.  Overall, we have cut back including eating out which has saved us about $100 per month.

We also used to use credit.  We did try and stop it before the TDIW program, but since the program the temptation to use credit is now gone.  Instead of credit, we now use our debt cards, which gives us an additional means of tracking our expenses.  We also consolidated debts that had interest rates in the teens or in the twenties to an interest rate under 7% and also refinanced our vehicle to a lower interest rate to save money.

We have 6 debts totaling over $520k.  With a $400 monthly payment, our debt free date would be 2023 which is over 30 years sooner if I did not have this program.  Since the start of the program we have already paid off one of our debts. The minimum payment of $50 will be added to our accelerator margin and applied to the next priority debt.

This program has also provided us with the ability to understand net worth, credit and its impact and how to increase our FICO score.  This past week had been very exciting for us especially when we decided to become entrepreneurs. I always dreamed of having my own little shop in the Philippines maybe sell something on line. But I always thought that since we don't have thousands of dollars to start with this dream is impossible. I love to shop, but now I will be shopping to make money .

Loredith D. & Brent K.
Rohnert Park, CA

My Coach Has Been Wonderful

Before the program, I used to go into the store and just shop.  I now only purchase what I need and make a small list before I go.  This alone has saved me quite a bit of money and has helped me financially.  Tracking items keeps me more aware of my spending and where my money goes.  I could not even imagine how much money this alone has saved me.  I'm probably spending only half of what I used to spend on a weekly basis saving me over $300 per month which I can apply towards my debts.  Operating on cash makes me feel so much better than using credit.

I only use my credit cards in case of emergencies.  In all I have 2 major credit cards, a Pay Pal account, and a couple of little store accounts.  I have now paid off the 2 smaller accounts so I do not have to worry about paying the higher interest rates these accounts charge.  I'm in the process of selling my home to further save money.  With the proceeds of the home I plan to pay off most of my debts and start an emergency fund.  Doing this I can save several hundred dollars on a monthly basis towards retirement .

My coach has been wonderful and helped point out things I would not have picked up in the books alone.  This program has helped me keep track of it all so I can get to a point I'm totally out of debt and ultimately ready to retire and be able to do it.

Lynne R.
Cheektowaga, IL

We Now Have the Tools to Keep Out of Debt

We are now much more educated in how to handle our money more efficiently.  We are much more aware of where our money 'goes' and how to adjust it to meet our needs.  We now have knowledge of investing and options of where we can invest our money.  With this knowledge we are now more confident that we can invest our money and do it wisely.  We have eliminated over $6000 dollars of the debt we had when we started this program and are one step closer to actually being financially independent.  

We now have the tools to keep out of debt and be financially independent.  We know as a couple each other's goals and how we can help each other achieve them We have learned how to protect ourselves and our family from financial downfalls, or other catastrophes.

Sarah & Doug K.
Soldotna, AK

I Have Paid Off 3 Store Cards in the Past Few Months

I joined the Transforming Debt Into Wealth System because the years seem to pass faster and faster and though I still have time, the reality year of my retirement, was coming closer.  Also, after thirty seven years of marriage, I am in the middle of a divorce and before I retire, I must be completely out of debt so I could live life without the worry of paying credit card bills and a mortgage payment every month.

I am a teacher and have been teaching for 40 years and I am very fortunate that I love my job.  Though I earn a good salary, for so many years, I have found myself living from paycheck to paycheck.  One reason is because of all the credit card debt.  I have tried many times to pay them down but unfortunately, fell right back into old habits.  For days, I have heard John Cummuta’s advertisement on the radio and finally after hearing it so many times, I decided to call and find out more details.  I really questioned how one can get out of debt with only using the money they earn.  After speaking to the first person, I decided to join, but then I was told about the coaching program and that interested me.  After being in debt for so long and in the middle of a very expensive divorce, I decided I would need all the help I can get.

I discovered that one of the biggest money expenditures was my grocery bill.  For the past two years I have been alone and spending about $500 or so dollars a month in the supermarkets.  I would make more than one trip to the market a week and needing just one item would turn into several.  After being in the program for four full months, I have cut my grocery bill down to about $300 and visit the supermarkets only 3-4 times a month with a list.

I have also stopped buying coffee and a snack in the morning on the way to school and instead make my own coffee and bring my own snack.  In addition, I have stopped using all credit cards and have become more aware of my situation and the necessity for me to be successful.  My starting goal is to be free of all credit cards in three years and then attack my mortgage payment.  I have paid off three store cards in the past few months and aggressively attacking the next.  I am 62 years old, and hope to teach for at least another ten years.  My second goal is to pay off a $206,000 mortgage by 2016 the latest.

The coaching I have received has certainly made a difference in my approach to this new way of handling and spending money.  There are still a lot of life style changes I have to work on but though difficult, I am positive that I will be able to succeed.

Barbara P.
Lawrenceville, NJ

We Truly Have Been Blessed

We have come from living pay check to pay check to thinking we will have enough money!  With the education we are receiving we have put our lives into perspective.  We have a plan and we are following it. We are now positive thinkers and know we will become debt free.  We continue to track our spending weekly, use our score card to plan, and actually know how much money we have or don't have.  With this, we make conscientious decisions of where we want our money to go.  We have cut out unnecessary spending and we no longer use credit cards to pay for our bills or groceries.  If we don't have the money, we don't buy.  

Before we were being educated through Prosper, we were putting our groceries on credit because we didn't have money to pay for them.  With a family of six we worried about how we would feed our family, and provide for our needs.  Although we already knew the difference between needs and wants, we didn't have full grip of this concept.  We have created a tracking sheet, and every week the family divides up and we track retail and prices of the products that we purchase.  We haven't done it long enough to figure out the cycle but we are anxious to find out what it is.  It's almost like a game of 'You won't get the best of us'.

We are using coupons and searching for real deals! We continue to make the best of every penny we have.  We are in process of cutting our bills and finding more ways to save our money so we will be able to put our accelerated margin into gear.  We are becoming frugal!  We are moving ahead to increase our cash flow as well as teaching our children the ins and outs of saving money.  This is one heck of a learning experience, and we continue to do so every day.  We are so grateful for our coach and all the webinars, for giving us hope in all our learning.  This is only the beginning to our financial freedom, we truly have been blessed.

Annette & Robert D.
East Concord, NY

Thank You So Much for Making this Possible

Our Finish Rich Journey began when we saw the ad online of course we were interested. We both always wanted to grow wealth, but we never had the knowledge we have gained since we finally called Finish Rich and spoke with an adviser.  We decided this program will lead us in the right direction.

We were assigned a wonderful financial coach, one of many that will coach us on our way to Financial Freedom.  We learned how to pay ourselves first, which is so important in growing your wealth, to eliminate our debts in a structured way that would pay them down quicker without spending more cash, making smart purchases which even included the way we purchased our prescription medications (We saved a bundle).  We are also making extra principal payments on our mortgage and saving one paycheck a month.  Our home will be paid off in 1 year and Ron and I will be completely debt free by 2010.

Our dreams to have a home based business, be able to travel, help those less fortunate and just being free to do what we could not do before is now becoming reality all because we were led to that one little ad that is changing our lives every day.  We owe all this to the Finish Rich System and all those wonderful professionals who will continue guiding Ron and I on the Finish Rich Journey.

Thank you so much for making this possible.

Ron & Karen H.
Dunbar, WV

I Will Pass this Education to My Son

Before I even heard of transforming debt into wealth I endured many years and spent many dollars thinking of ways to lower my debt and increase my income.  I have tried a lot of money making methods all of which failed for some reason or another.  Through the course of these trials and errors I amassed debt beyond our income.  I felt as if our spending habits were good and our ability to stay within our means was there I just couldn’t nail down a solid legitimate means of additional income.  Along with other “emergencies” we had fallen deeper and deeper into debt.
 
When I heard about Prosper and TDIW I was intrigued at the concept and got the info CD in the mail.  I looked over the material and it shed a whole new light on finances for me and how debt works and the methods of eliminating it effectively.  I decided to do the coaching from Prosper to give me that extra push to keep on track and especially to have the resources available to me.

I have recently within the past 2 years started aggressively selling on eBay and Amazon and have done quite well (minus some bumps here and there).  I feel I am on the right track and I feel more focused on the big picture of debt elimination and can look forward to the day I no longer will have to work for the dollar.  I feel with our current course of action and future success with my online endeavors.  I will be debt free on or about the year 2015.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and with the education I got from Prosper I am confident I will succeed at eliminating all of our debt and move towards building our wealth and secure future.

I will utilize Prospers resources to educate me in the future on the stock market and ecommerce further.  I will be publishing me first ecommerce site within a week or so and I am thoroughly excited at the concept of working full time at my ecommerce business.  I feel confident now about finances more than ever and I will pass this education on to my son and family and hopefully help them make their financial future better.

Edward K.
Sandy Creek, NY

Our Marriage is Better Because We Are Not Arguing Over Finances

My wife Kathy and I were living from paycheck to paycheck.  Most weeks we were fighting over our finances and didn’t know where the money was going to come from to pay our bills.  Our credit cards weren’t maxed out, but they were getting close.  We had gone from one consolidation loan to another and were never any closer to getting caught up.

Kathy ordered the Transforming Debt Into Wealth information out of desperation unbeknownst to me.  When we got our first phone call about our interest in this system, we listened intently to the information we were presented with.  We had lost hope on ever getting our finances in order.  When we were asked if we were interested in the program, we both had a glimmer of hope sparked in us and said, “YES“!

We were asked to dream again.  Dream?  What was that?  I had not seen Kathy this excited in a long time.  She had stopped dreaming years ago.  As a matter fact we both had.  We weren’t talking much anymore since it seemed to end in a fight and we had both lost our joy as well.

After several weeks of coaching, we now have been given the tools to help us change our thinking and our use of credit.  These tools include C’s that we can listen to while traveling to and from work.  What a great way to redeem the travel time as well as suggested reading items, manuals to read and many resources on their website.  The speakers have loads of information and are also encouraging.

We now have a debt free date of August 2012.  There is light at the end of the tunnel and look, it‘s not a freight train.  The weight of our financial burden has been lifted and we really do have a new lease on life.
 
We are beginning to understand how to build our wealth (spending on a cash basis and not increasing our expenses) and what reduces our wealth (spending on credit).  It is encouraging to know that we CAN have the finances to retire with in 12 years.  The weight of financial bondage has been lifted, our marriage is better because we are not arguing over finances and we have tools that we didn‘t have before.  We are now able to talk about where we want to go instead of how we’re going to pay our bills.

We are looking forward together to what the future holds and where we will be.  We have acquired a $50,000 HELOC at 4.5% and will use $34,000 to pay off high interest credit cards (averaging about 22%).  We are saving over $500 a month just in interest charges.  This now gives us an accelerator margin of $500 a month.

We now have the tools so we can help encourage our 4 sons to transform their debt into wealth as well.  Thank you staff of Transforming Debt into Wealth.

Kathy & Kenneth B.
Melrose, NY

Making Our Income Grow Now Seems Possible

It was a good day for my husband and me when I called and ordered the free CD which would help us find our way out of debt.  We are senior citizens, do not have a large nest egg laid up to help us financially.  We had credit card debt and were almost living from pay check to pay check.

We had, for a long time, kept a chart showing what we would pay each month.  We have never kept a journal showing where our money was going.  It was not easy to get my husband to get on board with tracking our spending.  Since signing with Debtfree, Harold has been on board, he is as excited as I am.  It is mind blowing when we see how we wasted some of our money.  If only we had been “in the know” years earlier.  We would really be in a different category today regarding our finances.

This is the second month that we have been able to pay off some of our debts.  As for a timeline, it appears that we will be debt free in 2011.  It is almost unbelievable.  According to the DebtFree Summary, we would have not been debt free for 14 years and 10 months.  Our indebtedness was not astronomical, but we felt we would never get out.  The amount of $1,437 in savings is now an amount we can put in our income growing plan, or our emergency fund plan.

We are in the process of trying to determine which direction we want to take, barring any unforeseen problems.  Making our income grow now seems possible.

Norma & Herald S.
Piedmont, SC

We Paid Off $1400 in Debt and Saved $2600

We have paid off another $1400 of debt since we started and have saved $2600 which means we have gotten ahead now $4000, however, we took on more coaching sessions for our wealth building classes in E-commerce, this adds $3100 more debt towards our new online business, but hopefully this will help make it that much more profitable.  I have also been working with the stock market using paper money and have been doing pretty good.  I invested $260 and resold it for $460 minus the $30 commission fees. It's exciting learning the multiple streams of income!

Just this past week realized that there is about $500 of extra income in our checking account.  We have not decided where to put it yet, however, it may go towards getting our new business up and running.

DaNae has finished the book '5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me'.  This is a really good book.  Both of us have enjoyed it tremendously!  We are carrying a calculator with us almost everywhere we go now, even if it's out to eat.  It's amazing how much can be saved by calculating the amount of product for the price!  Thank you for really helping give us a boost!

Nathan & DaNae J.
Bemidji, MD

We Will Save Over $973,000 by Following this Program

My husband and I are a hard working, “middle class” couple with one child and trying to make it financially.  Before starting this program, we were basically clueless about where we were with our finances, let alone where to go.  We were in quick sand and going down fast.

Fortunately, one very usual day, my husband came home from work and told me he had heard this gentleman on the radio speaking about his “Debt into Wealth” finance program.  He had called right up from the car and ordered the package.  So when the package arrived, we looked through everything and watched the DVD’s.  

Of course, we had our doubts.  It just seemed too good to be true.  How could we possibly have all out debt, plus our home paid off in about a decade or less?  Unreal!  But as we watched and as he explained about his program we grew more and more interested.  So we called up, and long story short, we are now about a month and a half into the program and seeing progress paying off our debt like never before.
 
Besides starting to pay off debts, we changed a few important things about ourselves.  We have become very conscientious about how we spend our money and what we spend it on.  

According to data from our Debt Free program, we will be completely free of debt in 11 years and 2 months, should we continue the way we are now.  We, of course are going to try to do even better than that.  We will save $973,535 by paying off debt with this program and system versus making minimum payments for payoff.  After we have paid off all debt, including mortgage, and can then invest our monthly $7,741 for 38 years and 6 months, at a return interest rate of 8%, we will retire with $23,846,696.  Our monthly income will be $158,978.  We will be in our 80’s by then, so we are not going to wait to get to $23 million.  We should manage with slightly less and start enjoying the hard work a little bit sooner. Amazing numbers!

Our coach is great about explaining our “lessons”.  He provides great information and understands the situation we are in.  He has helped us sculpt the real goals we want to aim for, which is our financial future, including our retirement, children’s education, and general lifestyle.  We have learned that “The millionaires next door” are not as one may think them to be.  A flashy lifestyle is not what a millionaire is made of.

Varuzhan & Aza B.
North Hills, CA

The Coaching Program Has Given Us the Gift of Heightened Awareness

These coaching sessions have been perhaps the biggest reason as to why we're already seeing success from the program.  We've read books before on financial planning, but sad to say, not as a 'team'.  It has been extremely effective in having our coaching calls with both Joe and me because it has promoted so much productive communication about what we need to do in order to build the kind of individualized financial plan we need in order to achieve our goals.  We are so motivated to continue living our plan while continuing to gain more knowledge about wealth building.  The possibilities for our success seem endless, and that's extremely empowering.

Since our first becoming a part of the finish rich/prosper financial coaching part of the program, Joe and I have learned how to effectively organize every aspect of our financial lives on paper (i.e., filing system, expense tracker notepads, expense tracking spreadsheet, net worth spreadsheets, etc).  We have also learned how to assess our current financial status (i.e., income, expenses, debts, investments) and net worth.

We now track our daily expenses down to the penny!  We have learned where a lot of our money was 'bleeding out' and now consciously consider each purchase before making it (minor as well as major purchases).  This has been extremely powerful in helping us to identifying our ever growing 'latte factor' ($1,850) that we now look forward to applying to our debt list.  According to the 'DOLP' list, our debt freedom date is 9/1/2014 if we stick to the program.  We hope to achieve our date even sooner if we can!

We have also learned and are motivated about the importance/benefit of generating multiple streams of income, and generating passive streams of income and what resources are available to us in order to create our individualized estate plan.

In addition to the above, we've learned the importance in working together in managing our finances, and have been able to do it with great motivation.  The key factor for us was having a PLAN to follow where we can truly track our progress.  This program has helped us to actually sleep better at night.  Knowing we have our plan in place to achieve our goals is a tremendous weight taken off our shoulders.  We have truly changed our mindsets as to how we think about every aspect of our money.  The financial coaching program has given us the gift of a heightened awareness of our spending habits, as well as an education of how to transform unnecessary spending into an aggressive plan to achieve a debt free lifestyle.

Therese & Joe L.
Centerport, NY

Thank You for Sharing Your Gifts with Us

It has been almost 3 weeks since our last call with you and I can't tell you how many times we have talked about you and used what you have taught us.  I know when we last spoke I told you that our experience with you had been life changing and we still feel that to be true.  I believe that there are a handful of moments in one’s life that change them forever.  Our experience with you and the Prosper program has been one of those times.

We went from feeling out of control and not knowing the next right thing to do, to feeling more confident and in control of our financial lives.  We are so grateful to you for gently guiding us and giving us relevant examples for managing our money.  We looked forward to our weekly conversations because you always gave us what we needed.  Whether it was encouragement, advice, support or just someone to listen, you were there for us.  I know I particularly appreciated the examples you shared with us from your own life.  We have implemented many of them and they have helped keep us on track.  Knowing that you and your wife actually lived the principles taught by Prosper made us realize that we could do it too!

We also want to thank you for making us feel so at ease sharing our financial situation with you.  At times we have felt embarrassed, scared, and even shameful for being in debt.  From you there was never any judgment, only understanding and the willingness to work with us to help better our situation.  We are not there yet, but we are on the right path because of you!

Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.  You have a brilliant mind for business and a kind, generous spirit for helping others.

Scott & Karla M.
Littleton, CO

My Coach is a Great Guy

Before I started with 'Transforming Debt Into Wealth' I was so stressed out.  My husband and I were in so much debt ($305,289).  We have three adult children and they needed my financial help.  I didn't always share this with my husband.  He knew some things, but not everything.  My desire is to be debt free.  I did not have a plan to become debt free.

One month into TDIW, I paid off one credit card debt of $391.03.  HOORAY!! THANK YOU!!...My coach is a great guy.  He has helped me so much already.  We talk about ways of cutting cost AND saving money.  We talk about our car insurance, what my husband and I need and what we did not need.  We didn't need the car rental, umbrella policy and we increased the deductible to $500.00.  As a result of the changes, we saved $64.57 on our premium and received a $111.00 check from the insurance company.

According to TDIW Software Package we will be DEBT FREE in 12 years (September 2020) and that is including the mortgage.  My goal is 7 years or less TOTALLY FREE DEBT.  WE DO NOT USE CREDIT CARDS ANYMORE.  I HAD A PARTY CUTTING UP CREDIT CARDS.

I have bundled our internet, telephone and cable services for approximately $70.00 per month for one year.  We were paying about $235.75 for all three.  That's a savings of $165.75.

Thank God for TDIW and my coach.  I see a light at the end of the tunnel already.  A huge weight has been lifted off of me.  I was at the end of my rope when I talked with my consultant.  Finally, I see where I going and that is 'DEBT-FREE BLVD'.  I am NOT stressed any more.  I enjoy listening to TDIW CD's and doing my assignments.  I am taking elective classes also.

I spend time reading my materials (manual) and as a result I am changing my way of thinking.  It takes time to learn new ways to save and I think and talk about how to best spend the money even at the grocery store.  I am more disciplined NOW and I am DETERMINED to be debt free.  I have the motivation and the tools to get debt free and stay that way.  I am COMMITTED to changing.  I MUST see HOW it FEELS to operate 100% on cash.

These are my successes and I am so proud of me.  I MUST do it.  I have no CHOICE.  I am so glad.

Dorothy K.
Glenarden, MD

There is No Scarcity of Opportunity, Only Scarcity of Resolve

When I started this program, I was over $50,000 in debt and did not have a clear plan of how I was going to get out.  Since making the investment in this program and having one on one coaching sessions, I am now allocating all my income I have coming in as well as my income going out.  My debt is now in order and a plan is in place.  I’ve learned where I can cut back spending and learned new spending habits to live below my means for now and it’s not that bad.  Also, I was able to come up with a good accelerator margin to put towards my debt every month.  My mindset has been changed for the positive and now instead of being focused on the debt, I am focus on the goal of financial freedom.  I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am on track to be debt-free by Oct. 2012.

Thanks coach for all your mentoring and your assistance thru my journey!!!  'There is no scarcity of opportunity, there's just a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.'

Gina R.
Harrisburg, PA

I Can’t Tell You How Much Happier I Am About My Personal Situation

I have profoundly noticed changes in my thinking and lifestyle since joining the program.  Your weekly telephone calls are a real asset.  Most importantly they are a boost to my moral.  Before joining the program, I felt the walls closing in on me.  Now I can actually start to feel relief and have a much brighter outlook for the future.

Thus far, the studies have taught me to have a different outlook about money and that my husband and I can actually have money work for us and not the other way around.  I have been looking and the debt elimination system and find that I should be debt free in a little over 2 years...fantastic!  I wish I did this 2 years ago; I would have had a lot more money to invest.  Well, better late than never.

I have also begun to keep a better look at my expenses and am actually finding ways to say money there.  Just today I canceled my AOL account and converted it to a free e-mail account and saved $19.95 a month.  I closed out a non-qualified tax deferred annuity policy that I was putting $60 a month into and am looking into investing that $60 a month into a Roth IRA.  Also, I closed out an American Express Card that I was paying $55 of membership fees every year for a card that I did not use.  In addition, I am looking at my credit report more closely to see if I can tweak that a little.

Again, I can't tell you how much happier I am about my personal situation.  I know I have a long way to go but I also know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel which I could not see before.

Thank you and thanks to John Cummuta.

Gina D.
Bronx, NY

I Will Be Debt Free in 5 Years and 11 Months

Before we started the Debt to Wealth program, we were not making very much progress on paying off our credit card debt.  Every month I would pay a little more than the minimum due and would play “revolving balance transfers” to lower interest rates as much as possible.  Our emergency fund was a credit card on which we had a zero balance.  Now that I have started this program, I have a much more detailed plan of how I will pay off the credit card debt and our second mortgage.  By following the plan, I will be debt free in 5 years and 11 months with an Emergency fund that will cover approximately 6 month’s salary.

By following the plan we are much more aware of Dollar Cost Averaging and how it can help with retirement or other types of savings.  We are now starting to concentrate on perpetual income and finding ways for additional income without having to incorporating it into our regular jobs.

Patti T.
Huntersville, NC

We Never Would Have Dreamed this Possible if We Had Not Studied this System

We started this program when we thought we were about to losing everything.  We have owned and operated our own business for 10 years.  Given the state of the economy we were feeling the strain.  We had not lead the typical life of spending via credit cards like most described in this series but in our own way we got ourselves in a situation where we were living beyond our means.  

This series has opened our minds to what true financial freedom is.  We had done a lot of investing but most of our investments were not great income generators.  We like many people were counting on the real estate market continuing to grow.  We used our equity in our house to invest in other property.  We now have a goal of paying off all our debt and continuing to learn and grow our wealth.  We have a very large mountain to climb.  Once we sell our property and start using that money to accelerate our debt pay off, we are looking at becoming debt free in about 13.37 years.  This is not the shortest time, but given a debt of $838,000, we are well ahead of the 30 year mortgage pace.  We will be in our mid forties and living in our dream home and debt free.

We never would have dreamed this to be possible if we had not studied this system.  We are also learning a lot about our own business that we never knew.  The reading assignments have been very relevant and interesting.  We are only a few months into this program and are looking forward to the continued learning and growth. Thanks

Jason & Kristi B.
Aptos, CA

We Will Pay Our Debts Off in Half the Time We Would Otherwise

Three months ago I heard over the radio about a program called “Transforming Debt into Wealth'.  My wife and I had just purchased our first home, leaving us a mortgage and a vehicle payment that we were working on.  It wasn't like we were drowning in debt, but it still felt as if we were stuck in a rut for the long haul.

Hearing this ad sparked hope in my heart that maybe, even with debt, there can be a way to a better financial life.  We decided to buy the program and have found that by following the principles in it, our way of thinking about money has changed forever.

Our thought pattern towards money before we heard about TDIW was a consumer mindset.  We lived paycheck to paycheck and usually at the end of the month we would dip into savings that I had accumulated before our marriage.  In short, we were living above our means.  Through the help of our coach at Prosper Inc., we realized the benefit of living within our means and recording and tracking every penny that we spend.  Consequently we found some leaks we had in our spending and have now been able to put $400 a month towards an accelerated payoff of our debts.

Thanks to Prosper Inc. and the wonderful coach that helped us along, we are on schedule to pay off our debts of around $220,000 in August 2021.  This approximately half the time of a regular payoff.

Thank you, Prosper Inc., for giving us hope and help with a plan to a life free of debt.

Darrel & Joanna B.
Stanardsville, VA

Financial Success in the United Kingdom

We have decided to start paying off the credit cards rather than the bank loan.  This is what we have planned:

·    Mint £4027 pay £400 month time 10 months
·    Mint £2196 pay 490 month time 4 months
·    Capitol 1 £2380 £540 month time 4 months
·    Egg £3916 £610 month time 6 months
·    Barclaycard £868 £pay off time 1 month
·    Virgin £6100 £630 month time 9 moths
·    Mbna £15717 £680 month time 23 months

By this time the RBS loan should be paid off, but we would like to pay off the car so we can change it for a smaller more economical one but don't know where to fit it in.  Our accelerator Margin is 300 and our debt free date is May 2015.

We have paid off the van.  We also paid off one of our credit cards and will start to pay off the next one.  We got an interest free for 12 months credit card each to transfer some of our high interest cards.

We are shopping smarter and we don't eat out anymore.  Since starting this program, our mental attitude to debt has changed completely.  We have been inspired by this program and could never have done it on our own.  Our coach is our mentor and gives us a boost every week when we speak to him.  Everything is cash from now on.

Lynne & Bill G.
Preston, United Kingdom

We Are Now Enjoying a Better Quality of Life

This course has been nothing short of ‘Godsend’.  My girlfriend and I have had our eyes opened to what real wealth is.  Even though we have just started in this program, our coach has taught us the true meaning of financial independence and the steps required in order to achieve it.

We joined this course in dire need of debt management.  We knew deep down that life wasn’t supposed to be lived as we were living.  We had all the luxuries we wanted, but we were literally slaves to our jobs.  The debt elimination program was like having a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.  We are now enjoying a better quality of life.  Our understanding of wealth has changed dramatically to seeing the joy of life rather than love of material goods.  This lesson illustrated the difference between ‘looking wealthy’ and actually being wealthy.  It was inspiring to know that anyone can achieve real wealth no matter what type or amount of income they have.  All that is necessary is the discipline, knowledge, and the fundamental tools that Prosper provides.
 
On a personal level, we have started tracking all of our expenses, which has given us a new perspective on cash flow.  We manage our cash flow efficiently.  We also don’t pay retail for anything, and distinguish between our wants and needs.  If we do not have the cash to buy something, we wait until we do.  The illusion of wealth is now a past belief for us.  We are on track to be completely debt free in May of 2017!!!

All the information that has been given has been easy to understand and for any questions that we’ve had our coach has been there to answer them.  Our short-term goals consist of daily expense tracking, bringing lunch to work, committing to 3 extra classes a week, planning our meals on Monday for the week, shopping using coupons and during markdowns, we have started a home business venture for extra income, carpooling to work, organic diet, meditation daily, and giving thanks daily for all the things we are grateful for just to name a few.  It has sparked a deep desire to become better people in the both of us.  We are constantly seeking more knowledge, and striving to make the life changes in order to achieve these goals.

My girlfriend and I are now moving onto the wealth building portion of the course and we expect that things will get even better.  There is so much to learn and it seems that “Prosper Learning” is a never-ending well of information at our fingertips.  If not from the classes we are taking, then from our coaches, or the information from the eLibrary.  Prosper was exactly what we asked for and we are so grateful for it!

Chad P. & Angela T.
Sudbury, ON, Canada

Since Starting the Program, We Paid Off a Car Loan Two Years Early!

The financial coaching part of the Finish Rich program made us stop and really give some thought as to where we are and where we want to go.  Not just financially, but spiritually and emotionally too.  Our American Dream may be lame by some people’s standards.  It’s not driving fancy cars or jet-setting around the world…it is retiring early so we can enjoy our family, our hobbies and each other.

By using the value circle, we discovered that we (Todd and I) share the same values.  The values of family, security, balance and creativity mean so much to us.  Working on our net worth statement, cash flow statement, and S.M.A.R.T. goals were great fact-finding missions.  These exercises helped us to see where we are and what we need to do in order to live “our” American Dream.

You’ve been in our corner, cheering us on; encouraging us to DOLP out of debt, track our expenses and reduce our expenditures using the “spending compass” concept.

Since we started the program, we have paid off a small consumer loan and one of our car loans – over 2 years early!  Our goal is to apply as much money towards our debts.  We are currently applying $1000 per month.  By tracking our expenditures we saw that we were spending way too much money eating out.  Who knew!  In the past, we never gave a second thought to eating out.  Now we pause and consider the cost of it.  We’ve cut back on magazine and radio subscriptions, cable TV channels, cell phone options, etc.  And guess what?  We haven’t missed any of it!

The accountability factor pushed us to do the things we know we should have been doing but just never got around to, like getting our wills prepared and revisiting our payroll deductions and retirement contributions.

We’ll use your advice and continue monitoring our spending and reviewing our goals and net worth.  We’re excited about the next phase of the Finish Rich program, but know we must continue to use the concepts and information taught us in this first phase.  We have enjoyed working with you.  You’re a terrific coach!

Doris C.
Bogart, GA

I Will Have Saved $48,000 By April 2011 by Using the Program

When I signed up for Prosper, I was in trouble financially without a clue as to how to extricate myself.  I had a mountain of debt in excess of $50,000 and losing money everything month without really knowing where it was going.  I knew I was out of control, but could not seem to be able to figure out what needed to be done, which order to do it in, much less how to even begin.

Since I have begun with Prosper I have worked with my coach on a plan to help me first learn what to do to get my spending under control and to actually take responsibility for my over spending.  To focus on all transaction I make on a daily basis in order that I can fully comprehend what I am spending my money on and how much.  With the expense tracker, I think before I spend money because I dislike having to note this on the spreadsheet.  It keeps me more cognizant of all expenditures across the board, but mostly the personal expenses not related to necessary living expenses.

I have reduced the amount of frivolous spending and will continue to do so to help me on my way to becoming debt free.  Whereas I used to eat lunch out almost every day, I only do this once a week.  I work from home more often to save on gas money.  I watch the previously hidden spending such as unneeded items at the grocery store by using a shopping list and sticking to it.  I have made many adjustments to help with realizing cash at the end of the month to now begin to apply to my debt, which is a huge win for me.  The knowledge that I CAN actually do this and not live day to day worrying about how I am going to pay for something next week is an incredible comfort to me and has lowered my stress level on a daily basis tremendously.  I am not short tempered and upset as I was previously.

According to my debt free plan, I will be debt free in 2 years and 7 months beginning in November of 2008 and ending in April of 2011.  I will have saved almost $48,000 in interest by paying off my debt using the program.

Once I have eliminated my debt, I can focus on building my wealth so that I will never have to worry about money again.  I will be saving money to that I can retire and not worry about being able to live the rest of my life by the good will of others or having to work until I die.  I will have the knowledge and tools to teach my son how to live to never be in the position I was in.  He will know from the beginning exactly what to do and be able to teach his kids what to do.  This is, in effect, creating a dynasty of smarter people.

In regards to future sessions, I would like to look into some stock market investing and real estate.

Shelly D.
Plano, TX

TDIW Has Been a Godsend for Me

I don’t know how long John Cummuta’s TDIW message had been playing on WBBM News radio 78.  I would hear it periodically during my work commute.  While I was intrigued with the prospect of being debt free (including my mortgage) in a relatively short time, I did not respond to the message until Monday July 13, 2008.  I needed to replace my City of Chicago vehicle sticker and had parked in a Walgreen’s parking lot.  I left my vehicle for a few short minutes only to return to find that it had been towed.  I needed $170 to get my car back.  I called my mother in frustration.  She asked me if I had the money to get the car back.  I told her that I could just pay for it with my credit card.

While driving home after picking up the car, I heard John Cummuta’s TDIW message again.  I immediately called the number and arranged to receive the 30 day free trial.  I realized that I was very frustrated with my current financial situation.  I had a serious cash flow problem.  I was using credit cards to pay for my monthly satellite dish bill, car fuel and restaurant visits.  Additionally, I was in the process of repaying an earlier 401K loan and had drawn the maximum from a recently acquired home equity line of credit to pay off credit card debt.  I had no clue as to how to pay down this debt, yet I want to retire in 10 years.  I was looking for a strategic, effective way to pay down this debt…

…I have installed the debt elimination software on both my desktop and laptop.  Using this plan, I will be financially debt free within 8 years and 10 months including my mortgage.  I will have saved a total of $44,591 in interest payments. My goal is to reduce the time by at least 1 year so that I can save even more.  I will have my first debt paid off by Dec 2008, with two (2) more paid off by Sept 2009.  If I had not implemented this plan by June 2017 (my Debt Freedom Date), I would still have $95,987 of debt left to pay off.  If I invest the money that I am now wasting on debt payments ($2,439/month) for 9 years and 4 months that the debt elimination system saved me, and with a modest 8.0% APR, I will build up a retirement fund worth $404,167.

I joined with Prosper Learning to accelerate my debt elimination freedom date by utilizing the services of a one-on-one coach and the on line success center.  I have received invaluable information from this resource.  My coach has helped me to identify ways to reduce my spending so that I can reach my debt elimination freedom date faster.  Additionally, the elective classes from the online success center have provided me with valuable resources for determining my net worth, monitoring my credit score and identifying other streams of income.

John Cummuta’s TDIW has been a GODSEND for me.  I see a clear plan that I can follow for eliminating debt and creating wealth in my life.  My short term goals are to increase my accelerator margin to $420 by January 2009.  Long term, I want to find a viable home based business I can both enjoy and profitably do.

Andrea S.
Chicago, IL

This Program Will Help us Save $533,000

I purchased John Cummuta’s Transforming Debt Into Wealth program in March of this year and began utilizing some of the concepts right away.  I let my husband, Chris, know that I was doing this (I pretty much have handled the finances in our marriage), and we tried to meet to discuss the program and go over some of the details.  We never got around to that meeting, and I ended up letting the program run pretty much on autopilot.  Then, in June, I got an email invitation to a conference call to hear John talk about the program.  I was on the call, and encouraged Chris to try to be home on time to be on the call as well; he did end up catching the tail end of the call.  He agreed with me that we needed to look further into a more tailored and structured program.

The interview process really got us thinking about how we had gotten so deeply into debt—the big eye-opener for us was when we realized that we were paying out more than $33,000 per year to service our debt.

We committed wholeheartedly to the program, and have changed our money paradigm as it relates to debt, the true definition of wealth, and reawakened dreams.  It really is possible to have those dreams that we had back-shelved while “life” took over!

Our reading habits have changed as we continue to work on our psychology of money.  We also meet weekly now and as we go through the homework assignments we not only are getting to be “on the same page” with our finances, but we are also gaining a new intimacy in our own relationship.  Not that we ever did, but we do NOT fight about money!

Because the kids are at our house one week, and then every other week at their other parents’ house, we have had some challenges in getting them to “buy in” to the program.  So, we have started requiring them to read and discuss with us some of the books we have been reading.  They’re starting to realize the value of paying themselves first and avoiding debt.  We’re all working on developing the habit of saving up for what we want and/or need.

Our debt elimination plan involves selling our current home and getting into something less expensive.  Once we sell the house, we will have less than three years before we are completely debt-free, including paying off the mortgage on a rental property.  We ourselves will be renting in the meantime, and saving for a down payment on our next home.  We are also going to write a book about waiting to buy a home until certain “ducks are lined up.”

Working with our coach has been critical to our success—he has given us accountability that we are unable to hold ourselves to.  He also has given us some great ideas when we have had none of our own, and is a great sounding board for the ideas that we do have.  We are excited to be working with him, and his positive attitude is something that we look forward to every week!

In using the debt free for windows software we can see that with our current debts that we can be debt free in 11 years & 1 month.  This is 37 years & 7 months sooner than if we didn’t have the Cummuta strategies.  This will also save us over $533,000.

Chris & Danielle K.
Broomfield, CO

We Have a New Understanding of Our Finances

With the help of our financial coach, we have a new understanding of our finances.  We have realized a real desire within ourselves to be more independent – not so reliant on the weekly paycheck.  We fully understand what we need to do to get there.  The credit cards are gone.  We must live within our means and focus on paying off the debt we have.  We have learned the importance of getting our lives in order – life insurance, a will, and retirement savings.  

We have already paid off two debts and are moving toward paying off another one.  Our weekly meetings with our coach are an encouragement and help hold us accountable.  The strategies and information we have taken away from our meetings have us headed in the right direction – to total freedom from our debt (December 2018)!

Tim & Leesa B.
Blue Springs, MO

We Have Cut Up All of Our Credit Cards

Obviously we were living well beyond our means using credit cards to pay for almost everything we purchased.  Well, Prosper has caused us to open our eyes, and now we have cut up all of our credit cards and kept only one for emergencies, we pay cash for everything or we don’t buy it.  

Now that reality has set in, we are working hard at breaking the grip that credit has got on us.  It will take a few years but we will be working for ourselves and not the credit card companies as John Cummuta pointed out in one of his CD’s.  Our debt free date is Aug 2018, it seems a long ways but we will still pay off our mortgage 13 years earlier than expected.

Anice & Gillis S.
Shirley, MA

We Eliminated Three Debts and Will Eliminate Two Others Shortly

We have figured our debt free date to be May, 2019.  Deitra calculated this date and I hope we can find a way to speed it up.  Our planned accelerator margin is $400 for a start.  Again, we hope to raise this amount through future savings.  We are using coupons and sale ads to plan meals and reduce grocery costs.  We are keeping careful account of all spending and questioning every expenditure for need and best buy.

We had funds to eliminate three debts and can also eliminate two others shortly so we now see some light at the end of the tunnel.  We have completed the financial report for most of October except for the risk management section which we will complete this weekend.

Drayton & Deitra F.
Mandeville, LA

I Have Benefited Greatly from All I Have Learned

Although data may show a slow rate of progress, I have benefited greatly from all I have learned under the guidance of my financial coach.  I have learned how to spend money and how not to.  I will have to take drastic measures to cut down my debt so I can be debt-free in the next 7 years or less.  Since I have had to learn a whole new lifestyle, how to set up a budget, and how to live on cash alone with no charge cards, it’s not surprising that I will need a longer time to achieve my goals.

My coach has been knowledgeable concerning my situation and has offered solutions for my financial outlook.  My most immediate need is to stop paying high interest on credit card accounts.  I still get panic attacks because I owe so much and I don’t want to reach a point of not being able to make my monthly payments, however, and my coach remains upbeat and continues to concentrate on getting me out of these high monthly payments.  This is first and foremost before I can even think of adding to my STRS retirement.

Having health issues has been an obstacle for my progress as well, but my coach remains understanding and positive as we continue on my path.  If it were not for my coach, I have no idea how I would be making it without going deeper in debt than I can crawl out.  My coach has explained how sometimes I need to go in debt more in order to get out of all this debt.  I still sometimes make a calculating error on my checking account, but my mindset has changed.  I think twice before I just go purchase something with a charge card.  In fact, my credit cards are in my freezer so I don’t even use them.  

I find the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad to be an extremely helpful tool in changing my attitude toward money.  With my coach’s help I hope to keep whittling down my debt and making positive choices concerning money and spending/saving.

Nada B.
Bellefontaine, OH

By Following the Program, I Will Have Saved $135,000

Progress - I have tracked expenses in order to get a better understanding of where my money goes.  This helped me to develop a budget that can be used each month.  I've paid off a couple small debts already and am working on paying at least one more in November.

I have a debt payoff date of Feb 2019 but would like to continue to try to shorten that date.  I have started thinking about ways in which I can earn extra money and a friend and I have been working on a plan where we can have a small store - open only on weekends and when we are available - and we will also sell online, most likely eBay.

Since I've sold many items on eBay and also bought many, I am pretty familiar with how it works and also have a PayPal account sent up to be able to send and accept payments.  I'm also thinking about the thing (can't remember what it's called) where you get paid for having links on your website.  I want to look into that further.  

I am now very conscious of every dime I spend and take a lot more time thinking about any purchase before I make it.  I'm not 100% at keeping this under control but I'd say I'm about 85-90%.

Before I started this program, I had hoped to be able to retire by 2017 and my payoff date is in 2019 (unless that changes) so it may be possible as long I can develop a plan for starting to put into retirement saving again.  I decreased my withholding and stopped contributing to retirement savings in order to get an accelerator margin because I had none.

…By following the DebtFree program as I have it now, with no increase in accelerator margin, I will have saved $135,727 in interest and 32+ years in the time it would have taken to pay off my debt.  As far as the remaining coaching sessions I'd like to work on home and web businesses and also retirement planning.

Lisa C.
Chesire, CT

You Have Turned My Life Around

I started out by being very depressed, not knowing how to get myself out of the mess I had gotten myself into.  My story starts with making a very good living until my husband and partner passed away in 2002.  I received insurance of $100,000+ and no debt in 2002 to $70,000 in debt in 2008 (credit cards will kill you!).

I heard a commercial on the radio about turning debt into wealth by John Cummuta and decided to call.  At 1st all I could think of was getting out of debt.  Not even thinking I could get wealthy.  I went through a few interviews thinking all they wanted was to get more of my non-existing money, but as we talked I could already feel some hope. 

Now as I have been in the program for 1 1/2 months I can really see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel!  I really look forward to my weekly sessions with my coach who is very easy to talk to and very supportive.  I have a very long way to go, but instead of doing it the way I was going, which would have taken me 42 years and 6 months to pay off my debts, now will only take 3 years and 10 months.

Hurray!!  Also all that money I'm saving in interest and payments can now be turned into investments giving me a retirement of $2,000,000 or more.  I am so excited!  Thank you so much Prosper Team and John Cummuta for all your hard work and knowledge to help me and others like me.  You have turned my life around.

Katy W.
Homosassa, FL

The Resources and Feedback Have Been Extremely Valuable

I started this program back in February of 2008.  I had just finished my master’s degree in Library & Information Science, and while employed part-time as a Research Assistant, I was also working full-time on the job hunt in a turbulent time for job seekers….  

…After joining TDIW, it quickly became apparent that my thought process when it came to money was misguided.  Saving for that elusive rainy day wasn’t helping me pay down my debts – it was just creating a holding cell for money that wasn’t increasing in any great amount, when it could have been eliminating some of the problem.  The snowball method of the accelerator margin is elegant and effective in its simplicity; it seems hard, now that I’m aware of it, that this isn’t a concept that occurs to more people.

I was also grateful to learn that while I had a large amount of debt that at least I had spent most of that money in the right direction.  I had invested in my education and my future, which will only benefit me in the long run, regardless of the now cost.  Also there was the “cash mentality”.  I began only paying for items using actual cash or my debit card which meant that I was only spending what I already had.  Tracking those expenditures allowed me to locate areas where I felt I was overspending and could cut back…

…Recently, with the help of my financial coach, I was able to calculate my Debt Free Date.  We calculated that at previous rate of payments, before joining TDIW, it would have taken me 48.6 years to pay off everything.  This was about what I expected, however in using the methods taught through TDIW the figures look a bit more like this:

• Debt Free Date: July 2018
• Total Years to DFD: 9.10
• Years Sooner: 39.8 years of debt freedom!
• Money Saved: $296,571

That’s quite a bit of a difference.  And while this date is a bit longer than I’d like it to be, it only utilizing the small accelerator margin that I can manage now. As I work longer and smarter, my income will increase and I will be able to contribute more, thus shortening that time frame. That’s a very big goal of mine – to cut down that time as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

Also, in calculating these amounts we were able to discover that if I kept investing even my small current final accelerator margin at a larger interest rate of 8%; in those 39.8 years I will have amassed 6.5 million dollars.  $6.5 million!!!!  And I’d have a monthly interest income of $43,000.  These figures are astonishing to me, and frankly they’re still a bit hard to believe.  But I get this excited feeling when I look at them, because they represent where I could be.  The July 2018 is a time when I will owe no one anything, where I will truly be on my own.  The thought of that time makes me smile each time I think about it.

The coaching aspect of TDIW has been great.  My current coach has been very encouraging and instrumental in getting me back on track once I started my current job.  The resources suggested and the feedback given has been extremely valuable.  Coaching gives me a person who understands what I’m going through and who has the skills and the encouragement to help me get on my way.  The individuals I’ve worked with truly want me to succeed.

Reagen T.
Jamestown, ND

Thank You for Helping Me Get on the Road to Financial Freedom

I want to thank you for your help in getting me on the road to financial freedom.  I had my awakening moment when I realized that after working over 35 yrs and retiring, that I was in financial bondage.  No form of bondage is a good situation to be in.

I found out about Transforming Debt into Wealth while on the internet and click on to received information.  Since getting involved with the Prosper system, I have a new outlook on how I handle the money that I presently have.  Also, the knowledge of what I need to do to build wealth.

Prosper has shown me a system that I can follow to get me out of my financial bondage within the next five years.  That is