Finding Financial Peace

Finding Financial Peace is always a struggle, especially when its a monetary peace you are looking for. The only true peace I can obtain is spiritual peace with Jesus as my Lord and Savior, so I am never afraid I can not meet all my financial obligations.

We have moved from Ft Lauderdale and we bought a short sale in Davie Fl. The house was real blessing because the price was right but the fixing up has been very burdensome. We had to fix every inch of the house from 4 bathrooms, all the flooriing, the Kitchen. I can't wait for the inside to be finished.

My swimming with the dolphins business has had its up and downs. My business is all internet based so when I loose my ranking my finances go way down. Right now I need to find a way to get my organic ranking back up and phones will starting ringing again.

We also need to get back to the Dave Ramsey book and see what financial measure we need to watch for the future.

Thanks for all your prayers!
John

Get Out of Debt with the Debt Snowball Plan

Being a student of Dave Ramsey is always good to go back and read the best way to get out of debt.

Myth: I should pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first to get out of debt quickly.
Truth: You should pay off the smallest debt first to create the greatest momentum in your debt snowball. 

Great advice, but if you want < Read More from Dave >

I hope I can stay on track and pay off my debt and keep up my swim with the dolphins tour business increasing in 2012.

God Bless,
John

Ebay Stock

I had bought Ebay stock in 2001 at $34 a share. Will it ever go above $34 again?  I have had this stock so long  and it will be hard to see if can make any money with this stock. The stock went to a low of $14 and climb back recently to $33.

I know they say you need to stay for the long haul but I don't think it will ever go up past $34. What do you think?

God Bless,
John
Swimming with the Dolphins

How to Eat an Elephant?

Do you know how to eat an elephant?

 The answer is one piece at a time.....

 I learn this from my one of my members of the financial peace class and this member was telling me about my debt of $95,000.  I though I would never be able to pay it off but amazingly two years later, with much prayer and God's help, I have been able to pay down to $52,000.

Its still a long way to go but its a start. I hope all of you do the same thing. I only wish the United States Government would do the same thing like me and sacrifice and cut their debt too, but that another story.
God Bless,
John
Swimming with Dolphins Cancun Mexico

Class is Over

Its hard to believe but thirteen weeks have passed of the Financial Peace Class at Calvary Chapel and now we are on our own to see if we implement Dave's suggestions or go back to our same behaviors. We were blessed with a great table group, David & Terri, Gregg & Yvette, and Alan, which help share and encourage each other through the 13 weeks.

As we ended the class, we talked about this blog and the possibility of each member of our group to post their monetary successes / failures ( not really failure but learning opportunities from God), and any financial secrets that can be shared, best deals, websites, and other sources.

With Dave's system, you are suppose to be out debt and on your way to real financial security, but the best part about Dave's system to me is the ability to give generously, to the Church, Charities, and to others. I can not wait to get that point.

I have started the Morning Star educational series and passed my 100 level in the Mutual Funds series. Its really cool to start understanding what I did not know before.

Money has always seemed to elude me somehow and I am hoping now with a help from God I can be better at providing, saving, and giving.
God Bless,
John

Investing Tips

Frustrated by all of your investment options? Don’t get down. If you’re ready to invest, take Dave’s advice to heart and begin the process of financially securing your family’s future.

Class Notes
Investing options may seem overwhelming. Whether it’s stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, annuities, or money markets, there’s so much to choose from. But if you’ve progressed to Baby Step 4, keep Dave’s valuable advice in mind and you’ll navigate through these important decisions.

Remember, it’s never too late to start investing, especially with today's life expectancy climbing. The best way to invest is to be out of debt first. Make sure you diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, and only work with investment advisors who have the heart of a teacher.

Helpful Tools
The MRC is loaded with great information about investing: You’ll find Dave's personal tips, information about our investment seminars, links to find an ELP in your area, the Millionaire Calculator, and a lot more.

Since investing laws change often, Dave may adjust his investing advice as well. Continue to check the MRC for updated statistics and recommendations

Cleaning up your Credit

Creditors keep calling? Wondering what the deal is with the FICO score? Hopefully, you didn’t miss out on this week’s FPU class. Dave discussed how to understand your credit score and keep vicious creditors from having too much influence in your life.

Class Notes
Never place creditors’ demands over your family’s basic needs. Take care of the Four Walls—food, shelter, clothing, and transportation—before you pay anything. Never attempt to dodge a bill, but make sure you prioritize your family over a barking creditor.

A FICO score is an “I love debt” score—simply measuring how well you manage your debt. It is not a measure of your financial success. Don’t worship at the altar of the “Great FICO.”

Helpful Tools
We offer plenty of tools this week to help you identify any credit issues you may have. In the Member Resource Center, you’ll find information about obtaining your annual credit report, checking for inaccuracies, and securing identity theft insurance. And, as always, the MRC is full of many other resources to help you along your journey to Financial Peace.

Stop those annoying telemarketer calls! Use the government's National Do Not Call Registry to protect your number from unsolicited calls. In addition, you can stop all of the pre-approved credit offers that fill your mailbox!