Do you need "Financial Peace?"

Now that we're done with Training & Certification as Dave Ramsey Financial Counselors, many people are asking, "What do you do?" or "Why would people go to see you?" Things like that.

So, I wanted to provide a checklist. I wanted to give everyone some things to think about and a guide to do a self evaluation on your personal finances to see if you need "Financial Peace."
Here are some questions to ask yourselves:

* Are your personal finances a burden on you? Your Marriage? A reported 55% of families worry about their finances and Psychology Today reports that money is the leading cause of divorce.

* Are you currently living paycheck to paycheck? A reported 70% of families are living paycheck to paycheck. The average family has to borrow money if they needed $2,000 or more for an emergency.

* Are you on the verge of filing bankruptcy? Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? Over 2 Million Bankruptcies were filed in 2005 and more in 2006. 98% of people who file for bankruptcy DO NOT need to. With a good plan and sacrifice, recovery is easily achievable.

* If you lost your job tomorrow, could you stay out of bankruptcy? The average family has $38,000 in debt, not counting the mortgage. Hardly any family has an Emergency Fund of 3-6 months expenses. This is why America saved a -2.2% in 2006. This is why we can't save for retirement, save for college and give to local churches and charities.

* Are you preparing for retirement? 62% of Americans retire on annual incomes below $10,000. You don't have to work for a big company to save tax sheltered dollars for retirement.

* Are you ready to pay cash for your kids college? Rising cost of a college education has many families borrowing from retirement accounts to fund college. That can be avoided with good planning. No matter how old your child is.

* Are you and your family properly insured? Medical bills are among the leading causes of bankruptcy.

* Is your Estate Plan in place for your spouse and family? 70% of Americans have NO PLAN. You DO NOT want the State or Federal Government distributing your assets when you die.

What we do is provide guidance. We DO NOT sell products. We help families achieve Financial Peace by teaching them the basics. We are teachers and consumer advocates and we want to teach you what's out there that's best for you, the consumer.