A Credit Card Offer That Even Surprised Me

I got several financial offers in the mail yesterday, as I do most days. What I couldn’t believe, was that I got an offer for a Visa, endorsed by Liberty University, signed by Jerry Falwell Jr.

Wait a minute, Liberty… you are a Christian university. Are you really endorsing your alumni to go into debt? Really? Does God not say that the borrower is slave to the lender? …Slave!

Oh… it helps support the university… “Every time you buy groceries, get gas, or shop on-line, a portion of that purchase goes directly back to the organization. All at no cost to you.”

Where do I even start? Insinuating that it is okay to buy your gas and groceries with a credit card is LUDICROUS!!! … and “at no cost to you”? What about that 14.99% interest rate?

I mean, I know we all want to say that we can take advantage of the 0% introductory rate, and pay off the balance before the interest comes due, but let’s face it, if most of us did that, the creditors wouldn’t make those offers. … And I know, it’s “free money,” but the borrower is STILL slave to the lender. And the truth is, just like the majority of people receiving this offer, the majority of you reading this blog, don’t handle your credit cards responsibly.

We must get past this idea that we can have something for nothing, and stop enslaving ourselves to these lenders. We should also to be careful not to accept ideas because of who endorses them.
For my life to honor God, He must be my standard of measure, not Liberty University, or any other Christian organization.

Don’t just take my word for it, look it up yourself! The Biblical reference is found in Proverbs 22:7. Be sure when you do, you read the beginning of the verse too! (If you don’t have a Bible, you can look it up online at www.Bible.com)

Leslie Sweet – Financial Coach
865.789.6229
lsweet02@comcast.net

Why a Car Chase Is Like Your Finances

While I was at the gym this morning, I was sucked into the car chase, happening live, in LA. I watched as that white pick-up truck squeezed in and out of traffic, ran a couple of red lights, and then made it onto the open freeway. As I was almost done with my cardio, the truck got a flat tire, so naturally, I decided I could burn a few more calories… The truck slowed down due to the tire, and they were being followed by at least 15 cop cars, but they kept creeping along.

Finally the truck stopped. The driver got out, put his hands up, and walked backwards toward the cops… but then he stopped. He walked back to the truck, got in, and started driving again. WHAT?!?!? Seriously? You gave up, but then changed your mind? What were you going to do, try to outrun the cops again? And then it occurred to me…

This is exactly what so many people do with their money. They run from the consequences of their spending habits and lack of planning or saving. We squeeze in and out of monthly payments, dodging unexpected events. We even know that we are “surrounded” … by payments that we can’t or don’t want to get out of. Sometimes, we even stop and surrender… but then we decide that we want what we had before, so we get back in the truck with the flat tire – get back into the same habits that got us there in the first place. We trade stuff for our freedom.

There was no way that truck was getting away today… and there is no way you will escape the consequences of your financial behavior.



Leslie Sweet – Financial Coach
865.789.6229
lsweet02@comcast.net

Just one example of how we help people!

This is a very recent testimonial of a family that one of our debtbusters in Nashville helped! At Dano's Debtbusters, we are making a real difference in people's lives...

We had been trying to purchase a home for a year! We had some credit problems that kept us from qualifying. Our Realtor recommended that we contact William.
My wife had no score, I had a 424. William laid out a game plan and helped us each step of the way. He showed us how to clean up some old stuff on our credit and how to establish and build new credit. He helped us create a budget and we were able to payoff some of our old debt. He even showed us how to save 10,000 dollars for a down payment on our new home.
In a little over one year my credit score was 715 and my wife had a 623. We were able to purchase our DREAM HOME!
THANK YOU! William