Success Story: Achieving Financial Goals May Require More than Money

When Estelle entered the My Secure Advantage (MSA) Financial Wellness program, she learned a key point about trying to achieve financial goals: you may have the resources, but knowing how to use them may ultimately determine your level of success.

“I was tired of hiding from my student loan debt of almost $100k, despite having the means to finally start paying them down.  Obviously, the problem was not having the means.  It was how to use them: steady paycheck, technological tools, and professional assistance.”

That’s when Estelle turned to MSA – the financial wellness program provided by her employer:  “When I finally decided to use what my employer had to offer, I was connected to Chad Wolfe (thank goodness).”  Chad is a Money Coach and budget specialist with MSA, who helped Estelle.  Here’s how…

Steady Paycheck

On top of supporting her significant other and paying rent, Estelle had about $1,000 in credit card debt, $1,200 in medical debt, a $4,000 veterinarian bill from when her dog was injured, and eight student loans amount to $103,667.  Even though Estelle had a net income of about $4,000 a month as a social worker in California, she realized that her steady paycheck wouldn’t produce financial success if she couldn’t keep track of her finances.

That’s where her Money Coach came in.

“Chad took into consideration all my issues, such as sharing rental space with a long-time friend, supporting my significant other, and the bad habit of wanting to ‘throw the towel’ in defeat.  We just started, but Chad has reminded me that the process is going to take some time.  In other words, take it easy on myself and know that change is possible!!!”

Financial success doesn’t happen overnight.  Luckily, with a Money Coach for education and encouragement, it doesn’t have to be a long, hard struggle either.

For example, it was so overwhelming to manage eight different student loans that Estelle hadn’t even made a payment yet.  In response, Chad explained the pros and cons of consolidating the loans so that Estelle would have one manageable payment.  Obviously, the loans wouldn’t go away immediately, but now Estelle has a plan with easier action steps that bring her closer and closer to eliminating the student loans altogether.

Financial Tools

Financial tools helped Estelle take an in-depth look at how she uses her income, and they revealed opportunities for getting better with finances.  Through the MSA program, Estelle received personal financial software that included worksheets for budgeting and tracking expenses.  Using the worksheets, she discovered that she had $200 left over each month, and she didn’t have emergency savings.  From there, Chad showed her how she might adjust her spending and how to make changes with her finances that would garner more success: she made a goal of accumulating at least $1,000 in emergency savings, and the money left over each month could help her achieve that goal.

Acquiring the right tools and resources made the process easier because it gave Estelle a systematic way to keep track of her spending, and it did the hard calculations for her.

Personal Assistance

Learning how best to use her means was important for Estelle’s financial improvement, but one factor made a huge difference for her: personal assistance from her Money Coach, Chad.

Here’s what she had to say: “Chad Wolfe really cares about his clients.  I mean authentic, genuine regard for the well-being of those he helps.  I am a social worker, and I deeply understand the power behind empathy.  Chad is that fine balance between desire to understand and seeing my full potential.  Plainly stated, he won’t make me feel bad for falling back into old habits; he’ll help me see that it is still possible to achieve my goals!  His level of professionalism is one I strive for in my own career: fair, accountable, and decisive.”

Estelle found out that the road to financial success was easier for her when she had a Money Coach:  “When I was late or absent, he flexed with my schedule.  When I call or email, he sends a quick response.  When I needed a specific question answered, he knew when he needed to rely upon another knowledgeable team member.

Most importantly, Chad is human.  With Chad, I am surged with confidence and inspiration to take care of my financial well-being.”

When Estelle started working with Chad, she took a survey to measure her level of financial wellness, and she got 1 out of 10, indicating extremely high financial stress.  After a few short months of working with Chad, she improved her score by 400%.

Your Own Financial Journey

Estelle discovered that having the means to achieve her goals would only take her so far; she also wanted resources and education.  She found what she needed by working with a Money Coach through the My Secure Advantage Financial Wellness program.  And you can too!  Get started today by calling 888-724-2326.