Finding Peace During a Pandemic

From taxes to credit cards to bills, many people feel like there’s just no way out. With debts stacking and collectors knocking, it’s normal to feel stressed to your wits’ end – especially when a pandemic causes reduced work hours.

That’s why My Secure Advantage (MSA) aims to help people address financial goals or challenges they may be facing and ultimately help them lower their financial stress.

Take Alisa, for example!

The Nightmare

When Alisa first came to My Secure Advantage, she was having a hard time with health problems and confusing issues with her taxes.

Alisa loved helping other people but didn’t have the money to do so. When faced with choosing between helping others and taking care of herself, she ended up trying to “do more than [she could] physically handle.”

Before her financial transformation, Alisa struggled to set up “a plan in the midst of so many unknowns.” Besides the thousands of dollars that she needed in order to get medical care for her sick mother, she also had the IRS demanding back payment for filing mistakes. Her landlord was also trying to raise her rent by 25%. All during a global pandemic that left her with reduced work hours – despite having two jobs at once.

She simply couldn’t see the path forward.

The Dream

Alisa wanted to find a way to balance the things she loved with the money she had. She didn’t want to choose between helping others and helping herself. With one bad thing happening after another, she started to be consumed by negative thoughts. Alisa wanted to regain her positivity and stay on the path to financial peace.

The Reality

To meet these goals, MSA connected Alisa with a Money Coach to help her through the process. They started out by looking at MSA’s support website, where Alisa could read educational articles, watch related online video courses and see notes from her money coaching consultations.

From there, Alisa set up MSA Wallet: budgeting software that gives users a neat way to keep an eye on their financial accounts and track cash flow. They also talked about being more deliberate with monitoring income and planning out expenses. Alisa’s Money Coach explained the importance of setting reasonable goals and celebrating successes – however small they might be – in order to keep moving forward.

Alisa also worked with her MSA Money Coach to find tools that were available to her and determine how best to use them. Together, they were able to confront her financial stress head-on.

After working with her MSA Money Coach, Alisa’s finances were stable enough that she could help others without those expenses coming back to haunt her. Alisa was even able to start saving for the future. Now, she can keep helping people, worry less about the financial implications of her family’s health, and enjoy a more secure future.

They also created an action plan to clear up the tax issue much faster than Alisa had expected.

After working with MSA, Alisa said, “[MSA] has allowed me to breathe in moments that I thought it wasn’t possible.” The financial flexibility her coach helped her find has led to a new positive attitude instead of fear and stress. Through “endless and unconditional support,” her Money Coach helped her get through a dark time in her life.

When the IRS came knocking again with more problems, Alisa was ready to resolve them ASAP. Alisa said, “there were tax matters related to my paycheck that didn’t make sense,” and her Money Coach gave her helpful information so she could understand it and straighten it out before it got any worse.

Even during a global pandemic, Alisa’s Money Coach educated her on how she might find ways to secure her home, healthcare and finances. Through constant positive reinforcement, Alisa’s coach gave her the resources she needed to determine how to handle her landlord’s 25% rent increase. When the COVID-19 pandemic and a surgery led to reduced hours at work and the need for part-time unemployment benefits, her coach also helped her think through the implications and adjusting her budget to reflect the changes in cash flow.

Together, Alisa and MSA were able to find the way out of her financial nightmare and into a brighter, better tomorrow. “[My coach] has been an important lifeline that has been priceless.” Of course, a good relationship doesn’t have to end! Alisa and her coach will keep working on managing her debt. As long as Alisa needs a helping hand, MSA will be there.

Alisa is just one of many people who have struggled to find financial stability. If you want a brighter future, My Secure Advantage can help you build new habits and give you tools to create a budget that can help you meet your financial goals. Call 888-724-2326 today to get started.

Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to offer specific personalized investment, financial planning, tax, legal or accounting advice.  We recommend that you consult an attorney, tax advisor or accountant regarding your unique circumstances.