Kendra B. of Springfield, Mass. recently enrolled in our Finance program and is excited about where she is going.

For the past few years I have been doing a lot of reading about personal finance and everyone seems to have their own ideas of what is most important. David Bach’s Automatic Millionaire and Smart Women Finish Rich made a lot of sense to me, but then there was Dave Ramsey, Suze Ormon, Robert Kiyosaki and others.

Because of this I found it very difficult to decide what I should focus on first. Should I build my emergency fund first or pay off debt? Should I fund my 401k or wait until I have paid off my debt and have 3 to 6 months of savings?

One day I received an invitation to learn more about the Finish Rich Coaching Program from Prosper and I immediately wanted to find out more information. I was assigned my coach and together we worked on a financial plan that was right for me and my individual needs and circumstances.

Since joining the coaching program and taking part in the webinars, homework and conference calls, I now have clear direction on what I need to do first. I have been able to think about my dream and goals and give them dates of when I plan to achieve them.

Prior to the program I couldn’t see any further than just my debt. I learned that my net worth was a negative amount and that was really troubling. I also learned that I clearly need to rethink how I spend money and how to prioritize my spending by what is important to me. So far I have consolidated my credit card balances onto a card with 0% for balance transfers and am working on building up an emergency fund. I am also looking at ways of increasing my income.

A few months ago, I went to Borders near my home to browse books and I came across a book entitled The Fred Factor, by Mark Sanborn. I could not put it down! Fred is a postman who delivers exceptional service—so outstanding that it motivated writing a book that has become a national best seller.The story of Fred continues to encourage people all over the nation. Who knew a postman could do that? As I browsed the book, I came across a few important points I’d like to share.

Quoting from the Fred Factor web site (www.fredfactor.com): The Mission: Be a Fred…Continually create new value for those you live and work with through dedication, passion and creativity.

The ideas I took from the book:

• Each of us makes a difference. The only question at the end of the day is “What kind of difference did I make?”
• Everything is built on our relationships. The first principle in building a relationship is to build trustworthiness. Other words for trustworthiness include respect, humility, honesty, patience, faith, virtue.

This principle of trust and respect is based on always assuming honorable of intentions towards our fellow workers, students, customers and those we love. Always remember: “Nobody succeeds on their own. Asking for and sharing information broadens one’s perspective of situations and life. Others help you open doors to opportunity.” (Lessons in life from the mailman, The Times, Munster, Ind.)

The book reminded me that we can train employees to achieve exceptional performance. However, only each individual employee can choose to do a job in an extraordinary way.

I asked myself, “Do I add or take away from the experience of our customers/students and colleagues? Does the Student Care Department move Prosper closer to, or further away from, its goals?” (Read Lee & Nancy’s story.)

I think we do a very good job. We strive to continually learn and grow and create value and success for each our students, one at a time.

Devin Willis
Prosper Student Care

This success story was recently submitted by Beth A., a student in San Mateo, California.

Prior to joining this program, my finances were completely out of control. I had incurred a lot of debt and it would have been worse now if I had not sought professional help. It was difficult to get out of the debt circle on my own. I felt hopeless and stressed out by the condition of my finances all the time. I felt too embarrassed. Frugality was a word I didn’t understand. I was living way beyond my means and helping people even if I couldn’t afford it. I realized that if I wanted to be financially independent, I had to learn to say NO to myself and to others.

I’ve learned many things in the TDIW program. One thing I will value forever is the way that my mindset has changed when it comes to spending. I’m learning to value the money I’m making for me and my future, not for show-off at the moment.

I’ve been tracking all my expenses and trying my hardest to stay within my monthly spending plans. When I go grocery shopping, I try to only get the things I need for the week and get out of the store as fast as possible. I never realized that using coupons could be fun and rewarding. A big adjustment is for me is cooking more and bringing lunches to work rather than eating out everyday. It freed up a lot of cash to add into my accelerator margin.

I’m very excited to share that I have paid off a credit card and my car! And in less than four years, I will be completely out of debt! I can’t wait!

In conclusion, I’m really glad and proud of myself that I signed up for this program. Although it’s hard being frugal now, I’m so willing to do it because I know it will bring me a brighter future. There are so many things I’d rather do with my life than working till I’m 65. There has to be a better purpose in life. I would like to be able to retire in 20-25 years. I would like to travel abroad with family and friends and help plant churches all over the world.

Beth A.
San Mateo, CA

A student’s coach is his or her primary connection to Prosper, but the coach isn’t the only one working to ensure the student’s success. In fact, the entire Prosper team is focused on that goal. We know that as a company, we can’t reach our potential if we aren’t all committed to our cause—to help our students improve their lives and realize their full potential. That is the value around which our entire culture is built.

As a company, we strive to keep our promises at every level. We promise our world-class partners that Prosper will support and promote their brands, .

We also promise our students that we will do everything in our power to help them succeed. We are committed to doing the right thing for each individual student. On occasion, Prosper has advised a student against enrolling in a program when it seemed that doing so wasn’t the right thing for him or her at the time. For Prosper, success and satisfaction are derived by not only being honest and ethical, but by doing what’s right for the student.

We are a company built on the valuable relationships we’ve cultivated with our students and partners. We are also solution-oriented and performance-driven. The connection between a teacher and a student is profound, and we take the importance of this relationship very seriously. We avoid excuses and strive, instead, to provide solutions. As a team, we will go to great lengths to maintain the trust our students have in us.

Prosper’s students regularly share their successes with us. Here is a story we recently received from a student in Georgia. To see more financial student success stories, click here.

Personal Finance Student Eliminates $8,000 in Debt

I started this program last November. I had tried other programs and was overly skeptical about this one, but something in this program stood out above all the rest. A little fearful, I enrolled. Who would have thought that I could pay down my debt and start a business? In my mind, I never dreamed that I could be an entrepreneur, much less on my way to being debt free.

I just didn’t have the touch and I sure didn’t have the capital to start a business, or so I thought.

It is now six months later and I have already paid off more than $8,000 worth of my debt, not to even mention starting my own business. I paid off two credit cards and two student loans in less than six month of enrolling into this program. I give thanks not only to God but to my two Prosper coaches.

I had been bound by debt for years, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Living paycheck to paycheck was all I seemed to know. To pay off some of my debts and see the fruit of my hard work and faith in action was a dream come true for me.

Rosa Kelly P.
Decatur, GA