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Software is Awarded for Helping Individuals Find Quickest Way to Eliminate Debt

In an article in Reuters from 2008, they highlighted an up and coming software that does all the work and calculations for you.  It actually gives you an outline to your quickest way to eliminate your debt!  Just as a GPS system guides you to a physical location, this software acts as a financial GPS to guide you in the direction you need to take.  This software was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the esteemed Ernst & Young. 

"When we started United First Financial (now maCapital Resources), we didn't just want to help people get out of debt and improve their financial situation eventually, we wanted to help them do it fast and with little to no change in their current spending habits," said Skyler Witman, co-founder of UFirst. "The Money Merge Account solution has done just that, and more. It helps homeowners pay off a traditional mortgage in as little as one-half to one-third the time, it helps clients without a mortgage eliminate other consumer debt and it helps clients without debt build wealth."

Have you ever considered what it would take to eliminate your debt?  To build wealth?  To work because you wanted to, not because you have to?  Have you tried the popular programs out there - Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, etc?  It can be a lot of work on your part, can’t it, especially when the top programs can’t even agree on the best way to eliminate debt?  I’d like to hear what you have to say.

Personally, I found this program attractive because it makes getting out of debt a no-brainer.  I tell the program how much my family makes and what debts we owe.  The program calculates when I need to make my payments to optimize my finances therefore getting me to zero-debt as quickly as possible.  If my finances change, I plug in the numbers, just like a GPS, and the program recalculates.  If I decide to buy something, like a new car, I can plug the financial info. in before I even make the purchase, and then the software tells me how that will affect my plan to get to zero-debt.

-- written by Dr. Matt Link

Economic-Opps

drmattlink@gmail.com

William Taylor's Reflections on, "7 Things Great Leaders Do To Be Courageous," By Erik Sherman.

 


I read Erik Sherman’s article entitled:  “ 7 Things Great Leaders Do To Be Courageous”.   A more accurate title would be “7 Things You can Do to Decrease Your Fears in The Leadership Role.”  Erik starts by citing an article in Harvard Business Review by Julie Irwin: “The Myth of Absolute Loyalty”.   He summarizes her position that placing all responsibility on the leader is a “set-up” for failure. It places unrealistic expectations on the leader that he/she is “all knowing”, has all the answers and doesn’t make mistakes.  Erik then points to his book: “The Everything Leadership Book” (2^nd Edition) and how he found that such pressures as Julie Irwin was describing lead to fear.  His book then describes what 7 things he found great leaders do which reduces the pressure and fears they feel as the leader. Succinctly, he describes how smart leaders see leadership as a team effort with a joint mindset creating a process that evolves as issues are dealt with as a team.  The leader works hard to enhance and facilitate others as a means to enhance the team’s skills and performance.  

Part 1  Analysis     How many people do you know have refused to lead out of fear?   Just about everyone?  Fear = Weakness in most people’s eyes.   So…… most people come up with excuses why they cannot accept  a leadership role.

       The reason I think Sherman’s article is so important to entrepreneurs is that learning to lead is a key to success.  A major theme of “Think and Grow Rich”  is that you cannot be successful until you accept the fact that you must become a leader.   Napoleon Hill states that most successful people were very good followers before they became leaders. Being a good follower is the training. What Sherman does not discuss in his article is how you assemble a team willing to join their leader in sharing the responsibility and goals of the organization.  “Think and Grow Rich” describes this team as “The Master Mind”.  Like minded people.  When you find such people you will notice their taking on ownership of the goals and direction of the organization.  They share in the mission or vision.  When this occurs, everyone is self-directed with little need for supervison.   When you don’t have this you have employees or workers with a “whatever” attitude.  Problem today is we are loaded with these people in our workforce.  

     Once you take on the goal to become a leader and you begin the process of self-improvement (often by being a good follower first),  the next step is to seek the “right” people.  I believe you must have the “right” people to accomplish what Sherman describes in his article.