Prosper, Inc. - Business Coaching

After about 6 weeks into the Prosper Learning course, our thinking has really started to change about the way we have been, and the way we should have been handling our money. For the past 35 years we've been together, we have been paying lots of money out in interest payments, thru credit cards and payments in general. We did save a little (very little we found out after looking into this program), so after talking it over and then discussing it with our counselor, we have decided to use the savings account to pay off the $32,000 credit card debts (plus all the interest they would accumulate over the next several years), and start making money work for us instead of making us work for our money. I can not even tell you how much better we feel knowing we don't owe all those credit cards anymore. We just sleep better at night not having to be concerned about whether or not we can get the payment in on time, and when we get the phone calls wanting us or consolidate "all our credit cards", it's so nice to be able to say 'no thanks, we don't have any!' We now will be consecrating on paying off our home loan, and you know what, it's just not going to be very long at all until it is paid off too! THAT'S SO VERY EXCITING!!! THANKS SO VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US A NEW AND MUCH BETTER WAY OF THINKING.

VERY SINCERELY,

- Jim & Judy T Siloam Springs, AR

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Prior to entering the coaching program, I was falling deeper and deeper into debt, even though I have been through the basic debt to wealth course. My main problem is that I get all exited about something new and really give it all that I have and then somehow, I just fail to follow through with my plans. Once I started working with a coach from Prosper, and one that really could motivate me, things started to change. My whole perspective regarding money, especially assets and liabilities, started to change. And I have my coach to thank for that change. He kept my interest up week after week and didn't give me time to procrastinate, which was my usual behavior in the past.

I am currently driving a school bus for the city of Garland, TX. That, along with social security, is my only income. I know that I won't be able to do the driving much longer. I'm sorry; I guess I failed to mention I will turn 67 this Friday. I know that I will have to increase my cash flow significantly prior to quitting driving, and my coach has suggested looking into some kind of internet business that would accomplish this. I am currently looking into the endless possibilities that are out there. This is something I wouldn't even consider doing before I took your course and worked with your coach. I remember telling my coach that I was too old to start doing all of this work now. But then I remembered that Colonel Sanders started KFC when he was in his late sixties. And my coach kept telling me more than once, what happens if you stay on your present course. So, I am now determined to get down to work and change my situation around in the shortest time possible. I already have made one important change to my life, and I owe it to your course. After smoking cigarettes for over 40 years, I have quit completely. Not only is this improving my health, it is also allowing me to add $100 per month to my accelerator margin.

In closing, let me say that I would recommend your courses to anyone that wants to get ahead, and that the coaching part of the course is tremendously important in getting the very most out of all the materials and conferences included with the course. I hope to contact you again soon to report on my progress.

- Tom S. Garland, TX

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Our personal success story began when Mike heard the Prosper advertisement on our local radio station. We were looking for a way to eliminate our debt rather than consolidate it and the advertisement on the radio sounded promising.

We received the tapes and books from Prosper in the mail and immediately knew this program could help us find our way to financial freedom.

Together with our financial coach we have already brought a change to our finances. Our future goal is to be out of debt within 5 years if not sooner, and after that goal has been met then we plan to build our wealth so we will be able to help our church and local community.

With the help of our financial coach, who has been a priceless asset, we have been able to reconstruct our financial picture. We learned how to track our expenses and establish goals that have allowed us to not only pay our monthly bills but also reserve money to pay off our debts.

We very pleased with the decision we made to use Prosper to help us to achieve financial success (and beat the crooks).

- Mike & Sandy P. South Bend, IN

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I really appreciate the job you do in coaching me. The depth of your knowledge and your ability to convey to me things I can do to improve my standard of living is astounding. You have taught me to think before I spend. My cash flow has improved even as I am able to use my accelerator to pay off debt. I have already paid off one credit card and I am very close to paying off the 2nd. Because you have taught me to change my way of thinking regarding the way I handle my financial affairs, I expect to be fully out of debt by June 2009 (or sooner!). I also expect to have a savings account again, a new car, and eventually a home of my own again.

With your knowledge and help in the internet business world, I will be able to accomplish all the desires and dreams of my heart. Additionally, I expect that in the near future, I will be able to accomplish a desire close to my heart to help others in need.

I just wanted to say thank you coach, for your weekly calls of ideas and encouragement.

God Bless you!

- Jean P. Johnson City, TN

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The last few months have been a wonderful journey with you as our personal finance coach. Three months ago, Annerose and I were in the bottom of a debt pit, wondering if we would ever by able to enjoy retirement. Living month to month was always very stressful hoping we would have enough to pay our bills and maybe have a bit left over for a night out.

Now, after just a few months, we can definitely see that there is hope of getting out of the pit. While the debt load still appears large, it pales in comparison to the plan of debt free living we have developed together with you. Almost every day I look at the Debt Free software to remind me just how powerful our plan is and the definite date we will be free. And I know that each month we have actually added additional money to the accelerator, hoping to speed up our freedom. What a boost to our spirit.

Without your encouragement and coaching, we would have delayed considering taking some calculated risks such as stock trading, currency exchange, real estate, and prepaid legal services. That little nudge is just what we needed to find ways of improving our financial situation.

Additionally, our time together has ‘forced’ me to work on educating myself in areas I feel totally lost. The homework assignments sent me to the library for the first time in over a year and I have read more in the last 3 months than the previous year. If nothing else, I am being exposed to ideas and concepts I’ve never been exposed to before. For that I am grateful.

You have become a part of the family, and I find myself often speaking of my ‘personal finance coach’ to my co-workers and others I come in contact with as if I’m talking about a mutual friend. Little will they know that when Annerose and I are debt-free, that it was because we met a coach in Utah (of all places) who gave us the strength to achieve such a feat. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

- Jeff & Annerose W. Des Moines, IA

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Coach; Thank you first of all for all your hard work and dedication to my wife Carol and myself. There were probably times when you probably thought that we were a lost case. Glad that you didn't give up or that we didn't either. We have learned so much that it boggles the mind that so much information exists out there to help a person to change their financial picture. We cannot say enough about the importance of a financial coach, to keep you on track to becoming debt free. The reading materials that were recommended were awesome. Millionaire Next Door was a real eye opener. Then Rich Dad Poor Dad came in blowing us away with some really practical ideas on becoming financially sound. Rich Dad's Guide to Investing was also top notch. We had no idea that the web held so many cool websites to browse through on stock market investing (Investopedia.com) and the real estate sites were as well informative. There are so many things that we were exposed to and that we learned, it would take a while to write and my fingers are getting sore. (Sign of a rookie typist). Carol and I would recommend this wonderful course to anyone who is serious about getting their proverbial act together in the financial and future of their life that is. It is amazing how much more conscious we are when we want to buy something or hear a friend who is going to buy something and say for the first time 'do we really need that and will it bring us closer to being debt free’. Amazing what our new thought process is doing for us. Thank you John Cummuta for sharing your struggle from loss to financial freedom through the debt free for life series. Again thanks for your sound advice and thought provoking ideas as we met on the Saturday mornings and weeded through our financial woes, we will never forget you. In closing we are better people now for going through this great experience.

P.S To my coach’s boss---he deserves a bonus, he is a real asset to your company.

- Bob & Carol B. La Salle, MI

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Before this program, I was trying to development my understanding of finances on my own with fair results. I was using the TDIW material as well as Crown Ministries’ material. With the help of this workshop, I have a much clearer view of where I have been and can better see the road ahead. I can clearly see that my cash flow control over the past 20 years was very poor. In retrospect, I regret the lost time and the old saying “if I knew then what I know now” keeps coming to mind, however, I can not change the past and can only look forward to an improved future

In the more recent past I could see that my cash flow control was still beyond reasonable. I was making progress in correcting the situation; however, I had been uncommitted to continuing that process. Now I find myself more focused because I more clearly see the path that will lead to my success as well as the potential success of family and friends.

So far, I have paid off one debt, a car loan for about $12,000 and have paid down a second debt by about 25%. The program didn’t provide the funds, however, it provided the focus and commitment to continue my debt reduction rather than be side-tracked by my past spending patterns. I am now committed to a road of debt freedom and I am success oriented in reaching my financial goals such that I can provide security for myself and family. My debt free date, assuming that the mortgage pay down works as advertised, should be December 2015.

More importantly than the external improvements, however, I have had a change of heart because I now have a vision of what my financial life should be like. Instead of being a boat cast about by the random pounding of the financial waters, I now have a course in mind and a set destination and over time will better be able to cut through those waves toward that destination. As I better understand financial processes, I can better determine my strategies. Knowledge paves the way for more knowledge. As I learn, my interest grows and so does my ability to integrate future knowledge.

One of the most helpful aspects of your program is the positive attitude and enthusiasm that I get from my mentor. As I am sure you are well aware, nothing can be accomplished unless you are certain that you will succeed. An expectation of failure will indeed produce failure. I suppose that is one reason why you screen your applicants, to ensure that they are motivated and have the proper positive mind set. Although I had this motivation before coming to your program, I am now developing a definite roadmap to a goal instead of still casting about looking for direction to realize my dreams. In the past few weeks I have plotted out a roadmap to financial stability through Real Estate that previously I would not have thought possible. As I move forward, other aspects of your program will only shorten the time to success as well as broadening my portfolio, education, life and ability to share with others what I am experiencing.

Thank you and God Bless you,

- Michael O. Huntington Beach, CA

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Whew! What a workout. I started with this program on March 22nd and both my husband and I have been working diligently with it. I can honestly say that I have achieved stage 1 of the TDIW program - operate 100% on cash. This was not too difficult as we were already doing so in a manner of speaking. Credit cards have been put in the "freezer" but for the sake of this program. I have a vision of financial freedom and when I want to get there. I have a commitment to making the necessary changes in both the way I think about money and the actions I take. My spending journal has given me clarity where before I had an "idea" of what was going on. Cutting up coupons was fun and even better when I used them! I definitely have a lot of changes to make with myself and as a family. I am learning it takes discipline but we are making it a fun transition. For example, instead of eating out at a restaurant my husband makes a delicious meal at home! - Entree, desert and all. I did not realize how far behind we are in debt and how not only were we living paycheck to paycheck but using next paycheck to pay some of the previous month's bills. With your help Brad, we are working to getting this on track. I am no longer hopeful that we will do this; I know it can be done. Just doing some small research has helped us save an extra $400 on our home and auto insurance. In the month and a half that we have been working with this I see a lot of positive changes with myself and my family and although the bills are still there we are no longer stressing out about them! I think that's great.

- Lucia C. Ozone Park, NY

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I want to thank you and the Prosper coaching team for helping me see that financial freedom is in my future. Before I began this course I had no idea how I would ever get out of debt, let alone have a financially secure future.

When I was first introduced to the coaching team I was pretty skeptical. I wasn’t sure if it was for real or just a scam. In fact, I emailed John Cummuta and asked him how I could be sure this team was for real. I remember praying that it would be for real. .He explained his connection with Nightingale Conant and the Prosper Coaching Team and I decided it must be legitimate. So, I signed up.

I was still pretty nervous. I didn’t know if this could deliver the results I’d been told it could. But I knew I couldn’t come up with any other options to get out of debt without trying to work around the clock for the rest of my life.

Now, only a few short weeks into the program and I can see that if I continue to follow the plan I can be debt free in three years and 7 months. That’s 37 years sooner than if I’d tried to pay my debts off the way I was going – the way most people do! And - I will have saved $19,030. This program has shown me how I will be able to retire at age 65 entirely debt free!

Thank you for this program and all your help.

- Sandy P. Brunswick, NE

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I would like to start out by telling a bit about myself. I am a native of New Orleans, La. I love my city, the culture, history and great food. Born and raised in New Orleans, I always knew this was my home. My parents, grandparents and all my siblings still live here. I was educated thru the public school system and am a graduate of LSU, Baton Rouge.

I grew up in an average income household. Always had everything I needed but not given everything I wanted. I am grateful for that today. ”Hand me downs” were a norm in our household. They were really a norm for society in the 70’s and 80’s, especially with three other siblings.

Like most children my parents had an influence on how I saved and spent money. In my early working years I did a good job on my own. Started a retirement account at age 23 and paid off all my student loans over a three-year period. I was off to a great start. As I got more accustomed to the finer things in life my spending habits became a bit more than my income level. I was used to using credit cards. I got my first one in college. Thanks to my brother, he paid the $20 minimum fee for me.

I realized my spending and debt to income ratio were not too good so I cashed in one of my retirement savings and paid down my debt. I was in good shape, so I thought. My debt was mostly gone and I could change my focus. Well, I did for a while and then purchased my first home, cashed in another retirement savings to buy my second home and enjoyed many weekend trips away. The debt rose again. WOW, how did that happen? Well, I also was in great shape to help a friend and fellow family member out so I lent them both money and still have that debt to pay off today.

August 29, 2005 arrived. Better known as Hurricane Katrina. I was settling into my new home I had purchased four months prior. It was a great home, small and modest but with so much character. The stained glass windows were my favorite. I just completed the interior renovations and was enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Little did I know that I was about to loose everything I owned, my new home, all my furnishings, all my clothes, every photograph taken. The levees broke and the flood waters rose eleven feet high destroying my home and everything inside. All I have left are memories.

There is a reason I tell this story. Not to make anyone feel bad or hurt for me. This whole event changed my life and taught me the biggest lesson I could probably ever learn. Actually, it taught me several lessons. Other than realizing a renewed appreciation for family, friends and the large hearts of our American society wanting to lend a helping hand, I learned we live in a society filled with so much stuff we do not need.

There is so much more to this statement. I left my home with two changes of clothing, enough to spend a day or two with friends at their home. Especially, since I would be back home after this hurricane blew over New Orleans, like all the other ones did.

It did not take me long to realize what I was really dealing with was a lot of debt and having nothing to show for it. I was in a bad place. The wonderful city I grew up in was gone. The economy no longer existed and I still needed to pay my bills, without a job.

I can thankfully say it has been seven months since the hurricane and I can report I am once again gainfully employed. I was a hard past seven months, but so many lessons were learned. I am now on my way to a debt free life. The first step to successfully obtaining results is to know where you want to go.

Start at the end and work your way back. My goal is to become debt free and independently wealthy. I am going to start this process with setting a debt free goal date of Jan 2013. This includes all my debt plus a new home I plan on purchasing July 2006. This is working with an accelerator margin of $300 and a monthly cash flow of $425.

Since starting the Debt to Wealth process, I was able to pay off three smaller credit cards and refocus on where I was spending my money. I stopped using credit cards about two years ago but still have the debt to pay. This made the purchasing with cash only part of the process a bit easy.

I have simplified my life so much since hurricane Katrina. I am so ready to pay off my debts because I hope to never be put in this situation again. Life is about making choices. I was fortunate to only have myself to care for after the hurricane; if I would have had a family it would have been different and probably much more challenging.

I am hoping with my new career opportunities I will be able to reach my debt free date sooner than my goal date of Jan 2013. I am focused and my goals are set. Wish me luck!

- Marie A. New Orleans, LA

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I joined the TDIW program in February out of desperation. I had just turned 64 in January and while reflecting on my financial condition I realized I was not able to pay all of my bills each month primarily because of high credit card debt, a high mortgage balance (payment), and a maxed out home equity loan. I had no idea how to get out of that predicament before retirement.

Since starting in February, one credit card (Target) has been paid off (24.9% Interest rate) by balance transfer to another credit card and two cash payments, and the car loan has been paid off by accelerated payments. Currently, the VFCU visa card is in an accelerated payment mode due for final payment in October.

Currently, with a $200/month accelerator margin I will have paid off all credit cards by March 2009 (3.5 years) and if I decide to keep my residence, the home equity loan will be paid off March 2012 and the mortgage, January 2015.

I am contemplating adding another $100 to the accelerator margin if I can manage an extra 30 to 60 minutes of work a day thereby eliminating a shortfall each month (see CFM enclosed). This would, in effect, move the projections earlier by about 6 months.

I am really excided about this program and what it has done for me. My expectations are high. My only regret is that I hadn't started earlier.

- William R. Billings, MT

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Thanks for being my personal coach. You and this course have helped me more than I could ever explain. So I will see if I can put this into words because, this course has shown me the light at the end of the tunnel. This has all helped me get a better handle on my spending. I know right now where I'm at the end of the month by having total control of my cash flow. I was amazed at my financial statement spread sheet. I have never sat down and filled one out, let alone anyone show/talked to me about one. That gets me excited, from the Financial Risk Statement to the Cash flow Management to a Financial Vision Statement. I have learned a lot and have a lot of learning to do. You have helped me to find my dreams that were put on the top shelf in the closet. You are helping me go from the left to the right quadrant! This is the best education that I have ever had and I am very excited for my future. You can't put a price on personal and mental developments. Thank you for being my coach. You and this course have me really fired up!! My debt free date is: 06/2012.

- Roger T. Ashland, WI

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I wanted to send this e-mail to share with you our experience with the TDIW program thus far.

Let me start by thanking you for being a great coach and for all of the support and guidance that you have given us so far. This program has been a life changing event for us. We have learned so much in the last three months that I couldn't possibly share it all in this one communication but I do want to highlight a few points.

As you know my husband earns a very good income which is why we could not understand how we were just getting by financially. Although we did not live a lavish lifestyle by any means, what we have realized is that we had lost respect for money. We no longer recognized the value of a dollar. Tracking our every expenditure has shown us that we had been spending money frivolously and without discipline or accountability. This revelation was very humbling considering we both came from homes where every dollar counted and was highly valued. Seeing what every dollar has the potential to do for our future has helped us develop a totally new mindset with regard to money and what we can accomplish in our lives. We now evaluate every expenditure and decide how necessary it is and search for alternatives whenever possible.

Like many others, I'm sure, at the beginning of this program we did not believe that we had ANY money available to put into an accelerator margin- we were just paying the bills. By tracking expenditures and revising our budget we found the money. We accomplished this through many small changes and much discipline not major lifestyle changes. Remarkably these changes have not left us feeling deprived. Instead we feel empowered and motivated to do more.

To illustrate just how much we have changed our mindset and how motivated we are to succeed look at the events of the past two weeks. We had been anticipating a significant reduction in my husband's salary since the beginning of the New Year. That reduction appeared in the last paycheck and amounted to a staggering $3000.00- a more than 1/3 decrease in his net take home pay! Normally that would have sent us into hysterics. Not this time. Through careful review of our budget and strong discipline we were able to pay all of our bills AND still put the same amount into our accelerator margin to apply to our debts. No small feat for anyone- we are very proud of ourselves. The best part is that a portion of that salary reduction is only temporary which we are very excited about NOT because we intend to give ourselves a pay raise again but because we intend to pour that additional money into our accelerator margin to further speed up our progress!!

Now please do not mistake me to say that this program/process has been easy, quite the contrary. We have had to overcome fear, recognize and begin to alter longstanding habits that were sabotaging our financial success. We have committed ourselves to religiously follow this program, do all of our assignments and recommended reading. Ultimately we have had to be more disciplined than we believed we could be. The greatest thing about the program is that the power that we have gained over our lives coupled with our vision for our future is what propels us forward. We will be financially independent in a few short years. We are looking forward to the challenges and achievements along the way. Thank you for guiding us.

- Patrick & Pam F. Falmouth, ME

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I have learned to run my existing business more efficiently by implementing suggestions from our coach and suggestions from resources she suggested we read. My wife saves hundreds of dollars a month on groceries because we changed our mindset about spending. This was in direct relation to our coaching. See below for more.

The way we view our personal life and business life is completely different now. I feel we are much more progressive in our thinking, and this is because of our time spent with our coach. We love our coach. The first couple months were great, but after that it seems the structure wasn't there as much. Too much time would go by with out contact. Just making sure there is continual contact and accessibility to our coach would be better. Our coach suggested I read the "E-Myth". This has made the biggest impact on my business by far. It had far reaching effects. It helped me to look at my business in a completely different light. We have made drastic changes for the better and my employees notice the difference. My wife uses coupons now to save hundreds of dollars a month on groceries. This was another indirect benefit of Prosper. We received some suggestions on how to save money on our groceries from our coach, and it propelled Christy into a whole coupon system. Many of the things we learned from Prosper have helped us to become more progressive in our thinking so we are more open minded to adopt new business and personal ideas we come across. The transformation has been amazing. We just bought our first investment property, something we never would have done without Prosper. It was the best investment we have made, in spite of the small issues we may have with the program.

- Jusin & Christine M. Farr West, UT

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We will be financially free within 6 years and 3 months, which is 28 years and 9 months sooner than doing it the traditional way. Also, we will save $42,473 in interest. With using the money that we were using to pay off debt (3,219 per month with a modest interest rate of 4%) and investing it, we would build up $2,078,304. The debt freedom date is October 2011. These are the figures we put in several months ago before we put many credit cards together with Trinity Credit Corporation, and now the figures will be even better when we get them in. We will send you that information soon. Tom is still working on it.

When we started with you, we were almost hopeless, and looking at selling the house. We weren't going to declare bankruptcy (thank goodness), but we were going to sell the house, use the proceeds to pay off debt, rent a duplex, and still owe $20,000. We were hoping Tom's silver investments would yield sometime in the future, and that we would be able to once again be homeowners, but the whole thing was stressing us out, and straining our marriage relationship!

Now, through your guidance (helping us see things a different way and effectively use the Prosper materials), we are on track and working together to eliminate debt and build wealth. We are looking forward to each day, and it is a challenge now to see where we can save and how we can do better to build toward our future, and our children's inheritance. And we have only just begun! If we truly would follow all the teaching we have gotten to a "t", this could happen even faster.

We are now to the stage where we are learning about having a home-based business, and learning about taxes and how we can save money on taxes. Our communication has opened up (thank you) through money meetings and our phone coaching with you, and we are getting closer together all the time toward having the same philosophies on money.

We plan to continue tracking our spending, continue planning for the future, continue to eliminate debt, look for new opportunities to prosper, and continue to build wealth for retirement. Thanks for opening our eyes! You are a wonderful teacher and coach. We are looking forward to giving you even more positive results at our next quarterly appointment!

- Cindy C. Hays, KS

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One difference we both have noticed is our commitment to staying focused on getting out of debt. If we can't pay cash for something, we don't get it. We stop and ask ourselves if we really need something before we automatically buy it. We have kept on track with our debt reduction by rolling our freed up money into paying down our one credit card which should be paid off by November of this year. Next will be my car payment which should take about 5 months to finish and then we started on the mortgage. Now that will take some time and focused energy because of the length of time, which will be 7 years total.

The absolute biggest impression this has all made is the rapid pay down of debt when it is concentrated on one debt at a time. It is almost fun! I also like completing the Cash Flow Management details because of the visualization this exercise provides. Giving these assignments just as they are indicated in the manual keeps me on track. Your additional suggestions regarding programs on the internet are also helpful.

Neither Otis nor I like long coaching sessions; I for one have many meetings everyday which is contrary to my "turn me loose and let me at it" work ethic.

As for future sessions, once I have finished all the entry work with cash flow management and the wedding is over and done, we would like to concentrate on real estate investment. Our dream has always been to form a family business with rental property and rehab to sell property. And of course, we're always looking for tax breaks. Maybe Otis has more to add to this; we’ve talked about our future desire to invest as mentioned many, many times. Otis has just become involved in a Home base business with USANA Corp. He has always believed in multi level marketing as the wave of the future for us. It is a lot of hard work and commitment. I'm hoping this will be successful.

- Otis & MAry Ann W. Marietta, GA

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Since starting the program we are more budget minded, we no longer use credit cards unless we need to for business trips, then immediately pay off w/in 30 days.

We have been able to lower interest rates on credit cards and we haven't bought clothes or shoes since we started the program. 99% of the time we select gifts from our gift inventory (in our pantry) instead of buying new gifts and our trips made to visit family are budget conscious - took train saved 1/3 cost for fuel versus driving.

Debt freedom debt free - yearly and monthly, we will be debt free in 8 years and 9 months and have generated an interest savings of $141,073. We will pay off everything 11 years and 11 months sooner, with the accelerated program. Come 2014, all will be paid off if we stick to the plan.

Overall we are ecstatic about the program; it has given us a pathway to get out of debt. We see a future at the end of the tunnel. A lot of pressure has been taken off our backs, why - because there is hope. The hope that we can be well off, comfortable in our retirement years. Nothing is worse than thinking we will not be able to do the things we enjoy because of no money. We will and are able to share with others the knowledge and offerings to help others. Get them at least thinking there is more to life than soup and potatoes. There is a world out there waiting for people to help them, to visit, to explore and see all that God has for us to do. Without the dollars/means to do so, you are pretty well limited to your current surroundings.

- Robert & Jo Anne J. Damascus, OR

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Joining Prosper Learning was a step in the right direction for me. It has helped me to take a hard look at my finances and my spending. I thought my finances were in decent shape but since I’ve been receiving mentorship from Prosper I now realize that my finances can be a whole lot better and there is a lot I am missing.

I realize now how critical it is to watch my spending and see where my money is leaking out of my life. I am now painfully aware of every dollar I spend and I think before I make any purchase, no matter what it is. I never did that before. I just spent.

I was aware of most of these things before but I never actually put them fully into action the way I have now. It’s full steam ahead! I realize how critical it is to stop spending tomorrow’s money today if I ever hope to be financially secure. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

- Mona B. Orange, NJ

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I am about three fourths through my first full month of Transforming Debt into Wealth. Normally by this time I would have used my credit card several times. Especially for things like gas and all the little incidentals that occur each month. I am using only cash whenever possible. It makes you think much more than normal, before digging into the wallet, how much the thing you are getting, you really need.

I found that I could save money by coloring my own hair instead of getting it done at the shop. The shop would charge about $25 or $30, depending on the shop. (I know some that would charge $50 or more.) I can do it myself for about $4.85.

Since spring is finally here, it is time to get the heavy wool sweaters cleaned and put away until next winter. Instead of dry cleaning them all at a huge cost of probably $40 or $50, I am doing it myself. I found a wool cleaner called Eucalan. It is a liquid containing lanolin (good for wool) and eucalyptus (moth repellant). You just put a tiny bit in water and allow the sweater to soak in it. After a while, just squeeze out the liquid and dry flat. After all, wool and silk have been around for thousands of years, and there were no dry cleaners back then.

I used to eat breakfast out about 2 times a week. I rationalized it was probably the cheapest meal one could eat out, and so treated myself, especially on the weekends. Now I eat at home and probably save $20 a week.

It’s the little things that seem to mount up and make a difference. I am sure that as time goes on, I will find more things to make a difference in my spending habits and change my situation from barely making ends meet and no money in the bank, to making the ends overlap and money in the bank to do the things I like that mean a lot to me.

- Judi L. Davison, MI

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This has been a humbling experience, no more credit cards. I thought I had the power with them in my hands. Well now I see the truth, I owe practically my entire pay to the credit card companies. I’ve given so much of myself away that I’m now cash poor, no emergency fund as a backup and bills that are actually leaving me penniless from pay to pay.

But I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I needed to get to this to see that I was totally wrong in how I handled my finances.

I get upset because I want everything to be automatically fixed. I thought because I gave up my credit cards that instantly I’d be on my way to being debt free. Not realizing that because I charged so much for so long that this is going to take some serious life changes to even come close to an accelerated margin to start paying down my debts.

My coach kept asking if I ever thought about moving, my answer was always the same. No I’d never leave Philadelphia, my family is here. I didn’t want to hear what he was suggesting. But after talking to a close friend she made me see that if I downsized my life I could get out of this debt. Thanks!

So my decision has been made, I’m selling my big house most of the contents and moving into a smaller house.

My plan for the immediate future is to sell my home, pay off all my debts, and purchase a small home with cash from the sale.

Once this is complete I want to revise my budget, since I don’t have a clear idea yet of my expenses in a smaller home. I’d like to be able to save a large portion towards retirement, have an emergency fund (this will probably come from the house sale, contents included), a savings account for quarterly bills, a travel fund, and lastly a gift fund.

Once all this is complete, the sale, the move, and revising my budget, I‘ll then need my coaches guidance to make sure I’m on the right track. At this point I’d also like to start my eBay business. I’ll start off with eBay classes and do some research into selling antiques online.

The best is that I’m going to be debt free. Seems very simple on paper but I know in reality that this is all hard work. But I’ve come this far and I’m not turning back. I’ve recruited the help of family and friends to help in the cleanup of the house and at the end of June I want to have an estate sale. The proceeds will be the start of my emergency fund.

And lastly I’ll pass on whatever I’ve learned from all this to my son, my family and friends. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through the financial hell that I’m living with today. Looking back on all the money I’ve wasted makes my future plans even more worthwhile.

- Madeline D. Philadelphia, PA

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My wife and I would like to take an opportunity to thank you for the exciting and life-altering information you, at Prosper Learning, have shared with us.

We have always considered ourselves financially conservative people. We never engaged in lavish expenditures. We discussed our finances well, and we kept reasonable track of our expenses. We, however, also became comfortable with what we believed was “good debt”. Our mortgage, student loans, and car payments were considered a “normal” (and even beneficial) feature of our monthly expenses.

Then entered Prosper Learning. John Cummuta’s “Transforming Debt into Wealth” program, coupled with Prosper’s Financial Success System changed our paradigm of financial management. We abandoned the mindset and financial practices that cripple so much of America today. With clear, practical information and guidance, you have helped us understand and appreciate the true definition and value of financial success. We were able to incorporate a disciplined and aggressive approach to debt elimination and wealth building.

Under your tutelage, we have raised our level of fiscal responsibility to a new standard. We are becoming stronger leaders in our respective social circles, empowering others to break the chains of impoverished thinking and low self-worth. We are becoming more responsible parents, setting a sound, financial foundation for our young daughter, giving us the peace of mind knowing that she can begin her life with the precious freedom of choice. You have challenged us to think outside the box, not accepting what life has dealt, but transforming our thinking from what could be to what should and will be.

Our gratitude is immeasurable. It is our sincere desire that your work continues to effect change and impact a nation. Once again, thank you and best wishes for continued success.

- Laray & Monique D. Orange, CT

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We are very pleased with the Prosper coaching program. We have learned to how to track our expenses, and see where every penny has been going. We've established several ways to cut-down on spending and increase our accelerator margin during the debt elimination process. Although the education we have received through the Turning Debt into Wealth literature has been phenomenal, without the private coaching, we may not have been able to accomplish as much as we have in the past three months.

We've become motivated members of the success team at Prosper Learning, and we have so much gratitude for our coach. We have found him to be extremely informative and helpful. As a result of what we have learned from our coach’s sessions, we were able to conquer our fear of failure and make important life-changes. Kris is now a stay-at-home dad to our three young children, and is busy building our home-based eBay business. We are currently working on our business plan, as well as marketing strategies.

Not only has our experience with the coaching program been beneficial to us financially, it has strengthened our marriage and our commitment to each other. We are partners working together towards a common goal: financial freedom!

- Kris & Laura S. Sioux Falls, SD

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My Name Is Matt and I started my training with my coach around February. When I first started I thought there is no way I would ever get out of debt but I will try this out. The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to realize that I could do this without having to switch jobs or make more money. I just had to control and realize where my money was going and how could I let my money work for me instead of working for my money.

When he and I first talked he had me work out my debt payoff worksheet to see what debt I should work on first and to see how long it would be before I could become debt free if I followed the steps. When I did this for the first time I was disappointed because I was looking at spending eleven years trying to pay off my debts but when he and I talked again we worked together to see where I could help add to my accelerator margin. I was amazed at how much I was spending each week on just extra things like coffee and a bagel in the morning because I was doing this every morning 5 days a week. I also looked at how much I was spending on eating out and compared this to what it would cost to pack my lunch for the month instead of eating out.

The amounts were staggering and when we were all said and done I was able to set my goal to become debt free in only 6 years and two months. The most amazing thing is that I don’t miss the bagels and coffee anymore and if I want those things I just buy them at the store and make them myself. I can’t thank you all enough for giving me hope and showing me a way to become free from debt.

- Matt C. Centerville, OH

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When I started the TDIW program, I was well over $40,000 in debt. My coach calmed my fears and told me that if I was ready to work hard and do the assignments given, I would be able to take charge of my financial situation and be on my way to living debt free and even start my own business. I will be debt free in about 3 years. I now can see my daughter going to college without wondering if I will be able to afford it. I am learning how to invest and budget my money so that it will work for me. This program has changed my life. I have learned how to keep a spending journal to keep track of the many ways I can waste money. I have learned how to track my expenses using a cash flow worksheet. If I didn't start this program, I would be living the rest of my life working to keep creditors in business. Now, I'm on my way to determining when I will work and for how long. I'm just a few short years from spending my days traveling and playing golf. I must thank the staff at Prosper Learning, especially my coach. Without his knowledge, thoughtfulness and humor I can't have the confidence I now have to achieve the goals that I set when I started this program. Thank you for all of your help. I am greatly anticipating that day when I am calling you all to tell you that I am debt free.

- Cornell M. Bridge Port, CT

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We have always been people to watch our expenses. Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005. We were forced to take a serious look at our finances. We wanted everything to be in order for our future and retirement. The TDIW program truly has been a solution for us. We have constructed a definite financial plan from the information taught by the program. As the program has suggested, we have stopped using our credit cards and are paying off the debt. Our goal is to be debt free by December 2011. By paying off our debt, we are saving $268,319, which would have taken us 43 years and 7 months to do. By putting this amount to wealth building, we will be able to have a wealth of $59,591,936 in that same time period. We have only been in the program since February 2006. This will be giving us over $15,833 a month at the time of retirement and a net worth of $1.9 million at 10% interest.

We have gained a huge amount of financial education, counseling, and support. Our coach has been our counselor and kept us on track with the program to achieve the financial goals that we have set. This financial education is something that we want to pass to our children and grandchildren. We don’t want them to be in the financial rat race that we were in for years. We feel that we are much better prepared for the future and for retirement. We are much better educated financially to evaluate our needs and our impulses. Thanks to the program, we have peace of mind regarding our financial future.

- Jim & Helen B. San Bernadino, CA

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Since we joined Prosper, there have been significant changes in our financial life. As suggested by our coach, we started tracking our day-to-day expenses and discovered how our money was draining in so many ways. We were able to control our spending habits to maximize resources toward a debt-free life.

Our coach helped us set up a system where we can reduce our credit-card debt efficiently by focusing on one obligation at a time. We hope to eliminate all our credit-card debt within the next two years using this system. We have studied all our Prosper materials and four books suggested by our coach. These books have altered the way we think about our financial life. This has also changed Carolyn's view of the importance of money in her life.

Krishna has been focusing on improving his knowledge in real estate. We are hopeful to buy our home this year.

- Krishna & Carolyn G. Richmond, CA

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* These results represent the achievements of some of our most successful students, and they show the possibilities that our products offer. Your results may vary.

Personal Financial Testimonials