This book is dedicated to all those who on their own and with-out the benefit of guidance and help, have struggled mightily with their personal finances. All hope that past mistakes will never be repeated by future generations.

• LESSON ONE: THE FACTS OF LIFE
  What you need to know to get along as a financially responsible adult

• LESSON TWO: LIVING ON THE EDGE
  How to budget and save your money, and plug your spending leaks

• LESSON THREE: TO BORROW OR NOT TO BORROW
  How to decide if you should pay cash or borrow the money you need

• LESSON FOUR: SO YOU HAVE DECIDED TO BORROW SOME MONEY
  How to get through the credit-granting process once you have made the decision to borrow

• LESSON FIVE: THE TERMS OF THE DEAL
  How to determine if you are getting the deal you have bargained for

• LESSON SIX: AUTO LOANS AND LEASES
  One of the toughest deals to negotiate

• LESSON SEVEN: HOME SWEET HOME
  The largest debt you are likely to ever have

• LESSON EIGHT: CREDIT CARDS AND OTHER LOANS
  What you need to know about credit cards, personal signature loans, etc.

• LESSON NINE: YOU'VE GOT TROUBLE WHEN
  How to tell when you may have a problem

• LESSON TEN: WHEN YOU FALL BEHIND
  Dealing with delinquency and bill collectors

• LESSON ELEVEN: BANKRUPTCY
  The ultimate credit overload

• LESSON TWELVE: BUILDING AND REBUILDING YOUR CREDIT
  How to establish good credit when you have no credit history or even a bad credit past

" As long as we have hope, we have direction, the energy to move and the map to move by, we have a hundred alternatives, a thousand paths, and an infinity of dreams.” Author Unknown

• Chapter 1
  The Key to Getting Ahead
  • A Budget Helps You Get What You Want
  • Wants and Needs
  • Goals are the Foundation of Any Financial Plan
  • Simple Steps to Setting Your Goals
    
• Chapter 2
  Developing a Budget to Get What You Want
  • Calculating Gross and Net Income
  • Fixed, Flexible, and Variable Expenses
  • Your Budget Form
  • Savings and the Time Value of Money
    
• Chapter 3
  Financial Tools to Help You
  • Cash, Money Orders, Checks, and Debit Cards
  • Comparison Shopping and Coupon Clipping
  • Maintaining Accurate Financial Records
    
• Chapter 4
  Credit Can Enhance Your Life
• Types of Credit Available to You
• Secured and Unsecured Loans
• The Cost of Credit
• What You Need to Know About Credit Cards
  
• Chapter 5
  Your Credit Score—A Number to Know
  • Information on Your Credit Report
• Getting a Copy of Your Credit Report
• Disputing an Error on Your Credit Report
• How Your Credit Score Affects You
  
• Chapter 6
  What You Need to Know About Contracts
  • Signing a Lease
  • Rental Leases, Utilities, Cell Phones, and Furniture
  • Choosing the Right Insurance
    
• Chapter 7
  Consumer Laws to Protect You
  • Resources for Help
  • Writing a Complaint
  • Seven Laws to Protect You
    
• Chapter 8
  What to Do When Things Go Wrong
  • Warning Signs of Financial Trouble
  • Taking Action to Correct the Situation
  • Choosing and Working with a Credit Couns

Introducing a homebuyers education program designed to meet the needs of consumers and teaching organizations!

The most COMPREHENSIVE

• discuss new construction
• how to identify and avoid predatory lenders
• in-depth look at insurance
• budgeting as a homeowner
• explains not only what lenders look for, but why
• easy to understand, conversational style

The most MEASUREABLE

• standard pre-test and exit exam helps your organization show results
• individual registration number on each book for simple tracking

The most USEFUL

• national, standardized program
• meets Fannie Mae and HUD standards
• reviewed by a panel of 22 consumer and professionals from all areas of the housing industry
• ongoing support and resources from the American Center for Credit Education
• updated annually
• each of the 9 lessons is a self contained unit - may be studied in any order
• can be taken self-study or in a classroom setting

Journey to Wealth & Wisdom is authored by personal prosperity coach and motivational speaker Marilyn August. Marilyn writes with the passion of personal experience and uses her teaching and coaching expertise to help people make positive, life-altering changes.

Journey to Wealth & Wisdom relates real-life stories from individuals Marilyn has trained over the past twelve years. The stories and accompanying exercises in each chapter have a two-fold purpose—to assist people in identifying their limiting attitudes, beliefs, and ideas they have about money and to encourage them to take effective, immediate action to change destructive money behaviors.

The book is based on Seven Agreements for financial success; the titles of chapters 2-8 reflect the Agreements that Marilyn challenges readers to make with themselves. Chapter 9 is a journal for you to record the progress you make as you work through the Seven Agreements. The chapter titles are as follows:

Chapter 1 The Journey
Chapter 2 Stop complaining, blaming, and worrying about money
Chapter 3 Be open and flexible to generating and receiving money
Chapter 4 Be current and complete on all financial transactions
Chapter 5 Think before I spend or do not spend at all
Chapter 6 Communicate openly and honestly with myself and others
Chapter 7 Trust myself to make reasonable and rational financial decisions
Chapter 8 Take appropriate action
Chapter 9 My Journal