Introducing "My Debt"

I am better known by my SS# and debt balance. When I was 17-18 years-old, the advice I was given was to take out large amounts of debt to attend a D1 college. The college counselor advised that I major in Business Management, it was a hybrid degree that would open many doors across many industries. When I graduated college, I was taken back at the starting salary an undergrad was looking at. I was promised a good starting salary so that the debt I took out wouldn't greatly affect my life. After 4 years there I was, with $60,000 of student loan debt @ 6.75% and a piece of paper for potential employers. Before I owned my first car I had a debt payment that resembled a small mortgage. My options were to continue working at Longhorn Steakhouse as a waiter or to take a PAY CUT and accept an entry-level job to gain "experience". The advice I was given was "you have to start somewhere, employers now need experience too." So I took the pay cut and entered my "career" in the banking industry, it was a huge industry with great opportunity, right?

After 4 years of being a top rated "Credit Advisor" and jamming credit card debt down people's throats, I saw my hourly wage increase by 25 CENTS. I was in my mid-20's and now "life" was starting to kick in. I had to get a car, but I had to take out another loan because my student loan was killing my monthly disposable income. Between college and my young 20's I had been living in an apartment for 8 years, so I explored buying a condo or small house, was told it was a good "investment". I was told that my salary needed to increase by $20k a year to afford a mortgage. At my current pace, I would be able to purchase my first home right before I retire at 70 years-old. So the advice I was given by my employer at the time was to get an MBA since the workforce was saturated with undergrads, this would get me to the next level. So I doubled down on the student loan debt and entered my MBA program.

Fast forward 6 years....I am a 36 year-old MBA grad with a beautiful wife (undergrad) and two amazing little daughters, they are all truly blessings from God! We have a mortgage amortized over 30 years @ 3.5%, two vehicle loans amortized over 5 years @ 4%, and four student loan payments that far exceed our mortgage payment. We pay property TAX, vehicle TAX, income TAX, and sales TAX. We pay interest and property tax on a depreciating asset that constantly requires home maintenance, great "investment". According to what was fed to me as a young adult, from a financial perspective, we are living life the way you are supposed to. I have a good, not great, job that probably can not be relied upon as a career because it is tied to the United States' debt driven economy. Overall, I have accomplished one goal, the most important goal, of becoming a good husband and father. But now my families future has been taken hostage by debt....Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, the borrower becomes a vassal to the lender.

My baby boomer parents, high school/college counselors, and early career advisors all pushed me to more education and more debt. It was all horrible advice! The labor market is saturated with both undergrad and advanced level degrees. Jobs are scarce. Careers are worse. The United States economy hinges on our Governments ability to continuously extend their debt limit while operating with an unbalanced budget and over paid career politicians. Our Banking system hinges on their ability to continuously squeeze the general public on mortgage, vehicle loan, lines of credit, and credit card interest payments. Both "enterprises" will struggle to collect all the debt they jammed down our throats, and this will be a problem in the near future. It's a huge DEBT BUBBLE!

I am here to help as many people as possible to avoid that debt cycle that has become "normal" in society. In the age of information and technology, you do not need to pile on debt first and try to dig out later like me. In a lazy society, if you work hard and use your brain there is plenty of good jobs out there to get started. If college is desired, there are ways to obtain a degree without taking on student loan debt. After learning from my mistakes, I know a better path!

If you are like me, and you got fleeced by the almighty lender, then it's time to add a few additional revenue streams. At this point, you either pay debt interest until you retire or you find multiple revenue streams to starting knocking out debt. If you are in a job that drastically increases your annual salary at review time, great, but chances are you are not.

My page will be dedicated to avoiding debt and finding ways to become debt free!

Thank you for taking the time to meet my debt....