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GETTING OUT OF DEBT

A Look Inside Financial Peace University

10 MINUTE READ

If you think about it, money touches every nook and cranny of our lives. We measure our

successes and failures by it. We use it to ll our gas tanks, pay for groceries, and keep the

lights on. And just when we start to feel like we have the hang of it . . . something breaks,

someone gets sick, or the banks call asking for their money back. Whether you’ve got your

money tied up in credit cards, student loans, that massive car payment, or even those

unwanted medical bills, it all adds up—and fast.

Most of us have been there. Have you? But here’s the thing: You can’t stay there. We get it. It

feels like you’re stuck in a constant cycle, living paycheck to paycheck and anxiously

wondering when the next shoe will drop. Guess what? Dave Ramsey has been there. But the

Jump-Start
best part isYour he
that Journey
used his story to impact millions of other stories with the hope and help of

Financial Peace University

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Financial Peace University.

Dave’s Story

You could say Dave Ramsey had it all.

At just 26 years old, he was making $20,000 a month in the real estate business. With that

kind of money, Dave and his wife, Sharon, were able to do all the things they’d always

dreamed of doing.

More than 5 million have beaten debt this way. You can too!

You’ve heard the phrase, “Keeping up with the Joneses.” Well, if you knew Dave and Sharon

Ramsey then, they were the Joneses. Just about everything in their lives seemed perfect—

from the outside. But the truth? They were deep in debt.

You can probably guess what happened next. Life came crashing down around them when

the bank called his notes. Dave and Sharon had less than six months to pay back millions of

dollars. So, they did what anyone in this situation would do—they sold everything.

But it wasn’t fast enough. On the night of September 22, 1988, Dave and Sharon signed

bankruptcy papers while sitting at their old oak kitchen table. They were terri ed. Dave says,

“I didn’t have any answers. I was the guy that had all the answers.”

Financial Peace University: The Beginning

In the midst of his money problems, Dave started pursuing what God had to say about

money. Even though he had the fancy nance degrees and letters behind his name, he

looked to the Bible for any wisdom he could nd. Comparing biblical wisdom with what he

learned in business school, Dave came up with a new plan. That plan included making (and

sticking to) a budget, saving an emergency fund (for when Murphy comes knocking), and

getting and staying out of debt.

With his experience crawling out of bankruptcy fresh in his mind and a plan to help others

avoid paying the stupid tax (like he had to), Dave put on his best suit and started a class

called Life A er Debt. This was his way of sharing everything he learned the hard way. When

ve families showed up— later growing to 350 families over the next three years—he knew

he had hit a nerve and found a need.

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Financial Peace University: Today

Since its inception, Financial Peace University (FPU) has seen quite a few changes. But each

change was made with one goal: to help more people nd HOPE. From Dave’s very rst

class, which lasted a whopping 26 weeks, to the next update, which took the course down

to 13 weeks, to the current nine-week course, that goal has remained the same.

This new year, we’re rolling out one of our biggest updates yet. We’ve revised the lessons to

help you get more out of each Baby Step! Plus, you’ll get expert nancial advice not only

from Dave, but also from his daughter and best-selling author, Rachel Cruze, and retirement

expert and best-selling author Chris Hogan.

You’ll learn how to save an emergency fund, get out of debt, save for retirement and college,

pay o the house, build wealth, and give generously. It’s a lot to work, but it’s all incredibly

motivating—and rewarding! Don’t worry, Dave simpli es the process by taking you through

the 7 Baby Steps. In fact, you’ll nd that the rst four lessons explain the Baby Steps to a T so

you can get started right away! Believe us—once you get moving on the rst Baby Step,

momentum and your own intensity will keep you going.

“When we began FPU I really thought our nancial

condition was hopeless. But with each week that our

great coordinators presented the FPU materials, I could

see God revealing Himself as the true source of any hope,

and He began exposing the many nancial and spiritual

misconceptions and lies I had bought into. Now for the

rst time, I not only nd real hope but an excitement that

is expressing itself in actions taken to change our

situation, where apathy existed before.

— John & Tina, Arvada, CO

What’s the new FPU experience like? So glad you asked. In addition to the nine-lesson

course, you’ll also have monthly or yearly access to ongoing content, tools and resources

that will help

Jump-Start you
Your make a lifetime of solid
Journey nancial decisions.

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Here’s the thing: Accountability is key on your journey to nancial peace. That’s why it’s

important to join a Financial Peace University group near you! Groups meet in churches,

co ee shops and community centers all over the country and are led by incredible volunteer

coordinators who are passionate about helping you win with money. If you can’t squeeze it

into your busy schedule, you can still take the course online from the comfort of your couch!

This course was designed to show you how to win with money. The average FPU member

completing the course pays o $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the rst 90 days! Today,

nearly 25 years later, over ve million people have taken the course and found

practical nancial wisdom—but most importantly, they’ve found HOPE.

Financial Peace University: A Sneak Peek

Five million people, huh? Yup. Five million! You’re probably wondering, How has this one

program changed so many lives? Good question. You should probably know that Financial

Peace University isn’t the answer to your money problems. It’s not going to do the work for

you. But Financial Peace University is the plan to get you there. Dave always says that

personal nance is 80% behavior and 20% knowledge. That means when you change your

behavior— just like Dave did over two decades ago—you will start to win with money.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s time to introduce you to the NEWLY

updated lessons:

Lesson 1: Baby Step 1 & Budgeting

Save $1,000 for Your Starter Emergency Fund

Baby Step 1 is all about having a plan for when Murphy comes knocking. And believe us—he

will come knocking. It’s time to have a plan for when those annoying, but inevitable,

emergencies arise.

This lesson will also give you a deep dive into something that makes people cringe—the

budget. FYI: Making a budget (and sticking to it) is the key to nancial success. It helps you

learn how to take control of your money once and for all as you journey the road to nancial

peace. And if you haven’t heard, we have a really good tool for that. It’s called EveryDollar

Plus. With this tool, you can create a budget in less than 10 minutes. Not only that, you can

sync your bank account directly to the app so you can easily track your transactions. When

you sign up for your FPU membership, you’ll get one-year access for free!

Lesson 2: Baby Step 2

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Pay O All Debt (Except the House) Using the Debt Snowball

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The borrower is indeed slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7 NIV). In this lesson, Dave shines

light on what debt is (yup, that student loan does count as debt) and debunks common

myths about debt. You’ll learn about our proven method, the debt snowball, that has helped

millions attack their debt and say goodbye to it for good. You might need to nd yourself a

sharp pair of scissors for this one because we’re cutting up plastic.

Lesson 3: Baby Step 3

Save 3–6 Months of Expenses in a Fully Funded Emergency Fund

Now that you’ve got your starter emergency fund saved and your debt paid o , it’s time to

save even more! In this lesson, you’ll learn the importance of saving 3–6 months of expenses

in your fully funded emergency fund. Baby Step 3 keeps you from going back into debt

when an emergency arises.

Lesson 4: Baby Steps 4, 5, 6 & 7

Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of Your Household Income in Retirement

Baby Step 5: Save for Your Children’s College Fund

Baby Step 6: Pay O Your Home Early

Baby Step 7: Build Wealth and Give

Now that your past is in the past, it’s time to start investing in your future! And this is where it

starts to get really fun! You’ve put in a lot of hard work to get here so now you’ll see it pay o !

Plus, doesn’t retiring with dignity and giving like no one else sound really, really good?

Lesson 5: Buyer Beware

Discover how to stay strong against marketing tactics that try to get you to spend more

money. No more of those “gotcha” schemes!

Lesson 6: The Role of Insurance

Protect your family with the insurance you need.

Lesson 7: Retirement Planning

Learn how to plan for your retirement and save for your children’s college.

Lesson 8: Real Estate & Mortgages

Start understanding mortgages and whether or not you should buy, sell or rent.

Lesson 9: The Great Misunderstanding

In this nal lesson of FPU, you’ll learn the biggest money secret Dave’s discovered along the

Jump-Start Your Journey

way.

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“Financial Peace University has changed the way I treat

my nances in general, and my debt in particular. It has

helped me realize that I will not be able to get out from

under debt by just paying minimum payments. Over the

last year, it has also helped me realize that I need to be

more intentional and intense about this process.”

— Brian, Raymore, MO

What’s in a Membership?

Good question! Every annual or monthly membership to Financial Peace University will

equip you with the ability to budget with con dence, save with purpose, and even change

your family tree! Here’s what to expect:

12 months of access to nancialpeace.com

Nine-lesson course workbook

12 months of access to EveryDollar Plus, the world’s best budgeting tool

Additional courses for di erent life stages: The Legacy Journey and Smart Money Smart

Kids

Access to Ramsey Event livestreams

Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money e-book

Ongoing updates and future content

Your Journey Starts Here

Just imagine the feeling you’ll have when you nally pay o that last student loan. Or imagine

logging in to your retirement account and seeing that the years you’ve spent investing have

earned you nine extra zeros. Think about how the generations of your family tree could trace

their own nancial peace and hope all the way back to you! How would you like to nancially

bless your family, church and others because you handled money the right way? Believe us—

it can happen. It won’t happen overnight, but it starts with you choosing to change, one step

at a time.
Jump-Start Your Journey

Financial Peace University is more than just nine lessons It’s your membership to life-change
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9/22/2019 A Look Inside Financial Peace University | DaveRamsey.com
Financial Peace University is more than just nine lessons. It s your membership to life change

and your ticket to nancial peace. No matter where you are on your journey, we’ll be right

beside you, cheering you on every step of the way!

Do you know someone who could bene t from Financial Peace University? Take the rst step

toward changing someone’s life by gi ing a Financial Peace University membership today!

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9/22/2019 A Look Inside Financial Peace University | DaveRamsey.com
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