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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 What you can learn at Financial Peace University Dave Ramsey doesn't advise folks to buy Aflac. It pained me to purchase an Aflac cancer plan against the words of my current financial guru, but I wanted the protection if worse came to worse. I found Ramsey's nationally syndicated show on the radio on my way home from work. He also has a TV show on the Fox Business Network. He tells callers how to successfully pay off debts, save for a rainy day and put money away for kids' college expenses and retirement. Many financial mouthpieces speak a similar language, but Ramsey makes sense to me. When I was signing up for Aflac, I mentioned to my sales rep that someone named Dave Ramsey doesn't approve of Aflac. MaryAnn Engle, district sales coordinator and an independent associate representing Aflac, knew all about the Ramsey philosophy. What a coincidence. She sells Aflac and teaches Ramsey classes with her husband on Whidbey Island. Lt. Mike Engle serves with the Oak Harbor Fire Department. "The class we help with is called Financial Peace University," MaryAnn Engle said. "We have facilitated the class two times now. It is an awesome class that teaches people how to get debt-free, set up an emergency fund, save three to six months of income, then save for retirement, college and investments." The Financial Peace program is offered at churches on Whidbey Island, including Whidbey Evangelical Free Church, facilitated by Barbara Bishop. "It's popular in churches," Bishop said. "It's Christian-based." Specific topics in the classes include careers and credit reports, debt collectors, investments, retirement, insurance, real estate and college planning. There's another side to the Ramsey program, giving advice to teens on finances, that the Engles' kids, Erin, 17; Dalton, 14; and Miranda, 10, have heeded. "Kids in debt are an epidemic," MaryAnn Engle said. "Our children thankfully have listened and learned the core principals of savings and staying out of debt, but so many kids are not taught the basics any more." Teens are often sent credit-card offers. "As a matter of fact, before they even hit college, they are getting offers," she said. "We want kids to be ready and not to fall into the pits of debt. We hope to host the class at Living Hope Foursquare Church in Coupeville." Engle said the couple had a lot to learn about saving and investing. Like most everyone I know, they lived paycheck to paycheck. "We would love to be able to make others aware of the opportunities out there to get ahead and plan for a great debt-free future." The Engles are not set financially, she said, but now they are equipped with planning tools. "We just need to have the discipline to use them and work really hard to get to the financial goals we have set," she said. "One of my goals with Aflac is to let people know about making sure they have life insurance whether it's through Aflac or not. And personal short-term disability. "Eight-six percent of bankruptcies are because of people not being able to replace their income when they have faced a sickness or accident," she said. "So many people don't think about the 'what if's' until it's too late." Columnist Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.

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