Amy and Harry, a couple from Akron, Ohio came to the FEC because they were falling behind on their bills. “We could barely make our mortgage payment and our car payments. We were taking out payday loans to try to make ends meet, so we decided that this was what we needed to do so that we could purchase a home and make our life better for our son.”

Working with a FEC counselor, Amy and Harry addressed their finances and bills as a couple and over time managed to pay off their loans and stop relying on payday loans completely. “We paid everything off on those, and we are 100 percent current on all of our bills. We actually have money in a savings account now so if there are any issues, we’re able to go into that instead of having to borrow money or take out a payday loan.”

Amy and Harry can now see a bright future for their family, using what they’ve learned about money management to educate their son, too. “We believe that the FEC has made a difference in our financial future by helping us work towards saving for a down payment for a home and showing our son that you have to be responsible with your money, save, and pay your bills.”

Together, Amy and Harry continue to meet with their FEC counselor every month to stay accountable and  work towards other goals.

“It keeps me accountable towards sticking to our budget and paying our bills. Hopefully, we can soon start raising our credit scores and even work with our counselor to consider purchasing another car.”