Nande decided to make her first appointment at the Columbus FEC because she wanted to free herself from the burdens of credit card debt. She also hoped that in working towards being debt free, she could learn how to track her money more closely and gain a better understanding of what her spending looked like from month to month. 

 A professional FEC financial counselor sat down with Nande to review her credit card balances and identify ways to reduce the debt. Over the course of a year, she was able to pay off more than $8,000 in debt and save money for personal goals at the same time.  

 Nande’s financial counselor equipped her with simple strategies to track her money and plan her spending, but he also helped her address some of the longstanding beliefs she had had about money. Through counseling sessions, Nande was reminded that financial security is attainable, and that she has the freedom to decide on and change her financial priorities to fit her life and goals.