How long working at FISC: Since 2011

Position: Counselor/Team Lead Green Bay West

What are your areas of expertise?

Budget counseling, housing counseling, credit counseling, and debt management

Why do you like working at FISC?

I have never been employed for a company that cares so much about people. Not just the people that we serve, but employees as well. This organization “gets it” when it comes to work/life balance. Each and every day, I feel empowered/encouraged/responsible for helping others that are in trouble.

To listen to someone that is in a crisis and to have the knowledge and tools to help them out of the crisis, is truly fulfilling. And the monthly team lunch is always good!

What consumer challenges do you hear about the most often?

Job loss! It is something we have the least control over, but I see it being all, or at least part, of the problem in too many cases. Few people are equipped to handle a job loss because few have emergency savings set aside. The suggested amount of emergency savings is three to six months of net (take-home) income, and the main purpose is to prepare for a loss of income.

Without emergency savings, people lean more and more on credit cards and  payday lenders. If they continue to use the cards and lenders, they fall farther and farther behind.

If you could offer a single piece of financial management advice, what would it be?

Besides an emergency savings account of three to six months net income, it would have to be patience. People want things now, or even yesterday if they could. Impulse buying, payday loans, and applying for credit all happen so fast.

If a consumer can take their time, slow down, and think about the long-term consequence, I think it will help. It will not solve all problems, but it can cut down on the feelings of guilt and remorse that occur after splurging.

How much money you make, the cost of gas, or the economy being down and your company has layoffs -- all of these are things that a consumer has little control over.

But consumers can control themselves!

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