What Kind of Legacy?

Some months ago, get-out-of-debt guru, Dave Ramsey’s camp released a companion to their Financial Peace University (FPU) they call the Legacy Journey. It builds on the concepts and ideas begun in FPU and begins to answer the question, “What do we do after we’re debt free”? Great stuff, people! We’ve graduated more than 500 people through FPU at our location alone! Catch either class when in a city near you. You will be glad you did! In fact, I smell the beginnings of a contest in the works. Keep reading to find out more.

So my attending the Legacy Journey classes began this thought process in my own little head about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. More than financial, more than relational, more than just the stuff we leave behind (in the end it’s all just stuff), what core stuff – stuff that really matters do we want to pass on to the following generations? That’s a somewhat heady question but worth the time and energy to pursue.

As you work through that process, I believe you will come to a place where you come to recognize your core values, belief systems, and all you hold precious. Those are the important areas of your life in which you need to be pouring your time, talent and treasure. Years ago, the wise sages of the day would say, “You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their Day Timer and their checkbook.” Well, as we move away from printed paper schedules and checks and move toward PDA’s to cell phones and debit cards, we may need to rephrase the statement. The idea still holds true.

Where you spend your time, talent and treasure says a lot about what’s important to you. I believe it has a bearing on your legacy as well. It’s those things that you will also pass on to those who come after you – good or bad, right or wrong. I’ve witnessed boat loads of hatred passed on from one generation to the next as if was the family fortune. I’ve seen discrimination passed on across generations just as if it was actually written into the will.

I’ve also seen, first-hand, how a loving, caring spirit can be caught and passed on from one generation to the next. So it can go either way, but whether we like it or not we do leave a legacy. The question ultimately is – what kind of legacy will you leave?

September 2013 FPU CONTEST

Yeah, so we mentioned a contest earlier and here are the rules:

1)    Tell us, in 50 words or less, why you need to attend the next FPU or Legacy Journey at a location near you using the form located HERE.

2)    Our highly trained panel of judges will read each entry and notify the winners via email.

3)    ALL submissions need to be in by Sunday, 9/29/13.

4)    Only ONE (1) entry per person.

5)    NO cash prizes given! Scholarship to a local FPU or Legacy Journey ONLY!

6)    Good luck!

100% Down

Not possible? Read the following from an email I received from Dave Ramsey’s FPU people this past March:

Making mistakes with money is bad enough. Making mistakes when buying or selling a home could sink you. It’s important to know what you can afford and make a purchasing decision based on that information. If you don’t go with Dave’s 100%-down plan, only accept a mortgage payment that is no more than 25% of your take-home pay on a 15-year fixed-rate note with at least 10% down. Spend any more of your monthly budget than that, and you could be putting yourself out on the street.

If you are buying a home, have the mentality of an investor. Use cash and get a deal on the front end. If you are selling, get your home cleaned, repaired, landscaped and show-worthy. Make someone excited and eager to buy. If you do, they will.

And While We’re on the Subject . . .

Someone once said, “New ideas are good ideas as long as they don’t require anyone to actually do anything new.” If you’ve noticed on this blog, we’re all about new ideas. If you haven’t noticed that, I’m sorry – I must not be doing my job well.

So, please allow me to introduce you to something new. From time to time, here in webspace, we’ve talked about Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University. Well, here’s a little secret – Dave’s just rolled out a new class called The Legacy Journey. It’s seven weeks of fun and instruction!

We had people ask us, when we taught FPU, “What’s next?” Well The Legacy Journey is the answer to that question. Want to know how to invest wisely? That’s week 2. Want to know how to grow your legacy? That’s all 7 weeks. Need to know how to safeguard your legacy? Join Dave and his daughter, Rachel, in week 5!

So check out Dave’s newest release, The Legacy Journey. You’ll be glad you did – and so will those who come behind you!

By the way, what are you doing to leave a legacy? Share with our other readers, we all would like to know.