Keith's Introduction
Hello, I'm Keith Rawlinson. I created and maintain this site
and
I also write the financial articles you'll find here. As you
explore the finance-related articles, links and recommendations found
on
this site; you may sooner or later find yourself wondering:
Who is Keith to
be giving
me advice???
Fair question. So, let me explain a little bit
about why this
site is here and why I feel it's okay for me to be giving financial
advice.
First of all, I am a Volunteer Budget Counselor who
specializes in
consumer debt and family finances. I have an Associates
Degree
in electronic technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Education, but
no college degrees in finance.
Through Crown
Financial, I
took a correspondence course in budget counseling which was proctored
by the pastor of my church. I currently provide budget
counseling
as a free ministry through my church. I have been providing
counseling since 2004, and have taught several classes, group studies
and seminars dealing with financial issues such as investing, debt
elimination, and dealing with financial stress. I
continuously
read about financial issues and listen to finance-related radio shows
and podcasts
in order to try to stay on top of the subject of finances
as best I can.
Although the training I received through my correspondence
coursework
was immensely helpful, it certainly is not enough to qualify me to
give
much financial advice unless it is directly related to designing a
family budget. For that reason, I don't consider my training
at
Crown to be the biggest reason why its okay for me to be giving financial advice.
The most important reason for why I feel that it is okay for me to be
giving financial
advice is that...
I have followed all of the advice
and taken all of the
steps I teach, and have seen them work in my own life.
I can attest firsthand that the things I teach
truly do work, even though I really didn't come up with them.
Actually, all of the financial advice I give is based on
financial concepts that have been around for thousands of years!
Through much effort and sacrifice, my wife Evelyn
and I have managed to become completely debt free--and I do mean
completely! We first eliminated all of our credit card debt,
then
we got rid of our home equity loan, and just recently we paid off the
balance on our home mortgage. We have money set aside to deal
with emergencies and we live by a detailed
budget that we
created and maintain
ourselves. We
accomplished
all of this using the very steps and advice I offer on the Financial
Page of Eclecticsite.com. I am not what most would
consider
rich. I don't have a big house, a fancy car or expensive
clothes;
but I am debt free so whatever money I do earn is mine to spend.
I'm nothing special, so if I can do it then so can just about
anyone else.
It hurts me to see people financially
stressed.
I have
seen financial stress destroy marriages. I have seen
financial stress
destroy family relationships. I have seen financial stress destroy people's
health. And, on a daily basis, I see financial stress destroy
futures. I didn't want that to happen to me, my wife or my
children, so I took the steps necessary to eliminate debt, do away with financial
stress, and provide for a bright future and wonderful retirement some day.
The steps I took worked out so well for me, that I want to
try
to help as many of the financially-stressed people around me as I can
so they can have the financial peace-of-mind that my family
has.
That
is why I feel I am qualified to be giving other people financial
advice:
I learned the steps to take, I took them, and I have seen
them
work in my own life. And before you ask, no, I do not have a
six-figure income. My income is right around the average in
the
United States for my level of education. And for much of my
life, my income was considerably
less.
So trust me, I became debt-free by following the steps and
advice I
now give to others, not by having a huge income.
You will no doubt notice that throughout Eclecticsite.com,
there are a
smattering of references to Jesus and God. That is not my
attempt to bring you
to Jesus Christ,
although I wouldn't mind seeing that happen, it is
simply because my relationship with Christ is the most important thing
in my life. The things the Bible has to say about money still
apply today and the Bible is where most of the financial concepts I
teach actually come from. Do you have to believe what the
Bible
teaches in order to become debt-free? No, but that
is,
nonetheless, the source of the concepts you'll need in order to
accomplish it.
Becoming debt-free is not easy. It takes
considerable
commitment
and determination. But despite the effort and sacrifice it
took
to become debt-free...it was so worth it!
I sincerely hope
you
will let me, and my website, help you to find the freedom in your
life
that I have found in mine. If you personally feel that my
qualifications are not adequate enough to be giving you financial
advice, then you honestly should look elsewhere for financial guidance.
You simply should not take financial advice from someone unless
you believe in, and trust them. On The Financial Page, I am
offering, at no cost, the concepts, techniques and financial guidance
that I have learned over the years. My feelings are not hurt if
someone simply cannot accept the information I am passing along on
The Financial Page; however, the concepts I used to become debt free
have worked for me and for hundreds of others as well. My job
here on The Financial Page is simply to pass that information along in
hopes of helping others.
God's blessings and a bright financial future,
Keith