Guidewell Financial Joins National Network of Financial Services Innovators

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Guidewell Financial Solutions , a certified, nonprofit housing and credit counseling provider, has joined the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) – a national network focused on consumer financial health – on Financial Health Matters Day.

 

Financial Health Matters Day is an annual awareness holiday hosted by CFSI. Guidewell Financial Solutions, together with other network members, use this holiday as a platform to continue paving the way for financial health for all consumers.

 

While the membership for Guidewell Financial Solutions primarily includes insight into what the marketplace needs through advanced consumer and industry research, Guidewell Financial Solutions will be able to take these collective learnings and advance financial products and services in Maryland and beyond to promote financial health locally.

 

“This membership offers a tremendous opportunity for our organization to use market intelligence and resources from our peers to further our mission and offerings in our community,” said Guidewell Financial Solutions’ CEO Helene Raynaud.

 

For additional information on Guidewell Financial Solutions’ CFSI Financial Health Network membership, please call 800-642-2227. For general information on Guidewell Financial Solutions, visit http://www.guidewellfs.org/ .

Happy Small Business Week, From Our Small Business to Yours

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The national Small Business Week logo may feature a series of storefronts, but as a leading nonprofit financial counselor for small business owners, we know that many of them operate outside of Main Street, USA.

 

Maryland has more than 580,000 small businesses and they all look different. From the farmers hosting the local market you shop at and the person who cuts your hair, to your favorite food truck and the team who plows snow out of your neighborhood – we all rely on small business owners every day. And they rely on us.

 

We teach business owners how to separate their personal and business finances; understand their personal credit’s impact on their business; utilize a customized financial action plan to better manage a small business; and manage personal debt at the same time.

 

As a small business owner, having access to a nonprofit financial counselor like Guidewell Financial Solutions can make a big difference in seeing personal and business financial dreams become a reality. We recognize that money management – including spending, saving, and borrowing – is an important life skill, but it’s also important for small business owners at every stage of the business lifecycle.

 

As we celebrate National Small Business Week this week, we’re offering afree guide to separating personal and business finances – typically the first step for small business owners starting off. The six-page guide explains everything from Employer ID Numbers to financial coaching. We’re committed to supporting small business owners with resources and tools that support their financial wellbeing.

 

With certified credit counselors and financial education experts guiding individuals, families, and small business owners on money management every day, our team is acutely aware of the financial challenges small business owners face. 

 

Every small business owner counseled by Guidewell Financial Solutions walks away with a financial action plan and a full assessment of their financial challenges. Small business owners can arrange financial coaching in person or on the phone.

 

Anyone with an interest in making the most of their personal financial goals while starting or growing a small business can connect with us today by visiting www.guidewellfs.org or calling toll-free 1-800-642-2227. 

 

Small business owners can also download our Open for Business Guide to Separating Personal and Business Finances here.

Celebrate America Saves Week by Saving Cash and Building Credit

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What would you do with an extra $300.00? For less than $30.00 per month in savings for the rest of the year, you can find out. Guidewell Financial Solutions, an accredited, nonprofit financial counseling agency is celebrating America Saves Week – starting Monday, February 26 – with access to its Justine Petersen “Save2Build” program. 

America Saves is a weeklong Consumer Federation of America campaign promoting good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status.

The campaign asks individuals to pledge a monthly savings amount because, they say, people with a plan save more successfully. Guidewell Financial’s Justine Petersen “Save2Build” program offers clients an opportunity to do just and more: save with monthly payments and simultaneously build credit.

Under the “Save2Build” program, clients make monthly payments of about $26.00 over 12 months to a locked savings account, and then receives the $300.00 saved at the end of the term. In the interim, every record of payment is shared with major credit reporting companies to build the client’s credit score over time.

“Consumers with higher credit scores may save up to $250,000 in interest and fees during their lives, so we know that credit score can directly impact how someone is able to build up a savings,” said President and CEO of Guidewell Financial, Helene Raynaud. “America Saves Week helps more communities understand healthy financial behaviors – like monthly automatic or recurring savings – which is the foundation that the ‘Save2Build’ program was built on. Monthly savings open the door to financial opportunity and fiscal well-being.”

Guidewell Financial Solutions works with individuals and families privately to develop a budget, figure out financial options, and even negotiate with creditors to repay debts. Guidewell Financial can help individuals reach their savings goals by reviewing budgets to find room to save, making recommendations on how to supplement income, and more. For more information about Guidewell Financial Solutions or the Justine Petersen “Save2Build” program, please contact Katie Kristensen, creditbuilding@justinepetersen.org.