What We Value
Whether it's in your personal life, in education or in business when you have a series of core values that you apply consistently and effectively your efforts are far more likely to meet with success. FLD has such a series of values that we have striven to apply in all aspects of our business for over 40 years and we can honestly say that they have guided us resolutely to where we are now. FLD will continue to uphold these values and use them unreservedly as our educational service expands and brings lasting benefits to all who take part.
01
Education For All
The cornerstone of our organization is providing people with essential education they have not previously received in order to ensure their ability not just to “follow steps to financial responsibility” but to understand what being financially responsible really means.
02
Empowerment
By teaching people, we empower them to make smart financial decisions, enabling them to both achieve their goals faster and live fuller and richer lives. Whether it is the client, who looks to bring additional benefit to their team, or the individuals receiving the education, by empowering all involved, we can reshape the way financial literacy and responsibility are viewed and implemented.
03
Drive Personal Growth
By laying a foundation of education and empowering smart financial decision making, we seek to help people grow as individuals not just financially but in all areas of life. This enables them to reach new heights and therefore also enrich the lives of those around them.
04
Lead By Example
We are experts when it comes to financial literacy and responsibility, in practice as well as in theory. We walk the walk, using all the education and tools we provide to others in our financial decision making, both business and personal.
05
Be Innovative
Doing things the way they’ve always been done and teaching things the way they’ve always been taught is how the issues we seek to tackle arose in the first place. As an organization, we always look for new and innovative ways to provide solutions to problems.
06
Teamwork
We recognize that greatness cannot be accomplished by one person working alone, and instead must come from a collaborative effort in order to achieve success. We rely on each other and on strong business relationships in order to bring maximum success to students and clients alike.
Our Story
Nearly 20 years ago we recognized a glaring flaw in the American Education System: Despite all the subjects taught to young people from grammar school through high school we realized there was little to no focus on financial literacy and responsibility in the education process. As we began to explore the fallout from this lack of education, what we discovered was staggering: Over 70% of Americans were in debt. People were using credit cards without reason or restraint. Most families were one $1000 emergency away from financial ruin.
Coming from a financial advisory background, the scope of this problem was both incredible and disappointing to us. How could so many people not know even the most basic core concepts of financial literacy? How did we get here? Rather than stand by frustrated, we decided to do something about it.
In 2008 we launched a financial education program, then known as Transitions, and began teaching high school students under an in-person seminar style format. The impact was immediate, with graduating students and parents alike writing, calling, and reaching out in person to share how these important lessons were being put into practice in their daily lives.
While we were obviously thrilled to know we were helping so many young people, we started to experience an uneasiness, out of concern for the huge number of people already beyond high school. Now out in the real world, these individuals were susceptible to the many financial pitfalls they never had the opportunity to learn how to avoid. Worse yet, knowing the statistics, we were certain some of these same folks were already experiencing financial difficulty. How could we also help these people?
As we began to explore how to go about reaching a greater audience, it seemed that the more people we spoke with, the more obvious it became how important everyone felt this type of education was. Friends, colleagues, associates, and total strangers from all walks of life would mention a group, or industry, or demographic that could benefit from this type of program. The more people we spoke with, the more opportunity we saw to help.
After much discussion, research, and consultation with experts in related fields, we began developing and presenting custom tailored versions of our financial education program to small businesses, nonprofits, and large corporations. FLD was born.
Today we operate in all of these industries, offering in-person workshops, virtual presentations, web-based continuing education, and app-based learning with the goal of teaching as many people as possible how to be more financially savvy and responsible.
FLD – write your own future.
