Hey there! Thanks for visiting my site. I’m Mark Noldy, a.k.a. That Guy Mark. I share with folks that they can get off the bench to come from behind in the personal finance game. I’d like to think I’m a poster child…
About 17 years ago, I went through a major life change. My spouse of 15 years walked out, but it was a blessing in disguise.
Fast forward two years, my new wife and I stumbled across The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network. He was always talking about Baby Steps and gazelles, and we were curious. So I ordered The Total Money Makeover, read it cover to cover (multiple times) and began implementing the 7 Baby Steps to start a comeback. (I even became a Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach.)
Sixteen years later, my lovely new wife Carol and I continue our financial journey. I share what we’ve learned with others to help them get started on their own comeback. I started this blog to help spread a message of hope through action. And especially for my four daughters…
Reading The Total Money Makeover was the foundation of our journey. If you’re familiar, I guess you’d say we are on Baby Step 6 (paying off house early). Due to life circumstances, Baby Step 5 (college funding) was eliminated. By the time we finished Baby Step 2 (pay off all debts), two of the four girls were already in college.
When setting out to master money and build wealth, the “why’s” of fiscal fitness vary with each individual and family and their unique situations. But we should start with why. Then establishing a budget, dumping debt, and investing are the blocking and tackling that enable our goals.
You can email me at mark@marknoldy.com or text me at 570-731-0425. Or click here to set up a coaching call. After a free exploratory conversation, we will know if you are ready to start.
Disclaimer: Although I trained as a Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach, I am not a Certified Financial Planner or registered investment advisor (Yet… I am going to write the Series 65 Exam.) But the rates are low!
So even though I endeavor to act in my readers’ best interests, I am not providing investment advice, nor do I sell financial products. I simply share stories that have helped people like you and me get out of debt so we can start investing for retirement. People should always do there own due diligence before attempting DIY retirement investing. Read every book you can get your hands on. That is how we learned to adapt the baby steps to suit our lifestyle.
UPDATE: Although the Baby Steps are an excellent foundation, I have certain views that have evolved. For example, when your employer matches your 401k contribution, that’s free money. I now encourage taking the free money even before paying off consumer debt. And so would CFP Brian Preston. Click here to view his financial order of operations.
I also believe typical individuals can invest on their own using low-cost index funds. Even Warren Buffett recommends this for his progeny regarding his legacy. It’s not that hard and saves a metric crap ton of money in the long run. A 1% fee on AUM (Assets Under Management) can end up costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars out of your eventual nest egg.