Graduate Exclusive! John & Lucie W. Keep Their Home, Finance a New Jeep, and Continue to Beat the Odds
We interviewed John — Navy veteran, devoted husband, and dog dad — to hear about his and his wife (and co-client!) Lucie’s experience with their Beyond Finance program and beyond.
- Debt Amount: $38,918
- Started: December 2019
- Graduated: June 2024
Can you tell us a bit about you and your wife?
I live in Idaho with Lucie. We’ve known each other since seventh grade — we got married after our class reunion back in the ‘80s. We’ve had quite the ride together: two kids, a house full of dogs (including a little Chiweenie named Dixie Rose), and more ups and downs than most couples go through in a lifetime.
I’m a Navy veteran and I also used to run my own company fixing printers and copiers. I made my goal in life — I wanted to earn a million dollars before I died. Ended up doubling that. Then 2010 hit and I lost everything — house, business, and half a million in savings.
What happened to us — being able to find you to pull us out of that hole, was basically a godsend, you know? No other way to put it.
Was there anything aside from that that led to your debt?
Later that decade we were doing OK again — Lucie was driving for Uber and I was a field engineer, and then in 2019, everything changed again. Lucie was diagnosed with breast cancer.
We were on track to retire at 65, debt-free. That was the plan. But when Lucie got sick, I kept working to support us. Then my health started to go downhill too. I was walking down the hallway and suddenly I’d just pass out — no warning. The VA couldn’t figure it out.
My job told me I could either retire or get fired. I retired at 62 — earlier than planned — and suddenly all we had coming in was Social Security.
We still had our home, but we had just under $40,000 in debt. It was overwhelming. We were looking at possibly selling the house and moving into a trailer. Lucie said, “I’m not going to live in a trailer,” especially not with all her medical needs. So we looked for a better solution.
How was your experience with us?
I went online and looked at a few companies. Beyond Finance stood out. The person I talked to really knew their stuff. They explained everything clearly, and I appreciated the transparency. I didn’t want to file bankruptcy again — I’d done that in 2010 and swore never again.
I was paying close to $1,800 a month just trying to stay afloat. Beyond Finance dropped that down to about $500.* It was still tight, but at least we had some breathing room.
What meant the most to me was the light at the end of the tunnel.
You graduated just over a year ago. What’s happened since?
Lucie beat breast cancer — and then 4 years to the day of her diagnosis, she was hit with brain, lung, and bone cancer. But she’s a fighter. The brain tumor was removed, the bone cancer is gone, and the lung cancer is stable.
We’re still in our home, and it feels good to say that. We’re back to having about $1,000 of breathing room each month. I’ve been able to replace things around the house that had been breaking one by one — the fridge, the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, and even the roof.
We also financed a new car — Lucie’s Jeep Grand Cherokee — and I’ve been getting it ready to pull a trailer. We’re planning a month-long trip across the South. Our first big stop: Memphis! Lucie’s a huge Elvis fan, so we’re going to see Graceland! We’ve also got friends in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee we’ll visit.
I haven’t gone fishing in over four years. I used to love loading up my gear and heading to Idaho’s rivers and lakes. Once we get the trailer set, I’m going to start doing that again — me and my little dog, Dixie Rose. We haven’t been able to travel much with all the treatments, but that’s about to change.
And emotionally? I’m sleeping better. Less stress. More peace. And we’re together, still in our home, and looking forward instead of backward.
What happened to us — being able to find you to pull us out of that hole, was basically a godsend, you know? No other way to put it.
Real client compensated for a real story. Clients typically save around $480 per month on their debt payments.*