Graduate Exclusive! Tim M. Retires, Does Tech Projects, and Prepares to Sail the World

We interviewed Tim — tech wiz, guitarist, and adventurer — to hear about his journey and how life’s changed since graduating from his Beyond Finance program in January of 2024.

Debt Amount: $35,645
Started: November 2022
Graduated: January 2024

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m retired and live in Las Vegas. I’ve had a lot of different jobs. I got my first tech sales job in like ’81, ’82. I started way back before anybody knew what a computer was.

At a certain point, people started saying, “Oh, you never went to college. You don’t have a college degree.” I was like, “Wait a minute. I can make just as much money driving a tractor trailer!” So I did the truck thing for a long time.

I realized, I’m either going to be working until I’m 70 to pay off these credit cards, or I need to do something different.

How did you find yourself in debt?

I stopped working when my father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. I helped him as his primary caretaker. Then later, my mother had Alzheimer’s and I did it again.

I knew I had a problem — I was just paying so much money in interest. I was like, “I don’t know how this is ever going to end.” Eventually at some point I was like, “I need help.”

I realized, I’m either going to be working until I’m 70 to pay off these credit cards, or I need to do something different.

What was your experience like with Beyond Finance?

I got the sense on that initial call that the person was there to help me, that they knew what they were doing, and it was a judgment-free zone. So I figured, let’s go for it. Just take a leap of faith and trust somebody who’s a complete stranger and see what happens. I’m so glad I did.

The difference in my monthly payments was so stark that at the time I thought they were lying to me. I was like, “There’s no way in hell you can do that.”

When I first saw results, I was just like — I can’t believe this. This is incredible. I’m so happy I made that call. I can’t believe this is real. I just kept saving and saving. And I got to the point where I was like, “Okay, I can just pay this all off.” So I did.

Tim plans to replicate the thrill he experienced on his previous sailing adventure (pictured here with a fish he caught off the coast of Africa), on a new sailing trip this year.

What’s happened since graduation?

Before Beyond Finance, I was thinking, “There’s no way I’m gonna retire anytime soon.” But that’s when I really sat down and contacted the Social Security Administration — I retired at 62.

Tim monkeying around with a new friend at the Rock of Gibraltar on his trip across the Atlantic. He’s likely to meet some more primate pals on his next sailing trip in the East!

I like to sail — before I joined Beyond Finance, I went on a sailing trip from England across the Atlantic Ocean.

Now — if I can get my new passport in time — I’m planning to join this guy on his boat and sail from Fiji to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and then up to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore. Then finally, across the Indian Ocean and up through the Suez Canal! If I was still deep in debt, I wouldn’t be able to sail around the world.

When you’re retired you have to develop a schedule — do things, join clubs or find local activities. I play guitar 3 to 4 hours a day, and I’m doing more computer projects. I run my own mail server, and I’m planning to start a YouTube channel to teach people how to install OpenBSD, my favorite operating system.

You really took me from a place where I thought I was gonna be trapped for the rest of my life — and completely resolved the situation.

Now I can look back at it as being history — not part of my life anymore.

Real client compensated for a real story.