FAQs
Is there a cost to me?
AOF does not charge people and families for financial coaching. Coaching is funded by our funders, grantors, and our employee benefit social enterprise. For more information about pricing to hire AOF as an employee benefit, contact us.
How do I get started?
Contact us when you are ready to begin and we will match you with a financial coach as soon as possible.
Where will I meet my financial coach?
AOF does not have a brick-and-mortar location, but our coaches are based in Johnson City, Tennessee. We meet many of our clients at partner locations (employers and non-profit organizations). You can meet your financial coach in any way that works best for you – via Zoom or in-person. When meeting in person with a new client unassociated with one of our existing partners, our coaches often meet with clients at the library or a coffee shop.
Lots of organizations provide financial literacy. How is your work different?
We use a tested and proven one-on-one model that is tailored specifically for the client. Unlike other models, we don’t subject you to cookie-cutter workshops, and we don’t try to use a one-size-fits-all approach. We prioritize creating a comfortable, judgment-free zone. We know that personal finances are difficult and barriers to financial security often go deeper than individual decisions. We meet you where you are and guide you through your specific circumstances to meet your specific goals.
My finances are in terrible shape. Can you really help?
We specialize in helping people in terrible financial shape! We regularly work with people with credit scores in the 400s and with tens of thousands of dollars of high interest debt. We believe anyone can reduce their financial stress, regardless of income, credit history, or debt.
I’m drowning in debt, and I think my only option is to file bankruptcy. Do I have any other options?
We work with people facing bankruptcy all the time, and we are often able to find a better alternative.
I want help, but I’m scared to let someone dig into my finances. I don’t want to be judged.
We create a judgment-free zone for our clients. We understand that life happens and that people end up in dire financial straits for all kinds of reasons. We’re not here to decide whether your past decisions are good or bad. We’re here to help you make the best decisions going forward. If you make a mistake while in coaching (most of our clients do), we help you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward. We know that the path to financial freedom is very rarely a straight line and that no one is perfect.
I’ve been through Dave Ramsey’s program or the Crown Financial Ministries program. They didn’t work for me. Why would your program work?
While Dave Ramsey’s and Crown’s programs help thousands of people, they are not the right fit for all. In particular, we find that they typically don’t work as well for folks with lower incomes, multiple jobs, and challenging life circumstances. Our program is perfect for such folks because we tailor our program to your specific challenges and needs, and we walk with you every step of the way. With AOF, you don’t just get a book, or even a study group. You get a one-on-one relationship with someone committed to seeing you succeed financially.
Person-Centered Financial Coaching sounds hard. I don’t think that I can do it.
We’ll be honest. It is hard. But it’s worth it. We’ve coached hundreds of people, and we’ve found that, if you’re motivated, you can do it. We’ll be with you every step of the way, to cheer you on when you succeed, and to help you up when you stumble. While the process is hard, you won’t have to go at it alone.
What is the cost to hire AOF as an employee benefit to my employees?
Hiring AOF as an employee benefit comes with all kinds of additional perks and engagement, and we are not your typical employee benefit model. We will send a coach to your workplace on at least a monthly basis to engage your employees to participate in financial coaching, provide free tax filing events every year, and more. We will work closely with you to find the most effective way to tailor our services to engage your employees. We know that every workplace is different. We are passionate about engaging in workplaces because we want to reach your employees to help them reduce their financial stress and make the most out of their incomes.
I love what you’re doing! How can I support AOF?
Thanks! We love it, too! It’s wonderfully satisfying to see how lives, families, and communities are changed! If you’d like to help support AOF, you can donate here or contact us to discuss other ways you can help.