United First Financial James Green, United First Financial Refusal to refund set-up fee Bluffdale Utah

I second the Original Report!  This product is a ripoff.  They want your money, and the only way they refund you is if it is in the first 3 days of signup - but the problems don't start showing up until a few weeks later (and sign up takes at least 2 days).

To paraphrase a customer service agent after the fact:  There is NO customer satisfaction guarantee, ONLY a product guarantee.

What that means is "tough cookies" if you have problems getting answers you want, or find this program is not right for your circumstances, or you encounter recurring events causing future bill payments disappearing (which would result in late fees and additional interest charges) when you perform the actions in the exact order presented, or for ANY other reason other than proving that their algorithmic magic numbers are wrong by living out the x number of years doing the x number of payment at the x exact time, and THEN, you can get your refund.  By then I'll be an old lady and this company will probably not exist for the unresolved complaints they ignore.

At $3500, it is a rip-off.  Watch the wording in their marketing:  Money back guarantee if the product doesn't perform.  By whose standards?  Theirs.  Even Walmart has better ethics.

Read their one-sided contract.  You can't transfer it, you can't even terminate it, you can't print it.  You won't get your money back.  Not even a partial one. 

Your only option is to file a complaint (after you nicely ask for your money back and are nicely told NO) to the Utah Better Business Bureau.  That is Utah.BBB.org

You will feel like a fool for having given over $3500 for the magic number working genius of a program, but at least you will feel less of a fool knowing you are helping future potential victims from dropping their $3500 into a program that works for some, and doesn't work for some. 

Make sure this product will really work for you BEFORE signing on the dotted line.  How?  I really don't know unless they extend their 3 day grace period to 1 month. This is one product you had better do a LOT of research on first because there is no nice return/exchange person on the back end of this company. 

UFirst?  I don't think so.  It is more like TheyFirst, ULast.

First, you must be certified at United First Financial to do analysis. Which is the process to see if the software will work for you. Obviously, that person was NOT your friend and would rather make money than help people. You should turn his name in to United First Financial. Second, if I had purchased something that I NEW was not working for me. I would request refund within the time allowed. Limited time guarntee's are not uncommon for any company. I am studying to be a minister. And, it is important to me, to be a man of my word. I am personally sorry that you had someone who didn't respect you enough. To tell you NOT to buy.

"As to the other comments on this site... the reference to the Australian situation is NOT about UFIRST... nor is it even about the same kind of program as UFIRST. It is about the actual 'first position HELOC' mortgages that are/were sold in Australia and not about how they worked... but about how they were marketed and sold. This comment only serves to confuse."


I disagree, the complaints in Australia were on the marketing of similar money merge programs, UFF markets their product in a similar way (making claims that simply are not true, save years off your mortgage with little or no lifestyle change clearly debunked and an outright lie).


"UFIRST is a different system. It is not a loan product it is simply a financial management and coaching system that utilizes existing banking principles to help clients more efficiently use their cash flow to pay off debt."

The Australian products were not loan products, and very similar to UFF. In fact, until recently when bad news to UFF came from Australia, UFF agents claimed that similar programs started in Australia, and have been working for years. Australian authorities not only warn their citizens to stay away from these money merge scams because they clearly do not work, but have fined/shut down several of these scam companies that sell nearly a nearly identical product that UFF sells. Taking on higher interest debt to pay lower interest debt does not work, any way you spin it.



"As for the mention of Kiplinger... I don't have a problem with an expert 'reviewing' a program. But don't you think that they should do it the way the car reviewers do? The experts that review cars drive the car for a number of months so they get an accurate feel for it's features and performance. They DON'T review it by looking at the brochures and walking around it simply 'eyeballing' it. In fact, in the scientific world, you would give whatever it is to a group to use, and you would also have a 'control' group who did not use it, so you could compare the results of the two groups.

In my opinion a true 'professional' would never risk their credibility and reputation by offering an opinion about something they have not inspected, seen perform, and actually used. Sadly, it was apparent that the Editor from Kiplinger's (someone with a degree in journalism, not accounting or financial management, and a background in editing and polar bear swimming, if you look at her bio), sadly, this editor had NOT looked at the program, used it, or had it demo'd for her by the company. It was apparent she wrote the piece without even contacting the company to see the product (surprising that a major publication would not go to the source but this was an editorial opinion, not a research piece)."


You don't have to jump off a cliff to know it will kill you. Or, lets give the Natzi's a chance, until you try it, you shouldn't knock it, they might be alright people!



"Here are some independent experts that HAVE fully reviewed the program... by using it, 'test-driving' it, etc. After looking at all the various features and benefits provided by the program, and the support that United First Financial provides it's clients, they said this...

'Impressive' ...Fred Skousen, PhD, CPA and former Dean of the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young (notice, a CPA, not a degree in journalism)."



Perhaps he was speaking of the fact that the creator of UFF is actually getting people to pay $3500 for something that is worth maybe $50.



"'Entrepreneur of the Year' ...Utah Region of Ernst & Young (awarded to the founders of UFIRST and chosen by a panel of independent judges. Awarded in the category of 'Financial Services')"


Funny how when we asked E&Y if they endorsed UFF they clearly said no. Utah is known for multilevel marketing scams, clearly they have a different set of ethics over there.

Also amusing is how the only real magazine's critique, (Kiplinger's is not paid off by its advertisers like the others you mentioned) was to stay away from this product.



"Other experts who have either spoken out for the program, or are actually USING the program themselves, include...

Douglas Andrew, author of the best sellers - 'Missed Fortune', 'Millionaire by Thirty' and 'Last Chance Millionaire' (spoke at UFIRST convention)

Mark Victor Hansen, author of 'One Minute Millionaire' and 'Chicken Soup for the Soul.' (also spoke at UFIRST convention)"


At $3500 a head I'm surprised UFF didn't buy off any more expert support.



"We still see over and over again, (especially on the internet where folks can remain anonymous) that the people with an opinion of the Money Merge Account fall into two categories....

Those who are using it.
Those who are not using it."

People who bought it are either too dumb to realize they got scammed, or too embarrassed to speak out against it. You mention 100,000 users. That would be 1 in 3,000 Americans (300,000,000 population). I'm sure if the UFF product truly did what it says it does there would be even more users.

We, people of the internet, have nothing to gain by discrediting your product. You have everything to lose.

Did you know that recently $21,000,000 was scammed off of Christian Americans, targeting church goers and people of faith?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/23240841

Interesting how UFF uses similar tactics jubilee.




"Do you NEED this program to save money on your mortgage.... absolutely not!"


You heard it here first.



"Most people are smart enough to know that if they are disciplined and consistently send extra money to their mortgage they are going to save interest and pay off faster. United First Financial has even said, on their WEBSITE, that people can DO SOMETHING SIMILAR THEMSELVES (provided they are disciplined and stick to their plan)."


You forget to mention that doing it yourself saves you $3500. So it is far better to do it yourself since there is no real benefit of the software.


"Statistically only about 4% of people do that on a consistent basis. Those people have discipline... good for them. They are not the market for UFIRST."


The market for UFF is math illiterate folk who have faith in the instant cure



"The rest of us... (96%) probably have good intentions. We mean to do better, we WANT to do better, and some of us have even set up a plan that we have tried to follow on our own.

If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.

Or as Einstein said... 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.'

The Money Merge Account is simply a different way to manage your finances using sophisticated technology. It has a budgeting program built into it. It even has the option of being able to check that budget via text message on your cell phone from anywhere, anytime. "


Please tell me how your software outperforms Quicken and Microsoft Money (a 2% cost of UFF)


"The software is like having a 'Financial GPS' and it does the most optimal job possible paying off your debt with your EXISTING budget. Clients get a 'pre-sale' ANALYSIS that is tied to the Money Back Guarantee (note: they need to provide ACCURATE and complete numbers - this is math). "



The software is far from optimal, your statement has been clearly debunked and has been mathematically proven wrong. UFF can't even outperform simple pre-payment (income-expenses=extra payment to mortgage).



"Our average client can pay off their mortgage (and or debts) in about 1/ 2 to 1/3 the time without any significant lifestyle or budget changes."


This is an outright lie and the main reason UFF is a scam. The UFF program takes all discretionary income and puts it towards the first mortgage. Having $0 in discretionary money clearly changes anyone's lifestyle significantly!



"Of course, when people have the instant feedback (instant gratification) provided by the program, they often DO make changes that they might not otherwise have been motivated to make, or educated/knowledgable enough to be aware of the implications of. If they do, the program can perform even better."

One can similarly replicate this instant feedback by using a mortgage calculator to figure out how many payments they save by not buying something. Mortgage calculators are free on the web and do not cost $3500 anywhere to my knowledge.



"Does it increase discipline? We know that 95% of United First Financial clients are logging in monthly to use their software. It used to be 98%, but we have had many people who have already paid off their mortgages and debts with the program.

So 95% of people - motivated enough to stay on track with the program."


People would be dumb not to use anything they paid $3500 for, although I have a feeling the typical UFF client is dumb.




"compared to... Just 4% who are motivated enough to do it consistently on their own."

I'd like to see you back your numbers up with some documentation. I have yet to see a UFF agent show the sources of their numbers.


"The question is... which group does the client fall into? Only the client knows themselves well enough to answer that question. Hopefully folks will do their own due diligence and look at all the features and benefits this program provides, weighing that against their own strengths, weaknesses, time constraints, etc. "

My argument has always been if the "client" knew they could do it better themselves, cheaper, easier, and faster: THEY WOULD NEVER BUY UFF. The problem is UFF markets the product in a way that creates an illusion that the Money Merge Account is somehow saving them THOUSANDS of dollars. It is simply a lie. PRE PAYMENTS are the reason the software works/doesn't work. Anyone has the ability to pre-pay themselves. UFF LIES AND INFERS THAT IT IS THE CANCELATION OF INTEREST THAT CREATES THE SAVINGS.



"Is investing in a tool to help you make better financial decisions, to do the math for you to get the most rapid debt pay down, to save time, to provide instant feedback so you can stay motivated and on track (and a tool that you can use for LIFE with free upgrades) is that a smart financial decision?"

UFF DOES NOT DO THIS. In many cases UFF software tells clients to put high balances on a higher APR HELOC accounts. This costs them more money. THIS IS NOT A BETTER FINANCIAL DECISION!

UFIRST has over 100,000 clients (many who are financial professionals, cpas, mortgage brokers, PhD's and attorneys) who have said 'Yes' to that question.
Hilter Germany had a whole lot of followers, doctors, professionals, CPAs, Mortgage Brokers, attorneys. How did that turn out?


I will again ask this question, since I have yet to hear a response. Now that agents are starting to admit that the only real benefit of the software is to motivate the clients, how does your $3500 program outperform Microsoft Money or Quicken (at 2% of the cost)?

I'd like to defend my company. While I cannot comment specifically upon this consumers refund request without more details, as a Branch Manager (and independent agent) with the company, I can say that I know the company DOES refund money under the proper circumstances as I have had 2 clients in 2 years that did get refunds and Mr. Green was a tremendous help, and very professional, in both circumstances.

I will say that if the paperwork submitted was inaccurate and incomplete the client signed off on it, as all paperwork must be signed by the client and there is a detailed money back guarantee the client signs as well acknowledging that the guarantee is based on the numbers submitted by the client. This poster did not provide details as to why "his numbers didn't work" ... perhaps he didn't include all the debt, perhaps he picked up more debt after getting on the program, who knows without more information? I can say that the company just launched our new VERSION 4.0 software with numerous upgrades over the original 3.0 release and this poster should contact the company to get upgraded (upgrades are free) to the new version as, even with his "wanky" numbers, I have full confidence it will work for him. With the new 4.0 version, the only circumstances our program does not work in is for people who consistently spend more money than they make. If he is doing that, he needs to get a better handle on his spending/income.

UFIRST has over 100,000 clients now. We have only about 6 complaints in the Better Business Bureau (as of this writing)... all were resolved to the clients satisfaction. I'm sure everyone here would agree that a large company is never going to be 100% perfect, and occasionally a ball gets dropped. What IS important is that they pick up those balls and get it right the vast majority of the time. If you divide 6 by the 100,000 clients... UFIRST got it right 99.994% of the time.

As to the other comments on this site... the reference to the Australian situation is NOT about UFIRST... nor is it even about the same kind of program as UFIRST. It is about the actual "first position HELOC" mortgages that are/were sold in Australia and not about how they worked... but about how they were marketed and sold. This comment only serves to confuse.

UFIRST is a different system. It is not a loan product it is simply a financial management and coaching system that utilizes existing banking principles to help clients more efficiently use their cash flow to pay off debt.

As for the mention of Kiplinger... I don't have a problem with an expert "reviewing" a program. But don't you think that they should do it the way the car reviewers do? The experts that review cars drive the car for a number of months so they get an accurate feel for it's features and performance. They DON'T review it by looking at the brochures and walking around it simply "eyeballing" it. In fact, in the scientific world, you would give whatever it is to a group to use, and you would also have a "control" group who did not use it, so you could compare the results of the two groups.

In my opinion a true "professional" would never risk their credibility and reputation by offering an opinion about something they have not inspected, seen perform, and actually used. Sadly, it was apparent that the Editor from Kiplinger's (someone with a degree in journalism, not accounting or financial management, and a background in editing and polar bear swimming, if you look at her bio), sadly, this editor had NOT looked at the program, used it, or had it demo'd for her by the company. It was apparent she wrote the piece without even contacting the company to see the product (surprising that a major publication would not go to the source but this was an editorial opinion, not a research piece).

In fact the suggestion made in that editorial to simply add 1/12 of a mortgage payment to each payment, while it certainly works, would get only about (on average) a third of the results that using the UFIRST system could achieve. Comparing a system that reduces a mortgage by 5 to 7 years to one that has been proven to knock off 10-20 years... not the same thing at all. Taking that advice could easily cost a homeowner thousands (maybe over a hundred thousand) in savings they could have enjoyed and had to invest elsewhere, but now, will not, unless they investigate further on their own. This Kiplinger article was simply "off the cuff" filler, in my opinion, as it did not go into any depth, instead it just threw out some preconceived ideas and generalizations. Well meaning perhaps, but certainly not definitive or scientific.

Here are some independent experts that HAVE fully reviewed the program... by using it, "test-driving" it, etc. After looking at all the various features and benefits provided by the program, and the support that United First Financial provides it's clients, they said this...

"Impressive" ...Fred Skousen, PhD, CPA and former Dean of the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young (notice, a CPA, not a degree in journalism).

"Leader in the industry" & "Editors Choice Award"...Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine. (after making a detailed, independent analysis of UFIRST and several competing programs)

"It works, 3 of us at the station have been using it since Nov" ...Channel 3 News, Las Vegas

" Outstanding Company of the Month" ...Broker Banker magazine

"Entrepreneur of the Year" ...Utah Region of Ernst & Young (awarded to the founders of UFIRST and chosen by a panel of independent judges. Awarded in the category of "Financial Services")

Other experts who have either spoken out for the program, or are actually USING the program themselves, include...

Douglas Andrew, author of the best sellers - "Missed Fortune", "Millionaire by Thirty" and "Last Chance Millionaire" (spoke at UFIRST convention)

Mark Victor Hansen, author of "One Minute Millionaire" and "Chicken Soup for the Soul." (also spoke at UFIRST convention)

We still see over and over again, (especially on the internet where folks can remain anonymous) that the people with an opinion of the Money Merge Account fall into two categories....

Those who are using it.
Those who are not using it.

Do you NEED this program to save money on your mortgage.... absolutely not!

Most people are smart enough to know that if they are disciplined and consistently send extra money to their mortgage they are going to save interest and pay off faster. United First Financial has even said, on their WEBSITE, that people can DO SOMETHING SIMILAR THEMSELVES (provided they are disciplined and stick to their plan).

Statistically only about 4% of people do that on a consistent basis. Those people have discipline... good for them. They are not the market for UFIRST.

The rest of us... (96%) probably have good intentions. We mean to do better, we WANT to do better, and some of us have even set up a plan that we have tried to follow on our own.

So why are we in so much financial trouble in this country?
Why do people refinance over and over to cover consumer debt?
Why are people getting foreclosed on in record numbers?
Why do we have little, or nothing, in our retirement accounts?
Why do we stick to our plan only sporadically, or drop it all together?

If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.

Or as Einstein said... "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

The Money Merge Account is simply a different way to manage your finances using sophisticated technology. It has a budgeting program built into it. It even has the option of being able to check that budget via text message on your cell phone from anywhere, anytime.

The software is like having a "Financial GPS" and it does the most optimal job possible paying off your debt with your EXISTING budget. Clients get a "pre-sale" ANALYSIS that is tied to the Money Back Guarantee (note: they need to provide ACCURATE and complete numbers - this is math).

Our average client can pay off their mortgage (and or debts) in about 1/ 2 to 1/3 the time without any significant lifestyle or budget changes.

Of course, when people have the instant feedback (instant gratification) provided by the program, they often DO make changes that they might not otherwise have been motivated to make, or educated/knowledgable enough to be aware of the implications of. If they do, the program can perform even better.

After 6 months to a year on our program, our average client is also on track to pay off 15-25% faster than their Analysis showed. They also report an increase in their credit score due to lower debt versus avail credit and other factors.

Change is a GOOD thing... is it not? There are lots of things we can do ourselves, but sometimes we recognize that we need help in the motivation/discipline department in order to effect the positive changes we desire.

Does it increase discipline? We know that 95% of United First Financial clients are logging in monthly to use their software. It used to be 98%, but we have had many people who have already paid off their mortgages and debts with the program.

So 95% of people - motivated enough to stay on track with the program.

compared to...

Just 4% who are motivated enough to do it consistently on their own.

The question is... which group does the client fall into? Only the client knows themselves well enough to answer that question. Hopefully folks will do their own due diligence and look at all the features and benefits this program provides, weighing that against their own strengths, weaknesses, time constraints, etc.

Is investing in a tool to help you make better financial decisions, to do the math for you to get the most rapid debt pay down, to save time, to provide instant feedback so you can stay motivated and on track (and a tool that you can use for LIFE with free upgrades) is that a smart financial decision?

UFIRST has over 100,000 clients (many who are financial professionals, cpas, mortgage brokers, PhD's and attorneys) who have said "Yes" to that question.

United First representatives will often tout the success that these programs have overseas. Here's more from Australia - and what they've done to protect consumers

http://www.butterhomes.com/blog/index.php/mortgage-accelerator-under-fire-australian-securities-and-investments-commission-taking-action-against-mortgage-brokers

Mortgage Accelerator under fire; Australian Securities and Investments Commission taking action against mortgage brokers.

You've probably heard the ads on the radio: Pay your loan off in half the time without any extra payments or changes in your spending habits. The mortgage accelerator-type loans out there sound too good to be true Uh oh, that sounds familiar how does the saying go? If it sounds too good to be true it probably IS too good to be true. Darn.

I've written about these loans twice before, once when I first heard about them (mortgage accelerator paying off early) and then again after I had done some additional research (mortgage accelerator upon further review). Both of these posts generated a lot of conversation online and offline, with various realtors and mortgage professionals. So I know the debate can get heated. I've also seen others write about this topic, most recently Christoph Schweiger on his real estate blog, and the resulting comments are generally similar.

After my last post, I began an email conversation with Carolyn Bond, CEO at the Consumer Action Law Center in Melbourne, Australia. Carolyn was nice enough to summarize a very lengthy topic, and allowed me to post it on her behalf. Please read on:

I am co-CEO at the Consumer Action Law Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Our centre is a non-profit, funded by the Legal Aid Commission and the Government Consumers Affairs Office (Consumer Affairs Victoria).

I look on with great interest at the promotion of mortgage acceleration type programs in the US. The type I'm talking about are ones that, in one form or another, allow all income to be paid into a line-of-credit (LOC) until required. Claims tend to be made that this can cut years off your mortgage without requiring additional payments.

US promoters are correct to say that this program was sold in Australia before it was discovered by US borrowers. However consumer organisations such as ours, and our national financial services regulator - Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) - concluded years ago that there were no savings to be made, and that promoters were engaged in unlawful conduct. Examples and charts showing massive savings have all been shown to include significant increases in payments being made to the mortgage (in addition to the funds deposited temporarily). Any savings made by depositing regular salary into the LOC amount to possibly a few hundred dollars per year, and unless the borrower has significant funds to deposit, these savings are less than the additional interest paid on the LOC - even if the LOC is quite small (say $50,000). Borrowers who pay any money for software, monitoring or other services, are often thousands of dollars worse off.

I don't personally know anyone who has used a LOC in this way, apart from consumers who come to our agency for assistance.

Our regulator ASIC says, on its website:

in reality there is no magic trick or secret type of loan that will let you own your home sooner. Substantial savings are only achieved by consistently making additional payments on your mortgage. You therefore need to be very careful when brokers claim that you can own your home sooner and make substantial savings by using a line of credit mortgage facility.

ASIC has taken action against mortgage brokers promoting this type of product, as well as companies providing calculators to consumers and brokers. This action has resulted in:

* The withdrawal of a LOC Calculator that was on over 100 websites;
* Changes being made to a Simulator Calculator
* Court orders (by consent) against a company promoting mortgage reduction, including orders that the company write to past customers advising they may have a right to claim loss or damage caused by misleading and deceptive conduct.
The misleading and deceptive conduct included showing clients comparisons between loans arranged by the company and standard loans, that represented that by switching loans they would save money and pay off their home loan sooner but failed to adequately explain that to obtain this benefit clients would need to make extra repayments.
Despite the action from the regulators above, there is still some promotion of this type of scheme, but much less than in the US.
For further information, see the following links:

http://www.asic.gov.au/ASIC/asic.nsf/byHeadline/07-144%20Court%20finds%20major%20mortgage%20broker%E2%80%99s%20conduct%20misleading%20and%20deceptive?opendocument

http://www.asic.gov.au/fido/fido.nsf/byheadline/Line+of+credit+mortgages?openDocument

(Note the example at this link).
http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/04-300+No+credit+for+misleading+loan+calculators?openDocument
http://www.fido.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/07-95%20asic%20obtains%20injunctions%20against%20loan%20calculator%20operator

Carolyn Bond
Consumer Action Law Centre
Melbourne
Australia
www.consumeraction.org.au

>If this company is really a scam, how is it they are regional winners of Ernst & Young
>Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 and are now in the running for the National reward?

From their web site, the E & Y judging criteria are: sustainable financial growth; growth in the number of employees; risk taken by the entrepreneur; and the story behind the entrepreneur's success. I see nothing about whether they've examined the business closely for legitimacy... not to say they haven't, but I wouldn't take it as a given.

>I am just a few short years away from paying off my house without, by the way,
>sending all my extra money to my mortgage leaving not much for other necessities
>and disposable income, as you so wrongly stated.

Maybe you're not paying all your extra money, but if you're paying your mortgage off significantly faster than scheduled, then you're making more than the scheduled payment, i.e. prepaying. Plug United First Financial into your favorite search engine and follow the Looking for the Truth link. It's been demonstrated there time and time again that the HELOC is naught but smoke and mirrors. The accelerated payoff comes from prepayments, period, end of subject.

>As a matter of fact, when my business suffered a loss this past year
>with the declining economy, I have been able to stay on time and ahead
>of my bills using this program. Without it, I would be late making my
>payments and thus lowering my FICO

What, you aren't smart enough to open a HELOC on your own and use it only if and when you need it? Geez, no wonder you fell for the smoke and mirrors. Wanna buy a bridge?

>By the way, if you get yourself into a 10 year fixed mortgage and you
>fall on hard times like most people in this economy, would you be able
>to say, Hey I can't pay that much right now, and not be put into
>foreclosure? No, I didn't think so. With this program, I am able to say,
>I just can't right now, and it refigures it all for me, down to the penny
>in a fraction of a second.

It tells you that you can skip your mortgage payment and not get put into foreclosure? No, it tells you that you don't have to make that prepayment (that you implied you aren't making). Put simply, you can't reduce your payment unless you've already been paying more than you have to.

>It really gets me that someone that has never used the product has so much
>advice to give. If you don't know what you are talking about by first hand
>experience, don't talk.

So if I tell you not to throw your money in the fire, you won't listen to me because I haven't personally done it?

>Would you let a person who watched ER on television do open heart surgery on
>you, or would you go to the experts, someone who knows what they are talking
>about, because they have done it before?

Go search out the link I referenced above. You'll find people who DO know what they're talking about, and aren't trying to make a commission off of you. You don't need to be scammed in order to spot a scam.

>As for Multi-level marketing, Tupperware is an MLM company. You never
>hear people crying fowl [sic] when they buy their product.

You would if Tupperware claimed that the bowl would make food magically appear in it.

You're right, I have no "first hand" experience with this product. Nor have I ever jumped off a bridge. But the math that shows that it is harmful is clear in both cases.

Kiplinger's says "Don't fall for UFirst' http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2008/05/prepay_mortgage.html

Australian regulators and courts find this type of program false and deceptive and order these programs halted

http://www.asic.gov.au/ASIC/asic.nsf/byHeadline/07-144%20Court%20finds%20major%20mortgage%20broker%E2%80%99s%20conduct%20misleading%20and%20deceptive?opendocument

By the way I never refinanced anyone when I worked for a mortgage company, I only worked with new home mortgages, and unlike UFF I disclosed pertinent information to my clients.

* If you want to get rid of your mortgage sooner, prepay it yourself
* If you need a budget / financial tool, use something like Quicken or MS Money for 2% of the price ($70)
* If you need motivation and discipline, get someone to help you with that ($3400 buys a lot of counseling)
* At $3500 MMA / UFF is very expensive. Its sales force is highly motivated to get you to buy an inferior product to get their $2500 commission per sale (referenced off their own MLM website). And it is expensive in three ways:

o The initial $3500 cost
o The roll over of the $3500 into your mortgage, causing you to pay interest on $3500 over the entire lifetime of your mortgage
o The subpar performance you get by borrowing interest at a higher rate (HELOC) to reduce a loan at a lower rate (mortgage)


Kiplinger's says: "Don't Fall for UFirst"

Long awaited... and the news for U1st is not good. The news for us? Exactly the points we have made. And I'll take a Kiplinger's review, any day, over the infomercial trade mags that UFF has issue them "awards"

Don't Fall for This Mortgage Pitch
Prepay your home loan yourself and skip the $3,500 software fee.
By Pat Mertz Esswein, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, May 2008

You may have received e-mails touting a system that promises to help you pay off your mortgage early. This mortgage-acceleration package -- which includes a software program -- relies heavily on the use of a home-equity line of credit. The software analyzes your financial data to reveal when and how much extra you should prepay.

The Money Merge Account system, sold by United First Financial, costs $3,500. For the price, you may also receive a recruiting pitch. United First is a multilevel marketer that encourages salespeople to bring others aboard, passing the profit up the food chain.

With or without expensive software, the fact is that the more discretionary income you can commit to prepayment, the quicker the mortgage becomes history. We suggest you keep your $3,500 and do it yourself without having to fend off a pushy salesperson.

For example, divide your monthly payment by 12 and pay that much extra each month. Doing so would allow a homeowner with a $230,000 mortgage at 6% to cut about 5.5 years off a 30-year mortgage (see our How Advantageous are Extra Payments? calculator).

Is prepaying your mortgage even a good idea? That depends on whether you have better things to do with spare cash. You could create a reserve fund so that you don't have to borrow in an emergency or stash the money in a tax-deferred college- or retirement-savings account.

Salespeople challenge whether you'll follow through on your own -- as if spending $3,500 for software will ensure that you'll use it. Tell that to couch potatoes whose high-end exercise equipment gathers dust.

goto fatwallet.com and search united first financial. You will find credible financial minds time and time again discredit UFF shills.

as for pencil pushing, all you have to do is follow two steps to mimic the $3500 software.

1) pay your bills the last possible date you can
2) throw all your discretionary income at your mortgage

The money merge account is a joke, under the best circumstances you can save about $25 bucks a month, but it is more likely to be below $10 bucks and can be a negative if the balance on the HELOC is kept too high (likely with smaller amounts of discretionary income). Worth $3500 bucks? I think not. The reason they even imply this is to confuse the victims that purchase the software. They lead them to believe that the money merge account is the reason they are paying down the mortgage faster, when in actuality it is large prepayments that filter from your paycheck.

Further information on how exactly UFF separates math illiterate individuals from $3500 can be watched on You Tube! Enjoy.

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CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

If this company is really a scam, how is it they are regional winners of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 and are now in the running for the National reward? Sounds to me like you "think" you have a better way of doing the math. My advice as an active customer do it your way. While I pay off my mortgage and sleep sound at night, you stay up and use your pencil and calculator until you go crossed-eyed. I have watched my friend payoff his house...have you? Have any of your clients, or are they just stuck in the rut of your getting rich refinancing their home every couple of years?

I am just a few short years away from paying off my house without, by the way, sending all my extra money to my mortgage leaving not much for other necessities and disposable income, as you so wrongly stated. As a matter of fact, when my business suffered a loss this past year with the declining economy, I have been able to stay on time and ahead of my bills using this program. Without it, I would be late making my payments and thus lowering my FICO (which by the way is almost at 800 now because of this wonderful program allowing me not to fall behind). If you want to get some real advice, take a look at the company and tell me why they are winning so many praises from the big dogs in your line of business. Take a look at the Mortgage Planner Jan/ Feb 2008 issue where United First Financial is the spotlight product. Or better yet, talk to people who have used this software, not those who think they can do better, but don't.

The reason this sells is because it WORKS. By the way, if you get yourself into a 10 year fixed mortgage and you fall on hard times like most people in this economy, would you be able to say, Hey I can't pay that much right now, and not be put into foreclosure? No, I didn't think so. With this program, I am able to say, I just can't right now, and it refigures it all for me, down to the penny in a fraction of a second. Can your excel spreadsheet do that for you? I didn't think so. By the way, if you need some help answering a question, will your spreadsheet talk to you? I didn't think so. The cost of the software isn't just for the software, it is for all the support and for product updates, etc. It is yours forever, not just for one home, for more if you choose to buy again. Never will I be charged for calling and getting support for my software.

It really gets me that someone that has never used the product has so much advice to give. If you don't know what you are talking about by first hand experience, don't talk. Would you let a person who watched ER on television do open heart surgery on you, or would you go to the experts, someone who knows what they are talking about, because they have done it before? Seems like a no brainer to me.

As for Multi-level marketing, Tupperware is an MLM company. You never hear people crying fowl when they buy their product. Why is that, it works, that's why. Who cares, how I got the stupid bowl and lid, 15 years later, I still have it and it still does what I paid for it to do. Give me a break. You are in real estate and mortgage business, aren't you in business with the same joker who told them, don't worry about it you can afford it and then when the bubble burst and they faced foreclosure were no where to be found?

This product is all smoke and mirrors, I have worked at a mortgage company and am currently in the Real Estate industry.

All the software does is set up a budget for you and filters more of you income towards your mortgage payment, leaving less money for other necessities and disposable income.

The guy who promotes this product is a con man, I think its $2500 bucks for the product or something like that. This con man calls the software "magic." What a joke, anyone with a pencil and a calculator can do the same thing or an excel spreadsheet for that matter.

To make it worse the product is only offered through direct sales, multi-level marketing schemes and pyramid schemes, meaning the guy at the top is laughing all the way to the bank.

Normally, legit software is available at retail stores and the consumers, through competition, will determine the price (if it is overpriced it wont sell!). The reason this sells is because it is over hyped and people are too trusting or gullible.

THERE ARE MUCH BETTER WAYS TO PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE IN 8-10 YEARS:

Its called a 10 year fixed mortgage. You will pay less than if you bought this software because a 10 year fixed will always have a lower interest rate then a 30 year fixed.

STAY AWAY FROM MULTI-LEVEL- MARKETING SCAMS UNITED FIRST FINANCIAL SOFTWARE IS A JOKE