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Report: #363116

Complaint Review: United First Financial - Nationwide

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  • Reported By: mchenry Illinois
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  • United First Financial http://www.u1stfinancial.com/ Nationwide U.S.A.

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United First Financial Jubilee MMA Money Merge Account

United First Financial has developed a web based software system that makes some interesting and intriguing claims:

Pay off your mortgage in one-half to one-third the time with little or no change to your lifestyle

It's a claim that is on the United First Financial (UFF) web site, it's a claim that the majority of the UFF agents make, it's impressive, but it's a lie.

The software program utilizes a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) and tells clients to use it as a checking account. The client is to deposit all paychecks directly into this account and pay all bills out of the account. The software tells the client exactly when to pay a bill, and when to send huge pre-payments towards their mortgage.

UFF claims by using this HELOC account like a checking account you can save tens of thousands of dollars and save years off your mortgage. When following the program, all of the discretionary income filters through the HELOC and goes right to the mortgage. This is not mentioned in the UFF agents pitch.

Instead, the agents attribute the savings to the HELOC or Money Merge Account (MMA). Agents claim that by leveraging your paycheck, you can save tens of thousands of dollars and years off your mortgage. What the agents don't tell you that it is the huge pre-payments to the existing mortgage from the HELOC that creates the savings. Because HELOCS have a higher APR, you have to pay back these huge pre-payments at a higher interest rate (APR) then you normally would if you simply pre-paid the mortgage directly, without the software.

In order for the United First Financial software to work, you would have to drastically change your spending habits. No going to the movies, spending money on designer clothes, going out to dinner, etc. IF THAT IS NOT LIFE CHANGING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!

The HELOC can save you pennies when operated correctly, but would never be enough to justify the software cost ($3500). The reason why the UFF owners created the system around using the money merge account (HELOC) is because it confuses the clients. Not to mention the creators are mortgage brokers who collect commission on new HELOC accounts.

The agents of this product, either deceptively or unknowingly, attribute the savings of interest to the HELOC shuffle (again, this only saves pennies). The ONLY reason people buy the software is because they believe the HELOC is saving them HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS in interest this just is not true and I really wish it was, but it is not! The clients don't realize that their extra money is indirectly going to their mortgage. They believe that the software does something that it does not because many of the agents do not know the truth themselves.

In the real world I believe the HELOC would be too tempting to many people and would cause them to get deeper into debt. I have asked agents how this software outperforms other tools that anyone can use for free or for maybe 2% of the cost of UFF, to this day I have no reply.

Agents argue that the software has value because it is a motivational tool, they claim that clients are motivated to get out of debt when they see how much they can save by sending more money towards their mortgage. The agents only make this motivation argument AFTER questioned on the validity of their claims about the actual amount of HELOC savings. The "clients" that fall for this scam do not buy the software as a motivational tool, and that is about the only value the software has. Anyone could replicate this motivation by using a free mortgage calculator to figure out how much they save by not buying something, and instead send that money towards their mortgage.

Using a calculator is easier then logging onto a website and inputting the appropriate field. Calculators are free on the web, and very cheap in many stores.

In several mathematical scenarios United First Financials software comes out behind a free system that people have been using for decades. The do-it-yourself method takes less time than using the software and is easier.

Instead of sending $3500 to United First Financial, simply add up your income, subtract your expenses, and then use the leftover money to pay your mortgage each month.

The major argument that agents use against this do-it-yourself approach is that sending all your additional money to your mortgage leaves you vulnerable in an emergency situation.

This can very easily be avoided by opening a HELOC, independent of UFF and only using it for emergencies.

Agents also claim that people just don't do it themselves. The make claims that 95% of Americans are drowning in debt and at least their software points them in the right direction.

The problem with that statement is that the software gets them MORE in debt. $3500 for a software program that can be replicated with a free calculator and a sheet of paper is not revolutionary, though the agents also make that claim.

Budget software ranges from free (www.download.com) to $100 for the fancy programs (Microsoft Money, Quicken, etc).

If the UFF software truly did what its agents say, UFF wouldn't need agents.

You would see the UFF software in every retail store across America (Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal-Mart). The problem is that it doesn't, that's why UFF uses a Direct Sales approach, retail stores don't want to ruin their name by selling scam software.

In mathematical scenarios comparing do-it-yourself to UFF, do-it-yourself has always come out ahead, sometimes as much as paying off the mortgage 6 months sooner and saving $20,000 more than UFF.

WHY DO-IT-YOURSELF IS BETTER, EASYER AND CHEAPER THEN UFF:

1. You don't have to log onto a web site and plug in all your information, taking up to an hour each month. Agents claim that Americans don't have the time to do-it-themselves. What? Doing it yourself might take 5 minutes a month, much easier then logging on to the website and filling out all the fields.

2. You don't have to give $3500 to an agent for useless software.

3. UFF agents claim you get life-long support on the software. Do-it-yourself does not require software and only requires a calculator and your bank statement no support needed.

4. UFF agents will often try to recruit you into their multi-level-marketing company. This can lead to embarrassment when your friends and family find out that it is a scam and that you have been scammed. Do-it-yourself will never scam you or your friends and family!

5. UFF agents claims that Americans can't do it themselves as effectively. This is another lie, because of the software cost, UFF can't beat out doing it yourself.

6. UFF agents claim Americans are not smart enough to do it themselves. Again false, to do it yourself you do not even need to know any math as long as you have a calculator! Although simple addition and subtraction is all that is needed to do it yourself. (Income-Expenses=additional payment to mortgage).

Whatajoke2000
mchenry, Illinois
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/14/2008 10:38 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/united-first-financial/nationwide/united-first-financial-jubilee-mma-money-merge-account-scam-cult-multi-level-marketing-363116. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
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#10 Consumer Comment

Dustin...

AUTHOR: Curt - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 30, 2009

How much extra are you paying per month toward your mortgage? That's where your "savings" are coming from. If you haven't changed your budget then it's because you didn't have a budget before, or you had a lot of money that wasn't in your budget & now you're putting it toward your mortgage.

Saying you could never show figure out how to do this on your own just shows how poor your understanding of finances is. It goes like this:
1. pay your bills with just enough lead time to make sure the payment isn't late.
2. Send any extra money you have at the end of the month to your mortgage.
3. Return to Step 1.

Result: I just saved myself $3500.

ALL of your savings using the MMA comea from the mortgage prepayment, and I come out ahead because I didn't spend $3500 on the software.

Don't believe me - go to your favorite search engine and search for "United First Financial - Looking for the truth". It will lead you to a forum on fatwallet dot com where the Money Merge Account has been thoroughly dissected, analyzed, and demonstrated to be a scam. Many a UFF agent has posted there arguing the wonders of the MMA and ended up slinking away with tail between legs in the face of the cold hard mathematics... perhaps a better analogy would be scuttling away like a cockroach when the light was turned on.

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#9 Consumer Comment

Client for 7 months

AUTHOR: Dustin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, January 24, 2009

I purchased my home in February of 2008 for $193,000 at 5.5% of 30-years. I purchased the product 4 months after purchasing the house. I had a total of $243,000 of principal debt. When I got on the software, I was told that I would be completely debt free in less that 6.8 years and would save at least $189,000 in interest! I have now been on it for about 7 months, and my report now says that I have 5.08 years remaining until I am completely debt free and I am also on track to have $14,000 in my savings account.

I have always lived paycheck to paycheck and never had a savings account in my life. I have worked as a network engineer for one of the largest national banks in the U.S. for over 8 years and consider myself an expert on Excel spreadsheets and formulas. Never could I have figured out how to do this on my own. Both before and after getting on the software, I have had about $100 to $200 in money left over after all of my bills have been paid each month. This is after my normal month of living; ie: movies, eating out each week, gasoline, recreation and everything. I have not changed my budget or lifestyle to use this software. I am the type of person who enjoys getting new toys, and I have continued to do so. The only difference now is that I can better see how my choices affect my outcome. Any changes I do make only accelerate my promised results to something even better.

I am very thankful for having been shown this software and will continue to use it. It does not matter to me what others say about the company or the product as I can see it working for me every day.

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#8 Consumer Suggestion

My views on UFF

AUTHOR: Mary - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 18, 2009

I am not an agent for this company, I am a consumer. I bought this program because I needed some help in getting me out of credit card debt and I wanted to build more equity in my home. I know I could have done this myself. I didn't need UFF to do it. But I have not found something that works as well as this does. It instilled discipline in me and my spending habits. If I want to buy a cup of Starbucks everyday, the UFF program will show me how this little purchase affects my ablity to get out of debt. WHen I want to make ANY purchase now I run it through the program to see what the long term affect will be on paying off all my debts. Before I just paid my bills on time and what was left was mine to foolishly spend, never knowing how this was stalling my abilities to pay my debts off. If you are a genius with math, you probably won't need this program but if you have some debts and you want to get out from under, I would go to a seminar and see for yourself if it will work for you...it doesn't for everyone. But be informed, do the research.

It is not a scam but it is expensive. Decide for yourself if the expensive is worth it to you and your financial situation.

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#7 UPDATE Employee

UFirst is Not a Scam...It's a Program That Really Helps People!

AUTHOR: Sandi777 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 15, 2008

DISCLAIMER: I am an Independent Agent who represents United First Financial in ONLY that respect: as an independent agent, not an employee. I am not authorized to speak on the company's behalf, and my opinions are my own.

That having been said, I do have very strong opinions about UFirst that I can back up. I believe it to be a vehicle with which a great number of people can achieve debt freedom. I know a number of people locally who have been on the program and have knocked years and 10's to 100's of thousands of dollars off of their mortgages. Anyone plugging into our bi-monthly open meetings in Roanoke, VA can meet people who are currently using the program themselves.

The writer of the complaint states:

"United First Financial has developed a web based software system that makes some interesting and intriguing claims:

Pay off your mortgage in one-half to one-third the time with little or no change to your lifestyle

A seemingly minor misquote. It's close, but not exactly what the UFirst website says [FAQs question 1 at http://www.unitedfirstfinancial.com/faq.html]:

"The Money Merge Account program is a powerful tool that enables homeowners to pay off their mortgage in AS LITTLE AS 1/ 2 to 1/3 the time..." [Caps emphasis mine]. It may be a matter of semantics, but if you're going to quote someone, it needs to be accurate.

and in regard to the writers claim that:

"In order for the United First Financial software to work, you would have to drastically change your spending habits. No going to the movies, spending money on designer clothes, going out to dinner, etc."

That is NOT true. Page 4 of the Analysis that we give to each potential client is a worksheet that they are asked to fill out to make sure that in their Monthly Living Expenses they figure in allowances for: Entertainment, Maid Service, Cable, Holiday Fund, Vacations, Private School Fees, Family Expenses, etc. [Listed categories taken directly from the Pg 4 worksheet] The program does not ask, nor require, that they stop doing the things that the writer mentions. IThe client tells the program how much discretionary income they have, and it will work with as little as $1/month for many people.

What the program DOES DO is:

"This program helps to provide homeowners with tools, service and education on how to reduce both the interest and time owing on their existing mortgage by repositioning their unused idle money, which normally sits in their accounts along with their regular monthly expense money..." [FAQs question 5 found on http://www.unitedfirstfinancial.com/faq.html]

The software has many features that the writer did not mention, such as being able to assess a large purchase before making it to see how it will affect a person's debt payoff, determining the best time of the month to make a purchase, etc. And basically acts as a financial GPS for its users.

The program does, however, only work to the extent that the user FOLLOWS the program. As with a car's GPS, the user determines how closely he/she follows the directions given. And, like a car's GPS, the program immediately recalculates based upon the users actions. UFirst's website warns that, "if you have a tendency to overspend on a regular basis, this program is not the right program for you." [http://www.unitedfirstfinancial.com/faq.html] Anyone wanting a demonstration of the software in action can contact an independent UFirst agent, and the agent can show you exactly what it's capable of doing.

Doing-It-Yourself: If people could "do-it-themselves" themselves more effectively, then why do most Americans die deep in debt? It's widely stated that paying even 1 extra payment per year [i.e. by making bi-weekly payments, sending in an extra payment, etc] can knock up to 6-8 years off your mortgage, [http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/mtg/20010920a.asp] but how many people send in even $5-10/month extra towards their principal? The problem is, many people were never taught HOW to manage their money. If we all knew how to properly manage our money, our country wouldn't be in the economic mess we're in now.

The complainant makes the statement: "In mathematical scenarios comparing do-it-yourself to UFF, do-it-yourself has always come out ahead, sometimes as much as paying off the mortgage 6 months sooner and saving $20,000 more than UFF."

What is his/her source for that statement? "Always"? Got proof? After running a number of client analyses that show people how they can potentially save $100-$195 thousand dollars in mortgage interest, I have to say that I don't agree with that statement.

And lastly, the complainant states: "If the UFF software truly did what its agents say, UFF wouldn't need agents.

You would see the UFF software in every retail store across America (Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal-Mart). The problem is that it doesn't, that's why UFF uses a Direct Sales approach, retail stores don't want to ruin their name by selling scam software."

The writer has missed the point entirely. We're not selling a piece of "software". We're selling a potentially life changing financial management program that has the potential to teach people to be aware of how each financial decision that they make affects their finances as a whole...and we provide ongoing service/support to that end. Wal-Mart employees don't even interact with me to help me understand how to use the newest version of MS Office or Corel WordPerfect when I make a purchase there...and they certainly aren't trained to help a customer to determine whether the MMA program would benefit them or not...nor could they teach them how to use it.

Quoting United First Financial's website: "This program is not intended for all homeowners as no one program is right for everyone. We encourage you to get the facts before deciding if this program is right for you." You can't do that by talking to the employee in the Electronics Dept who has no understanding of the program at all.
And a store employee can't initiate the contract that UFirst enters into with each client. That takes a live person. It's similar to your car insurance or life insurance policy--you can't just go "grab a policy off the shelf"! Your agent explains it, helps you choose the right plan for you, and you enter into a contract or agreement with the company. That's how your interests are protected.

UFirst Disclaimer: As with any program results will vary and are determined by individual financial situations. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer or a solicitation to lend or extend credit. Contact your United First Financial Independent Agent for further details.

I know my response was long, but I hope that it will help anyone who reads it. I'm an Independent UFirst Agent because I have a passion to help people get out of debt. I'm grateful to have UFirst as a vehicle to do just that!

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#6 Consumer Comment

UNITED FIRST FINANCIAL IS REAL AND ETHICAL

AUTHOR: Pam - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, September 29, 2008

You really need to check United First Financial out. They are a ethical company with a great reputation. It's a shame that some people just don't do what they are suppose to do when joining the program. You must follow the program. Not only that but I understand that Bank of America has backed them. They also received the Ernst and Young Award for 2008 (they are the 3rd largest accounting firm who also run Miss America, etc) They have received write-ups and high praise in at least 4 respected magazines i.e. Broker Banker and Personal Real Estate Investor magazine. I'm on the money merge account and have shaved off 11 years and $8,000 in interest alone.

They have agents and most of their agents are on the program because it is a great product! So are you telling me that your angry because you had to pay a fee for the software? I'm guessing if you had a 30 year mortgage you saved Thousands of dollars in interest and shaved off at least 15-18 years off your mortgage. So tell us again, why don't you like United First?

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#5 UPDATE Employee

Great company, great reputation, it WORKS!

AUTHOR: Branchmgr - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I'm not going to address all your untruths and misstatements here. But I will point out a few, as well as to note that this is a "rip off report" and you are posting incorrectly here simply to smear this company. You have not bought this product, nor do you even claim to have been ripped off, so WHY have you even posted a report?

Here is a few things you are very confused about...

United First Financial says...

Pay off your mortgage in one-half to one-third the time with little or no change to your lifestyle

This is true. You are twisting things around to try and make it seem otherwise. Here is why it is true: Each Agent for United First does an ANALYSIS for the client. When we do that we ask the client how much "discretionary income" they have left over at month end and we define that as "after entertainment, pizza and beer, movies etc." how much would they have left over, on average, that they normally would move to a savings account?

Even then, I usually cut that number down a bit, sometimes by half, and I will run TWO Analysis... one with their "discretionary" number, and a 2nd with a more conservative number. I do that because sometimes people might be overly optimistic about that number and their ability to have that, consistently, every month. This way they see a "best" and "worst" case scenario right up front.

SO... when we do an Analysis it is based on their CURRENT BUDGET. This means that the results they get are based on what they are currently doing... and they DO NOT have to change their budget to get those results. So... if they don't have to change their budget, obviously they don't have to significantly change their lifestyle either.

In FACT... the Analysis we give them has, as it's last page, a budget form that we ask the client to fill out... to INSURE that they did not forget anything. On the budget form it has a category for ENTERTAINMENT.

Once they start using the software, it ALSO has a budgeting feature where they can input every aspect of their financial picture. The software will tell them when they are off track in any category AND they can (optionally) even access that feature via TEXT messaging on their cell phone. Helpful if you are at the store and want to make sure you are staying within your budget.

So you saying this....

"In order for the United First Financial software to work, you would have to drastically change your spending habits. No going to the movies, spending money on designer clothes, going out to dinner, etc. IF THAT IS NOT LIFE CHANGING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!"

Well that is simply you making something up. As folks now know... NOT TRUE at all. Please, if you are well meaning, don't fabricate things to try to make your point. If you can't make your point on the facts, that should maybe give you a clue that, perhaps, you are mistaken in your judgement to begin with.


You also say this (and I guess you think you have an amazing ability to read people's minds)...

"The agents of this product, either deceptively or unknowingly, attribute the savings of interest to the HELOC shuffle (again, this only saves pennies). The ONLY reason people buy the software is because they believe the HELOC is saving them HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS in interest this just is not true and I really wish it was, but it is not! The clients don't realize that their extra money is indirectly going to their mortgage. They believe that the software does something that it does not because many of the agents do not know the truth themselves."

First... we NEVER attribute the savings to the "HELOC shuffle" alone, but if you do the math you see that is is WAY more than pennies. In fact... our newest 4.0 Version of the program does not even REQUIRE a HELOC or LOC at all. I'm not sure why you think you know what our "clients think" ...but I know for a fact that every client I sell this too knows EXACTLY how this program works and why. I explain that the "HELOC shuffle" provides a small amount of extra savings, but that MOST of the savings is coming from simply managing the clients money more efficiently, and utilizing their own discretionary income.

For many clients though, the "heloc shuffle," and the accuracy of the math done by the software. does generate enough extra savings that it makes up for the cost of the program.

In short, if you have DEBT, or Debt and a MORTGAGE (or mortgages the software can handle up to 75 mortgages, lines of debt in the same program), this is a program that will better manage your cash flow and save you money and time. It is like having your own financial planner right there at your fingertips.

The program is being used by homeowners, by business owners, by investors, etc. We have clients using it to pay off multi-unit apartment buildings, U-Store it type warehouses, shopping centers, and investment, rental properties. It works with any kind of debt and cash flow situation. Our new program is even being used by folks that don't have a mortgage at all, but have multiple debts they want to get clear of.


Is it a scam?

The only people that EVER say that are people that are not using the program. This company has a GREAT track record at the Better Business Bureau. Last I checked, only 6 complaints, but ALL resolved satisfactorily for the client. The difference between the Better Business Bureau and a web site like this is that at the BBB people must give their TRUE identity whereas on web sites people can pretend to be anything they want and make up anything they want.

As to the "scam" question. People are suspicious and skeptical of anything that is new, and some people never think anything is a good idea unless they thought of it first. If you work in financial services you are probably aware that it took the guy that came up with the 401K almost 10 years before he had any success getting people to pay attention. He was told it was a scam, illegal and that he would go to jail. Now we have a whole industry based on that formerly obscure line in the tax code.

We KNOW people are skeptical. So let me give some credibility points. First... the AWARDS we have won. We beat out 600 other companies in the category of financial services to win the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Utah Region of ERNST & YOUNG. Does that mean E&Y "endorses" us? No. That award is sponsored by E&Y but is awarded by a PANEL of independent judges who are respected in their various fields of business. This makes that award even stronger as those judges have no financial ties to either United First, or E&Y. We have been endorsed by the Editors of 5 financial publications, winning EDITORS CHOICE AWARD from Personal Real Estate Investor magazine (again, no ties to United First and they spelled out EXACTLY what criteria they used in making the decision and compared our program with others in the industry). We will be on the COVER of Mortgage Planner magazine (again) this month with a feature story. It you are not in the biz... It is the top magazine for the Mortgage industry. We even have a nice interview with Fred Skousen, PhD, CPA and former Dean of the Marriott School of Business where he calls our program impressive and explains what he likes about it in DETAIL. "Mr. Skeptic" here has not seen that interview so his comments are spurious.

Now "Mr. Skeptic" will say that those magazine are only writing nice things about us because they want us to advertise with then. He even says that we "paid" the Editor of Personal Real Estate investor Magazine. I would love for him to say that again and give his real name because I spoke with Mr. Waite on that very topic and NO... not true. Mr. Mr. Waite might be interested in making some money through a defamation suit.

However any reasonable person would know that a financial publication has a reputation to maintain and they would not risk that reputation just to pick up an advertiser. If they did their credibility would be gone and no one would be reading them anymore.


How does it work?

The complete explanation is pretty long... So here is the short overview:

This is a software and coaching program that helps people get out of debt faster and build wealth. It comes complete with lifetime coaching/support, Mon-Friday till 11 PM Central Time / 10 PM Mountain time. We generally have "hold" times of 30 seconds to less than 1 minute.

The software acts like a financial GPS system.... Using factorial math algorithms to get you to ZERO debt paying the least interest possible. The hot buttons for a client is that this is simple, painless, and works with their CURRENT budget and lifestyle... Not forcing them to adapt to it like other programs in the past.

This program uses ARBITRAGE, the concept of interest cancellation and money float to maximize the clients financial power. All the same concepts that banks use every day.... We have just put them into a system to make this work for an individual or business (this program works for businesses and investors also and can separate out multiple corporate entities and handle multiple mortgages and debts).

This program is not just about "sending extra money to the highest interest rate." In fact that statement reveals how little this guys knows about this program, or about loans. For one thing it is not always paying off the highest interest rate that gets you the best result. The type of loan, the term of the loan, how the interest is calculated, and the amount of minimum payment can affect that scenario and mean that interest rate is not necessarily the determining factor.

The program has numerous benefits, all working together, that help our clients reach their financial goals...

ONE... It does the math accuracy counts and this is math, not horseshoes or hand-grenades. If the client IS using a a line of credit, like a HELOC, the software calculates the transfers so that it insures that any direction of money is saving the client interest. If the line of credit has too high a balance because the client is "off track," not a problem... the software does not direct for transfers until it is appropriate. Again... just think of it like a "financial GPS" getting you back on the right road to get to your desired financial destination.

TWO... Make better/more informed financial decisions. Features like: True cost that give the specific cost of every expenditure (for instance a $300 BBQ grill could cost 3 to 5 times that in real cost depending on someone's debt picture). Best time to buy telling you exactly the day to make a major purchase in order to cost you the least in terms of interest/total cost. What if are comparative scenarios that will tell you the impact of a potential financial move, compare financing options, and what it will do to your overall picture. Budget control is a feature that allows you to plug in YOUR specific budget and be told, instantly, if you are about to go over it in any area. You can even optionally access this feature via TEXT message on your phone while you are at the grocery store! All these are part of the FINANCIAL DASHBOARD of this program. Keeping you on track with your financial goals.

THREE... Motivation. Mr. Skeptic laughs at that in this post (but then in another post says himself that the reason people don't do it themselves is that they are not disciplined, proving he will take whichever position suits him at the time). But motivation and discipline is a HUGE stumbling block for many people when it comes to a "do it yourself" approach. Let's face it. You CAN do a debt reduction program yourself right? In fact United First Financial even says that RIGHT ON THEIR WEB SITE! I mean, you don't have to have a slick, technologically advanced software program and coaches. You can lay out your own financial plan (or debt diet). In fact, you could have been doing that 10 years ago, or 5, or this year. But lets be real... ANY plan is only as good as our ability to stick with it. Do you know how many people consistently stick to a plan to pre-pay on their mortgage? Less than 5%. Do you know how many clients, after paying a financial planner to set them up on a plan will stick to it? Only about 10%. However, after FIVE years of history with this program we find that 95% of our clients are logging in every month to access their software. They ARE sticking to it. Why do people find it so easy to "stick to?" We have a lot of feedback from clients as to that question. In summary, they say that when you take a task that is usually boring or tedious and you make it fun, simple and time-saving, it makes it much easier to stick to it and be successful. And getting instant feed-back provides motivation to keep moving forward.

FOUR... Saves TIME. Time is money too, right? So you COULD set up a do it yourself plan. After all, if you were good with math, if you were financially very disciplined, and you never fell victim to procrastination, you might have good success with your own plan. However we CAN very confidentially say that you could never do it yourself and spend as little time on it as this would take you. So... How valuable IS your time? And, by the way, "Mr. Skeptic's" formula of "income-expenses-send to mortgage" that little formula works, but you will still be throwing away thousands in potential savings because it's just not as accurate as it could be and it does not include a comprehensive budget. Spending your money will-nilly and just being happy with what you have left over is why too many people in this country are in the position they are in. Also... you knew that formula all along right? How's it been working for you so far? How many years have you reduced your mortgage and debts by so far?

FIVE... Improves credit scores. Many of our clients see an improvement in their FICO score of (on average) 50-100 points within 6 months to a year of getting on the program. If you understand how credit is "scored" and you see our program, you will instantly see why that is. It also improves DTI scores and LTV scores as well, as the clients financial position improves. I read an article on credit scores that said that 100 points in a FICO score can easily cost someone over $250,000 in additional interest over a lifetime, through mortgages, car loans, credit cards, etc. since lower credit scores mean you pay higher interest rates.


You also say....

"If the UFF software truly did what its agents say, UFF wouldn't need agents. You would see the UFF software in every retail store across America (Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal-Mart).


This statement obviously shows a limited business expertise. By this reasoning any product or service should just be sold "off the shelf." Really? So I should be able to just go down to Wal-Mart and pick out an automobile? And the next time I need a mortgage, I can just pick one off the shelf with the prettiest label?

There are some products that are easily sold off the shelf - tennis balls, clothes, etc. Some are not... and should not. In fact I would even put a lot of software in that category. How many times do people buy a software program, get it home, install it, and realize that it isn't going to do what they thought? I bet they wish they had a consultant that they could ask questions of, that would "demo" the program for them, that would give them a report and a guarantee that it was appropriate for their situation.

As to retail stores not wanting to sell this... First, retail stores have not been offered the opportunity to sell this... so your point is moot. Secondly, we have had 2 of the top 5 banks in the country that DID try to negotiate to buy this so they could sell it to their clients. They were turned down. However we do have "preferred lender" relationships with two of the top banks in the country right now. I'm sure most people here are aware that major banks have their own financial experts, and attorneys, on staff, and would never offer millions of dollars for "scam" software. Unlike the folks that attack this product, the banks did real "due diligence" when they looked at this program.

And finally... you said...

"In mathematical scenarios comparing do-it-yourself to UFF, do-it-yourself has always come out ahead, sometimes as much as paying off the mortgage 6 months sooner and saving $20,000 more than UFF."

First... you are dead wrong. Here is why.

You are comparing a "do it yourself" scenario with our ANALYSIS software which is totally different than the Money Merge Account software. I suspect you know this, it's been addressed on numerous other sites on the internet.

The analysis software is NOT an algorithm based software, it is just a spreadsheet. So you are right... if you stick in numbers in the Analysis software, and the spreadsheet you use, your numbers will beat it because the $3500 cost of the program is not calculated into yours.

But our REAL software is a completely different program. It is a sophisticated, algorithm based program that used factorial math to do comparative calculations to insure the client is always achieving the best bottom line based on their numbers. It has been shown to consistently get clients (on average), 15-20% better results than initially predicted on their Analysis. Some of that is in the math and some, I suspect, is because once a client gets motivated by this visual "financial dashboard," then they can start to affect it even more.

Keep in mind that the Analysis software is only taking a "snapshot" of someones debt picture... very simplistic. However the "real" software, the Money Merge software, is going to be "learning" (basically re-averaging and recasting) the clients numbers and cash flow in real time. It acts like a "financial GPS" calculating the arbitrage between their mortgage, line of credit (if any), and checking & savings. It is also calculating the effect of a 30 or 45 day "float" on a credit card, and even the reward "cash back" that the credit card is providing to the client. It's not going to "forget" a detail, or a calculation, because it is software.

In a "do it yourself" scenario there is always room for human error. Tired one night and miss-read a number and... OOPS! A mistake could cost you thousands. In fact, if you have a newer mortgage, if you were to just "short" what you could have sent your mortgage by just $1000 in total, in the first 5 to 10 years - did you know that would cost you between $4000 and $5000 in interest that you COULD have saved... but now, have not? Not investing in the right tool for the job is often, as my engineer Dad used to say, "penny wise and pound foolish." For you younger folks... that expression is from England, where a "pound" is like a dollar here.

I won't address the rest of your remarks as I think, by now, they have been adequately rebutted above.

The bottom line is that this is a good financial tool for the right client. It does exactly what is says it does, and more. To give you a bit of a break, It is apparent from your statements, that you have never even seen the real software in action. Also, you are not aware of the upgrades that have gone into the new Version 4.0 program; upgrades our clients received for FREE by the way (ask Microsoft or Quicken for free upgrades, see where you get).

We with United First Financial understand that there are people out there that feel threatened by this program. They either mistakenly think it is going to hurt THEIR business, or they simply can't imagine something could be a good idea if they didn't think of it first.

We have also discovered that several of our "regular" online detractors are selling a "competing" type of program and think that bashing us is a good way to get an edge. For instance there is a "detractor" that lives in my town. He has been calling our company a "scam" for years online... and then directing that web traffic to his own mortgage web site.

Clever business tactic, but it's even less ethical than going into a shoe store and giving their customers flyers for your shoe store across the street.

Anyway... in a way I like these blogs. I got two clients just last week because they had run across information online about our company and, the more "debate" they read, the more interested they got.

As one said... "the one thing I noticed was that everyone that was saying negative things were obviously people who had not used the program. While everyone that WAS using the program had nothing but nice things to say."

That is true. So I hope that anyone that is curious about this does not let faceless/nameless people on the internet tell them what is what, and how they should think. But instead, I hope they will think for themselves. Do research, take a look at the program, see a DEMO of the program, get an Analysis and THEN decide if this program is right for you.

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#4 Author of original report

Another UFF agent Lies, Here are the facts:

AUTHOR: Whatajoke2000 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Fact is... I had 28 years on my mortgage and it was not until UFF brought it to my attention was I able to realize that I could have my home paid for in less than 4 years.

If UFF says you can pay your home off in less than 4 years using their product, Math proves you can pay it off in less time than that by using less time and effort yourself.

Remember the HELOC does not save much money (almost always less than $25/mo), it's the huge pre payments from your own paycheck that saves the money. This is something anyone can do for free no $3800 software needed.

Now I have already been on the program nearly two years and I am more than half way done with my mortgage.

It is hard for people to admit that they have been scammed, but that's exactly what happened to you. If you simply paid more money each month to your mortgage without the software you would be further along and would owe less money.

The information that you have presented is so misleading and just flat out isn't the truth. The fact that someone would just take 5 min. a month to do what UFF does is a LIE!!!

No, I am saying that you do not need to go through the needless steps of a HELOC or salary float. I am saying all you have to do is send your extra money to your mortgage each month. This will outperform UFF: EVERY TIME.

If that was the case everybody would do it!

Well sadly it is the case, people do not do it because most people are not financially disciplined.

But I want everyone to know that UFF is a Great Company that are doing the right thing by the consumer!

UFF was created to scam people out of $3500/$3800, there is no charity to it.

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#3 UPDATE EX-employee responds

United First Financial Is A great Company

AUTHOR: Dw - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, September 08, 2008

The Fact is... I had 28 years on my mortgage and it was not until UFF brought it to my attention was I able to realize that I could have my home paid for in less than 4 years. Now I have already been on the program nearly two years and I am more than half way done with my mortgage. The information that you have presented is so misleading and just flat out isn't the truth. The fact that someone would just take 5 min. a month to do what UFF does is a LIE!!! If that was the case everybody would do it! I wish I had more time to deal with some of your other profound errors but time doesn't allow. But I want everyone to know that UFF is a Great Company that are doing the right thing by the consumer!

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#2 Author of original report

Dont drink the Kool-Aid, Uff cult member lie rebuttal

AUTHOR: Whatajoke2000 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, August 30, 2008

First of all... CULT? I don't think so... you must not be well informed.

Oh boy here we go, DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID!


#2. United First Financial - Has only uncovered the TRUTH.

A truth hidden for a long time.

UFF is a scam, just google United first financial over half of the websites are warnings to stay away.


#3. I remember when the tax code 401K was found in the IRS documentation laws.
The man who found this code, was called insane, his boss told him it must be illegal. The press said it was a scam.

Today, no one in the US will take a Job with out a good 401K as part of their employee benefits program... If you did not know this then the words you have posted to the public have very little merit.

Typical UFF agent to get off on a different point, trying to change the subject to something that does not even come close to relating. UFF is a pyramid scheme, not an investment or retirement fund.


#4. If the Money Merge Account was a scam... then why did Bank of America back United First Financial to have General Electric Corporation engineers develop the math codes that unlock the combination for factorial Math to run dynamically on a persons debt and mortgage variables?

This statement is a flat out lie, created to sell more copies of UFF. Do you have a press release to back up your statement? Factorial math is not needed to pay off debt, just pay off the highest interest debt first.. its that simple. This is a perfect example of an agent creating an illusion that paying down debt is hard. Its not at all and its so easy to figure out the quickest way. No factoral math needed.

#5. Why would Ernst & Young, the worlds largest accounting firm who audit's most every fortune 500 Corporation give UFirst the #1 financial services firm award for 2008?

First of all, this is another lie. Ernst and Young sponsored an award(had nothing to do with the selection or judging). When I emailed E&Y they said that they do not endorse UFF and that they only sponsored the award.

Second of all, the award was for Entrepreneur of the year. Anyone that can get someone to pay $3500 for a program worth less then ten bucks is a true Entrepreneur in my book!


#6. Why would United First Financial be given the 'Editors Choice Award' by personal real estate investor magazine? Even Donald Trump and I, a real estate and financial professional among other things hold that publication in high regard and if you walk into any bank or financial services firm you will see that magazine on almost every desk and table. Not to mention, broker/banker magazine, true wealth and success magazine have all done extensive research for months on the software and have highlighted United First Financial proving this is a solution that America desperately needs and can't possibly do on your own.

UFF paid to have a good review, it happens all the time in this magazine, all hype no facts.

An independent review from Kipplingers was very unfavorable for UFF.


#7. A company like United First Financial - who has tens of thousands of extremely satisfied clients that have never gone on record before saying they are un-happy with the results they are getting? Isn't that a little strange? Do you think they are paying their tens of thousands of happy customers off? and paying off NBC NEWS and CNN and Ernst & Young and all the magazines that are PRAISING them for coming up with the Answer to Americas Financial Crisis?

If those clients realized how easy it was to do on their own, using less time and effort, they would not be so satisfied. They were flat out scammed.
UFF charges $3500 for nothing. Anyone can do better on their own using less time and effort, your ignoring this fact.

UFF gets people MORE in debt, not the other way around.

#8. Our US government - gave 400,000 home owners the right to refinance and save their homes - do you not see a problem with that? There are how many millions of home owners in the USA?

Why do I bring that up? Because, United First Financial has helped cancel over $153,000,000 million dollars of mortgage and consumer debt interest. Have you yourself reviewed the consumer reports and numbers?

People currently using UFF could have spent 5 minutes a month to do it themselves, saving on average $10,000 more in interest then UFF helped them save


If you were a client or you had used the Money Merge Account you would then know that the top CPA's and Top financial planners in the world" could not even produce the same results themselves this lead to United First Financial receiving the Award form Ernst & Young 2008 award. Are you trying to say that you are more informed then all those professionals?

Sorry I didn't attend any of the cult meetings, but myself and hundreds of others have run our own numbers and UFF always comes out behind. Again the E&Y award was for Entrepreneur, the program had nothing to do with it.


#9 My family members and business associates are all using the Money Merge Account Several of my business owner associates have created new Cash Flow of $4,000 to $8,000 in the first 30 days of using the Money Merge Account 2 of which were able to hire on 3 new employees because of the new cash flow increase that the Money Merge Account system created for their Public and Private businesses.

Laughing out loud, you mean UFF agents are getting rich off scamming people? I have no doubt there are financial idiots that can't figure out that UFF is a scam. Congrats on your "income generating" scamming success.

#10 You must not understand anything about the company or its product because the product does not require the use of a Home Equity Line of Credit" HELOC or the use of a line of credit at all to function and produce the interest cancelation and accelerated mortgage principal results. All a client needs is a checking and savings account and the money merge software to produce the results.

I understand how the program is SUPPOSED TO WORK, but again one does not need to go through the complication of a HELOC or expensive software to pay off their mortgage early. If you follow the free easy way it always comes out ahead of UFF, $10,000 ahead on average.

#11 My father spent $3,500 to obtain the Money Merge Account software and has already canceled $28,500 of interest that he was scheduled to pay this year on his mortgage. I don't know about you but we spent over $5,000 in closing costs for a home loan the home loan that we signed for had us at 6.25% interest rate and had us on a payment schedule scheduled to pay the bank back at least double what we borrowed. So, spending $3,500 for the system and no closing costs on any kind of a HELOC to produce that kind of a result is a wise decision.

I don't know about your father but he could have used that $3500 to cancel even more interest! You don't need software to cancel interest! The software does not do anything you can't easily do on your own!

#12 The United First Financial agent that showed us the program was an extremely professional and extremely honest We looked into the structure of how the Agent gets paid and in no way shape or form is it a Multi- Level Marketing business structure rather it's the exact same business model as the wholesale to retail direct sale product distribution model as Microsoft and it's certified re-sellers. It is also the same structure as Keller Williams real estate, Nationwide insurance and Allstate insurance company.

And now the rest of the story - The truth is most UFF agents don't know much about mortgages or debt. Anyone can become an agent! UFF is a perfect example of a pyramid/multilevel scheme. When someone is dumb enough to buy the software, the salesman receives a cut, the person that got him "into the business" gets a cut, the person above him gets a cut, etc...... Out of the $3500 cost for the program, $2500 goes to commissions filtering up to the top of the pyramid.

The decision for United First Financial to not sell in retail store's which would just make them rich like Bill Gate's Was a decision to supply more jobs to more people so that more individuals could impact the lives of those around them on a daily basis Wow, what a great concept to spread the wealth of a breakthrough technology to many others rather than just support a few.

Flat out lie, this is the typical excuse that pyramid schemes tell their agents. The truth is retail stores wouldn't sell this crap. Put it next to Microsoft Money or Quicken on the shelf and see how fast your $3500 software sells - it wont. You truly have been brainwashed.


Also, my father has a 100% money back limited guarantee if the Money Merge Account Software does not produce the results as scheduled. For the over 3 years tens of thousands of clients have NEVER ever filed a complaint or asked for a refund of their $3,500. Many of those 10's of thousands of clients are PHD's, CPA's, and Mathematician's and even Ivy League scholars such as me.

Another lie, Look at the Better Business Burro. UFF has 5 registered complaints on refund issues alone(remember these are only the registered complaints, how many went unregistered?)! You should really do your research before you post!


Please get your facts strait before you post your 2 cents to the world Your un-educated post to this website just might catch the eye of a person who could get some real help

I have nothing to gain by warning people to stay away, you have $3500 per "client" to lose by having the truth revealed.

Your post is in no way fair to the company that has given of themselves to help American families get out of the bondage of debt quicker than anything that has ever been before and United First Financial and their 45,000 + Independent Agents are changing peoples lives every day during this major financial crisis we are all going through and are bringing hope and healing to the American family like never before. One family at a time can change the financial landscape of America.


UFF exists to separate people from $3500. No charity there. Get a real job already.


Please do not wreck this blessing for others just because of your ignorance. Your choice will result in your own consequences. You can make a choice to do it your way and stay in your debt but I suggest that make that decision for yourself. I am an educated American and I serve my fellow man every day when I go to work.

You have been brainwashed, If you don't believe me just look at all the math posts on fatwallet.com. Mathematically, UFF is inferior to doing it yourself for free, and the free method is easier/less time. It is interesting that you did not challenge this point from my original post.



When I see that people like you spend your time bashing great companies and good people and proven and tested solutions I see someone who is hurt and who does not understand. Just because I can't build a rocket to get to the moon myself does not mean that someone else can't do it.

UFF is like paying for a $3500 abacus when you already own calculator.

UFF is like paying $50 for a rotten apple when you have fresh apples that you could easily pick in your own backyard.

need I go on?

I challenge you to explain to me how your program can outperform doing it yourself:

Step 1: send your extra money with your regular mortgage payment.
Step 2: repeat step 1 every month until mortgage is paid.

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#1 Consumer Comment

United First Financial is AN AMAZING COMPANY - A Blessing to ALL !!!

AUTHOR: Dr_phd_uofw - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 27, 2008

First of all... CULT? I don't think so... you must not be well informed.

#2. United First Financial - Has only uncovered the TRUTH.

A truth hidden for a long time.

#3. I remember when the tax code 401K was found in the IRS documentation laws.
The man who found this code, was called insane, his boss told him it must be illegal. The press said it was a scam.

Today, no one in the US will take a Job with out a good 401K as part of their employee benefits program... If you did not know this then the words you have posted to the public have very little merit.

#4. If the Money Merge Account was a scam... then why did Bank of America back United First Financial to have General Electric Corporation engineers develop the math codes that unlock the combination for factorial Math to run dynamically on a persons debt and mortgage variables?

#5. Why would Ernst & Young, the worlds largest accounting firm who audit's most every fortune 500 Corporation give UFirst the #1 financial services firm award for 2008?

#6. Why would United First Financial be given the "Editors Choice Award" by personal real estate investor magazine? Even Donald Trump and I, a real estate and financial professional among other things hold that publication in high regard and if you walk into any bank or financial services firm you will see that magazine on almost every desk and table. Not to mention, broker/banker magazine, true wealth and success magazine have all done extensive research for months on the software and have highlighted United First Financial proving this is a solution that America desperately needs and can't possibly do on your own.

#7. A company like United First Financial - who has tens of thousands of extremely satisfied clients that have never gone on record before saying they are un-happy with the results they are getting? Isn't that a little strange? Do you think they are paying their tens of thousands of happy customers off? and paying off NBC NEWS and CNN and Ernst & Young and all the magazines that are PRAISING them for coming up with the Answer to Americas Financial Crisis?

#8. Our US government - gave 400,000 home owners the right to refinance and save their homes - do you not see a problem with that? There are how many millions of home owners in the USA?

Why do I bring that up? Because, United First Financial has helped cancel over $153,000,000 million dollars of mortgage and consumer debt interest. Have you yourself reviewed the consumer reports and numbers?

If you were a client or you had used the Money Merge Account you would then know that the top CPA's and Top financial planners in the world could not even produce the same results themselves this lead to United First Financial receiving the Award form Ernst & Young 2008 award. Are you trying to say that you are more informed then all those professionals?

#9 My family members and business associates are all using the Money Merge Account Several of my business owner associates have created new Cash Flow of $4,000 to $8,000 in the first 30 days of using the Money Merge Account 2 of which were able to hire on 3 new employees because of the new cash flow increase that the Money Merge Account system created for their Public and Private businesses.

#10 You must not understand anything about the company or its product because the product does not require the use of a Home Equity Line of Credit HELOC or the use of a line of credit at all to function and produce the interest cancelation and accelerated mortgage principal results. All a client needs is a checking and savings account and the money merge software to produce the results.

#11 My father spent $3,500 to obtain the Money Merge Account software and has already canceled $28,500 of interest that he was scheduled to pay this year on his mortgage. I don't know about you but we spent over $5,000 in closing costs for a home loan the home loan that we signed for had us at 6.25% interest rate and had us on a payment schedule scheduled to pay the bank back at least double what we borrowed. So, spending $3,500 for the system and no closing costs on any kind of a HELOC to produce that kind of a result is a wise decision.

#12 The United First Financial agent that showed us the program was an extremely professional and extremely honest We looked into the structure of how the Agent gets paid and in no way shape or form is it a Multi- Level Marketing business structure rather it's the exact same business model as the wholesale to retail direct sale product distribution model as Microsoft and it's certified re-sellers. It is also the same structure as Keller Williams real estate, Nationwide insurance and Allstate insurance company.

The decision for United First Financial to not sell in retail store's which would just make them rich like Bill Gate's Was a decision to supply more jobs to more people so that more individuals could impact the lives of those around them on a daily basis Wow, what a great concept to spread the wealth of a breakthrough technology to many others rather than just support a few.

Also, my father has a 100% money back limited guarantee if the Money Merge Account Software does not produce the results as scheduled. For the over 3 years tens of thousands of clients have NEVER ever filed a complaint or asked for a refund of their $3,500. Many of those 10's of thousands of clients are PHD's, CPA's, and Mathematician's and even Ivy League scholars such as me.

Please get your facts strait before you post your 2 cents to the world Your un-educated post to this website just might catch the eye of a person who could get some real help

Your post is in no way fair to the company that has given of themselves to help American families get out of the bondage of debt quicker than anything that has ever been before and United First Financial and their 45,000 + Independent Agents are changing peoples lives every day during this major financial crisis we are all going through and are bringing hope and healing to the American family like never before. One family at a time can change the financial landscape of America.

Please do not wreck this blessing for others just because of your ignorance. Your choice will result in your own consequences. You can make a choice to do it your way and stay in your debt but I suggest that make that decision for yourself. I am an educated American and I serve my fellow man every day when I go to work.

When I see that people like you spend your time bashing great companies and good people and proven and tested solutions I see someone who is hurt and who does not understand. Just because I can't build a rocket to get to the moon myself does not mean that someone else can't do it.


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