Eliminating credit card debt with a Money Makeover

After battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Dennis Bauer is getting ready to celebrate a big milestone—becoming a five-year cancer survivor.

“I just want to enjoy life,” the Dubuque man said.

With the help of a recent Dupaco Money Makeover, Bauer is optimistic that he and his wife, Julia, will be able to do that.

Dupaco Community Credit Union’s Tammy Wood reached out to the couple last year to see whether the financial cooperative could save them money on their auto loan. The couple agreed to meet with her to discuss not only their loan but their entire financial picture during a free Money Makeover.

As they talked, Wood learned the couple was buried in high-interest credit card debt.

And she knew Dupaco could help.

Wood crafted a plan to save the couple money by moving their auto loan to Dupaco. And she set them up with a personal loan to pay off the credit card debt. During the meeting, they also agreed to close the credit card accounts.

“We can’t go on vacations because of those credit cards,” Bauer said.

Now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Bauer plans to pay off the personal loan in three years, giving the couple a chance to reach their hopes and dreams.

“Hopefully three years from now, we can go on a vacation thanks to Dupaco. We’d like to take a boat to Alaska and enjoy a train ride there,” Bauer said. “Dupaco has done so much for me.”