A 45-year-old grandpa, cancer-therapy professional, and entrepreneur eliminates his debt with a manageable plan. Enrolled Debt: $12,401
Graduated: August 2025
Program Length: 2 years, 1 month
Meet Angelo
Angelo is 45, a father of three, and a proud grandfather. He works full-time assisting with a treatment that helps fight cancer. Outside of work, he’s a self-taught coder who spends time on his own tech projects and hanging out with his cat, Bubbles.
What led you into debt before you enrolled?
I’m very innovative with a lot of my projects and I’m working to build my own business. I had to take out large investments because I prefer to invest in myself instead of relying on outside investors.
I’m 100% credit-card-debt-free — and I plan to keep it that way.
That’s where most of my debt came from — using credit to pay for my business. I was a little overwhelmed and got in over my head.
I tried to make the minimum payments, but the problem is when you pay the minimum, the interest is still going up. So you’re not really paying anything — you’re just paying, but the balance is still increasing. It became overwhelming after a while.
How did you find Five Lakes?
I came across the Five Lakes website and started doing my research to make sure it was legit. I was a little reluctant in the beginning, but transparency is a big thing for me. The person setting up my account was very empathetic. They explained the process — how much I needed to deposit each month and how the payments would work.
Did the lower payment change your day-to-day life?
Definitely. It just made it easier for me to focus on other bills that I could handle myself — things more in my control — while they worked with the ones that were out of my control. That gave me some breathing room and flexibility.
How did your financial habits shift while you were enrolled?
It showed me I could be consistent. If I could put $425 into my Dedicated Account for Five Lakes to pay off my debt, imagine what I can do with that money by saving it. $400 a month for 10 months — that’s $4,000. It showed me that I’m capable of saving.
What did graduation feel like?
It felt great. I was excited — I just couldn’t believe it. And the best part is, I no longer have to make payments every month. That’s a huge relief. I can start saving money, reset my spending habits, and invest in myself again.
What are you doing now that you’ve freed up all that monthly cash?
I’m 100% credit-card-debt-free, and I plan to keep it that way.
And I love to travel! I’ve been to the Dominican Republic and Colombia recently. Since I’ve been spending time in Latin countries, I’ve been learning Spanish!
I’m also expanding an education group, where I mentor students in my spare time. And, of course, I’m staying focused on building my business.
How would you sum up what Five Lakes did for you?
Five Lakes basically opened my eyes to new possibilities. The program gave me a different perspective on how to save and, most importantly, how to manage my expenses.
Now that I’ve got a clean slate, I can do everything the right way going forward — and if anyone I know is struggling like I was, I’d definitely recommend this company. They were transparent, they worked with me, and they got it done.
Five Lakes Helped Angelo Turn His Financial Reset Into His Next Venture
With attorney guidance through Five Lakes, Angelo consolidated his accounts into one $425/month plan, graduated, — freeing up cash to save, invest, and build his business.
Real client compensated for sharing their authentic experience — results and savings reflect their individual circumstances.