{"id":51,"date":"2025-11-06T18:05:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fllgblogstg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=51"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:26:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:26:11","slug":"angelo-s-five-lakes-graduated-client","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fivelakeslawgroup.com\/features\/angelo-s-five-lakes-graduated-client\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom to Build, Save, and Dream Again: Angelo S., Graduated Client"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A 45-year-old grandpa, cancer-therapy professional, and entrepreneur eliminates his debt with a manageable plan.<\/em><\/td>Enrolled Debt:<\/strong> $12,401
Graduated:<\/strong> August 2025
Program Length:<\/strong> 2 years, 1 month<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meet Angelo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Angelo is 45, a father of three, and a proud grandfather. He works full-time assisting with a treatment that helps fight cancer.<\/em> Outside of work, he\u2019s a self-taught coder who spends time on his own tech projects and hanging out with his cat, Bubbles.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What led you into debt before you enrolled?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m 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. <\/em>
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I\u2019m 100% credit-card-debt-free \u2014 and I plan to keep it that way.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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That\u2019s where most of my debt came from \u2014 using credit to pay for my business. I was a little overwhelmed and got in over my head.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to make the minimum payments, but the problem is when you pay the minimum, the interest is still going up. So you\u2019re not really paying anything \u2014 you\u2019re just paying, but the balance is still increasing. It became overwhelming after a while.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you find Five Lakes?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 how much I needed to deposit each month and how the payments would work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did the lower payment change your day-to-day life?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Angelo has a keen interest in day trading. One of his software projects supports this passion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Definitely. It just made it easier for me to focus on other bills that I could handle myself \u2014 things more in my control \u2014 while they worked with the ones that were out of my control. That gave me some breathing room and flexibility.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How did your financial habits shift while you were enrolled?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 that\u2019s $4,000. It showed me that I\u2019m capable of saving. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did graduation feel like?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It felt great. I was excited \u2014 I just couldn\u2019t believe it.<\/em> And the best part is, I no longer have to make payments every month. That\u2019s a huge relief. I can start saving money, reset my spending habits, and invest in myself again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are you doing now that you\u2019ve freed up all that monthly cash?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m 100% credit-card-debt-free, and I plan to keep it that way.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And<\/em> I love to travel! I\u2019ve been to the Dominican Republic and Colombia recently. Since I’ve been spending time in Latin countries, I\u2019ve been learning Spanish!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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