Deseret News | Reader comments: 14 firms honored for success

Reader comments
14 firms honored for success

38 comments | Read story

SB | 10:16 a.m. June 28, 2008

U First is a JOKE!

danny | 12:18 p.m. June 28, 2008

SB your just jealous you didnt win! U first is a leader in that industry they are very deserving of this award

danny | 12:19 p.m. June 28, 2008

SB you just wish you would have won!! These guys are very deserving they are industry leaders.

Comments continue below

AJ | 1:33 p.m. June 28, 2008

United First Financial is in business because their clients can not do simple math. How about people live on less than they make and pay extra every month on their mortgage payment? If this company can make money off of people that are not smart enough to figure that out on their own then I guess they deserve some kind of award.

BB | 3:48 p.m. June 28, 2008

AJ,
Your ignorance is only surpassed by your arrogance. Too bad you have never sat down with any of the owners of a Branch Manager to really know what UFirst is all about! Open up your mind. Tell me AJ, what do you do for a living? Just wondering what your agenda is?

James | 4:32 p.m. June 28, 2008

AJ,You must be one of those who can't figure it out since obviously the U1st methodology has screached right over your head! I doubt there is any homeowner in America that doesn't know your 'simple math', and it's just that...simple math. U1st delivers high octane mathematical precision that you for example, cannot duplicate. You can pay extra on your mortgage all you want, out of your own hard earned money, or you can leverage the BANK'S money (OPM) to accelerate your payoff even faster, and increase your ROI exponentially. I'll keep it simple for you...like when you bought that home, you put your money down and borrowed the rest, right? We call that leveraging. If you put 0 down on a home, then your ROI is infinite because you cannot multiply by zero. Get the picture?? Rather than remain ignorant and miss the boat altogether, you would do well to look closer at the U1st product. It will outperform anything YOU can do, not only on your home, but in practice in nearly all of your financial pursuits. I should know...I reached a 7 figure net worth by the time I was 25, using exactly those principles. How about you??

TA | 4:48 p.m. June 28, 2008

Doesn't the stamp of approval from Ernst & Young mean anything? Ernst & Young honored a company who met their criteria for such an award.
Jealousy or deserving have nothing to do with it. Homeowners need help. And, being smart in math or not is irrelevant when you are providing a solution to people's challenges.
Celebrate their success for their efforts in assisting others to succeed.

Fred | 9:36 p.m. June 28, 2008

The only joke in all of this is E&Y and all of the other accounting firms that think they know business. The only thing those guys know how to do is second guess people who really know business. These awards are nothing more than a marketing ploy by E&Y to get their name out their and to try and get more business. The only stamp of approval they need to give someone an award is are they a potential cleint. How do I know this, I use to work for one of these blood suckers until I decided to do something meaningful in life.

BA | 10:42 p.m. June 28, 2008

AJ and Fred, since the two of you are such great business people - I am sure you would not mind enlighting the rest of us on what you have done in life that has impacted thousands of families to help improve their financial situations. The UFirst founders are a group of guys who found a problem in the country, found and implemented a solution and are making a profit at the same time. Last time I checked that is called The American Dream!
They have made a difference in thousands of lives and I guarentee it will be hundreds of thousands more.

BA | 10:44 p.m. June 28, 2008

SB and Fred, since the two of you are such great business people - I am sure you would not mind enlighting the rest of us on what you have done in life that has impacted thousands of families to help improve their financial situations. The UFirst founders are a group of guys who found a problem in the country, found and implemented a solution and are making a profit at the same time. Last time I checked that is called The American Dream!
They have made a difference in thousands of lives and I guarentee it will be hundreds of thousands more.

BA | 11:48 p.m. June 28, 2008

I said nothing about UFirst, more power to them. E&Y, the other accounting firms and the law firms are the joke! Since livng public accounting I have started my own business that employees over 50 people (I know its not thousand, but my 50 employees and their famlies are doing quite well), I am living the American Dream. However, I know how these lawyers and accountants work, I will never pimp my company for any of these awards. I already have to pay these jokers too much in legal and accounting fees, why would I give them any more exposure. I am the one who took the risks.

CNT | 10:53 a.m. June 29, 2008

Way to go United First Financial! After seeing how UFirst could help me pay down my $400,000 mortgage, of which I had 28 years left on ...down to just over 8 years, without paying out anything extra out of my pocket, I was interested.
I have been on the program for about 18 months now and I only have 6 years left until I will be mortgage free. I owe my life to UFirst and the founders who started this company. I cant speak more highly of any other company I have ever done business with.
This company is at the right place at the right time and America needs their help.
If you want the answers to:
our housing market crisis,
our negative savings rate as a nation,
our foreclosure crisis,
and a nation who unconsciously overspends because they dont have the tools and resources that will help them stay on track, then look no further then United First Financial's Money Merge Account. Its the real deal. I know because I use their program and it has changed my life, and my familys financial future.
If you are skeptical like I was, you should check them out further.

HS | 2:05 p.m. June 29, 2008

What an honor for U1st.

But, here's one that I am even more proud of--- My sister in law, who's family makes less than $40K per year,(who by the way, have re-fied 4 times in the last 16 years) have seen their credit scores improve by over 100 points and have eliminated over $15,000 in debt this past year and now will have their home completely paid off in less than 6 years. Folks that is life changing!

Awards are nice, but truly life altering results are a blessing from above. Congratulations on your award U1st... AND thank you!

James | 2:23 p.m. June 29, 2008

It seems SB, AJ, and Fred have become quiet. Hopefully they are re-thinking the depth of their knowledge (or lack of it). Don't be afraid of the unknown guys. It is the unknown that enlightens us and very often benefits us. Just pick any invention in history. The U1st method isn't really new, but it is new and improved in America. If it didn't have merit, it would have been scrapped in Europe 20 years ago. Check it out guys...I guarantee you it will help you realize your financial goals also...in record time! Would you like to retire before you're 40 or 50, or wait until you're 70??

Gary Gonzalez, Atlanta GA | 3:27 p.m. June 29, 2008

To be eligible in the first year and take first place makes me proud to sell the money merge accout. It makes be proud, because it is the right thing to do for home owners. Now that we have our second product, which is to help non home owners get out of debt, United First Financial will really change America for the better of the foundation of our country, THE FAMILY. Is your house paid for? and now, Are you out of debt? I Thank the front leaders of this company for putting us in the place where we are today.

JE from ATL | 7:13 p.m. June 29, 2008

Who is SB? (above)? I did not bother to read "All the Replys" due to the fact I am trying to Help People As I sit here right now get their Mortgage's down and be debt free. Ya know SB, not sure why you think it is a joke, but I would be happy to spend another 5 minutes with you to assist you in and within your current thoughts. Please understand, this is not your fault, moreover the limited amount of time you personally have vested to understand the soultion set and the People behind it. I'd be happy to assist. JE

LG | 8:18 p.m. June 29, 2008

Here is a fact. I got the mma software november 2007. My mortgage started at $238,000, 6.125% I O 10 years. On April 23, 2008, my balance was reduced $208,500. I will not leave out the whole picture. My Heloc was, $14,000 which totaled $222,500. The interest cost on my Heloc is about $85.00 a month and at this EARLY stage of the MMA everytime I pay my first mortgage at $1214.79, $150.00 goes to principal on an IO loan. I remember a famous quote in the best selling book ever, "All I know is once I was blind and now I see!"

LG | 8:39 p.m. June 29, 2008

Here is a fact. I bought the software November 2007 and Started 12/1/07. My mortgage started $238,000, 6.125 I.O. 10 yrs, $1214.79 pmnt. On April 23, 2008, my 1st mtg balance was $208,500 and my HELOC was about $14,000.00. My total debt was $222,500.00. Now at the EARLY stage of using the MMA software, everytime I make a 1st mtg payment, $150.00 goes towards principle on an I O Loan. I remember a famous quote from the most sold book ever; "Sir, all I know was once I was blind and now I see." PS I have been in the mortgage business for 22 years and this quote applys to me. I was a skeptic for 6 weeks, listened watched Webinar's check out information and made the right decision. UFIRST is the perfect name because it is directed to the consumer instead of the bank being first.

JD | 10:10 p.m. June 29, 2008

Laura misquoted and it should be corrected, she makes it sound like a bi-weekly program and it is not, is far from a twice a month payment plan, "...homeowners pay on their debt twice a month"
UFirst will change and is changing the landscape of the mortgage industry, and will educate and help millions of people to get out of debt and to build wealth. This will result in our nation getting back to the path our forefathers envisioned us in. This is much bigger than most can comprehend, this will be global and bigger than any industry ever created.

IL | 6:30 a.m. June 30, 2008

Fred, SB & AJ,
I don't pretend to be the smartest guy on the block when it comes to financial matters, but I was able to sit in on a meeting set up for people in the mortgage industry. What I saw was seasoned proessionals picking their jaws up off the floor.
You THINK you know what this product is... believe me, you don't have a clue.

RS Atl. | 9:01 a.m. June 30, 2008

Consider this...the market is no longer providing robust market valuations based on higher apprasied values each year. THIS IS A FACT. In my city, home values have decreased 7% this year alone. The MMA program, can and does provide a solution to reclaim real equity value saving OUR homes no matter thier value, from further depreciation.This will make the difference financially for a lot of people. Consider this... by changing the LTV, we can improve our credit, we also improve our income to debt ratio...without changing our income. This is life changing.
Debt is not bad, bad debt is never good. We owe future generations the example of lowering our debt...we owe ourselves the freedom from the tyranny of mortagage interest and other forms of debt interest.
Happy Independance Day...and congrats to those gaining financial independance for their families.
This product is a blessing, thanks UFirst
RS IN ATLANTA

Caly | 9:46 a.m. June 30, 2008

This program and service from United First Financial is one of the best solutions I have seen in my 20 years of finance. It's not about rocket science; it's about a sensible solution to a problem that no one has seemed to be able to resolve. Remember, "Insanity is doing the same thing day after day, and expecting different results." Congratulations to UFirst and the Money Merge Account!

MR | 11:44 a.m. June 30, 2008

I have been looking into this product for two weeks. I ran a comparison using UFirst software and traditional amortization schedule with same assumptions. The traditional Amort schedules pays loan quicker than UFirst software. It appears that it only works if you put 100% of discetionary money towards mortgage. Am I missing something??

Caly | 1:36 p.m. June 30, 2008

There are a lot of different factors that go in to each scenerio. This product is not right for every situation. If your running a comparison between an amortization schedule and the initial analysis, the analysis software savings are geared very low because it cant predict how long each individual client will leave their money against the principal balance. The actual "user software" accounts for each individual and is usually around 20% better than the initial analysis.

Gaby | 5:38 a.m. July 1, 2008

In Jan I started out with 8 years left on mtg. Analysis said I would pay it off in 10 mos. I actually paid it off in 5 months. Iam debt free. My husband was getting natural cancer treatments, which are very expensive. That actually helped to pay the mortgage off earlier. There is no way I would have been able to pay more onto the mortgage payments on my own. The MMA actually told me to stop paying bi-weekly and stop paying the $60 extra a month that I was paying and still paid it off early.
My mom who is 83 will pay off her 9 year and a new car in 1 year. What do you think that will do for her to have the extra $500 a month she will be saving? We definitely are changing lives with UFirst!

DB | 5:56 a.m. July 1, 2008

I'm a 71 year old businessman who had been retired for 8 years. I came off the golf course to share this product with friends and neighbors after hearing several amazing success stories. As Brian Toper, Editor of Broker /banker magazine said last July, "This is the real deal". He had never endorsed a product, but he endorsed this one. Now he's an Agent for United First Financial. I rest my case.

Pragmatist | 7:19 a.m. July 1, 2008

Take the passion out of both sides and do the numbers. For some individuals, a great many, UF is a great deal. For others such as myself it is was not. We all are responsible for our financial well being and if you don't take the time to explore options such as UF then you are being very foolish. I spent a couple of months researching UF it was a good deal for vast majority of people just not in my case.

skeptic | 5:36 p.m. July 1, 2008

Why doesn't ufirst just reduce the price of their software so more people can afford to buy it,if they are really looking to help people. Instead they are insistant on creating a downline similiar to amway where agents get paid for signing other people up to sell the software.

Hesitant | 7:41 p.m. July 1, 2008

I read all the comments and I was surprised to learn UFirst is a multi level network marketing type business. The agent working with me did not mention that and while it would not have necessarily deterred me, it does concern me. Guess I don't like those type of surprises.
I have several brokers and savvy financial pros give me thumbs down on UFirst product mainly because they know I am able to discipline myself to pay extra towards the principal and the UFirst software fee(commission) seems high. I have a I/O loan with 5.3 rate that expires in couple of years and for last 5 years I have paid $100-200/mos to principal. I will need to refi which adds big dollars plus the $3500 software fee for the UFirst package. I am still going to review the analysis results based on my numbers provided to the agent selling UFirst. I find the UFirst concept hard to grasp and am hesitant.

MtgePro | 5:33 a.m. July 2, 2008

It's quite clear that many of you don't understand the MMA. Firstly it is not multi level. It is direct sales and the pay structure is based on how the insurance industry pays its agents. Secondly the $3500.00 is paid from the equity line and not from the clients pockets. Also If it only took $3500 of the bank's to save me at least 10-15 plus years in compunded interest, That's a no brainer. One of my clients who started in July 2007 with 99,000.00 just made his last mortgage payment on April 30th,2008. That's under 10 months. How in the world are you going to payoff $99,000 on your own in 10 months. Listen some of you are afraid to admit that you don't understand how it works and then you choose to badmouth U1st and the progress they're making. They have done more for this country to help homeowners than the govt has. Please take your time to understand the program because if you truly understand it,you will sing a different song. check out myfinancialfreedompoint website. U1st is saving lives and giving people hope/ what are you doing for your fellow man??

RGU | 9:54 a.m. July 2, 2008

U first Agents don't get paid for signing up agents. They strictly get paid commission on a sale. There is a lot of time spent with a client explaining the program and doing analysis, some get on the program some don't. But if an agent didn't make a living at this business, they wouldn't be able to do it, and people wouldn't know about it. No one is asking Real Estate Agents, Insurance Agents, etc, etc, etc, not to make a commission, why shouldn't U first agents make a commission on basically a onetime sale that is helping someone for a lifetime?

Sue@TeamSue.com | 9:21 p.m. July 2, 2008

I have been a UFirst Independent Agent for over a year and a half. I completely understand people being skeptical. I think it is a genetically ingrained survival instinct to fear something new.

Also... there is somewhat of a "crabs in a bucket" thing that happens when people see others bettering their circumstances.

However anyone that has an open mind and asks all the questions, will get answers and information that will allow them to feel comfortable with this program.

The NEW version is even more amazing than the old... and even the best money managers, with great "do it yourself" plans, will see the value in it. It takes whatever your plan is.. and puts it on steroids. The new algorithms use FACTORIAL math to get you to the quickest way to zero, paying the least amount in interest.

Check it out... it could change your life. It did mine.

Trent | 10:46 p.m. July 2, 2008

I understand why some people are skeptical about the Money Merge Account. I use to be one of them. I work in the financial industry, I did all the research and I felt I could beat the system. Then, after further research I found that the system does more for helping people to get ahead financially than I initially thought.

If you do your due diligence, with a truly open mind, you will see why people who thought they could do this on their own, are actually using the program now, and getting ahead of what they said they could do. This is truly a step ahead!

Leslie Purdy | 6:28 a.m. July 3, 2008

I signed up in December 2007 and was scheduled to payoff ALL debt in 15 years, but in June 2008, it was 12.4 years. I was so impressed with the program that I became an agent!! IT REALLY WORKS!

Joe | 10:53 a.m. July 3, 2008

Rather than just guess and surmise on how this program works I would have thought it would be better to get the full details from an agent, thats what I did.
I was one of the skeptics who said it was too good to be true and I dont mind admitting that it had to be explained to me more than once, but when you finally get it you get it.
What I have found is that most of the detractors are in the business of trying to sell another product or financial service.
This program is not a remedy for prior financial mistakes and bad decisions but a tool and a guide to the future financial decisions that we all know we will have to make.
As for the price tag it seems expensive but the way I justified my purchase was very simple to me;
Savings in term= 12 years
Savings in Interest= $86,397
This is a cost of $0.79 per day as opposed to $33.63 per day for 25.8 years.
I know which one works for me, call me stupid if you like but I get to keep my $86,397 thank you.
It's your choice.

Craig | 10:14 p.m. July 6, 2008

To believe in the MMA, you don't need an open mind - you need a porous mind. You need to forget about anything you might have learned about mortgages and interest and math in high school.

The MMA is just mortgage prepayment, hidden behind a software and HELOC smokescreen. Any reduction in the life of your mortgage is directly attributable to the extra money the MMA software directs you to transfer from the HELOC to the mortgage. From published examples, the MMA timing is nowhere near optimal. You can certainly do better on your own, and many people are. Any savings shown by a "personalized MMA report" or by others here can easily be beaten by a few months and a few thousand dollars or more by simply saving the $3500 fee and moving extra money to the mortgage every month. It's that simple to beat the MMA.

Also, the MMA will not work if you spend more than you earn. UFF says so right in their website FAQ.

CB | 12:00 a.m. July 10, 2008

If everyone can do better on their own, why are tens of thousands of people flocking to this system, and state that they tried on their own only to fail. The Money Merge Account isn't magic. It simply helps people to get out of debt faster through proven banking strategies and financial education. To all those who dont use it, and bash it, why not accept that the people who are using it are thrilled with their results. I use to be a skeptic, then I decided to try it. Plain and simple, it works.

jd | 10:24 p.m. July 28, 2008

The Money Merge Account is like login onto the internet with cable. I'm looking for the fastest way to zero. Dial up won't due.

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