Take a Stand. Be Inspired. Move onUp.

Take a Stand. Be Inspired. Move onUp. 
We’re all driven by personal connections. For me, it’s my family and the inspiration I feel to make a difference in their lives – to keep them safe, content, happy, and prepared. This basic principle proves true for companies and organizations too. There is a movement, a growing trend, toward personal responsibility as well as social responsibility on the part of businesses and organizations. It’s no secret, people want to work for and do business with organizations that stand for something, that contribute to society in a meaningful way and help others.

A “purpose-driven” company that recently got my attention is SunTrust Bank and its onUp Movement.  They focus on helping Americans just like you and I move past financial stress to gain financial confidence – one step at a time. 

Look, I get it. Talking about money is hard, even taboo for some. You just bought holiday gifts for your family and friends – and now for the financial hangover. Ugh, for some it can be brutal. But it’s a new year and a new you, and we are not alone. SunTrust’s research revealed that some 80 percent of Americans said that worrying about money keeps them up at night; that’s not okay.

And, more than 40 percent don’t have $2,000 saved for an emergency, and that number grows to 60 percent for millennials, according to a recent Harris Poll on behalf of SunTrust. Many families are struggling and those that don’t appear to be are frequently in high debt. We as a nation are all in this together. These financial stressors can impact any of us, no matter our income or way of life.

Sun Trust’s onUp is a movement that incorporates inspiration, education and positive steps to move Americans just like us onward and upward to achieve financial confidence and well-being.

Sun Trust launched onUp last February at the Super Bowl. Today, it’s a hub where people can take action and find tools and tips that have proven to be game changers for people facing financial turmoil or just families like mine that want to take control of their financial future. With a son that just graduated college and 3 other kids, I can’t afford not to think about the future.

Since its launch less than a year ago, onUp now has more than one million participants. These are people just like you and me that want to be financially literate, help their children pay for college, have a small emergency fun, and be able to pay for fun outings, experiences and classes for their kids.

It’s probably no surprise that people who feel confident about their finances are three times happier with their lives. I don’t even want to know the statistics for how many financial melt downs have caused divorce – I can already guess!

But what is surprising is that only 20 percent of Americans actually experience this sense of contentment. Sun Trust wants to change this statistic and help make financial well-being a reality for more people. In a world where everyone strives to stand out from the crowd, this movement wants to bring the crowd together. Its goal is to unite people in a common cause – by moving people out of financial stress and toward financial confidence.  My favorite is the Family: Plan for Growth, but you may be more interested in retirement, or home ownership. Life never stops coming at you but you don’t have to be unprepared.

I endorse this movement to all my wonderful viewers who may feel the pain of financial stress, whether big or small. Now is your time. Take that first step, join the onUp Movement and start lighting your way toward financial confidence. And of course, tell me about your first step…

This article is sponsored by onUp however the opinions, ideas & excitement above are 100% mine!