--- title: Have You Looked Under the Hood Lately? description: Like cars, your family’s finances need regular maintenance. Get a free 5-point financial inspection today! image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hub/135704/file-1337954949.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/have-you-looked-under-the-hood-lately#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [Tips & Tricks](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/tips-tricks) # Have You Looked Under the Hood Lately? 1 min read [** Ryan Hahler ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/ryan-hahler) Ryan is Sr. Manager of Business Development with brightpeak financial. Like many of you, he’s a dad learning by experience. Ryan, his wife, and two school-age girls live in Minneapolis, MN and love to spend time biking and sailing around the local lakes when the weather is warm and skiing the local slopes when the weather is cold (which is way too often in Minnesota…). ***Like cars, your family’s finances need regular maintenance. Get a ***[***free 5-point financial inspection***](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/financial-assessment/?tracklink_origin_financial_assessment=utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast3&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike)*** today!*** Mechanic or not, you probably know the basics of a car safety inspection: Lights and signals, tires and treads, brake system, fluid levels, electrical and safety components. Similarly, you probably know the basics of a financial inspection:  **[![NFI_LIB_500x500_bpfOCHD073014.2](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hub/135704/file-1337954949.jpg?width=350&name=file-1337954949.jpg)](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/financial-assessment/?tracklink_origin_financial_assessment=utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast3&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike)** 1. Are you spending less than you earn? 2. Are you saving for emergencies, retirement, and things you need or want? 3. Are you buying only what you can afford today (and even trying to buy less than you think you can afford)? 4. Are you paying down credit card debt if you have it and limiting or eliminating your use of debt to finance your lifestyle? 5. Are you putting a plan in place to protect your loved ones if something happened to you or your spouse? Unfortunately, we don’t often look under the hood for a good inspection. Like we talked about in a previous post, us dads are often careful about our family's safety; but, when it comes to our [family's financial safety](https://www.fatherhood.org/fatherhood/how-safe-is-your-family), we may fall short. It’s understandable…life is busy and it can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re not sure what exactly to look for! For the same reason you take your car to a mechanic, [brightpeak financial](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/about-brightpeak/?utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast&utm_content=about%20brightpeak&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike) is offering a [**free financial check-up**](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/financial-assessment/?tracklink_origin_financial_assessment=utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast3&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike) to all National Fatherhood Initiative readers. It involves an online questionnaire you can complete on your own terms, plus a follow-up call from a trained financial guide to help you identify opportunities for improvement and an action plan to help you move forward. ***[Click here to get started!](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/financial-assessment/?tracklink_origin_financial_assessment=utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast3&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike) It feels good to get a plan in place and your family might just think you’re a financial genius, too!* ** [brightpeak financial](http://www.brightpeakfinancial.com/about-brightpeak/?utm_source=NFI&utm_medium=eblast&utm_content=about%20brightpeak&utm_campaign=JULY14%20-%20StepUpToTheMike) is a division of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a not-for-profit membership organization of Christians founded more than a century ago, which is based in Appleton, WI 54919-0001. bpfOCHD072314.2 Date Published: 07/30/2014 Last Updated: 07/30/2014 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! [Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/balance-work-family-be-a-better-husband-father-with-less-effort) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/why-parents-shouldnt-be-concerned-about-their-childrens-texting) ## Related Articles ### [Limited Blog Series: Supporting My Co-Parent Image created with GPT Image 2. Quick Confidence Builds are brief activities that practitioners can use when working with dads in face-to-face or virtual group-based or one-on-one ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/supporting-my-co-parent) ### [Five Leadership Practices That Build Father-Inclusive Organizations Image created with GPT Image 2. Creating a father-inclusive organization doesn't happen through a new but isolated fatherhood program, staff training on how to include fathers, or ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/five-leadership-practices-that-build-father-inclusive-organizations) ### [Limited Blog Series: Fathering Stressors Image created with GPT Image 2. Quick Confidence Builds are brief activities that practitioners can use when working with dads in face-to-face or virtual group-based or one-on-one ... 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