How the Cherrys paid off their mortgage in four months 

David and Jackie Cherry say they didn’t realise the extent of their debt and spending traps until strategists forensically analysed their situation. With Infinity Group’s support, they quickly paid off their mortgage, reinvested and are building wealth for the future.

It’s rare for a couple to credit their teenage son for kicking off the transformation of their financial lives, but for David and Jackie Cherry, that’s how it began. 

The pair’s 16-year-old son, Oscar, had experienced a personal tragedy – losing a close friend to suicide – and found himself feeling lost and in a rut. 

“As parents, we were on the ropes,” says David. “We had one of our most beautiful, prized possessions down in the dumps about life.” 

In an effort to lift his spirits, Oscar asked his dad if they could travel to Melbourne to see motivational speaker David Goggins, but in a surprise twist, the teenager found himself more drawn to the story of Infinity Group founder and CEO Graeme Holm. 

According to his parents, Oscar had connected with his story about feeling disconnected and adrift, as a C-grade school student, to building a successful company with some of the brightest minds. 

“I could just see in Oscar something had changed,” says Jackie. “And it gives me goosebumps to this day, because in that moment, he just had a spark in him that has never gone.” 

The encounter encouraged David and Jackie to complete Infinity Group’s two-day Masterclass – an event designed to educate attendees about reducing debt, accelerating mortgage repayment and building wealth. 

After that, they engaged in a process where their past financial decisions were critically analysed. They say it was a reality check that changed the trajectory of their lives. 

“We paid our house off in four months, we’ll never have credit cards again, so just from our perspective, it’s changed phenomenally – but more importantly, it’s rippled down to our children,” says Jackie. 

A financial wake-up call 

Once the Infinity Group’s strategy convinced the Cherrys, they began working with finance strategist Benjamin Fenley and an accountant to assess their financial situation and pay down their debt. 

While they had a family home – which Jackie says was handcrafted by David – they admit little planning had gone into their future finances. 

“We had no financial future, no retirement plan, there was no literacy to teach our kids anything other than spend everything you have access to, tap on the credit card, whatever you want you can have,” says David. 

To better set themselves up for the future, the couple began a process of working more, being disciplined with spending and selling down the extras. Their assets included an investment property, a new car they had purchased and bits and pieces they had collected during the pandemic. 

“Everything that wasn’t bolted down got sold,” says Jackie. 

The couple radically restructured their finances, with Infinity Group’s help, and now own their home outright – having paid it off over four months. They then moved into a phase of rebuilding and have also bought four investment properties and are growing their retirement wealth through a self-managed super fund. 

They both admit the road hasn’t been easy: they live on a tight budget, they’ve faced backlash from loved ones who feared they signed up for a pyramid scheme, and they’re working longer and harder. However, both say it’s worth it. 

“We’ve always got $40-$50,000 in a savings account, which makes us proud, and we now know we are going to have a comfortable retirement,” says David. 

Their Infinity Group strategist, Fenley, says there are no shortcuts. 

“We don’t control our clients’ money by any means, but what we do is keep them accountable,” he says. 

Fenley says Infinity has an 11-year track record of helping their clients pay off their mortgages quickly, which has helped the company build momentum. 

“Of course, we still get the 1-2% of people who think it’s rubbish, but we’ve got too many clients now to prove that wrong,” he says. “At the end of the day, we don’t want to work with those people anyway. We’ll just give them their money back and let them go on their way, and most of the time, they’ll come back. 

Fenley says he has used Infinity’s principles to build his own wealth. 

“I’ve had my own success following what we do, a lot of the staff have as well,” he says. 

As for the Cherrys’ son Oscar, Infinity Group cemented an ambition that hasn’t receded since. He’s now a third-year apprentice carpenter, got a second job coaching soccer and has saved a milestone $100,000. 

“He just pretty much has worked non-stop to get that goal,” says his proud mum, Jackie. “To have that passion and ambition – it’s been such a beautiful end to what could have been an otherwise sad story.” 

“I think that’s why we’re so passionate. It’s changed our lives,” she says. 

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To learn more about Infinity Group, go to infinity.com.au