What do Bigfoot and credit reports have in common They re each the subject of many myths We don t know much about -foot furry creatures but we can dispel some of the folklore about credit and credit reports Neile Simon is here to help us do that today Neile Simon is a Certified Credit Counselor with Christian Credit Counselors CCC an underwriter of Faith Finance If you've ever wondered whether closing a credit card boosts your score or if credit counseling hurts your credit you're not alone Let's dive into these common misconceptions and separate fact from fiction Myth [... more]

The real estate market may be in its winter slump but spring is just around the corner only five weeks away Higher interest rates have kept many home buyers and sellers off the sidelines in recent years But could a change be on the horizon Today mortgage expert Dale Vermillion joins us with a market forecast and some practical advice on how to move forward Dale Vermillion is the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze The Simple Truth About Financing Your Home This book covers everything you need to know about securing a mortgage all from a biblical perspective Is [... more]

Larry Burkett once said The one principle that surrounds everything else is that of stewardship that we are the managers of everything that God has given us These words remind us that stewardship is not just about money or tithing it s about faithfully managing everything God has entrusted to us As believers we re called to be stewards because God created and owns everything Our role is to manage His resources wisely for His purposes But how can we know if we re fulfilling this calling To guide our journey of faithfulness let s explore the seven marks of [... more]

What if everything you own isn t really yours It s a biblical truth that changes everything once you grasp it The belief that God owns it all has profound implications for how we manage our resources and our lives Let s explore what it means to be a faithful steward of everything God has entrusted to us The Foundation of Biblical Money ManagementThe cornerstone of biblical money management is the belief that God owns everything Psalm states this clearly The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and those who dwell therein Paul builds on this [... more]

Money and relationships are a tricky combination When a family member or close friend asks to borrow money it can put you in a difficult spot On the one hand you want to help someone you care about but on the other lending money can easily lead to strained relationships or hurt feelings Proverbs reads The borrower becomes slave to the lender Lending money can hurt a relationship And that can happen whether you lend the money or not You re between a rock and a hard place and it seems like either way someone may end up resentful There [... more]

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich - Corinthians That verse is among the most cited on the subject of generosity and for good reason It links generosity with the Gospel Dr Nathan Harris joins us to make that connection even stronger Dr Nathan Harris is Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Mobile in Mobile Alabama He is also the author of A Short Guide to Gospel Generosity Giving as an Act of [... more]

The Fed is scheduled to meet next week Will it lower interest rates again With one rate cut already on the books and perhaps two more coming before the end of the year folks are wondering what effect all this will have on mortgages and home sales Dale Vermillion joins us today to talk about it Dale Vermillion is the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze The Simple Truth About Financing Your Home This book covers everything you need to know about securing a mortgage all from a biblical perspective Current Mortgage Rate TrendsWith recent shifts in the economy many [... more]

If you bought a house in the last couple of years you ve probably been wondering When can I refinance The Federal Reserve has already made one interest rate cut and more are expected before the end of the year So when will it make sense to refinance your mortgage If you re considering refinancing your mortgage it s crucial to weigh various factors before making a decision Movement Mortgage provides a helpful article Refinancing Calculate Your Break-Even Point First which explains when refinancing makes sense and how to determine if it's right for you While lower interest rates are [... more]

Giving is supposed to be a source of great joy for God s people But sometimes we act like it s just another pain in our wallet Christians are supposed to be generous but maybe you re having trouble getting excited about the idea Today we ll point you back to the radical joy of godly generosity Has Your Giving Become Automatic Let s start with an honest confession has your Sunday donation become a routine more about the habit than the heart Or maybe you ve been cutting back on giving due to financial challenges and guilt is starting [... more]

A recent survey shows that most parents think they should teach their kids financial literacy the good news is that many are actually doing it Still other parents may not know how to teach their kids financial responsibility Ron Blue joins us today to discuss how he and his wife Judy did it Ron Blue is the co-founder of Kingdom Advisors and the author of many books on biblical finance including Your Kids Can Master Their Money Fun Ways to Help Them Learn How The Importance of Financial Education at HomeA recent survey by the Bank of Oklahoma Financial reveals [... more]

Most of today s renters say they d like to buy a home but a clear majority think they ll never be able to afford it It s certainly gotten more difficult to buy a house these days with soaring home values and interest rates But certainly not impossible especially if you re prepared Renting Is Not Throwing Money AwayOne of the most common myths in the housing market is that renting is equivalent to throwing money down the drain However this perspective is misguided Renting provides a home for you and your family which is a valuable use of [... more]

The late Tim Keller once said Just because you can t see or imagine a good reason why God would allow something bad to happen doesn t mean there can t be one When something bad happens to your finances it s tempting to wonder if God really knows what he s doing Well He does Today we ll find God s comfort in the midst of financial trials Peter reminds us of God s love for us in the midst of life s troubles Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you It s a reassuring [... more]

And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap if we do not give up - Galatians One Christian ministry has been doing good for nearly years and shows zero signs of growing weary Scott Collins joins us today to discuss Buckner International and its ongoing efforts to support foster care adoption and family outreach Scott Collins is the Senior Vice President of Communications at Buckner International an underwriter of Faith Finance A Legacy of Service Since Buckner International founded by R C Buckner years ago with just for its first orphanage has [... more]

Are you storing up treasures on earth or in heaven Are you focused on the temporal or the eternal In Matthew Jesus clarifies that our hearts will always follow after what we treasure Was he talking about money Chad Clark shares his insights with us today Chad Clark is the Executive Director of FaithFi Faith Finance What does Jesus mean when he says For where your treasure is your heart will be also It challenges us to evaluate what we treasure most It's common for us to say that where our money is there our hearts will be and we [... more]

Are you confident you'll be able to retire comfortably someday Are you taking steps to make that happen Inadequate savings faulty assumptions and high inflation could create barriers to a comfortable retirement Can we learn anything from today's retirees Matt Bell thinks we can and joins us today to discuss this Matt Bell is the Managing Editor at Sound Mind Investing an underwriter of Faith Finance What does the latest Employee Benefit Research Institute data show about how people feel about their retirement prospects In the latest report nearly of people in the workforce and somewhat higher numbers of those [... more]

At the most recent Kingdom Advisors Conference John shared an incredible story about some friends of his and an inheritance decision they made I've got some friends who are a super sharp young couple in their s His Father shared that he was about to give them a vast multi-million-dollar inheritance Amazing But they had been reflecting carefully on money and faith for months They said 'We are so grateful for this but we're already OK And if we got this money we'd start to rely on the shifting sands of this money for our security instead of the firm [... more]

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL UNDERSTANDING STEWARDSHIP AND PRIDEIn Luke - Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who credits himself for his wealth planning to build larger barns for his abundant crops highlighting his self-reliance and pride BIBLICAL WARNINGS AGAINST PRIDE Corinthians questions what we have that we did not receive from God critiquing the notion of boasting about personal achievements Timothy - emphasizes contentment with what we have reminding us that we brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out Corinthians - instructs us to boast in the Lord not in ourselves for true [... more]

Dale Vermillion is the author of Navigating The Mortgage Maze The Simple Truth About Financing Your Home HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT TREND IN MORTGAGE RATES Mortgage rates are stabilizing currently fluctuating around to expected to gradually decrease over the coming months Rates have become more stable recently bouncing around a consistent range Predictions indicate a potential drop below by the end of the year Stability and future trends are largely influenced by inflation and bond market conditions WHAT IMPACT MIGHT THE FED'S EXPECTED INTEREST RATE CUTS HAVE ON MORTGAGE RATES Though Federal rate cuts don't directly correlate with [... more]

Neile Simon is a Certified Credit Counselor with Christian Credit Counselors and underwriter of this program WHAT ARE SOME TRIED AND TRUE WAYS TO AVOID DEBT AND PROMOTE FINANCIAL WELLNESS Neile Simon from Christian Credit Counselors shares key strategies to manage finances effectively emphasizing the importance of budgeting reducing debt and saving for emergencies Creating or updating a budget is crucial Most Americans need to revisit their budgets especially to adjust for inflation Your budget should track major expenses such as housing food transportation and more It's also wise to review and possibly reduce subscriptions to entertainment services by examining [... more]

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal Matthew Ken Boa and Russ Crosson are our guests today Ken is a pastor and founder of Reflections Ministries Russ is executive vice president and chief mission officer of Ronald Blue Trust They're authors of Leverage Using Temporal Wealth for Eternal Gain WHAT IS BIBLICAL LEVERAGE AND HOW CAN IT IMPACT ETERNITY Biblical leverage is the concept of using your current wealth to make a significant impact on eternity It involves investing in God's work around the world [... more]

Ron Blue is the founder of Kingdom Advisors our parent organization He's also the author of a shelf-full of books on biblical finance Disagreements in marriage especially on topics like money and faith are common Giving can be a contentious issue since it involves both RON BLUE'S EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE Ron shares a personal experience about how his wife's silent example led him to embrace tithing and giving emphasizing the importance of living a compelling Christian life over pressing the issue He advises couples to prioritize their relationship and demonstrate a Christ-like life He suggests mutual submission and finding common [... more]

If you're not familiar with the latest variation of the individual retirement account it wouldn't be surprising It's only gone into effect this year ABOUT LEGACY IRAs Unlike a traditional IRA a Legacy IRA indirectly provides income to retirees through a Charitable Gift Annuity CGA A CGA is an agreement between a donor and a nonprofit organization where the donor donates assets and the nonprofit provides regular payments for life based on the donated assets keeping the assets upon the donor's death The Legacy IRA allows individuals over the age of with a traditional IRA to take up to as [... more]

Without counsel plans fail but with many advisers they succeed Proverbs Well as you know we always recommend you look for a financial advisor with the Certified Kingdom Advisor Designation and you can do that by going to FaithFi com and clicking on Find a CKA When you do you'll also find a long list of questions you can ask potential advisors We're going to give you some of them today though because folks have been asking The first thing you should understand is that the type of advisor you're interviewing will determine what you ask And that only makes [... more]