This Faith in Finance podcast is underwritten in part by Movement Mortgage. Movement provides residential home loans in all 50 states. Founded in 2008, amidst one of the biggest financial meltdowns in American history, Movement set forth on a mission to create a movement of change in their industry and in communities. Learn more at movement.com/slash faith. Movement Mortgage LLC supports equal housing opportunity, NMLS number 39179.
For licensing information, please visit NMLSconsumerAccess.org. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. Proverbs 14, verse 8. Hi, I'm Rob West. Today we're continuing our series on temperaments: how our God-given wiring shapes the way we communicate, relate to others, and make financial decisions.
Kathleen Edelman is back with us, joined by Rachel Penny, as we take a closer look at the green temperament and how it influences our approach to money. Then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, we're thrilled to have Kathleen Edelman back with us today. She's a communication and temperament expert and the author of the recently revised, I Said This, You Heard That, How Your Wiring Colors Your Communication. Kathleen, always a pleasure to have you here. Oh, I'm so happy to be here again. This is so great.
Well, we have loved this series. I think we're helping so many people. Kathleen, as you know, we're joined today by Rachel Petty as well. She's a valued member of your team. And, Rachel, I'm thrilled you're here.
Thanks so much, Rob. Absolutely.
Well, last week we kicked off the series by diving into the red temperament. And today, we're shifting our focus to the green temperament.
Now, Rachel, we understand that you fall personally into this color, and we'll get into what that looks like in just a moment. But, Kathleen, if people are listening today saying, Red, green, what are you talking about? Give us a quick refresher on the temperament model you teach. Of course.
So, temperament dates back to Hippocrates, and temperament falls into four different categories, and each speaks their own. Their own language and they have distinct strengths and weaknesses.
So the yellow sanguine is an extrovert that's people-oriented. They speak the language of people and fun. That's me. Yes, that's you. The red choleric is an extrovert that's task-oriented.
They speak the language of power and control. The blue is a melancholic. They're an introvert that's task-oriented. They speak the language of perfection and order. That's me.
And then Rachel is green. She's a phlegmatic. She's an introvert. And listen, she's people-oriented. Interesting.
And they speak the language of calm and harmony.
So this shapes communication, decision-making, relationships, and how you handle money. Yeah, you touched on this, but quickly, talk to somebody who's saying, wait a minute, introvert and people-oriented? How does that work?
Well, this is communication. That's what I teach. And so when you look at the chart that's in my book, you have to find out that temperament. The foundation of it is extrovert, introvert, people, and task, right? That's the foundation.
If we just knew that, we could start identifying who we are. All right.
So now it's time to zero in on one of our four temperaments. As we said, we're going to focus today on the green or the phlegmatic. And Rachel, you took the assessment, found out the green is your dominant temperament.
So let's start with your initial reaction. Honestly, I wasn't very surprised because I've been told my whole life I was easygoing, calm, and steady. Probably like other people, the strengths were easy to own, but the weaknesses bring conviction. I've learned that the green is both introverted, like you guys said, meaning their thoughts and feelings go inward and people-oriented. And really, that was a huge aha moment, different than other.
Assessments that helped me understand communication and interactions with people.
Well, this is interesting because that's exactly when we're talking extrovert/introvert. I teach it's how you process information.
So, that's what she's talking about. Like when we were talking about reds, greens are the polar opposite of red.
So, greens can often feel overlooked or misunderstood. They're actually relationship glue. This is the person, again, that's an introvert. They inward process, but they will always prioritize people.
So, they're uniquely wired to be the calm in the midst of chaos. They innately are great leaders of people, where reds are great leaders of tasks. Interesting. Yeah.
So, when everything goes haywire at your home, you're the person we want in the mix. Let's hope so. That's exactly right.
So, in what ways does your green temperament influence specifically financial decisions?
Well, I love making a plan ahead of time and accountability that comes from a budget, particularly with someone else. I shy away from flashy financial risks. I'm a slow plotter when it comes to long-term planning. I like to kind of sit it and forget it. I have had to learn to communicate around concrete numbers and not feelings or stress over things.
I really like low-stress talks about money. I usually want to decide once, like I said, and not really revisit decisions as often. I think big picture more than drilling into the details. Yeah, that makes sense.
So you don't want to micromanage the finances. You want to just make that decision thoughtfully and move on. That's what I prefer. Yeah, that makes sense.
All right.
Well, Kathleen's going to reflect on that here in a moment. We're going to continue to unpack this. What are strategies the green temperament can use to make more confident financial decisions? And what if you have a green temperament in your life? How do you communicate with him?
Kathleen Edelman, Rachel Petty here today. We're talking temp. permits and money. We'll be right back. We're grateful for support from Movement Mortgage, who provides residential home loans in all 50 states.
Guided by a mission to love and value people and a goal to redefine the mortgage process, Movement seeks to help others achieve their financial goals. You can find out more at movement.com/slash faith. Movement Mortgage LLC supports Equal Housing Opportunity, NMLS, number 39179. For licensing information, please visit NMLSconsumerAccess.org. Faith in Finance is grateful for support from Sound Mind Investing.
For more than 30 years, they've offered financial wisdom for living well. SMI provides step-by-step guidance for do-it-yourself investors, from those just getting started to those getting ready for retirement. More information, including a short video webinar on profit and peace of mind no matter what's happening in the market, is available at soundmindinvesting.org. Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West.
With me today, my friend and communication and temperament expert, Kathleen Edelman. We're in the midst of a series as we look at each of the four temperaments and how they relate to money decisions. Today, we're focused on the green temperament, and our representative green is Rachel Petty, who serves on Kathleen's team. And she's been gracious to come in and talk about how her temperament affects financial decision making. And Kathleen, before the break, Rachel was sharing that she loves to make a plan ahead of time.
She doesn't want to take a lot of risks. She likes to and has learned to communicate around concrete numbers, but she likes when people are involved and she wants to get it done and move on, not revisit it over and over again. Yeah, oh, that's perfect. And because the green's innate need for harmony plays a role, they're going to do whatever they can to. To keep the peace, maybe avoiding action or avoiding conflict.
And that could lead to procrastination, especially with long-term planning.
So, when we communicate with a green, it would benefit all of us to communicate with gentle encouragement and small, manageable steps. And when we ask for their thoughts and opinions and give them time to think, the greens actually make very thoughtful and steady financial decisions. Yeah, that's really helpful. All right, Rachel.
So, what strategies have you found, given that you're an inward processor, but you're focused on people as a green? How do you feel more confident when making financial decisions?
Well, I can think of three strategies that I use: really: stay involved and speak my mind.
So, I can tend towards being unengaged and letting others decide things that really relate to any choice. But it's a discipline for me to jump off the fence and choose a choice or a strategy or an action. Yeah, and that's in part because you don't want the conflict, right? But you need to engage. But I have learned that conflict comes when I don't make a decision more often than when I jump off the fence and do make a decision.
That's helpful. The second one is naming what matters. When making a big decision, I really benefit from thinking about and naming what's important in a situation. That gives me and whoever I'm talking with a common language on that macro level, and then we can use that as a grid to make the decisions further on in smaller choices.
So, give me an example of that.
So, I can think of my husband and I deciding about what a trip is going to look like: whether it's going to be a relaxing vacation, a family trip, visiting relatives, or a time for adventure, which is definitely his favorite. But that kind of helps us know what that time is going to look like, what are we going to spend money on, how is it going to be structured, and all those decisions that come from that. Obviously, you can't always get what you want, but it helps me decide and prioritize more easily. And then, the third is having or making a deadline. That's really helpful for me for accountability.
I can see a lot of paths forward, but a deadline helps me move into action. That makes sense. And that's right. You know, greens thrive when they feel valued and respected.
So, this is a person, their voice may be quiet, but it's important.
So, give them time to process and the space for them to access their insight. What we really have to remember is they resent being pushed. If they are pushed, they will definitely slow down and they may even stop.
So they will absolutely come to a decision or. If they are pushed, they'll compromise if they aren't given the time to think. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Now, Rachel, you've mentioned your husband several times.
So, obviously, you all have found a way recognizing your temperaments, your strengths, and your weaknesses, how to create a path forward.
So, what can you share with us about how your temperament shapes the way you communicate about money specifically?
So my husband and I are opposites, and I'm really thankful for the accountability that that relationship brings because I'm not really sure where I would end up on my own. I might find accountability with someone else. But my husband is great at encouraging me, and I'm really grateful that we talk things through ahead of time. We make decisions together. Otherwise, I can tend to be overwhelmed.
Yeah.
So greens really, they have no sense of urgency.
So clear guidelines and timelines help them achieve their goals. They want to be included, not pressured.
So reducing pressure and conflict will result in healthier communication and way more thoughtful outcomes for everyone. That's really helpful. Kathleen, I know you've identified specific, what you call innate needs for each temperament. I think this will be helpful for our audience. Share what those are for the green temperament.
Absolutely.
So innate needs is what separates me from all other assessments. And for the green, harmony. Everyone getting along, lack of stress, the absence of conflict or combative words. Feeling of worth, appreciated for their unique strengths, and respect being asked for their thoughts and opinions.
So, when these innate needs are met, greens are calm, they're kind, they're great listeners. They want the other temperaments to know that they do have good opinions and they do have thoughts that they want to share, even though they may be a person of very few words. But when these innate needs are ignored, they may start to control by withdrawing or procrastinating. Interesting. All right, Rachel.
So, as you hear those harmony, lack of stress, feeling of worth, and respect, how are those reflected in your life?
Well, when I think of respect, I recognize that I'm content with many circumstances or outcomes, but I do appreciate when my opinion is asked for and when I've been given time to speak it out.
So I first have to consider my opinion and then choose to share it. And really, that's advocating for myself instead of taking the easier route of withdrawing.
Sometimes, though, if I'm honest, things don't really matter to me one way or the other. I'm content with any choice. And I used to find myself saying, I don't care what we do, but I've learned to shift that to I don't have a preference this time, which doesn't communicate withdrawal like I don't care. Yeah, it's completely different because in some cases you absolutely care, but in others, you're okay deferring to someone else. That has been a game changer in conversations about things.
Yeah, that's helpful. As we wrap up today, we've got just a couple of minutes left. What's one piece of encouragement each of you can offer to someone who identifies as a green temperament or is in a relationship with one? And Rachel, we'll start with you. First, I would say dive into the temperaments.
It's really a blessing. As a green, we can have a tendency to stay uninvolved or to back off of areas where there is perceived conflict. I would encourage Greens to take time to consider what really matters to them and then lean into their steady nature to stay the course. And for those that are in relationships with Greens, know that a lot is going on under the surface. Give us time to consider and give us space to share.
That is so good.
So, what I would love the Greens to know is that your calmness is a strength, it's not a flaw. You're uniquely wired to be the calm in the midst of chaos. Even though others think and they may even say you appear lazy, you are not. Other temperaments must learn to honor your speed and timeline because you do get things done. And understand sometimes peace requires courage, not silence.
It is important that you learn to advocate for yourself because your voice matters. And then lean in gently and trust. That's what you bring to a financial or relational decision or conversation is deeply valued.
Well, that is a great place for us to wrap up today, ladies. I so appreciate your willingness to come by. Rachel, thank you for leaning into your greenness. You even have a green shirt on today. I love that.
We appreciate you being here. Thank you, Rob. Kathleen, so thankful for you. Yes, thankful for you too, my friend. That's Kathleen Edelman.
She's the author of the amazing work. And I said this, you heard that, how your wiring colors your communication. Folks, this workbook is a game changer. Pick it up today wherever you buy books. And her recent article in Faithful Steward dives deep into the money conversation and how temperaments affect financial decisions.
You can receive Faithful Steward when you become a FaithFi partner at faith5.com. Just click give. All right, a quick break and then back with your questions. The number 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7007.
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Our team is standing by. You can call right now. Adrian, how can I help you? Hi. Hi there.
Thanks for calling. Thank you for taking my call.
So I was calling about a question. My husband and I are in second marriages, so we have a blended family, and his children are older than mine. We have amassed wealth together, but he amassed most of it before our marriage. His children are older, so they have already become independent. Mine are not.
They're college age. I have three in college. And our conundrum is using our money in the here and now. He would like to struggle and save every penny and scrimp and not live. And have the children amass debt and give generational wealth.
And I would like to share. share the wealth, not have our friends and family have debt. and us to enjoy our life now, giving to the church and charitable causes and keeping our children out of debt. Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I appreciate that, Andre. And I realize these are difficult but very important conversations to have. And it becomes even more complex in a blended family because I recognize there's assets that were brought into the marriage with kids that were from a prior marriage.
So, you know, now brought into the marriage. And often, even though I think prenuptial agreements can be difficult and break trust and is not something I would typically advise, I think there is a way of talking about how are we going to structure our estate plan, recognizing the children that were from prior marriages, recognizing there are assets from, you know, that were amassed prior to our marriage, and deciding with togetherness and oneness and trust and open and honest communication how we're going to handle, particularly those assets related to the kids that were amassed prior to the marriage. But I think it is important, and you all are going to have to talk through this. That we decide that, you know, once you're joined together from that point forward, you know, that we see these as marital assets, and that's where you need to find, you know, God's heart and a plan for how you reflect your values and your wiring, and how each of you has come to the table and, you know, from prior experiences and create a plan that reflects the two of you as now one flesh moving forward, and how you're going to steward those resources, recognizing, you know, and this is very common: one might want to hold a little more tightly and save, the other might want to enjoy and give and support. And neither of those is bad unless it creates conflict in the marriage.
And that's where we need to come with understanding and really seeking, starting with our values as Christ followers, but now as one flesh to create a plan that reflects both of us giving and, you know, to one another, and recognizing that there should be some element of enjoyment.
Now, and certainly generosity is on the heart of God. And I think, you know, we were created in the image of the ultimate giver, so we should be givers as God's people. But I think there's also a prudent element to, you know, saving. And I think there's a way to accomplish both, but both have to be willing to come to the table and hear and listen and understand, and then be willing to create a plan that reflects the two of you. And ideally, that would be done, you know, between the two of you, but it may involve a third party like a counselor or a financial advisor that understands the counsel of scripture and can really help you chart that path forward.
A book that I would recommend, and we'd be happy to send it to you as our gift by our friends Ron Deal and Greg Pettis, is a book called The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning: Money Management Before and After You Blend a Family. And Ron and Greg, you know, Ron from the kind of the counseling side of families and Greg from the financial planning side come together to create this. Really helpful resource, and it deals with estate planning. I think it could help give you a pathway. They talk about something called a togetherness agreement, which is kind of a God-honoring version of what you might think of as a prenuptial agreement, but with an entirely different approach.
And I think it could give you a path forward. But ultimately, you're both going to need to be willing to come to the table prayerfully and with a desire to find God's heart and a path forward that again, reflects each of your wiring, but each of you also being willing to give to the other. Because I think there's an element of, listen, our kids need to make decisions as emerging adults and in some cases, experience the school of hard knocks. And then there's another element of we also, you know, have been blessed with much. And so there's an appropriate role for us to give and support.
And, you know, those are not easy decisions apart from a blended family, but they're even more difficult. After a blended family, and I recognize that.
So I think it's going to involve you all praying through this. Hopefully, this resource will help. And then, whether it's a counselor or a certified kingdom advisor there in Chattanooga, I think you need to find somebody who can help guide you all toward the vision around what I'm describing here today. But give me your thoughts on all that because I've thrown a lot at you. Oh, you've given me just a wealth, no pun intended, of information.
And I think that that's exactly what I was looking for is something to talk about together. And yes, very importantly, we did talk about a lot of it beforehand, but as life evolved, you know, I think both of our values kind of were very different.
So you've given me a lot to talk about, and I'm going to go from that. I appreciate it so much, and I'm very interested in that book. Awesome.
Well, I'm delighted to hear that, Adrian. And I'm going to be praying for you because I know these are hard conversations, and yet they can be very God-honoring when we come to the table with the right heart posture, a willingness to learn and understand each of us and find the path forward in a way that can truly do something special as you all use God's resources as a tool to accomplish God's purposes with your family, enjoying what God's given you, giving it, but also saving it appropriately. Stay on the line. We'll get your information and get this book out to you. God bless you.
Quickly to Chicago, Donna. I've got Just about a minute and a half left. How can I help? Just want you to confirm for me if it's true that you have to pay interest in the end to the federal government if you open up a high yielding savings account. Yes, interest is taxable for a savings account for sure.
And so you would pay that at tax time when you file your taxes. You know, they would send you the necessary documentation to tell you exactly how much interest you earned for the year, and then you would include that on your 1040. Thank you. I appreciate it. That's all we needed.
Well, very good. That was a quick one. Thank you for being on the program today. Lord bless you. Hey, we couldn't do this without our team each day.
So grateful for my producer, Devin Patrick, for our call screener, Sandy Dickinson, and helping me with research today, Mr. Jim Henry, plus the entire team here at Faith Phi. I hope you have a great day. Lord willing, we'll be back to do it all over again tomorrow. We hope you'll join us then.
May God bless you. Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFy and listeners like you.
