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A new name often marks a new season, and that's exactly what's happening at Adelphi Christian Banking. I am Rob West. When two faith-based credit unions come together, the goal isn't just greater size, it's greater kingdom impact. That's the story behind the newly rebranded Adelphi Christian Banking. Aaron Cabe joins us to share how this merger came together, what the new brand represents, and how it will strengthen Christian banking for years to come.
Then it's onto your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Well, it's always a conversation about faith as much as finance when Aaron Cade joins us. He's the chief marketing officer at Adelphi Christian Banking, still a not-for-profit financial institution and a proud underwriter of this program. Aaron, great to have you back. It's great to be back, Rob. Aaron, this is a significant moment for both organizations with the rollout of a new name and brand.
So introduce us to Adelphi Christian Banking. How did this new identity come together and what does it represent?
Well, our new name and identity are a visual representation of what we desire to accomplish with the merger of Adelphi and Christian Community Credit Union. It represents the union of the best of both credit unions and honors the legacy and members of both. The root of our name is Adelphos, which is used over three hundred times in the New Testament to refer to brothers and sisters in Christ. And the staff of both credit unions truly and our members are brothers and sisters in Christ coming together to build a financial institution that is centered on Christ and dedicated to advancing God's kingdom. And the moniker Christian Banking is a bold declaration of who we serve.
As for timing, we completed the merger on December 1st. For the next few months, you'll see both brands in the marketplace. The rollout of Adelphi Christian Banking will take place over the course of 2026, with notable milestones including the launch of a new website in Q2 and an enhanced digital banking experience in Q3. Wow, this is really exciting.
So Adelphi and Christian Community Credit Union coming together as Adelphi Christian Banking.
Now, Aaron, every merger, of course, brings unique strengths to the table. What stands out to you about each organization and how will bringing them together create something really special and even stronger?
Well, both Christian Community Credit Union and Adelphi are Christ-centered financial institutions with shared values, complementary strengths, and together we bring over 125 years of ministry-focused experience. Adelphi tithes 10% of its earnings to Christian charities and mission-sending agencies. CCCU, for its part, gives a portion of every swipe on its credit and debit cards to Christian ministries, over $6.5 million to date. Together, we will amplify our giving, increasing kingdom impact. And with our union, we will form the nation's largest Christian credit union, creating a digital forward Christian banking experience that honors God and meets members wherever they are in their financial journey.
And this merger also expands our lending capacity for churches, ministries and Christian businesses and opens new opportunities to support gospel centered causes and fuel kingdom growth. Wow. Yeah. It just seems like putting these two organizations together means so much for not only the kingdom, but also for those that will be using this as a banking institution.
Now, you've said this moment is significant for the broader Christian banking community.
So, how do you see this merger strengthening the industry and its influence in the years ahead, Aaron?
Well, Christian banking is a fairly small industry. And to be frank, most Americans don't even know that a Christian banking solution exists. Thus, by merging, we're aligning our resources to create more opportunity for awareness, growth and kingdom impact. Adelphi Christian Banking is now the clear leader in this space, and we're just getting started.
So, we desire to be the go-to financial solution for Christ followers who seek to align their finances with their faith and steward God's resources to his glory. That's really helpful. Aaron, Christian banking isn't something you come across every day. Would you say it's a bit countercultural?
Well, yeah, we've seen a major market shift among Christians who are just plain fed up with how their secular banks use their funds and the causes they support. They instead want the resources God has entrusted with them to be stewarded well and to honor Him.
So, we're boldly stating that there's a quality option to unite your Christian faith with your finances, a place where your funds are stewarded for kingdom impact and gospel expansion. These principles contrast greatly with the worldly priorities of our culture.
So, therefore, banking with your Christian values could be considered countercultural. Yeah, that's well said. Aaron, really excited about this merger. Thanks for sharing the big news. Thank you.
Thanks for having me, Rob. Our guest has been Aaron Cade with Adelphi Christian Banking. It's clear this new identity reflects a unified vision, and what an opportunity for you to learn more. Go to faithphi.com/slash banking. That's faithfi.com/slash banking.
We'll be right back. Are you a financial professional looking to grow your practice while offering advice that aligns with your Christian values? By becoming a certified kingdom advisor, you'll gain the biblical wisdom and professional credibility to serve clients who are seeking faith-based financial guidance. Each year, more than 75,000 people search for a certified kingdom advisor. Join our community and share your expertise with clients looking for someone who shares their faith and values.
Start your journey today by going to kingdomadvisors.com/slash get certified. Wondering who Faith and Finance recommends as a banking partner that aligns with Christian values? It's Christian Community Credit Union. When you open a high-yield checking, savings, or visa cash back card, you'll help advance the gospel when making everyday transactions. Visit faithfy.com slash banking and use code FaithFi when you sign up.
That's faithfy.com/slash banking with code FAITH FI. Membership eligibility required. Each account is insured. up to $250,000. This institution is not federally insured.
Yeah. I'm so glad you joined us today on Faith and Finance. Whatever your questions are today, anything in your financial life, we've got lines open. You can call right now, 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
Our team is standing by. Listen, folks, this is an important responsibility that we've each been given. You and I are stewards, money managers for the King of Kings. We want to help you manage that money wisely, living as a faithful steward each day. We're taking your phone calls first to Ohio Larry.
Go ahead.
Well, I've got a question for you concerning the mortgage. Um, we have a current mortgage for a home here and uh They called a while back and offered me $45,000 at 8.675%. And the payment on that would be $395 for 20 years.
Now, that's additional to the mortgage that we're carrying. And that's just cash that we could spend in any way that we find necessary. And I have two loans that I could cover under that. One is at 10.44%. And I owe twenty four months on that.
and then a car loan at nine point eight four percent and I owe seventy five months on that.
Now if I combined those and paid those off, That would leave me fifteen thousand cash after the fact.
Okay, so Um I guess I'm looking at is Would this be a deal or a no deal? And if I use that extra Fifteen thousand. and made three hundred dollar payments extra every month on this loan. And of course, that's going to pay it off a lot earlier, and I can make probably fifty payments at that.
So, is that a deal or no deal? Yeah, a couple of questions here. Tell me about your current mortgage. What is your existing mortgage on your home? We owe about $200,000, $260,000.
All right. What is the house worth? Oh, probably $800,000. All right. And what is the interest rate on that, $260,000?
I'm down around three point something.
Okay. And they're not and this is your current mortgage company that's offering this, is that right? Yeah. And they're not talking about touching that first mortgage. They're talking about a second mortgage.
Yeah, this is just additional that they're offering to us. Is it a. But it's a fixed rate. Loan? Yes.
Okay. Yeah. You know, I'm not a big fan of this. I mean, I understand on paper it makes sense financially. You've got one loan, you've got a lower rate, you've got a smaller monthly payment.
The danger is you're turning unsecured debt into secured debt with your home as collateral.
So, you know, when you roll a car loan or a personal loan onto the mortgage, Typically, you're stretching the payment out over many more years.
So, even at a lower rate, you're often paying more interest overall. And then you risk your home if you can't keep up the payments.
Now, you may say, I'm not concerned about that. We've got plenty of cash flow. But, you know, if something were to come out of left field, a judgment or some sort of lawsuit, I mean, I don't want to imagine all the things that could happen, but there's just now your home is at stake, not just. you know, a personal guarantee or an automobile. And so, you know, the other thing is, I mean, if you were redoing the whole loan, you wouldn't want to, you definitely wouldn't want to do it because you're resetting the mortgage clock and you'd be much higher.
But even at a separate loan with just a slightly lower interest rate, for the reasons I mentioned, you know, I would rather you keep these, the car loan and the personal loan separate. There's probably some fees involved in this as well. And then they may be willing to say, you know what, we're not going to charge any fees because we're your current lender.
So there's no appraisal needed and we know there's plenty of equity and we're going to waive the fees. But, you know, oftentimes they don't.
So there is some expense in you getting this new loan. And so I think for all of those reasons, I'd probably pass on this and just really try to snowball this debt. I'd go after the 10.5% 24-month loan first and just, you know, really dial back your spending where possible and just take as much surplus as you can and attack that loan, get it paid. Off and then roll the monthly payment for that one plus the surplus to the next one. And let's try to keep these off of the house and the expense that comes with it.
And let's try to avoid stretching it out and the temptation to use that additional 15K and just really try to get out of debt without taking on any new loans and without further encumbering the house.
Now, at the end of the day, you may say, listen, I'm not concerned about any of that. I'm going to stay focused on it. I'm not going to stretch it out. I'm not worried about putting the house up as collateral because, you know, I've got this and I've got enough in the way of assets to deal with it. And so for me, it's just really a math equation.
And I would understand that. But I think for most people, the better option is not to involve home equity when it comes to consumer debt, even if we can, you know, we're going to save a little bit in interest. Does that make sense? I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I you know, I could actually pay off that personal loan.
Okay. Yeah, I mean, I'd I'd do that without batting an eye. Let's just wipe that out, not take on a new loan, not further encumber the house, not have the potential for additional fees as they add this new loan. And then now we're just focused on that 9.84 and let's take 100% of the money we're putting toward the personal loan and go after that car. Right.
I just wanted your personal opinion versus someone trying to sell me something. Yeah. I would stay the course, my friend, but I appreciate your asking. And Lord, bless you. If I can help further in any way, don't hesitate to give me a call.
God bless you. To Louisiana Ken. Thanks for waiting patiently, sir. Go ahead.
Thank you for taking my call. Yes, sir. Yes, I'm 65 years old and I have a conventional IRA. It's a little over a million dollars. And I'm wondering, should I start converting some of that traditional to a roster I'll be required to take that RMD at seventy three.
Yeah, not necessarily, Ken. I mean, there's a case for that potentially, but I wouldn't say just automatically. Are you still working right now? No, I'm retired. You are retired.
Okay. Yeah, so you have to begin taking that RMD, but not until April 1st of the year 40. Following the year you turn 73.
So you've got a good bit of time here before you have to start taking a required minimum. Secondly, you know, if you were to convert this roughly million dollars, even if you did it over several years, I mean, you could have hundreds of thousands of dollars in income tax that you would have to pay as you made, well, you'd have several hundred thousand dollars each year of income that would be taxable.
So not necessarily the tax bill would be hundreds of thousands, but you know, that's a lot of tax that would be paid on a lot of income as you recognize it in the conversion. The other thing I would say is keep in mind, one of the great ways to satisfy that RMD, so long as it continues to be available, is something that you can start doing once you're 70 and a half. And therefore, you could also do it when you're 73 and that required minimum kicks in, which is a qualified charitable distribution. And so any giving that you're doing out of checking or Savings right now, let's say your weekly tithe to the church or just end of year giving or whatever it is, you could replace that. Instead of sending that check out of your checking account, you could just start sending it from your IRA directly to your church or another ministry or charity.
Again, it could be the same amount you're already doing. I'm not necessarily saying you have to give any more, but the qualified charitable distribution allows you to get that money out of your IRA without ever paying any tax on it and satisfy your required minimum.
So that's something that a lot of people miss.
So if you wanted to take advantage of that, you wouldn't need to convert anything to a Roth. Does that make sense? That makes a lot of sense. Yeah, okay.
So I think you're in good shape, but remember, you know, you're still look like about eight years away from needing to take an RMD, and I don't think you necessarily have to convert anything to a Roth. But hopefully, that gives you a few things to think about, sir. Lord bless you, and all the best to you in this exciting season of life as you seek out what God has for you in terms of what's next. Thanks for calling. A quick break and back with more questions after this 800-525-7000.
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. We are grateful for support from Praxis Investment Management. Since 1994, Praxis has offered investment products designed to meet practical needs for everyday investors seeking to steward their assets consistent with their desire to promote positive social and environmental impacts. Praxis aims to bring a faith-based approach to ETFs, mutual funds, multifund portfolio solutions, and money market accounts reflecting their 500-year-old Anabaptist Christian faith tradition. More information is available at PraxisInvest.com.
I'm so glad you've joined us today on Faith and Finance. Whatever your questions are today, anything in your financial life, we've got lines open. You can call right now, 800-525-7,000. That's 800-525-7000. Our goal in this program every day is to reverently approach God's Word, understanding that we are charged with a high calling, and that is to be stewards or managers of the King of Kings resources.
We want to do that in a way that's wise, that is infused by God's word, that's hopeful, to encourage you in your role as a steward and lead you toward faithfulness.
Well, we do that every day as we tackle your financial questions and hear your testimonies. And don't miss that. We love to hear when God is at work in your financial life and you have a story to share where that you've applied these principles and you've seen God at work and faithfully providing for you over the years. Share those with us as well. The number to call.
All to be a part of the program today is 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7,000 to Texas. Tina, go ahead. Yeah. Hi, I had allotted $25,000 for a remodel, and I had $10,000.
in my savings that I had set aside for repairs, and then I was going to get the other amount from a money market fund.
However, the remodeling company gave me an offer of zero percent interest for seventy two months if I approved. and they took off ten percent.
So the total would be twenty one thousand. I'd put a down payment of three thousand. But if I did a cash option, they would take off an additional five percent. and it would be a down payment of six thousand.
So I was wondering Should I take the zero percent interest in that way, I wouldn't have to pay out so much cash? Yes.
Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, obviously, that additional $5,000 is worth $1,000 right up front.
However, as long as you've read the fine print and you can do this without dipping into your emergency fund, but you know that you're going to stay right on top of it, you're not going to miss a payment and you absolutely qualify and you just want to make sure that there's not anything in the fine print that potentially is going to take this away from you. I don't have any problem with you taking advantage of this so long as that money stays in a high-yield savings account so that over the life of the payback, you are earning more than you gave up on the front end in terms of this additional discount. But if you're diligent, there's rarely a downside. You know, the safest option would just be to go ahead and pay the bill so nothing comes up that disrupts you or causes you to not complete it. And therefore, perhaps.
Some of the interest is charged back to you. But if you've got the money there, it's just simply a matter of you being able to make one monthly payment after another. You've read the fine print, you're earning interest on the money. I would say there's not really any downside to you hanging on to that cash, which just gives you a little bit more flexibility as you pay this off over time. Does that make sense?
It does. Will it affect my credit score though? It's a good question. And have they already pulled your credit to determine whether you qualify for this? No, because what I did, I'm thinking about changing my mind.
I went the cash route and I started thinking, well, my money could grow. And I just did it Friday so I could cancel the contract and go with the 0% interest. I just started having second thoughts about it. Got it. Yeah.
So it would temporarily affect your credit score because when they go to approve you for that, they're going to do what's called a hard inquiry where a lender is checking your credit for the purpose of extending you credit. And when that happens, it's probably going to result in a drop in your credit score of somewhere between 30 and 60 points. It's going to be temporary. It'll come back. And if you're not out shopping for another loan or a mortgage or a car loan, it really doesn't matter.
Because again, you know, now that's going to be one more payment that's going to show you every month as an on-time payer. It will raise slightly your debt. to income, but that's not an issue.
So I wouldn't worry about the credit score again, unless you're right on the heels of going out and needing to qualify for another type of loan where meeting that credit score threshold could matter. Apart from that, it's really just a temporary blip. And so I would say at the end of the day, paying cash is the low-risk, stress-free option, but the 0% loan is fine if there's truly no fees, no gotchas, and the payments easily fit into your budget, which if you're paying out of the money you've already saved, they clearly do.
So I'm on board with that. It gives you just slightly more flexibility. Tina, thanks for your call today. We appreciate you being on the program. Lord bless you.
Oklahoma, Tucker, how can I help? Yes, sir. I have a question just about Pulling money out of my retirement account to pay off my mortgage. My wife and I have fifty six thousand dollars left on the mortgage, and pulling out of my retirement would just about wipe out the retirement, but would just about also fully pay for that mortgage. I was wondering, if you thought that would be wise or not to take that payment then that we have on the mortgage and put it into an investment account.
Yeah, it's a great question. And, you know, no house payment feels great. And it can sound appealing. The challenge is, there's a lot of reasons not to do it. You know, number one is going to be the taxes.
So when you pull that money from your retirement account, it's going to be taxable income, which possibly pulls you into a higher tax bracket for that. You're likely going to have, if you're under 59 and a half, you're going to have a 10% penalty on that money. You're going to then reduce your long-term growth potential.
So there's an opportunity cost of the money that's in there in a tax-deferred environment, which there's limits on the amount you can get into a tax-deferred environment every year. And keep in mind, Social Security was never intended to cover more than 35 to 40% of your pre-retirement income. Most people live on 80%, and people are living longer. You know, we're living on average into our 80s. And so you're going to need some assets alongside Social Security to supplement your income.
So, your ability to keep that retirement account growing and continue funding it is going to be essential.
So, my preference would be that you create a plan to get you to being debt-free no later than retirement.
Now, if you can do it much sooner, great, but I'd much rather you do that out of current cash flow by limiting your lifestyle and paying extra against the principal than pulling out of that retirement account. It's expensive money because of the taxes and the fees, and there is no replacement for the opportunity cost of what that can become through compounded growth over the decades between now and retirement. You're going to be glad you have that. You don't want to rob that account of all those assets, even for something as good as paying off your mortgage.
Now, I know it sounds appealing, and I'd love for you to be debt-free, including your home, but I don't think this is the way to do it.
So, let's dial back that spending and find some other ways to accelerate that mortgage payoff. Tucker, thanks for your call. My friend, I appreciate you being on the program today. Folks, that's going to do it for us. Big thanks to my team today: Patty Pumphrey, Devin Patricks, Taylor Stanrich, and everybody here at Faith Buy.
If you'd like to support our work, this is a critical time and every gift doubled. Right now, faithby.com/slash give. We'll see you tomorrow. Faith in Finance is provided by Faith Buy and listeners like you. Um
