Millions of people are asking questions about their finances, like, how do I stop worrying about my money? What does true success look like? And how much money is enough? But perhaps what they're really asking is, what really lasts? Hi, I'm Rob West, and this integration of biblical teaching with financial wisdom is the entire reason I've written my brand new devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure.
It's designed to help you align your heart and your money with what really lasts. When you support our ministry through a generous one-time donation of $400 or more, or $35 or more a month, you'll become a FaithPhy partner. That means you'll receive year-long benefits, including Our Ultimate Treasure, four issues of Faithful Steward, our magazine, helpful money management tools in the FaithPhy app, and more. Just head to faithphy.com slash give.
Now, onto the podcast. What does the future of FaithFi look like, and how will it help believers live as faithful stewards in the year ahead? I am Rob West. As we step into a new year, we're thinking deeply about how to serve you better, how to equip you with more practical tools, biblical wisdom, and ways to grow as a faithful steward. And we have big plans for it.
Afton Phillips joins us to talk about the future of Faith Buy. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, our guest today is Afton Phillips. She's our head of content here at Faith Phi. She plays a key role in shaping everything you hear, see, and read across this ministry. And Afton, it is always great to have you in the studio. Thanks, Rob.
It's great to be here. All right. We're going to start with the big picture today. This past year, as you well know, has been a season of remarkable growth here at FaithFi on the radio, in the app, and through our partners.
So why don't you take us back and help us understand what God's been up to? Absolutely. We have seen huge growth this past year. And I just got some of these numbers, but we've seen huge listener growth, specifically on our podcast. We've gained 55,000 listeners, totaling in more than 880,000 podcast listeners, which is really incredible.
And, you know, we're broadcasting, as you know, on over 2,000 radio stations this year.
So it's just a reminder that people are really looking for this timeless biblical financial wisdom. And, you know, another thing that we are really tracking closely is our partner program. We've grown by almost 600 partners this year. We're just so grateful because these partners give to us monthly or annually, and they really help us expand this ministry and reach more people with this. Hope-filled scripture-centered guidance.
As a team, you know this already, but we've added new team members behind the scenes, and you may not ever hear their names on the show, but they're here and they're helping us reach even more people than ever before. We launched a brand new website this year with all original content, and it's really just been an amazing year of God's provision and momentum. It's so true, it's remarkable to see in such a short period of time how our team has grown and how we're reaching more people. And we love the stories of the people being impacted.
So, thanks for sending those and sharing those when you call into the program.
Now, of course, Afton, this kind of momentum comes with vision, fresh vision.
So, as you look forward to the year ahead, I'd love to know what excites you most. We want to reach more people with this message than ever before.
So, we've been brainstorming and inventing new avenues for our resources to take. And, you know, obviously, the thing I'm probably most excited about is our newest devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure, written by you, Rob. This is just going to be an incredible resource for those who want to understand this message of financial biblical stewardship. It releases February 2026, but anyone who becomes a partner by December 31st will receive it as a thank you.
So, that's really a thing I'm really hugely excited about. Another offering I'm excited about this next year is an all-new Faith Pi app experience. And the team has been working so hard on this for months, but it's going to make practically managing your money easier than ever. But more importantly, we're adding this brand new feature called financial rhythms that I know we could talk about all day. But these rhythms allow users to really truly change their habits in a way that realigns your heart with God's on a consistent basis.
Basis every day offering daily devotions with biblical financial wisdom. I'm just so excited about all that's going to happen on the Faith Vi app this year. It's going to be amazing. I'll tell you, Chad and the team of our developers, not to mention our content team and the design team, it's all coming together in Faith5 5.0, the official name of it. And it will hit the app stores early next year and you are going to love it.
It's going to be amazing. And you know, I mean, there's a ton I'm excited about.
So I'll just keep going. You stop me whenever, you know, we need to move on. But we're releasing every quarter our magazine, Faithful Steward, with all original content. But this year, we've just brainstormed our first ever special edition of the magazine. And this one is going to dive specifically the entire issue into women and wealth.
Yeah, it's going to be incredible. And there's some research coming out early next year, a study that was done nationwide called Women, Wealth, and Faith. We were a part of it. It was much bigger than us. We were just one piece of it.
But this issue is going to celebrate all those findings and then give you some really thoughtful content about women and money and just how a growing number of our listeners are finding themselves managing God's resources in larger quantities all the time.
So this is just scratching the surface on what's coming next year. When we come back after this break, we'll continue to unpack some of the new offerings, including our digital studies and a brand new product category. You'll hear about it right after this break. Don't go anywhere. This is Faith and Finance.
We'll be right back. Faith and Finance is a listener-supported program and right now I'm excited to announce that your gift to FaithFi will go twice as far. Thanks to generous donors, every donation made before December 31st will be matched dollar for dollar. That means your gift goes twice as far to help families manage God's money God's way and treasure what truly lasts. Put the match in soon, so consider joining us.
Visit faithfi.com slash give today. Are you feeling overwhelmed by credit card debt? As followers of Christ, we are called to be good stewards of what God has given us. That's why our trusted partner, Christian Credit Counselors, is here to help. Their debt management program can help you pay off your debt 80% faster while honoring your commitments in full.
Take the first step toward financial freedom today. Visit ChristianCreditCounselors.org or call 800-557-1985.
So where are we headed here at Faith Phi?
Well, we want to share that with you today. We're talking the future of Faith Phi with Afton Phillips. Afton is our head of content here at Faith Phi. She plays a key role in shaping everything you hear on this broadcast, everything you see in our studies and devotionals and our magazines and on the web. Everything you read across the ministry, Afton touches.
And we're really talking about some of the great things that are happening. We celebrated in the last segment all the incredible progress we made in the past year, but we're looking forward now to next year, a new Faith Phi app coming out, my new devotional, our ultimate treasure, new issues of Faithful Steward. But Afton, I know one of the things you're really excited about is a brand new product category here at Faith Phi.
So tell us about it. Yeah, we wanted to launch something that would really help people practically and tangibly answer the questions they ask most. And we actually asked a group of financial advisors, they came to the office one day and we were asking them, you know, what are the top three questions your clients ask all the time? And they consistently said these three questions: how much is enough? How do I give intentionally?
And how do I prepare the next steward? And I think it really just got our wheels turning. Like, okay, what can we provide that really helps people work through how to answer that question from a biblical perspective?
So in 2026, we're launching something called Faith Phi Field Guides. And these are workbook style guides. They provide some thoughtful financial reflection. They're something you can do practically on your own or with a mentor or partner or even a financial advisor. And hopefully they help people process through these decisions from a biblical standpoint, helping them find clarity without adding pressure.
Yeah, and I love that they're workbook style because, in our mind, there's a biblical framing or perspective at the beginning, but then actual worksheets where you're actually going to work through each of these issues and then be better prepared either to implement what you come up with on your own or take it to your certified kingdom advisor. But Afton, I'd love for you to just articulate in your own mind: what gap do you see these Faith Phi field guides filling for Christians who want to grow as stewards? You know, everybody might answer these questions slightly differently for their unique situation and context. And I think that's something beautiful about these guides. It's going to ask questions, it's going to provide wisdom, it's going to provide biblical support, but it's really going to let each of our listeners figure out the next right step for them and what God's calling them to do next.
Yeah. I mean, our studies and our devotionals and certainly the magazine Faithful Steward lean toward heart issues. They're, of course, deeply biblical, but these really are meant to fill that need around a next step. What do I do in this area? Defining enough, equipping the next steward.
So we can't wait to put these in your hands. And often we're building them for a variety of uses, right? In terms of how somebody would actually put them into practice. Absolutely. And really, there's a hundred ways they could probably be used.
But I mean, just off the top of my head, I'm like, you could really use these as just a tool for your personal reflection. You know, you could sit down and Use this as just something that you're going to go through on your own, almost like a devotional, but in a really practical sense. You could also integrate these into a small group at your church or a Bible study, or if your church offers stewardship classes or a series, these would be such a great companion resource for any kind of work in your church that is around this topic. They'd also be a great guide for couples. That's something that comes up a lot in what we talk about: how to get couples on the same page about what's next and what this means for them.
So I could totally see them being used for couples. And actually, maybe the best way they could be used is alongside a financial advisor, specifically one who's trained with this same biblical approach to money, which, you know, we talk about all the time as a certified kingdom advisor, someone who's been trained in this exact biblical approach. This would be such a great resource to work on alongside. They're called Faith Phi Field Guides and they're coming in 2026.
So be on the lookout for them. All right, Afton, you mentioned the FaithFi app and the new version that's Coming out in January. And I know, in addition to the intelligence around the rhythms and the new spending plan features, is really about the content that's going to show up inside the Faith Vi app. That's brand new as well, right? Yes, we've got big plans for content in the app in the next year.
I mean, in addition to the financial rhythms that we kind of unpacked already, we're going to have full studies and devotionals designed for interactive, deep learning within the app. Just an entire library of things that you can choose from. We're also going to create audio versions.
So if you want to listen to one of our studies or devotionals on the go, that can be an option with the Faith Vi app. And a big part too is that we're going to begin to integrate the articles that release every quarter in Faithful Steward magazine. They're going to be available as digital versions in the Faith Fy app. I love it. Afton, we talk a lot about practices here and the rhythms are really designed to help you form habits related to your stewardship.
So talk for a second about how these practices that we're creating actually help people, particularly someone who might feel overwhelmed by money decisions. Sure. Our goal is always to provide resources and content that's biblical, but also practical. And I think the resources that we create, they help break down these big decisions into manageable steps so people don't feel alone or overwhelmed. They connect biblical truth with real life applications.
That makes the biblical wisdom feel practical and doable. And at the same time, hopefully, we're just here to encourage you along the way that, you know, you're prayerfully reflecting on what's right for you and aligning your heart with God's. And we're here to cheer you on. That's well said.
Now, none of this would happen without our generous Faith Phi partners.
So as we begin to wrap up here today, what would you want them to know? And particularly, what can Faith Phi partners look forward to in the year ahead? Man, I'm just so grateful for our Faith Fight partners. If I could write a letter to every single one, just letting them know what their generosity is allowing us to create, I would, because it's just creating some really incredible things. They're really the backbone of our ministry, and they're a community that God is using in really meaningful ways.
So, Faith Fight Partners, their support allows us to create every resource, every broadcast you hear, every app feature. It's made possible by Faith Fight Partners. It's an investment in real change for real families, and we hear it all the time on this show. Yeah, we sure do. And of course, there are some listening right now that love the program, listen regularly, and they're saying, wait a minute, I need to be a Faith Vi partner.
So, why don't you share how they can become one? Absolutely. So, when you become a FaithFi partner, we actually give you a ton of benefits. It's just our way of saying thank you for allowing us to create these resources.
So, if you go to faith5.com/slash give, you can become a faith five partner, which will allow you to get a series. Of benefits, including full access to the FaithFi app, our quarterly Faithful Steward magazine, and every new Devo and book that we release. We'll ship them right to your door. All you have to do is go to faith5.com/slash give and give at least $35 a month or over $400 a year. We've got just about 20 seconds left.
What's one thing you're hoping and praying for our listeners in the new year? You know, I just really hope that our listeners are able to grow in confidence as stewards of God's resources, that they can rest in his faithfulness. I think something that's really been resonating with me is just managing God's money God's way. That's what we're here to do, and we're here to help you do that as well. Afton, you are a gift to this ministry.
We're so thankful for you, and I appreciate you being here today. Thanks for having me, Rob. Folks, the future is bright here at FaithFy. More resources, more reach, and more ways to equip believers for faithful stewardship. Remember, when you give $400 a year or $35 a month, you'll receive our quarterly Faithful Steward magazine, two devotionals each year, including my new one, Our Ultimate Treasure, plus access to premium tools in the FaithFi app.
And the exciting part is every gift is doubled between now and December 31st, up to $175,000 because of some generous friends. We're not there yet, but you can help us reach the goal. Just head to faithfy.com slash give. That's faithfully. faithfi.com slash give.
We'll be back with your questions after this break, so call right now, 800-525-7000. Or if you'd prefer to email your question, send it to us at askrob at faithfy.com. Stick around. FaithFi is grateful for support from OneAssent. OneAssent believes that your values inspire why you invest and how they can inspire how you invest.
One Ascent's goal is to provide solutions designed for every need and invest in businesses that bless the people and places God has made. They want to help investors do well by doing good. To explore a new way of investing that aligns with your values, more information is available at onascent.com and by clicking Analyze My Investments. U 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. I'm so glad you're with us today on Faith and Finance. I so appreciate your questions, you tuning in. And, you know, listen, each day we just want to encourage you, cheer you on as you live as a faithful steward of God's resources, and try to provide some wise counsel, recognizing, listen, we all make mistakes.
Maybe we wish we would have started saving earlier or not taking on that debt or, you know, whatever it is. But listen, you know, we put everything at the foot of the cross. We serve a God who's in the business of restoration. We hold it loosely and we just seek to be found faithful one day at a time over a lifetime. And when we do that, I believe God honors that.
Now, we will not be free from any challenges. We live in a fallen world. But when we apply biblical wisdom to our financial decisions, we put ourselves in a position to experience God's best. And that's certainly what we try to help you with each day on this program. Go ahead and call right now.
Our team is ready for you: 800-500. 5257000. That's 800-525-7000. Let's go to Wisconsin. Jane, you'll be our first caller.
Go ahead. My son recently graduated from college, and he's now paying high interest in a large amount of student loans So I'd like to know if you have any options or strategies for him to reduce his long term repayment burden. I certainly appreciate that question. Are these federal student loans?
Some of them are, but that's not the majority of them.
Okay, the majority of them are private. Yeah. Okay, yeah.
Well, you know, I mean, the first option is to look for, you know, better repayment plans. He can log into studentaid.gov and just look at his options. I mean, obviously, even though there's income-driven repayment available where he could lower that monthly payment based on his income, which is a nice feature in the federal loan program, he's going to want to pay as much as he can to try to get it paid back as quickly as possible. I would say consider refinancing only if it's wise.
So, you know, if some of the loans are private and they are, you know, he can look at refinancing at a lower rate with a reputable lender. That's probably not going to happen right now, but at some point in the future, that will, you know, likely be an option for him, and he's going to want to look at that.
Now, I wouldn't refinance the federal loans into private loans because he might need some of those federal protections like the income-driven repayment or the deferred. Or future forgiveness down the road. But certainly, private loans that are already private can be refinanced if he can get a better interest rate. And perhaps over time, as interest rates come down, plus his income, I suspect, will go up. And as he can demonstrate that along with good credit, he's going to have some more attractive rates available, but that's down the road.
In terms of just thinking about how to make the payments and pay them down as quickly as possible, once payments are manageable, then he's going to want to attack the highest interest loan first with extra payments.
So this is what we call debt snowball, where basically you line them up from smallest to largest balance, pay the minimums on all loans, and then attack the smallest balance first to build momentum. The other approach is to use what's called the avalanche method, where you go from highest to lowest interest rate. But a lot of times, that momentum you can build by knocking out one in full and really focusing all of your energy on that smallest balance and seeing that progress is what can keep you going. I would say two other things just to throw out: one would be look for employer help. You know, you're going to want to look for employers that offer student loan repayment assistance.
Many of them do. And so that would be a nice feature if that happens to fit, you know, while he's out looking for a job. You know, some allow pre-tax contributions toward loans through benefit programs, which would be great.
So just make sure he asks HR if he's out looking for a job, if they have any student loan repayment benefits, even a small amount could help him. And then finally, I would say, you know, Jane, he just really needs to guard his lifestyle. You know, the biggest danger after college is lifestyle creep, a new car and maybe a, you know, a nicer apartment or, you know, subscription everything. I mean, he's, you know, you can, if you're not careful, you can have subscriptions for, you know, 15 different streaming services and apps and so forth.
Well, those add up. And so if he can live like a student for a few more years, keep expenses low and throw the margin at those loans, he might be able to get them paid off in five to seven years instead of dragging it out for decades, which a lot of people do.
So is that helpful though? Yes, it is. Thank you. You're very welcome. Thanks for being on the program today.
We appreciate you. 800-525-7000. Let's go to Fox Lake, Illinois. Anna, go ahead. Thank you.
I would like to know which and how to invest fifty K equity from my home sale and how to avoid long term capital gains tax.
Okay, yeah, let's deal with that second part first.
So you had a home sale. Was it your primary residence? Yeah. Yeah. So if it was your primary residence for two of the last five years prior to the sale, then you can exclude up to $250,000 in gains, not the selling price, but the gains.
If you're married filing jointly, you could go all the way up to half a million dollars in gains. But if you have 50,000 essentially that we're talking about here, as long as that was your primary residence for two out of the last five years, there is no capital gains on $50,000 because that would be under the $250,000 threshold. Got it.
Okay.
Now, in terms of what to do with it, you know, I think the best possible option is to get it into a retirement account.
So if you have access to a 401k or a 403b or, you know, a TSP, you could contribute pre-tax dollars if 401k and 403b and TSPFs to come out of salary deferral. Otherwise, you could drop it into an IRA.
So that would be where I would love to see you get that money because that's going to allow it to grow without the drag of the taxes on the investment gains. And I'm assuming you don't need this money anytime soon. Is that right? Correct.
Okay, yeah.
And you do have an emergency fund separate from this money? Yes.
Okay, so I would say that's your best option. Let's see what we can do to get that in a tax-deferred environment, either by increasing your contributions or maxing out your contributions to your retirement plan at work if you have it, even if that means you have to pull out of savings and to cover your bills. You're kind of swapping one account for the other, or you could fund an IRA. Those would be the two best options. Thanks for your call.
Hey, before we round out the broadcast today, let me remind you: this is a critical time of year for us to hear from you as a listener-supported ministry. And the exciting part is every gift is doubled between now and December 31st up to $175,000 because of some generous friends. We're not there yet, but you can help us reach the gold. Remember, when you give $400 a year or $35 a month, you'll receive our quarterly Faithful Stewart magazine, two devotionals each year, including my new one, Our Ultimate Treasure. Plus, access to premium tools in the FaithFi app, just head to faithfy.com slash give.
That's faithfi.com/slash give. Hey, a big thanks to my team today, Taylor, Amy, Devin, and everybody here at FaithFi. We don't do this without that amazing group of men and women. May God bless you, and we'll see you next time. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFy and listeners like you.
