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Now, let's dive into the podcast. Every January, millions of us set resolutions to eat healthier, be more active, or get our finances in better shape. Hi, I'm Rob West. Those are good and worthy goals, but studies show most resolutions fade within just a few weeks.
So if you're hoping to handle money more wisely this year, how can you build habits that last well beyond January? We'll talk about that today and then we'll take your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey. Let's be honest, resolutions are hard to keep. Why?
Research shows we often set vague or unrealistic goals, lack a meaningful why, or jump in without a system. And when life gets busy or discouraging, old habits take over. If you're trying to get out of debt, stick to a spending plan, or save more consistently, those tough moments will come. Success depends on replacing old patterns with new habits, and that takes intentionality. Another reason resolutions fail is simple.
We try to change without a plan. You can't hope your way into better money habits. A budget turns intentions into clear choices. It helps you automate your goals so they become part of normal life, building habits that actually last. But more than that, a plan helps you steward what God has entrusted to you with purpose and clarity, not just willpower.
Don't overlook accountability either. We're not meant to walk alone. Ask a friend to check in regularly. Make it a family challenge to reduce spending or save consistently. Celebrate wins and when you fall short, don't quit.
Reset and keep going. Stewardship is a journey, not a single moment of success.
Okay, what if you have a plan and still struggle to keep your resolutions? It may be because you're trying to do it all in your own strength. Real lasting change requires spiritual power, not just willpower. That's why the writer of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 12, 11, No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
In other words, new habits often feel uncomfortable. Sticking to a budget may feel restrictive at first. Cutting back on spending may feel frustrating. Saying no to impulse purchases may feel like a sacrifice, but Scripture assures us that this kind of discipline, especially when rooted in faith, produces something beautiful over time: peace, stability, and a life aligned with God's wisdom. That's why we don't rely on our own grit alone.
We trust the Lord to strengthen us as we take small, faithful steps forward. Start by praying. Ask God to reshape your desires, guide your decisions, and help you stay committed when the novelty wears off. And if you're married, pray together so the Lord can give you unity as you pursue your financial goals.
Now, once you've bathed your plans in prayer, you need structure. And one of the most effective ways to build that structure is by creating smart financial resolutions, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Let's walk through those specifics. Don't just say, save more. Say, I'll save $100 a month.
Clear goals are easier to follow. A spending plan helps you get there, and the FaithFi app can set one up in minutes. Measurable. A good plan allows you to track your progress. Seeing where your money is going and how your balances are changing motivates you to keep going.
Success builds momentum. achievable. Don't expect to eliminate years of debt in a few weeks or fully fund an emergency account overnight. Set goals you can genuinely accomplish. Small wins compound over time and they prevent discouragement.
Realistic. It's great to dream, but your goals need to match your actual income and expenses. Don't build a plan that depends on using debt to cover gaps. That's not progress, that's pressure. Build a plan that reflects what God has actually entrusted to you.
and timely. Every goal needs a timeframe. Whether you're saving for a purchase, paying down debt, or building savings, set a timeline you can stick to. Review your budget weekly or even daily so you always know where things stand. Adjust as needed, but keep moving forward.
As you set smart financial resolutions for the new year, remember that every number tells a story of God's provision, your hard priorities, and the opportunities he gives you to bless others. When you commit your goals to the Lord, success isn't measured by how much you accumulate, but by how clearly your finances point to Jesus as your ultimate treasure. If you need help on that journey, the FaithFi app could be just the encouragement you need. Head to your app store or go to faithfi.com and click app. That's faithfi.com.
Back with your calls after this. 800-525-7000. Stick around. If you love what you hear on this program, there's even more waiting for you at FaithFi.com. Explore podcasts, videos, articles, Bible studies, and devotionals, all designed to help you see God as your ultimate treasure and money as a tool to advance his kingdom.
Pursue wisdom, practice generosity, and steward God's resources in a community with others who share your faith. Visit FaithFi.com to take the next step in your faith and financial journey today. That's faithfi.com. Faith in Finance is thankful for support from The Good Investor, a book by Robin John. In his book, Robin shares his journey from an immigrant child struggling in school to co-founder and CEO of Eventide Asset Management, a faith-based investment firm.
This Faith and Work memoir seeks to inspire readers to view their work and investments as opportunities to honor God and bring blessing to the world. More information is available at goodinvestor.com. That's goodinvestor.com. Uh Ah! Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance for taking your calls and questions with several lines open, 800-525-7000.
You can call right now. We'll see if we can help you think through what's going on in your financial life through the lens of biblical wisdom. Let's go to Tennessee, Kaylee. How can I help? Yes, thank you for taking my call.
I appreciate that very much. I have a family member that Um I just spoke to him. He has been sued by his credit card company. He's got about $12,000 in credit card debt. Uh he Thought that his wife was supposed to pay this credit card off, and she didn't.
She's taken out several in his name, and he didn't realize it. And he's afraid he's going to lose his house or his credit. It's really messed up his credit score and everything. And he's very worried because they're taking him to court, and he doesn't know what to do. They first, they told him that he had six months to pay it off.
They're garnishing his check.
Now, I mean, he had 12 months.
Now he only has six months to pay it off. Is there any? any advice that you have that I could give to him? Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about this, Kaylee. I know that's weighing on him.
You said this was opened without his knowledge. Is it in her name only? And are they still married? No, it's in his name. Yes, they are married.
Okay. Did she uh put his name on there fraudulently or how did that work? I believe so.
Okay. Okay, then Go ahead.
Okay, um I he well, he he knew he had the debt. because they they took out a loan to uh pay off All of their credit cards, but that one didn't get paid off.
So I guess he was unaware of that particular. Credit card, but he thought that. Um Everything got paid off, but that one did not.
Okay. So he knew his name was on the card. He just didn't realize there was still money owed on it, or she's continued to to charge without his knowledge? Yeah, she has charged things without his knowledge. But I I just don't know what can Yeah, got it.
If he was to file Like uh a bankruptcy or something like that, would that with it being with them garnishing his check or with them having going to court already Is that way past that? Yeah, well, I mean, bankruptcy is an option, especially because wage garnishment is already happening, but it's a decision to make carefully.
So he really needs some legal counsel on this. Bankruptcy immediately stops garnishment. Literally the same day, you know, the moment he files, the court will issue generally an automatic stay, which forces the creditor to stop the wage garnishment. And that could give him some breathing room. Debt, credit card debt is dischargeable in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
And so that can be an option for protection. But again, he needs legal advice to kind of walk through this. I think you want to respond to the lawsuit immediately and see if there's an option. I mean, does he have the ability, if they were to offer a settlement, does he have the ability to take care of this?
Well, his wife is trying to take care of this right now, and she's keeping him in the dark about a lot of things, but it's in his name.
Okay, are they separated? Or are they anything? No, they are not, but they have separate bank accounts, and she's not. sharing her money with him and Very well. Yeah, it's not her money.
It's their money. And this has gotten real really quick with him having wage garnishments.
So, you know, the fact that their income is now jeopardized because of her keeping him in the dark, I think is just putting a spotlight on this, how problematic this is. And this is far more than just a money issue. This is really an issue that they need to explore with some help, I would say, to get to, you know, the underlying root causes of what's going on here in terms of the breakdown and the marriage and the potential deception at worst. But I think in the meantime, you know, that's going to take some time to work out. They're both going to have to be willing to get some help.
I think they're probably going to need some marriage counseling. But I think in the meantime, because this is now affecting his wages, he's going to need to get some legal advice right away just to know what are his options, have somebody help him, you know, reach out to the creditor. She's going to have to come clean. About what's going on here and provide the necessary information so they can just pay the bills and stay current now that his income is being jeopardized. Has that gotten her attention at all?
The fact that his wages are now being garnished? No, it really has not. And that's what seems to be so frustrating. She doesn't I don't know that she really cares if they lose their house or whatever. Uh She would I think she would like to move anyway because she doesn't like the house.
But um How do they go about legal advice when they can't even afford to pay their bills? That's what I'm. Concerned, how do you do that, or what happens there? Yeah. Um, well, uh, yeah, there's just so many issues here.
Um I think, you know, in terms of the legal counsel, you know, he, if she won't cooperate and they're falling behind, You know, really, I think he doesn't need to try to navigate this alone.
So he could look for, I mean, he may have to contact Legal Aid Society. He could, you know, look for, maybe he contacts his church to find out if there's any bankruptcy attorneys in the church who would at least just consult with him. You know, he could go even, you know, to the bar association there in the county and, you know, meet with somebody for a flat fee. But essentially, you know, he's going to need to reach out to the creditor, let them know the situation here. And, you know, let's just pray that the Lord will give him wisdom as he tries to locate somebody who could at least help him take the next few steps to determine how do we deal with this situation where his wife is hiding things from him and is willing to take them down a path.
That is not going to end well in terms of potentially losing the house and not being able to pay the bills. It sounds like as a tactic to manipulate an outcome related to this home or some other thing. I mean, there's so many issues underneath the surface here that need to be dealt with. And if the marriage is financially unsafe, then he needs to do what he has to do to protect the house and his wages and his own credit. And if she refuses to cooperate and is endangering their stability, then I think while we work through some resolution, which is not going to be quick, he's going to need to separate his finances the best he can just to protect himself in terms of being able to just.
Live and cover his bills.
So I think I would reach out to his church, find out if there's an attorney there that he can consult with that might offer a free consultation. He probably also needs to reach out to legal aid just to see if there's any pro bono attorneys, but he needs some legal guidance here. I think that really is the next step. I'm going to ask our faith and finance community to be praying as he navigates this and just ask the Lord to give him wisdom and intervene in this situation in a miraculous way. God can bring restoration, but let's see if we can get him some wise counsel in the meantime.
Thanks for your call. We'll be right back. 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 faithby.com/slash banking and use code FAITHBY 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.
Healthcare is complicated. It doesn't have to be. If you don't love how your health insurance works, maybe it's time to leave traditional health insurance behind. Take charge of your healthcare with Christian Healthcare Ministries. CHM offers you flexibility.
Enroll anytime, choose your own provider, and select the program that fits your needs and budget. CHM is the original faith-based way of taking care of your medical bill costs. Learn more at chministries.org/slash faithfi. I'm so glad you're with us today on Faith and Finance. You know, each day on this program, we want to help you make much of God, seeing him as your ultimate treasure.
And when you do, regardless of what passes through your hands, you're able to hold it loosely, recognizing that is not where you find your treasure ultimately. It's not in the things of this world. They can come and they can go, and ultimately we can rest in the sufficiency of God and His finished work on the cross and the abundance that we have in our relationship with Him. And then we can manage money in a way that brings Him glory and honor him through giving and saving and investing strategically. Using all resources entrusted to our care as a way to glorify God.
That's what we want to do each day on this program. Help you to see God as your ultimate treasure. And also, in doing so, help you navigate the actual questions you have in your financial life, those things you're wrestling with on living within your means, and how do you manage debt? And is it even a good idea? And if so, in which cases?
And what about passing wealth to the next generation? What does it look like to pass wisdom before wealth? And how do we do that mechanically? What about your giving or your debt repayment? Perhaps it's investing for the future.
All of those questions and more are in play today. We'd love to hear from you. The number to call 800-525-7000. That's 800-50277777777777777777777 525-7000. We've got lines open.
Our team is ready for you, so you can call right now. All right, let's head back to the phones. We'll go to Miami. Mary Lou, go ahead. Yes, Rob.
Thank you for your program. Last time, I a caller asked about the iBond series, and you mentioned that I we could convert them to electronically by creating an account. I get the account, but I don't know how to. converted. What do I need to do?
There was not an instruction On the website to say, hey, after you This is how you add those certificate bond. into the portal. Yeah. So you open the account at treasurydirect.gov, correct? Yes, I did.
Okay, yeah. And then they have something called the smart exchange to convert paper bonds.
So that's what you're going to want to look for. You don't upload scans or images of the bonds. Instead, you fill out, it's called a bond conversion form, and it's right there at Treasury Direct. You could even search for it at treasurydirect.gov, but that will generate a bond conversion manifest and registration list. For you, based on the bonds you type in.
So, when you get that bond conversion form through the Smart Exchange, you'll type in the numbers of the bonds, and they're right there on the paper bonds. That will generate the manifest and the registration list, and then you mail the paper bonds to the treasury. They don't convert them electronically until they receive the physical certificates, and that's often where people get stuck. They try to upload the images, but the system doesn't accept that. Once they verify them, then they'll deposit the electronic versions into the account that you've created.
And you'll get all of those details.
So, what you're looking for is the smart exchange. And then that will give you the bond conversion form that will generate the necessary information.
So if you don't see that, just do a search for it, smartexchange at treasurydirect.gov. Mary Lou, I hope that helps. Thanks for your call. Let's go to Florida. Hi, Byron.
Go ahead. Hi, Rob. I've learned a ton from your show over the years, and I've got an easy Medicare question for you. Thank you for that, by the way, and I'm delighted you called. Yes, thank you.
My wife and I both recently turned sixty four. We're both employed by the same crystal school. And we have an eight-year-old.
So I know that we're looking at going on to Medicare, but we we're locked into a family plan. which our school pays most of the premiums.
So it's not expensive to us, but we know we need to do the Medicare, I guess. Yes.
Okay. Yeah. A couple of thoughts here. Number one is, you know, the good news is you can do both.
So you can enroll in Medicare at 65 and keep your child on your employer plan. A lot of times people think if you move to Medicare, the whole family plan disappears. It doesn't.
So here's how it works: you go on Medicare Part A, usually free, and Part B if you choose. Your son stays on the employer family plan under your coverage. And as long as you continue working and stay attached to the employer plan as an employee, the child can stay on it.
Now, because you're still working and you have employer coverage, you don't have to take Medicare Part B yet. If the employer insurance is good and it sounds like it is, you could delay that and avoid paying that monthly premium until later. What most people do in this situation is they take Part A at 65, which is free. And it's secondary coverage, they delay Part B until they stop working or lose the employer plan and then keep the child on the employer plan the entire time, and that avoids the penalties. Fantastic.
Yeah. That's what I was hoping to hear. Thank you so much.
Okay, you're welcome. Thanks for calling and thanks for your kind remarks about the program. I'm thrilled that you found some value in it. Lord bless you. Let's see, quickly to Ray in Florida.
Ray, go ahead. Hey, enjoy the show. I was wondering if you have any kind of curriculums for a small group. I know you have in the past because I've used them years and years and years ago. Yeah.
Yeah, it's a great question, Ray. Our team's thinking a lot more about that lately. You know, a couple of things I would suggest.
So, the most recent studies we've come out with, first, the study on the parable of the rich fool called Rich Toward God, and then our new study on the book of Ecclesiastes called Wisdom Over Wealth. A lot of small groups are using those. There's questions in there. It's built not only for individual study, but for small groups. You'll find those at faithfi.com.
We're also really thinking through a larger church strategy as we roll out the new Faith Phi app. They'll be in, you know, what we're hearing from a lot of churches is: number one, they want to go deeper into scripture. Number two, they really want to think not just about the financial literacy. What are the, you know, saving three to six months and building a budget and investing for the future? Those, those are great.
But what they're wanting is really more spiritual formation around what does it look like to live as a wise steward according. To God's word. And so we're going to build some of that into the Faith By app where you'll be able to pick a study, do some learning at home as you watch the videos and read the material, and then come together maybe two or three or four times as a small group, maybe once a week for a month or every two weeks over a couple of months, and then talk about what you've been studying. And that gives you kind of the rhythm of, I do a little bit of home on my own where I can be a little more introspective. And then I come together with a group and talk about it.
So I would say today, those two studies, we've got Rich Toward God and Wisdom Over Wealth would be great. And what's coming is a more robust solution that has both a digital and an in-person experience.
Okay, we did them over well. Yep. And rich toward God. Either of those studies, when you go to faithfi.com and click store, you'll see it right there in front of you. All right, thank you, sir.
All right, Lord bless you, Ray. Thanks for calling today.
Well, folks, that's going to do it for us today. A big thanks to my team today, Mr. Jim Henry, Devin Patrick, and Robert Youngblood. And for everybody here at Faith By, thanks for tuning in. May the Lord bless you, and we'll see you tomorrow.
Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you. Yeah.
