This Faith and Finance podcast is underwritten in part by The Good Investor, a book by Robin John. This Faith and Work memoir hopes to inspire readers to view their work and investments as opportunities to honor God and bring blessing to the world. You can learn more now at goodinvestor.com. That's goodinvestor.com. From ancient times to modern markets, gold and silver have captured people's attention, especially during seasons of uncertainty.
I am Rob West. That's one reason more believers are asking whether precious metals like gold or silver should be part of their portfolios. Today we'll talk about where precious metals fit and where they don't when it comes to wise financial decisions. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Let's start here. Precious metals are one of the oldest forms of money in human history. Gold and silver have been used as a store of value for thousands of years. Even today, when fiat currencies dominate the global economy, metals still carry an aura of stability and permanence. And for good reason, governments can print more dollars, but they can't print more gold and silver.
That's why investors often turn to metals during periods of inflation, geopolitical tension, or financial instability. They're viewed as a hedge, something that maintains purchasing power when confidence in the broader system wavers. But while that perception holds some truth, it's important to separate reality from myth. Metals are not magic assets, and they don't behave like traditional growth investments. Let's unpack a few considerations.
First, metals don't produce income. Stocks pay dividends, bonds pay interest, and real estate pays rent. Metals simply sit. That doesn't mean it can't appreciate in price, but it does mean its return is fundamentally different from that of owning productive assets. Gold sits still, businesses build.
Second, prices can be volatile. While metals are often described as safe, their market swings can be sharp, and there have been long seasons when prices barely moved. Third, costs matter. Physical coins and bars come with premiums, storage, and security considerations. But if you prefer not to handle physical gold or silver, you can invest through exchange-traded funds, ETFs, or similar vehicles.
These track the price of metals without the hassle of storage, insurance, or security, making them a practical option for many investors. Fourth, Allocation matters. Most financial professionals who favor metals recommend keeping them at a small percentage of a diversified portfolio, typically 5%, certainly no more than 10%. When metals dominate a portfolio, they often crowd out assets that are better suited for long-term growth.
Now let's bring scripture and stewardship into the picture. The Bible references gold and silver frequently, not only as commodities but as symbols. They represent value, beauty, craftsmanship, and even worship. But Scripture also warns against turning them into objects of trust. In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul instructs the wealthy not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God.
The problem isn't money itself, it's the misplaced hope. Gold cannot redeem us, rescue us, or secure our future in any ultimate sense. Only the Lord can do that. We also see this theme in Proverbs 18, verse 11: The wealth of the rich is their fortified city. They imagine it a wall too high to scale.
The key word is imagine. Wealth, even in seemingly solid forms like precious metals, can create the illusion of safety. That's an important reminder because metals often attract investor interest during periods of fear. Fear isn't a reliable investment strategy. Wisdom is.
Fear always wants to rush. Wisdom tends to move slowly. As stewards, our goal isn't to react to the headlines with panic buying, but to plan and allocate resources with prudence, patience, and prayer.
So let me offer three principles. Number one, metals can be a tool, not a treasure. We don't need to spiritualize them or demonize them. They're simply one part of God's created resources, useful when held with open hands. Number two, metals should complement, not replace, a well-diversified plant.
Some Christians want to go all in on gold because they fear economic collapse, but Scripture doesn't call us to make decisions from fear. Number three, every financial decision, whether investing in index funds, bonds, or bullion, ultimately sits under the bigger question: Lord, how can I honor you with what you've entrusted? If metals help reduce risk, preserve purchasing power, or enable generosity over time, they may serve the kingdom well. If they fuel worry or become a bunker mentality, they're pulling us off course. Here's the bottom line: precious metals may help preserve purchasing power, but they don't produce income, they don't guarantee returns, and they don't produce ultimate security.
They're a hedge, not a haven. Our true security isn't found in vaults or accounts, but in Christ. I hope that's an encouragement to you today. A quick break and back with your questions after this. Stick around.
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 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.
Well, we're taking your calls today. Anything financial, call right now, 800-525-7,000. That's 800-525-7,000. You could call right now. We'd love for you to get in on the conversation.
Here's our goal to help you live as a faithful steward, answer those very practical questions that you have in your financial life, but with a biblical worldview in view, operating from the understanding that God owns everything and that you and I are stewards and that we need to pursue contentment. We need to define enough. We need to hold everything God has entrusted to us loosely and give generously. We can enjoy what God provides, but the moment we worship the creation over the creator, we've got a real problem. And money is one of the chief idols that can be held up in our lives, especially in the most prosperous nation in the history of the world.
But when we put money in its proper place as a tool to accomplish God's purposes, well, Everything else begins to fall in line according to the heart and the will of God that we see in scripture. And then we can approach all of the decisions around spending and preparing the next steward and investing in a God-honoring way and saving and how we enjoy appropriately what God has entrusted to us. We can put all of those pieces together.
Well, we want to help you do that. I realize there's probably some things that you're thinking about right now in your financial life. Maybe it's saving for retirement or investing. Perhaps it's just getting that credit score up or paying off that debt, whatever it is. Call right now.
We've got some lines open. 800-525-7,000. Again, that's 800-525-7,000. In the news today, Americans are increasingly worried about falling behind on their debt. That's according to data from the New York Federal Reserve.
In its December survey of consumer expectations, households reported the highest perceived risk. of missing a minimum payment since April of twenty twenty. Concerns were greatest among adults over age sixty, interestingly, those without college degrees and households earning under fifty thousand dollars.
Now, analysts say a softer labor market is fueling anxiety about job security, access to credit, and the ability to keep up with bills. Even one missed payment can be costly. Lending Tree found that a single 30-day delinquency can drop a credit score by around 80 points on average and more for borrowers with higher scores. Lower scores can result in smaller credit limits, of course, higher interest rates, and fewer borrowing options. Experts recommend contacting lenders before payments are missed, as some may offer temporary relief or lower rates to help borrowers stay current.
We would, of course, suggest that if you're looking to pay off credit card debt greater than $4,000, and that's usually kind of the number where less than $4,000, you can snowball it, kind of do it on your own. More than $4,000, you really do need some assistance. My preferred way for you to get out from under credit card debt once and for all is called credit counseling. We'll get The interest rates dropped if you work through a nonprofit credit counseling agency with one level monthly payment and the reduction in interest. We find you can pay it off 80% faster on average.
Our friends at Christian Credit Counselors have served thousands of our listeners over the years. You can learn more at ChristianCredit Counselors.org. All right, let's dive into your questions today. Again, lines are open, 800-525-7000. You can call right now.
Let's begin in Texas. Judy, go ahead. My husband and I are seventy nine. We're retired. our home and vehicle are paid for.
We have no life insurance. But um I have five thousand I'd like to put somewhere Um Trying to gain enough money, you know, to bury us. And I just wanted some advice as to. How you would do that.
Okay. Yeah. And this $5,000, Judy, that you've earmarked as a starting point, is that in addition to any other savings? A little bit. I have we have one thousand three hundred in a C D and about three thousand in just regular savings accounts.
I see. And what do you all typically spend in a month? Oh boy, maybe about 1500.
Okay, yeah. I would actually recommend that we not invest this money, but that you add it to your savings.
So I'm thrilled to hear that you've got the C D. I'd love for you to have somewhere between three and preferably as much as six months' worth of expenses safe. And liquid, meaning you can accept it's accessible.
So that'd be about $9,000 that I'd love to have as a goal. And I would put that in either a savings account or a money market account that's earning some interest. And you can find that. You could do it at your own bank where you've got your checking account. Often, if you're comfortable with this, I would recommend what's called an online bank, which offers the same safeguards, the same FDIC insurance with the full faith and credit of the United States government backing the deposit, but you can get much better interest rates.
And so let's say you could get 4% on that money, and let's say you had $5,000 saved, that would give you an extra $200 a year, keeping it very safe, but also allowing it to continue to grow a little bit at a time.
Now, once you got beyond that goal of six months' expenses or that $9,000 I'm talking about that you'd have in emergency reserves, then I think we could look at taking anything extra you have per month, you know, and putting it into some sort of investment to grow at a little better rate of return over time. But until you get to six months' reserves or what I call your emergency fund, I would rather you keep that out of investment. And keep that in an interest-bearing account. Does that make sense though? Yes, I was thinking of money market.
Okay, yeah. I know Christian Community, and isn't there another Christian organization that does The Secret Credit Union. Yeah, well, Christian Community Credit Union has been a longtime partner of ours. They are our preferred and recommended Christian banking solution. They're merging with Adelphi, which was the second largest in the country.
So, when you put CCCU together with Adelphi, which is what's happening right now, they're going to be by far the largest Christian banking solution in the country. And there's actually some incentives right now for FaithFi listeners using the code FaithFi, where you can get up to an extra $400 credited to the account when you open it. Are you comfortable on the internet?
Somewhat, I'm totally blind.
Okay. Uh do you have a a family member or a friend that could assist? Yeah, I do.
Okay. Yeah. So I would head to faithfi.com, and then you're going to want to go to a slash banking, faithfi.com/slash banking. And maybe there's a family member that could come over and assist you, a grandchild or a friend in the area that's comfortable on the web. But faithphy.com/slash banking will take you straight to the Christian Community Credit Union website.
It'll give you all the details on this bonus that could be added to the account. And then their money market right now is paying an exceptional rate of return at 4% for up to $100,000. And you can open it with as little as $100.
So I think that would be a great option for you, Judy. And until you get up to $9,000 saved, I would keep it right there in that either the high-yield savings, which you can get 5% on, or the money market. It's called the Harvest High Yield Savings Account. And again, that website is faithfy.com/slash banking. Hey, we appreciate your call today.
If I can assist you with anything else in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. Lord bless you. We've got some lines open. We're taking your calls and questions on anything financial. Whatever's going on in your financial life, we'll help you think about it in light of biblical wisdom and make a practical decision to move forward.
The number 800-525-7000. We'll be back with much more just around the corner. Stick around. Have you ever started a budget only to watch it fall apart a few weeks later? You're not alone.
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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. Yeah.
Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. Taking your calls and questions today at 800-525-7,000. That's 800-525-7,000. Let's see. We're going to go to Illinois.
Kathleen, you're next up on the program. Go ahead. Thanks for your program. I have a stock in my portfolio that is like it's like I have like a between 40 and 47% loss. And it's got an F rating and it's a large part of my portfolio.
So it's like holding it is not a good idea. I want to sell it, but I want to know what to do with it after I do that. I have it in Schwab.
So I don't know if there's like a fund that I could put it in that is better. You know, I don't know because I've got a lot saving in there. Yeah. Well, first of all, Kathleen, let me just affirm what you're saying. And that is, you know, regardless of how that stock is done, and I understand it's done very poorly, you have what's called a highly concentrated position.
And that's not advisable because we're taking an inordinate amount of risk where you have too much riding on one company. And so I like the fact that you're thinking about repositioning your portfolio. But in doing so, you really need some wise counsel in that because, first of all, you want to make sure. You take full tax advantage of the loss. And then, secondly, you want to think about where is the best place for you to be invested moving forward based on your goals and objectives and risk tolerance and age and income needs.
And I think that's really where an advisor will shine. Unfortunately, I can't give you those specific recommendations over the radio. We don't do that, but I wouldn't want to, even if I could, because I don't know all the other pieces of your financial life. And that's where an advisor will come in.
So I'm going to encourage you to check with a certified kingdom advisor there in Illinois who can look at your overall situation and then perhaps actually help you manage that money. You can find a CK on our website at faithfy.com. Thanks for your call today, Kathleen. Let's go down to Florida. Hi, Chris.
Go ahead. God bless you and your ministry. I have a two-part credit-related question. I renovated my bathroom last year and I used a Twelve months, same as cash, no payments plan that they were offering. And I know I should have called you earlier on to ask you about this.
I wanted to know the first part of my question is about that twelve month same as cash. I have no concerns about paying it off. I did it last June, so I've got Plenty of wiggle room here before I have to pay it off. But my question is: are there any hidden Gotchas in this because these these sound so good, but are there from your standpoint and your knowledge, are there any hidden eye gotchas with those? twelve months, same as cash plans.
Typically, not, with this exception.
So, usually, it's 0% interest for 12 or 18 months. If the balance is paid in full prior to the deadline, there is exactly what they promised, unless there's some fine print that undoes this, but this is not typical. There would be no interest at all. But, and this would be the gotcha if there is one: if even $1 remains after that 12th month, then all the deferred interest is added retroactively. And those interest rates are often very high, 20% plus.
So, you know, you just have to look at it and make sure that you understand what that deadline is. And secondly, you need to know that sometimes the minimum payment that they're requiring may not pay it off in time to have it paid in full prior to that 12-month same as cash expiring. And so the promotional end date may end earlier than expected, and you just don't want to miss that. But typically, as long as you pay that balance in full before that promotional end, then you get exactly what they offered, which is a 0% interest loan.
Okay, that sounds excellent. Chris, I know you had a second part to your question. Go ahead with that. Yes, pretty bread and butter. I listened to you recommend freecreditreport.
com, the site the other day.
So when I went to it, I opened it up and looked around in there, but can you please unpack what the report versus the score? Because they mentioned you will not receive a credit score and I'm not familiar with that. Can you tell me that what that difference is? Yeah. Let me just make one clarification because there is a freecreditreport.com which is part of Experian, which is one of the three bureaus.
The one that you probably heard me recommend is slightly different. It's the government website that allows you to get credit reports from all three bureaus, and it's annualcreditreport.com. Annual creditreport.com rather than free credit report.
Now, they will offer the credit report, which is the file with each of the three major bureaus, the credit reporting companies, and you will see all of the entries in there with regard to every active account and the status of those. And that's what ultimately is pulled to make up your credit score.
Now, your score is not automatically included on the credit report. The reason you get the credit report is just to make sure there's not any inaccurate information and that everything is current. And if there is inaccurate information, you would dispute it and you'll see how to do that in the report so that it could be corrected. The score is different, it's an additional step. And often, especially these days, you can get them in a number of places at no cost.
Most credit card companies. Are now offering free credit scores. You could go to creditkarma.com to get your score.
So, if you're wanting to check your score, it's pretty easy to do these days. But that credit file, that credit report, is important for you to check at least a couple of times a year. And annualcreditreport.com is the place to do it.
Okay. Thank you so much, Rob. Absolutely, Chris. Thanks for your call, sir.
Well, it looks like that's going to do it for us.
Well, you know what? I've got a minute left. Mark, let's take this question real quick in Texas. I appreciate you holding, and how can I help you? I have a whole life insurance policy that I bought many years ago that not really sure I need it any longer.
And I could cash it in for the cash value, but then I would have to claim it as income. And that would mess up with my income ratios.
So I'm learning just some ideas you might give me. Yeah. Well, it's a good question. And I think, you know, if you have the ability to pull it out a little bit at a time, that could be one option because I understand what you're saying is you don't want to recognize that income and then that affect other things, like maybe your IRMA or something else with regard to Medicare. But often, you know, if the premiums are rising or feel burdensome or you just don't need the insurance, I think that cash value could be better used for living expenses or emergency reserves or giving.
And then the key is when you collapse that policy and pull it out, just understand what implications that's going to have from a tax standpoint or a Medicare standpoint, and then just set that portion aside. But the idea that you would just continue to ride this out and let that cash value dwindle or continue to pay a premium for a policy you don't need, I'd rather you not do that.
So I'd look at getting out of it and just plan for any expenses you'll incur. Mark, thanks for your call. We're grateful to have you with us today. Big thanks to. My team today, Adam, Patty, Taylor, and everybody here at FaithFi.
We'll see you next time. Bye-bye. Faith and Finance is provided by FaithFy and listeners like you. Mm-hmm.
