This faith in finance podcast is underwritten in part by One Assent. If you believe God is the owner, then that makes you a steward. And as a steward of God's resources, shouldn't you consider aligning his assets with his principles by investing in companies that bless mankind instead of causing harm? Our trusted partner, One Ascent Investments, calls this values-based investing. One Ascent believes that if your values inspire the way you live, they should also inspire the way you invest.
To learn more about making a positive impact in the world through your portfolio, please visit investments.onascent.com or speak with your financial advisor about OneAccent Investments today. Money conversations often focus on numbers and strategies, but underneath them are deeper questions about identity and worth. Hi, I'm Rob West. For many women, financial confidence is closely tied to how they see themselves and their role in God's story. Bethany Freimeyer joins us today to talk about that connection.
And then it's on to your phone calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, our guest today is my friend Bethany Freimeyer. She's a Certified Kingdom Advisor with Blue Trust and the author of Women of Worth, a faith-based guide to financial wisdom. Bethany, I've been looking forward to this conversation. Thanks for being here. Thank you so much, Rob, for inviting me to be here.
I am just so excited to talk about a topic that is really close to my heart. I know it is, and I'm so thrilled that it's available for our listeners. And by the way, folks, you're going to need to pick up a copy. Bethany, you're a financial advisor. You're a certified kingdom advisor.
And I'd love to just start today with you sharing a bit about your journey to this industry and specifically the area of Christian financial advice.
So, talk a little bit about what you do and how you got here. Yes, I would love to.
So I'm a financial advisor with Blue Trust. This is my 20th year with the firm. I love to say I've grown up at Blue Trust. I started at 25 and will be 45 this year. I serve specifically in our everyday steward division and help clients in the areas of financial planning and investment management, all looking through a biblical lens.
But I never fathomed I would be in this industry. I actually have a marketing degree. But God brought my husband and me to Georgia via Hurricane Katrina, and that's quite a story of all God did. And very quickly the Lord opened a door for me to begin working as an administrative assistant at Blue Trust. And the mission immediately captured my heart.
And so God has taken me on a most unlikely journey from an admin assistant bringing the bagels each week, which is very important, all the way to having the privilege now for a number of years to serve my own clients and walk alongside them in their journeys. And really, this is all I've known: the integration of biblical wisdom through financial advice. And it is such a privilege to combine my calling as a Jesus follower with my vocational calling. I say it's a wonderful fireworks explosion of helping Christians to become financially free to fulfill the great commission.
Well, we can hear your passion in your voice. And I'm so thrilled about the work that you do, but also the book that you wrote. In your book, Bethany, Women of Worth, you connect faith, identity, and financial decision making.
So I want to start there. Why is it important to bring those three things together? Instead of treating money maybe as a separate topic. Yeah.
So, you know, finances are such a significant part of our everyday life. Yet so many people feel uncertain or intimidated by that subject. And while stereotypically, I think men are better at compartmentalizing different pieces of their lives, women lead integrated lives. One area flows into another, flows into another. And so a book of financial facts and resources, I don't believe would have moved the needle in most women's lives.
I think giving a lot of facts and tools would have just gone in one ear and out the other without also putting into the book our identity and purpose in Christ and building confidence in what God has called us to do. And I think for some women, it's easy to hope someone else might handle the financial side of things. But the reality is that 94% of women Believe they will be responsible for their household finances at some point in their lives. Yet only 28% feel ready to take on that responsibility. And that can happen through unexpected life changes.
When it does, it helps to already have the knowledge and confidence to steward those resources well.
So all in all, my hope is to help women feel equipped. rather than overwhelmed when those moments come. Wow, that is so well said. And I can't wait to dive into the book. We're going to do that after the break.
We're going to talk about this idea of identity a bit further and how it connects to our finances. We'll talk about the next step you can take and perhaps if there's discouragement or shame that you find in your own life, how you can work through that as well as you think about using the resources God has entrusted to you for God's glory with confidence. Bethany Freimeyer is here today. She's a certified kingdom advisor with Blue Trust. She's also the author of the new book, Women of Worth, a faith-based guide to financial wisdom.
We'll be back with more right after this. Stick around. Imagine having biblical financial wisdom delivered to your inbox every week, helping you integrate your faith and financial decisions for the glory of God. At FaithFi.com, you can join a community of over 70,000 people who are already receiving our weekly wisdom email, filled with articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive offers on resources that will deepen your understanding of biblical stewardship. Start your journey today by creating your FaithFi account at FaithFi.com.
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More information. is available at 1ascent.com and by clicking analyze my investments. When you know your worth in Christ, you can steward with confidence. Hi, I'm Rob West, and this is Faith in Finance. Joining me today, Bethany Freimeyer.
She's a certified kingdom advisor with Blue Trust. She's also the author of Women of Worth, a faith-based guide to financial wisdom. You can pick it up wherever you buy books. And if you'd like to learn more about Blue Trust, just head to bluetrust.com. Bethany, you made an important point before the break that your hope is to help women feel equipped rather than overwhelmed when these moments come, these unexpected life changes.
Many women will end up taking the lead financially at some point, whether expected or not.
So, why is it so important to build that confidence ahead of time?
Well, when someone suddenly has to manage finances without preparation, it can feel incredibly overwhelming. And often that responsibility comes through unexpected life changes like widowhood, divorce, a major transition.
So you're already walking through something that's hard, and then being ill-equipped in the financial area can just make a hard season even harder.
So learning about stewardship earlier provides space to grow in wisdom without the pressure of crisis on top of that. And it also helps women see financial decision-making not as a burden, but as an opportunity, an invitation to honor God with what He's entrusted to them. I believe confidence grows when knowledge and faith begin to work together. Oh, I couldn't agree more. You know, I know writing a book, Bethany, is a labor of love.
And I imagine you had a picture of a woman in mind that you were writing to.
So I'd love for you to share who were you hoping would see themselves in these pages?
Well, I have many women in mind. I really pray that somewhere in the book, every woman will see herself at some point. But I especially had in mind Christian women who may feel overlooked or unseen or just really doubtful of their abilities in the financial realm and in other areas of life. You know, some women sense God may be calling them to step forward. But they hesitate because they doubt their own abilities.
And others, like me, this was me. I felt my role was simply to support others rather than to step into a leadership role myself. And there are women who feel confident in many areas of life, but still feel uncertain when it comes to finances.
So, my hope is to create a space where women can feel encouraged. Understood and invited to grow. Yeah, what an invitation. Bethany, we've already hit on one of the major themes in the book, and that is the connection between our identity in Christ and confidence in financial stewardship. Talk for a moment about how those two things come together.
Well, as I mentioned when we first jumped into the conversation, women live integrated lives. Our faith, our identity, our daily responsibilities, they all influence one another. And if someone struggles to believe that she is valued and loved by God, that uncertainty. can affect how confidently she makes decisions in many areas of life, and financial stewardship is one of those areas where that hesitation can show up. But when our identity is grounded in Christ, it creates a foundation of security and clarity.
and from that place women are far more willing to step forward and make wise financial decisions. Yeah, so learning financial principles alone isn't always enough if someone still struggles to believe in her own worth or calling, right? Yes, exactly. Knowledge is important, but having confidence to implement that knowledge often flows from a deeper understanding of who we are in Christ. And when women begin to see themselves the way God sees them, they are more willing to act on the wisdom they've learned.
And that is when financial knowledge begins to translate into real-life decisions. Yeah, I can certainly see that. Bethany, you acknowledge in the book that many women carry discouragement, perhaps even shame, about their financial stories.
So I want you to talk to that woman who's listening today who feels that way. What would you encourage her with?
Well, first I would say that no one has life completely figured out. Contrary to what social media might help us to believe, no one has life figured out. Many people quietly carry financial mistakes or regrets even if they don't talk about them openly, and I've seen this over and over in my practice among both men and women. The fact is that we are all humans. And the wonderful news is that God's grace meets us even in those places where we've fallen short.
There is always a next step to take. Even if it's the tiniest next step, those count too. And there's no room for shame in that process. We want to see the next step as an invitation, an opportunity to move forward with grace and with wisdom. Bethany, that's a big idea that we focus on taking the next right step.
Why do you think that mindset is so helpful? Because growth rarely happens all at once. And a lot of that confidence just grows through small decisions over time. And those small steps gradually form habits. and those habits help to shape long term stewardship.
So, when women focus on the next faithful step rather than trying to solve everything at once. progress becomes much more attainable. And that approach also allows space for learning and for God's guidance along the way. Mm.
So good.
So, Bethany, if someone finishes Women of Worth and walks away with just one renewed perspective or sense of hope, what would that be? I want every woman to recognize that she has God given value and purpose. Scripture tells us that God prepared good works for us long before we were born. And that truth It applies to every believer, not just a select few.
So, when women begin to believe that God truly has a plan for their lives, it changes everything. It changes how they approach faith. finances, and every other area of their lives. That is so good. And I would imagine, Bethany, that that includes women from a wide range of backgrounds and also life stages, right?
Yes, absolutely.
Some readers may be young women, just starting out trying to build healthy financial habits and a strong foundation. Others might be navigating transitions like widowhood, divorce, or a major life change. and many are simply looking for a clearer understanding of how their faith, connects with everyday financial decisions. Wherever someone finds herself, there is always an opportunity to grow in wisdom and confidence. What an encouraging reminder.
Bethany, we're going to have to leave it there for today. But I am so thankful for the work you're doing to help women keep Christ at the center as they step into financial responsibility.
Now, somebody can, of course, buy the book wherever they buy books, Women of Worth, a Faith-Based Guide to Financial Wisdom. But, Bethany, where can they go to learn more about Blue Trust? Yes, they can go to bluetrust.com and peruse the website. There's all kinds of information. We even have a special page for women on the website, and you can check that out.
I just appreciate the opportunity to share today, Rob.
Well, I'm so grateful to have you here. We'll have to do it again real soon. Our guest today has been Bethany Freimeyer, a certified kingdom advisor with Blue Trust. Pick up a copy of this book. Again, it's called Women of Worth: a Faith-Based Guide to Financial Wisdom.
You can also read Bethany's article. We actually did an interview in the latest issue of our Faithful Steward magazine, and you can receive that each quarter when you become a FaithFi partner. Just head to faithfy.com/slash give. All right, your calls are next: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
Or if you'd prefer to email your questions, send it to us at askrob at faithfi.com. I'm Rob West, and this is Faith and Finance. Stick around. As the leading advocate for the Christian financial industry, Kingdom Advisors serves the public by promoting the integration of a biblical worldview across every aspect of the financial services industry. And we serve a growing network of thousands of Christian financial professionals, equipping and empowering them to carry biblical financial wisdom to their clients, peers, and community.
For more information, visit kingdomadvisors.com. That's kingdomadvisors.com. Faith in Finance is grateful for support from Sound Mind Investing. If you have money in an investment account, you know sometimes the stock market can seem like a roller coaster. But it's possible to enjoy both profit and peace of mind as a do-it-yourself investor, no matter what's happening in the market.
A short video webinar about that is available at soundmindinvesting.org. Financial Wisdom for Living Well.
Soundmindinvesting.org. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. We're taking your calls at 800-525-7000. Let's go to Chicago. Hi, Mike.
Go ahead. Hello, how are you? I really enjoy the program. Very helpful. Thank you.
Just a quick question.
So on my 401, the traditional 401, I can actually view the amount that is being recorded as a Roth account, and I do have a certain amount of money there. I wonder if that part of the 401 account I can get out as soon as I retire, which is going to be in a few months probably, and do I have to pay taxes for that or not, since I think that's paid already? As long as that's been open at least five years and you're over 59 and a half, you can pull out the contributions and the gains without any taxes on a Roth 401k. Oh, that's fantastic. Very helpful.
Thank you so much.
Okay, no problem. We appreciate your call. Anything else I can help you with? That was a quick one. No, that will do.
Thank you. I appreciate that very much.
Okay, have a nice one. Really enjoy your program. Bye-bye. Absolutely. Thank you very much.
I appreciate that. All right. Let's head to Illinois, Nova. How can I help? Hi.
Hi. Thanks for calling. Yeah, thank you. I actually spoken to you before in 2022 about struggling financially before my back surgeries because I don't have any family, and I reached out to all of them. And you ended up getting me connected to assistance, and I don't know where I would be today without that assistance before those back surgeries.
So thank you for that. Incredible. Yeah.
So did listener, I'm trying, I believe I remember your call several years ago. Did listeners reach out and end up helping assist you? They did, yes. I actually spoke with a lovely charity that got in touch with me and just provided more than I could have even imagined in assistance to make sure that I didn't become homeless and that I could recover from my surgeries without having to worry.
So it's a praise. No, that is amazing. Yeah, that would have been helping hands. And now that you say that, I remember exactly the situation.
So I'm so thrilled to hear from you.
So you're doing better health-wise? I, you know, I'm in chronic pain, but praise the Lord that the surgeries have allowed it so that I can survive, you know, so and praise Michelle at helping hands because, you know, just everything. Yeah, she's incredible. Seriously. But I did have a couple questions.
Sure, go ahead.
So I'm doing a lot better today. My question for you today is that I opened an LLC three or four years ago as a photography business and I never used it. And so I never filed taxes on it. And so now it's been dissolved since January and my focus has been starting my own nonprofit. Which I have successfully done, which is exciting.
But now I just got married and we're hoping to start some DBAs, but I just discovered my LLC is dissolved because of the tax situation.
So I know it would cost the $75 filing fees for each year of the taxes I was supposed to do, and then probably a reinstatement fee to make the former LLC active. And then I think that cheaper route would just be to make a new LLC and do the DBAs under there, but then I'd lose that length of establishment of my business. But my question is: with my nonprofit and the DBAs under a new LLC, would the dissolved LLC haunt me? At all. Yeah.
So, you know, often when somebody does have an LLC and they have operated under it and then they, you know, haven't reported for a while, when it gets dissolved, if there is something owed, you know, there was tax returns that were not filed that should have been. Just by ignoring it and starting a new one doesn't make those go away. And so you need to get in compliance and then decide, is it better to just reinstate it and continue or to start something new because something has materially changed with the business? But it doesn't make those penalties go away.
Now, in your case, because it sounds like you really never operated anything under that business, that changes things quite a bit. And so in most cases, if you never operated the business, never made any money, never really used the LLC, then you probably didn't have a federal tax filing requirement. Yeah.
And the LLC is essentially what's called disregarded for tax purposes. And so then the state probably just dissolved it for missing the annual registrations, not because of IRS taxes. Although you'll want to verify that.
So, in terms of what to do moving forward, since you never used it, I think many advisors would lean towards starting a new LLC if the old one, if there was nothing really associated with it, there's no brand, there's no contracts, there's no EIN history, it was never funded or operational. It's often cheaper and cleaner just to start a new one. I would think the only reason you'd want to reinstate it would be if you wanted the same business name, or the reinstatement costs were minimal, or there's some legal reason to keep continuity. Otherwise, there's really no advantage to reviving an unused entity. Um so did you ever get an EIN?
I did, yeah. I actually paid a third party to set up the LLC because I didn't know it was so easy to do on your own.
So they filed all this stuff for me.
Okay. Did the IRS send any filing notices? No.
Okay. And you never really operated anything or made any money under it. Is that right? Yeah, that's right.
Okay. So in that case, I think what you're facing here is, if you have an EIN but never did business, never had any income, haven't received any IRS filing notices, then it's likely just a state compliance issue, not a federal tax issue whatsoever. And so the EIN by itself doesn't create a filing requirement. What determines the IRS filings is whether or not you elected an S-Corp status. But if there was no activity, then there usually isn't any kind of separate federal tax return required.
So, you know, I would say, given what you said, in many cases, it's cleaner and even cheaper just to start a brand new LLC instead of paying any kind of state penalties to revive an unused one.
Okay. Awesome. Thank you. And then I did have a second question if we had time.
Okay, sure. Go ahead. So I did start a nonprofit CarePax Foundation. And so I just getting started. I'm plugged in with a couple of other nonprofits in my area for networking purposes.
But I was wondering if you had like a best route to raise awareness and seek out grants to support the nonprofit. Yeah.
What type of nonprofit is it?
So it's called CarePacks Foundation. It'll be providing carefully curated care packages to the unhoused of the greater Chicago area and eventually going to move it down to Tampa most likely.
Okay, got it. Yeah, you know, I think I love the fact that you're networking with other nonprofits. It sounds like a great mission. You know, I would say the next step is to get that 501c3 approval letter from the IRS. Make sure you have a clear mission statement, board of directors, a basic budget, and an impact plan.
And then I would say, you know, at that point, you could start looking for grants. Stay on the line. We'll talk a bit more. Big thanks to my team today, Devin, Robert, and Taylor. We'll see you next time.
Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFy and listeners like you.
