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Membership eligibility required, accounts are privately insured up to $250,000 by American Share Insurance. This institution is not federally insured. More Christians are asking whether their financial lives reflect their deepest convictions. Hi, I'm Rob West. That question often shapes how we give, spend, and invest, but increasingly, believers are asking it about where they bank as well.
Today, Aaron Kay joins us to explain how everyday banking can reflect our values and even support kingdom work. And then it's on the ear calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7,000. This is Faith and Finance: biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, Aaron Cade joins us today from Adelphi Christian Banking, a valued underwriter of this program. Adelphi Christian Banking was formed through the merger of Christian Community Credit Union and Adelphi, uniting a shared commitment to serving believers, churches, and ministries with financial services rooted in biblical values. Aaron, great to have you back with us. Oh, it's great to be back, Rob. And congratulations on the merger.
I know the new website has launched at adelphibanking.com. We're really excited about that. Yeah, it was a big step, and we're really excited about it too. And we've, you know, rebranded the merged credit union as Adelphi Christian Banking as of last week. Incredible.
Aaron, why is banking becoming a more intentional decision for Christians who want their financial lives to reflect their faith?
Well, Rob, we're seeing believers become much more intentional, not only about how they incorporate their values into how they spend, but how they invest and how they manage their money.
So it's natural for them to start asking thoughtful questions about where they bank and how their bank uses their money, too. We see many Christians realizing that how they bank and with whom they bank can become another practical way to honor God through their everyday financial decisions. Yeah. And one of the things that makes Adelphi distinct is its clear Christian mission. How does that mission, Aaron, shape the way you serve members and churches, even ministries?
Well, Rob, Adelphi was founded specifically to serve Christian families, Christian businesses, churches, and ministries.
So it's at the root of why we came into existence. Our Christian mission shapes how we approach stewardship. Our member relationships and the long-term impact that those relationships can have. Believers can prioritize their values and honor God, not just in how they spend money, but where they keep it. And with Adelphi, they can rest assured that their deposits are being put to use to grow God's kingdom.
So, for example, over the years, Adelphi has helped fund more than a billion dollars in loans to churches and Christian ministries. Incredible. And you've said that where we bank can have an impact beyond even our own accounts, that it can support churches and ministries. How does that work?
Well, yes, it's true. Member deposits help provide affordable financing for churches, ministries and Christian organizations. And the great thing is our members get to participate in that mission through their everyday banking.
So, even simple things like using a debit card or a credit card can help support Christian causes. Transactions become transformational. And through our card programs alone, almost $7 million has been donated to Christian ministries and missions. Incredible. Aaron, I want to go a step further.
How do you see the desire for community and shared values shaping the way Christians think about where they bank?
Well, Adelphi's focus is on serving Christians and Christian ministries.
So that creates a really nice shared sense of purpose and trust, not just among our members, but within the larger Christian community. And our members know that Adelphi understands their worldview and their stewardship priorities.
So it becomes a partnership that focuses on generosity, ministry support, and eternal kingdom impact. That's well said. For someone listening today, Aaron, who's never really connected their faith with where they bank, what would you leave them with?
Well, I would say start by thinking intentionally about whether your financial decisions truly reflect your faith and values. As Christians, we have an opportunity to approach every area of our finances, including banking. with biblical stewardship in mind. And again, the goal is not perfection, but to be faithful to God with what He has entrusted to us. Wow, what a helpful reminder that every financial decision, including where we bank, is an opportunity to honor God with what He has entrusted to us.
Aaron, thanks for stopping by today. It's always a pleasure, Rob. That's Eric Cade of Adelphi Christian Banking. As our recommended banking partner, Adelphi offers a practical way to integrate your faith and financial decisions for the glory of God. And right now, one example is their high-yield money market account, which earns an exceptional rate of 4% for 12 months on up to $100,000.
To learn more, go to faithfi.com/slash banking and enter the code FaithFi. That's faithfi.com/slash banking. Code FaithFi. All right, stay with us. We're going to take your calls right after this break.
The number 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance. We'll be right back. I was in ministry full time and I was always looking for a way to integrate my faith with this new industry around money and finances. This is Mark.
He is a Certified Kingdom Advisor. As a CKA, one of the best things I offer my clients is trust in knowing that they're working with a professional that understands their values. And I think in all of the different challenges that clients go through, if we can go back to trusting in God, then He'll make the path straight. You can find an advisor like Mark at findaceka.com. We are grateful for support from Timothy Plan.
Since 1994, Timothy Plan has shared good news with investors and advisors by offering faith-honoring mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. More information is at TimothyPlan.com. The investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses are contained in the prospectus and summary prospectus available at timothyplan.com. Mutual funds distributed by Timothy Partners Limited and ETFs distributed by. Forside Funds Services LLC.
Investing involves risks, including possible loss of principal. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. For taking your calls and questions today, that number 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. You can call right now.
Let's head for the phones to Texas. Jennifer, go ahead. Really enjoy your show. Very helpful. Thank you.
My husband and I are fifty eight, my husband will be fifty nine next week. And we're planning, you know, for retirement, trying to be more strategic and pay off debt so that we can really You know, be successful. We're really trying to tighten up and make the right moves moving forward.
So, we currently own a home that we owe $225,000. We have a 3% interest rate, and there's about $150,000 in equity. That would be a conservative number.
However, our current house is a two-story, no bedrooms or baths downstairs, full baths downstairs, and we also have the maintenance of a swimming pool. We've actually made a lot of recent improvements to it, new roof, HVAC, water heater, things like that, but there are a few more expenses that we would incur. affordability is really an issue right now with most of the houses that we're looking at About $350,000 to $400,000 price range. It'd be a smaller one-story, so we're thinking like less future maintenance and overall costs. but it would come with a higher mortgage interest rate.
Considering it would be new, there'd be no immediate maintenance and we could focus on debts without any surprise repairs. But our ultimate goal is going into retirement with no house payment.
So my question is. Does moving make financial sense? Or should we just stay where we are? We've made pros and cons lists, and we're just struggling really to try to figure out what the right financial move would be. Yeah, boy, that's really helpful background information.
You know, it's one of these situations where the math and the lifestyle considerations, you know, may be pulling in different directions because financially, a 3% mortgage is extremely attractive. It's hard to replace that kind of financing.
Well, it doesn't exist in today's market. But the bigger issue may be whether the home still works well for retirement living. As you said, a two-story home with no main-level living becomes difficult later on. It's a challenge a lot of seniors face, which I realize is still somewhat down the road, but it's a reality. And if your mobility or health changes over time, whereas that newer one-level home is going to have a higher price, higher mortgage payment, possibly HOA fees, but to your point, lower maintenance, fewer repair costs, and an easier kind of aging in place opportunity.
Those recent improvements, that could help your resale value and marketability.
So, I think, you know, as we focus on paying off the home, we also need to focus on total retirement cash flow and quality of life. And so, a slightly higher mortgage payment on a simpler, more manageable home may actually reduce stress and expenses in other ways.
So, you know, I think one option is you go ahead and proceed with, you know, trying to get into the right place. The other would be, you know, you just stay focused on and enjoy that lower payment right now, which allows you to continue to build equity in the home, retire debt completely, and get to a place where, you know, hopefully a couple of years down the road, maybe we're continuing to see inventories build, you know, perhaps even in a lower interest rate environment without you having to refinance a couple of years down the road.
So I think, you know, the opportunity is. Do we kind of put this on hold and just enjoy what we've got right now? Take advantage of the renovations you've done, recognizing this is probably not your long-term solution, but you'll get there and you'll hopefully do it in a better interest rate environment. Or do you just go ahead and make the move for all the reasons you mentioned and you've got to find a way to absorb that higher payment, which may slow down your debt retirement? But give me your thoughts on that.
Yeah, that's kind of where we're struggling. Like I said, we've made the pros and cons with the new builders here in Texas. offering huge incentives. and discounted rates because of the interest rates and things like that, and special promotions.
So we kind of want to take advantage of that, but it's also it would be moving, you know. A little bit further out of the city because of the affordability, because to have the same house. that we have now would cost double. Yeah, so it's yeah, it's just we just are really kind of stuck, but we, you know, we really need to pay off some of the debt as well.
So I kind of thought, well, maybe we'd stay for a few more years and really focus on that.
So, we're just really struggling.
So, I appreciate that.
Well, yeah, I think there's something to that. I mean, I'm glad you made the pros and cons list. I think some of those incentives for newer homes are still going to be there, you know, down the road. But I think, you know, perhaps we may be looking for that sweet spot that could exist a few years down the road where you're saying, listen, right now. You know, it's not as high of a priority for us to get on a one level because we're not in need for that today.
And so, therefore, we can take advantage of this low mortgage, both interest rate and mortgage size, to be able to accelerate other higher priorities, which is getting as close to being debt-free as possible as you're entering retirement. And maybe that's then the season for you to say, okay, now we're better prepared, we've got a stronger foundation under us. Maybe interest rates are lower, maybe they're not, but I think the overall trajectory we would expect would be down over time. And so, if we can get a little bit better interest rate, even a point or two, and you guys now have lower debt levels, maybe you're closer to needing and could really benefit from that one level. You know, as you're entering retirement, it seems like that might be the best option.
The only thing you're giving up is. Just the simplicity of the newer home from a maintenance standpoint. But if you've done those recent renovations, maybe we're pushing that down the road as well. And so you don't have a whole lot of extra upkeep for the time being, even though you know that's coming. But the idea would be that sometime in the next three to five years, you go ahead and make that move and get ready for retirement.
But perhaps that's not today.
Okay, that sounds wonderful. I really appreciate the input. That helps a lot. Absolutely, Jennifer. Listen, thanks for being a regular listener.
Call anytime, and Lord bless you and your husband. Thanks for being on the program today. Let's go. What will stay in Texas? Daryl, go ahead.
Hi, Rob. Thank you for taking my call and thank you for all that you do. As I was telling your screener, that I don't know anything about investing or moving monies around or anything like that. Bear with me. Um, I was just recently laid off my job about two weeks ago, and while I'm Here.
I'm just trying to take care of some things that I've been putting off for a while. I have uh some money left in an an old company. Um investment company of over fifty thousand dollars. And I was Wanting to rem move it to an IRA. And I don't know.
Who should I you know? look to do that with or How to go about doing that. Can you help me with that? Yeah, I'd be happy to. First of all, I'm sorry to hear about the layoff.
The good news is that rolling a retirement account into an IRA is very straightforward, and you have time to regroup here and make a thoughtful long-term decision. The key is to do what's called a direct rollover, so the money moves straight from the old employer into an IRA without triggering any kind of taxes or withholding.
So, the basic steps are: you would open that rollover IRA at a reputable custodian if you want to manage this yourself, and then request a direct rollover from the old 401k or retirement plan. And then you'd choose investments that match your risk tolerance and retirement timeline. You know, at this season of life, where you hopefully have a pretty sizable nest egg, you know, a better option maybe, and maybe what I would encourage you to do, is find an advisor as a first step if you want to delegate the responsibility of the management to this. And I would recommend you look for a certified kingdom advisor there in Texas. There's some great ones.
You could go to findacka.com. I'd interview two or three, find the one that's the best fit. But once you select the advisor, the advisor will open the IRA for you where he or she custodies their client assets, and then you do the direct rollover in. Again, that website, findacka.com. Stay in the line.
We'll talk a bit more. We'll be right back. 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. FaithFi's preferred banking partner is Christian Community Credit Union, now joined with Adelphi, a division of CCCU, bringing you the best in Christian banking for Greater Kingdom Impact. With high-yield checking, savings, Visa cash back cards, and a new competitive high-yield money market account, your everyday banking helps advance the gospel. Visit faithfy.com/slash banking and use the code FaithFi. Membership eligibility required.
Accounts are privately insured up to $250,000. This institution is not federally insured. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. We're taking your calls and questions today, 800-525-7000. All right, let's head back to the phones.
We'll head out to Oklahoma and welcome Cindy. Go ahead. Yes, thank you so much for having me. I have just a small testimonial. in my own life to share About budgeting.
I had three sons, and when our children were very young, we always went to church, but we didn't ever tithe because I budgeted. every week. At that time I didn't work. I was just raising my kids. And one day coming home from church that morning, my husband looked at me and said, We're going to start tithing.
And I looked at him and I said, the budget is so tight right now, we couldn't afford to tithe. He said, I don't care. We're going to tithe. And I didn't see it at all in how we could do that. In faith.
And listening to my husband, I went ahead and began to tithe. And over just a short period of time, The budget never changed. there wasn't that ten percent taken out of my weekly budget. It just was almost kind of miraculous a little bit the way the Lord worked it out. I would put my weekly tithe give it to my church in my budget.
And the budget stayed the same. It never went any higher. And we've tied ever since.
Now of course, there's been times in our lives where it was We just were not able to, but very few times. But I just want to say, God is so faithful and honoring to us when we honor Him. And to this day, I couldn't tell you how that happened. But I shared that with my husband. I said, It's the same amount.
And I keep thinking that my math is wrong and I'm not adding it up right.
Something's got to give. It's just, I was almost a little scared. But that's the way the Lord worked in our lives through our tithing. Cindy, that is incredible. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a story just like that.
You know, crank it through your calculator. It doesn't make sense. And yet, in God's economy, it does. And he's told us to do exactly what you and your husband did, and that is trust me and watch me work. And this is not about God being a cosmic vending machine.
It's not about the prosperity gospel. It's about surrendering our lives and God's money back to him, accepting our role as stewards, putting him first and then living on the rest and just watching him work in some cases, even miraculously. And what you discover is what you and your husband have discovered, and that is that budgeting is not just a financial tool, but it's a spiritual discipline that aligns our use of money with our faith. It fosters growth in our lives. It fosters generosity and trust in God's provision.
It's what God has asked us to do in obedience. You all followed that admiration. Of scripture, and you've seen the result, the freedom, the joy, the amazement of watching God at work. And I'm delighted you shared that with us today. I'm confident there's someone out there today, Cindy, perhaps a lot of people who needed to hear that encouragement.
So I appreciate your call today.
Well, thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. Lord bless you. Call anytime. Folks, if you have a testimony today, we'd love to hear it.
You know, celebrating God's faithfulness in our lives is part of what we need to do. We see that modeled in scripture. We're to acknowledge God at work. And if you want to take the opportunity to do that as you celebrate how he's been working in your financial life, call right now, 800-525-7000. We'd also love to tackle your questions on anything financial as well.
Let's see. We'll head to Arkansas. Jay, go ahead. Hey, um I have a question which has to do with physical silver. And I've got Quite a bit of it held back, and I'm at the age of 66 right now.
And if I wanted to sell it, how do you go about doing that and get the maximum? Return. Yeah, yeah, it's a good question. Physical silver can absolutely be sold. I think the key is to understand what type of silver you own, and then you'd want to shop carefully because fees and what are called spreads, the difference between what they're paying you and the spot price of the metal can vary quite a bit.
So I think the first is to determine what you've got. Are these silver coins or bars? Is it more of a collectible or is it just the silver bullion? And then the approximate weight and purity. And then, once you know that, you know, the places people sell these typically would be: you know, if we're talking collectibles and coins, you'd go to a local coin shop, be sure to read lots of reviews before you do it.
If it's more like bars and just the actual silver, you could look at a precious metal dealer, and I'd probably look online for the bullion dealers and again, read a lot of reviews. You're going to want to get multiple quotes before selling because, again, they often pay different amounts. And in many cases, they would be below the spot price of silver. One advantage of a local dealer is the immediate payment and no shipping risk. Online dealers can sometimes offer better pricing, but then you've got to ship it there and you've got the insurance costs and so forth.
And then you got to keep in mind the gains on the precious metals could be taxable, and collectibles have a different capital gains treatment.
So, you just need to understand that before you go into it. Is that helpful though? Yeah, I I think so. Got quite a bit, and I know it would cost a lot to ship, that's for sure. And it is.
You know, three nines, silver, or four nines is what I have.
Okay, gotcha. Yeah, so I might start in your local area and just start doing quite a bit of research, reading a lot of reviews and see what you can come up with. Because if you could find somebody that's trusted and is highly rated locally that gives you a great price for it, and it's easy to check the spot price of silver at any given time to determine how much of a markup the dealer is putting on it, then I think you'd be in good shape and you'd be able to avoid all that extra cost for shipping. All right, thank you very much. All righty, thanks for your call today.
We appreciate you being on the program. Let's head back to Texas. Susanna, go ahead. Yes, thank you so much for taking my call. I just have a couple of questions.
I'm 61. My husband is going to be 66 this year. He's thinking about retiring with Medicare, but continue to work. And we're wondering If he retires at age 67, and starts to, you know, get money from Medicare. Can he earn whatever he wants or is there a limit?
Yeah, it's a great question.
So, once you reach full retirement age, which for most people is right around 67, there is no earnings cap. That reduces Social Security benefits. Before full retirement age, there is an earnings limit. Where benefits can be temporarily reduced and then eventually paid back to you. But once you reach full retirement age, he can earn as much as he wants and he can work full-time and get 100% of the benefits due him.
Thanks for being on the program today. Folks, that's gonna do it for us.
So thankful to have you with us each day. Your calls, your encouragement, your participation. Listen, God owns it all. You and I are stewards. That's a really high calling.
We wanna help you think about that through biblical wisdom, help you see money as a tool, make God your ultimate treasure so we can be a blessing to the world and partner with God and his work around the globe. Hey, big thanks to my team today. I certainly couldn't do this without them. Devin Patrick, my producer, Taylor Stanrich, our production manager. Sandy Dickinson, Patty Pumphrey handling our phones for us each day, and thankful for you as well.
Hope you'll come back and join us tomorrow. Again, if you want to support the ministry, consider becoming a partner at faithfy.com/slash give. God bless you. Faith in Finance is provided by Faith Buy and listeners like you.
