What matters most to you when selecting a financial advisor?
Someone who shares your biblical values? How about someone who will take the time to explain your financial options clearly? Certified kingdom advisors meet high standards of competence, integrity, and biblical training, equipping them to offer financial advice grounded in God's Word. No more wondering if your advisor truly understands what's important to you. Find a certified kingdom advisor near you at findaceka.com.
That's findacaka.com. The right financial advisor can help you plan for the future, but the right kind of counsel can also help you stay anchored to what matters most. I am Rob West. When we seek financial guidance, we're not just looking for information, we're looking for direction. And for believers, that direction should be shaped by God's Word, not merely by the market.
Today we'll look at why values-aligned counsel makes such a difference. And then we'll take your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. Yeah. Money decisions are never just financial.
They touch our hopes, fears, sense of control, and ultimately, our trust in God. That's why scripture consistently points us toward wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says, Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety. That word safety matters. It speaks to protection, stability, and the kind of flourishing that comes when our lives are ordered according to God's wisdom.
But seeking counsel requires humility. It means admitting we don't see the whole picture. And that's not weakness, it's wisdom. Think about Moses in Exodus 18. He was called by God to lead Israel, and yet his father-in-law Jethro saw something Moses didn't.
The people were lining up from morning until evening, and Moses was wearing himself out trying to handle every dispute alone. Jethro said, What you're doing is not good. Then he offered a better way. Moses listened, delegated responsibility, and both he and the people were better served. If Moses needed wise counsel, surely we do too.
That's especially true with money. In our culture, financial independence can easily be confused with self-reliance. But Proverbs 19:20 says, Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Now, not all counsel is the same. Technical expertise matters, credentials matter, experience matters, but the worldview beneath the advice matters too. Every financial recommendation carries assumptions about success, security, generosity, risk, retirement, and even the purpose of wealth. Advice may sound impressive, but if it's disconnected from biblical truth, it can quietly move our hearts toward goals Scripture never gives us. Jesus warned us in Luke 12:15, take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
A spreadsheet can help us plan, but it cannot shepherd the heart. And that's why values aligned counsel is so important. Recent Pinkston research compared clients working with Certified Kingdom Advisors, professionals trained to integrate biblical wisdom into their financial practice, with clients of general advisors. Among general clients, 64% prioritized investment returns. But among CKA clients, 70% prioritized shared beliefs and values.
You see, for many believers, shared faith is not secondary, it's foundational, and that alignment appears to build deep trust. CKA clients reported a 98% retention rate and a net promoter score of 83 compared with 58 among general clients. The research also showed that values aligned counsel often changes the conversation. Eighty one percent of CKA advisers said they help clients incorporate faith or values based investing into their plans. Compare that with just fifty seven percent of general advisers.
Clients working with certified kingdom advisors were also twice as likely to have significantly increased their charitable giving. That matters because scripture never treats money in isolation. It connects money to worship, trust, contentment, generosity, and obedience. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Our financial decisions reveal what has captured our hearts.
The study also found that 72% of CKA advisors reported being very fulfilled in their work compared with 48% of general advisors, and 80% said their work was very aligned with their life's purpose. You see, that kind of calling matters. An advisor who sees the work as service is more likely to serve with patience, integrity, and care.
So, how do you find counsel like that? Start by asking good questions. How does your faith shape the way you think about money, risk, generosity, and success? A wise advisor won't make decisions for you, but the right one can help you sort through the noise, ask better questions, and anchor your plan in what matters most. Surrounding yourself with godly, competent counsel doesn't remove your responsibility, it helps you carry it faithfully.
If that's the kind of advisor you'd like to work with, visit findaca.com to connect with a certified kingdom advisor. Back with your questions after this. Stick around. Managing money isn't just a financial decision. It's a discipleship journey.
And the FaithFi app is the only app built to guide both your money and your heart. With meaningful check-ins, automated budgeting, personalized insights, and biblical wisdom woven into every step, FaithFi helps you build habits that last. Join more than 70,000 believers pursuing clarity and peace as faithful stewards. Start your 30-day free trial today at faithfy.com slash app. Are you a financial professional looking to grow your practice while offering advice that aligns with your Christian values?
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.
Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance.
Well, we're looking forward to taking your calls and questions today. That number to get in on the conversation: 800-525-7000. We'd love to be able to tackle whatever questions you're thinking about in your financial life today, help you think about them in light of biblical wisdom. We do that each day on this program, recognizing that money-well, it's a good gift from a good God. It doesn't need to cause concern or frustration in our lives.
It doesn't need to be a wedge in marriage. It should be something that, when used properly and held with an open hand, because we understand it's a tool, allows us to bring glory to God, allows us to accomplish God's purposes, to give generously and bless others, and enjoy and provide. But often we put it in the wrong place. You know, this world would tell us that it can provide security and significance. We know that's not true.
God is our ultimate treasure. Money. When held properly, it is in fact a tool. It's not an end, it's a means to an end.
So, each day, we want to help you think about a biblical approach to money management on this program so that you can handle money God's way. And we know you have very specific questions that come up along the way, and we want to help you answer those.
So, whether you're thinking about balancing that budget or maybe it's giving wisely or paying down some debt, whatever you have going on in your financial life, call right now. We've got some lines open, and we would love to help you tackle those questions at 800-525-7000. All right, let's dive into your questions today. Again, the number 800-525-7000. We're going to begin today in Georgia with Glenn.
Go ahead, sir. Hey, Rob, thank you so much for taking my call. Of course. Yeah, I've always appreciated the wisdom of this program, and it has greatly benefited my life. I just wanted to say that at the beginning.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
So I'm sixty-five, getting ready to retire in January. I'll have a revenue stream of a little over one hundred thousand coming in annually. But I have two hundred thousand of four hundred one K. One hundred and fifty of that is traditional and fifty is Roth. And I'm trying to work the tax part of my retirement in as least as possible.
So that's why I'm retiring in January. I'm just not sure how to uh transfer that traditional to the Roth? For tax purposes, and how much can I do a year? And is that done? over several years.
I'm just not sure how to do that. Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense.
So, the $100,000 a year annually coming in, is that like a pension, or what are you going to have? That makes that up. Yeah, so that's my Social Security along with my wife, Air Force retirement and then disability as a veteran.
Okay, got it.
So, Air Force Social Security and disability. Excellent.
Okay. Yeah. So, I mean, you've really thought through this, and I think the amount you can convert each year really is going to come down to filling up those buckets. With $100,000 of annual retirement income, the first question is: how much of that is actually taxable? The military pension would be fully taxable at the federal level.
Social Security, depending on the other income, up to 85%. VA disability, generally tax-free. And if it's a military disability retirement rather than VA disability, it can vary.
So, because of those differences, I think it's impossible to say exactly how much you convert. It really comes down to your filing status, the breakdown of the $100,000, and then any deductions. But I think if most of the $100,000 is taxable, you would likely already be in the 22% federal bracket or even potentially higher. And so, normally, what retirees will do from retirement age, certainly until they get to a required minimum age at 73, they'll try to intentionally convert just enough each year to fill up their current tax bracket without spilling into the next one.
So for someone with a $150,000 traditional IRA, it make good sense to spread those conversions out by maybe five to seven years, depending on your tax situation, and work with your CPA to be able to determine how much each year you can fill up the bracket with and then maybe defer the rest until the following year and just try to do as much as you can before you hit 73. Does that make sense? That makes a lot of sense.
Okay. Thank you. Absolutely. Yeah, I think this is a good strategy, though, Glenn. I love you trying to get more into that tax deferred or tax-free growth situation with the Roth.
It's going to do a couple of things for you if you don't need it because you're going to have a nice income coming in. It allows you to let it continue to grow. And so you wouldn't be forced to take it out when you reach required minimum age. Second thing is if you are going to pass this to heirs, you know, the tax would have already been paid. And a lot of times when the heirs are receiving it, They're in the prime of their working years in a higher tax bracket.
So they're paying a lot of taxes on that money coming out of the traditional IRA. But the money they get through Roth, they pull it out tax-free just like you do because you've already paid the tax on it.
So I think there's a lot of reason to think about that, but you want to be mindful of Irma on that Medicare premium. And you just want to watch and make sure you understand the implications. And that's why I think that. filling the bucket strategy can work well, but you're going to want to be in close coordination with your CPA. Hey, Glenn, appreciate your kind remarks about the program.
Thanks for being a faithful listener and call anytime, sir. Tracy in Illinois, go right ahead, sir. Hi, Rob. Me and my wife has got $80,000, and we're wanting. I've heard you talk about it before.
An online bank, do we put it in a savings or a C D or what? We're just wanting to put it in something to draw interest. Yeah, uh but you're wanting to keep it liquid, I assume, where you can get to it.
Well, I mean, not necessarily 'cause we talked about that yesterday. I mean, we can put it up, you know, like six months or three months or whatever. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I mean, you know, some rates are paying on CDs 4% to 5% still, and you could, you'd have to lock the money up probably from 6% to 12 months to get that. There are high-yield savings accounts that are still very attractive that would give you a high degree of safety and liquidity, meaning you could get to the money if you all needed it, and you could still get 4%.
You know, we haven't really seen a whole lot of movement there. Many thought interest rates would be lower than they are today.
So you could head to one of the online banks. You know, the reason the online banks offer higher interest rates is because they don't have the cost of the physical branches.
So they're able to pass that on. And they're just as safe with either FDIC or private insurance, especially when we're talking less than $250,000. I'll tell you, a lot of our listeners are using the money market with Adelphi, the largest Christian banking alternative in the country. And they have an exceptional rate right now of 4%. for up to $100,000 for 12 months.
And they're even offering an additional $400 bonus for FaithFi listeners right now.
So something like that, I think, could be great, where you get a nice yield on a good sum of money, keep it liquid, keep it safe, but have something meaningful to show for it at the end of the year.
So if you wanted to check that out, you could go to faithfy.com/slash banking or just head. Banking, yes sir. Mm-hmm.
Okay. Or you could go to like That's it. Or go to like bankrate.com or something like that just to look at more of the traditional secular options. But if you wanted a Christian alternative, this is a great one because of their size and strength, but also this yield is just really attractive. And they call it the high-yield money market.
You'll see it right there on the top of the page when you go to faithfu.com/slash banking.
Okay. Okay. Hey, Tracy, thanks for your call, sir. You got it. Call anytime.
Take care. Hey, much more to come just around the corner. We're just getting cranked up here. We still have a whole nother segment left and some great calls coming up just around the corner. We'll get to those here right after this break.
If you want to check out prior broadcasts or download the FaithFi app, do that on our website, faithfy.com. We'll be right back. What we do is very special and it's very unique. This is Bethany. She is a Certified Kingdom Advisor.
I became a CKA because we're not building bigger barns and we're not trying to figure out how can we just amass more and more and more. We're figuring out how much do you really need? What are your priorities? What has God called you to? And then how can we give it away?
How can we be more generous? You can find an advisor like Bethany at findacaka.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. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance.
We're going to get to as many calls as we can here in our final segment today. Sherry is in Virginia. Sherry, go ahead. Thank you for taking my call. Um I have a four fifty seven Call.
And the cash maps Cordelia. thirty six thousand dollars. I just need to know what to do with it. I have no idea what to do with it. Can I move it?
Can I keep it there and just. withdraw maybe monthly from it? Or how does that work? Yes, yeah. In terms of leaving it there in the 457, and I assume this is what's called the 457B, not the deferred compensation plan.
Do you know? Oh, it is the deferred. 457 deferred. Yes.
Okay, got it.
Yeah. So, in terms of your options there, have you talked to them at all about what options they're giving you at this point?
Okay. Uh no, I haven't not yet.
Okay. Um because that is obviously different than the the four hundred fifty seven B. Um so unlike the governmental four hundred fifty seven, uh the money is is technically still an asset of the employer until it's distributed. And so, you know, oftentimes, you know, if you're comfortable with the employer's financial stability. And the payout schedule is already set and working well.
then a lot of times you might want to just leave it there. I mean, the reason you would want to get it out and try to roll it over if allowed would be if you have concern about the employer's solvency or you want to try to consolidate it with other accounts or you want more control over the investments. Many deferred comp plans don't allow a direct rollover to an IRA, but many do. And so it really is going to require that you get some more information. You know, usually you will do either a lump sum or scheduled payments, but there's a tax issue here in the sense that any distribution is going to be taxed as ordinary income.
So you wouldn't want a large withdrawal at age 72 that would put you in a higher bracket and increase your Medicare premiums.
So I would probably connect with them just to see, first of all, what are my options? Because this is different from a normal retirement plan. It's technically still tied to the employer. And often, if you feel like they're a good, solid, solvent company and you can get it set up with the monthly payout. over time, that's going to be advantageous from a tax perspective and perhaps get you into a situation where you could systematically take this out to supplement your income.
Does that make sense? Yes, it does. It sure does. And that's what I was thinking, but I wasn't really sure. But I will get in touch with them to find out the options.
All right. Thank you very much for your call today. Lord bless you. Let's go to Ohio. Brian, how can I help?
Yeah, I was just wondering the best way to fund my Roth Um so right now I've got Seventy thousand in the Roth. and forty six thousand in a traditional IRA. And then I've got two hundred thousand in my taxable brokerage account. Got it. I was wondering, should I start transferring?
I'm forty years old, so I'm whether I should transfer stuff from the traditional to the rock or the taxable. Got it. Yeah, great question. And these are both IRAs, the Roth and the traditional, not 401ks, correct? Correct, correct.
Okay. You would not be able to do the transfer directly from the taxable brokerage account into the Roth. You could do that from the traditional IRA, of course. With the taxable, you'd have to pay the tax and then make a new contribution subject to the contribution limits, which you said you guys are in your 40s. Is that right?
Yes.
Okay, so you'd be able to do up to 7,500 for yours. And then if your wife has a spousal Roth, you could do 7,500 in hers as well for 2026. But you couldn't do any conversions only from the traditional IRA to the Roth. You know, this can make a lot of sense just because you guys are young, you have a long investment time horizon, 20 plus years until retirement. And then, Lord willing, if you're in good health, maybe another 20 to 30 years where that money needs to last.
So think about all that tax-free growth. That would be great. And it can make a lot of sense if you can do it at a reasonable tax rate, which should be true. I mean, we're probably in the lowest tax rates we'll see, maybe in our lifetimes. And with you guys earning about $86,000 a year, you're still in a very good tax bracket.
So I would look at converting that traditional IRA money to Roth rather than selling the investments in your taxable brokerage account just to make a Roth contribution. If you do convert, it's best to. Pay the tax from the money outside the IRA.
So maybe from cash or proceeds from your taxable account, so the full amount stays in the Roth and continues growing tax-free. Because the traditional IRA is sitting at about 46,000, you may be able to do it over one year, maybe two years. You just don't want to push yourself up into the next tax bracket so you could check with your CPA or check that yourself if you do it on your own. But I like this strategy a lot, Brian. I think it makes a lot of sense.
All right. Would you suggest keeping diversified, some in the traditional as we move get older? Or would you liquidate the traditional? Yeah, do you have a retirement plan option at work available to you? Yeah, I have the state pension fund.
Oh, okay.
So that's going to come to you automatically, or is that salary deferral? Oh, automatically.
Okay. Yeah. So you're going to have a nice retirement there, and that's going to come to you on a taxable basis.
So I would put 100% in Roth for you guys, especially because you're young.
Okay. All right. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yep, so I think you're in good shape. Let's try to convert all of that traditional and then all new contributions.
I mean, if you guys can do, in addition to your state pension, if you could do, you know, the full amount of Roth contributions individually, you and your wife, between now and retirement, you guys would be in great shape. You may even need to start thinking about answering the question, how much is enough? Because you don't want to overaccumulate. You may be able to accelerate your giving along the way. But in the meantime, yeah, getting as much into that Roth, I think, is going to make a lot of sense.
Hey, Brian, we appreciate your call today. Let us know if we can help with anything else in the future. Quickly to Patty in Indiana. Patty, I've got about 30 seconds. Go ahead.
Yes.
I just wanted to clarify.
So you can earn so much money before your Social Security is taxed. Yes.
Does that apply to is if the money is unearned, like an annuity and that? Is it taxed at the same rate? Yeah, so it's your adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest plus half of your Social Security is what determines whether it's 50 or 85%. Regarding annuities, a taxable annuity increases your adjusted gross income, which can cause more of your Social Security benefit to become taxable. If it's a qualified annuity, so funded with pre-tax dollars, most or all of those payments are generally taxable.
If it's a non-qualified annuity, only the earnings portion is taxable.
So at the end of the day, Social Security is unearned income, but it's taxable based on taxable annuity payments, which is a part of your adjusted gross income plus half of your Social Security benefits. And then you can just look at where that puts you in terms of whether 0, 50, or up to 85% is taxable. I hope that helps. Unfortunately, I'm out of time, Patty, but thanks for your call today. Thanks to my team today, Pat, Jim, Taylor, and Devin.
Couldn't do it without them. We'll see you next time. God bless you. Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
