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Ill-Gotten vs. Well-Gotten Gain

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore
The Cross Radio
August 6, 2020 8:03 am

Ill-Gotten vs. Well-Gotten Gain

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore

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August 6, 2020 8:03 am

How do you invest in a way that reflects your faith? Faith-based investing begins with a personal conviction on the part of the investor and being aware that not all investing for profit is created equal. On the next MoneyWise Live, hosts Rob West and Steve Moore welcome investing expert Jason Myhre who offers a biblical perspective on investing. Ill-gotten vs. well-gotten gain on MoneyWise Live at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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You can come by money and lots of different way.

Murder maybe through an inheritance or certainly by investing buttons all investing for profit created equal. Well, not according to God's Word, the Bible says there are two kinds of ill-gotten versus well.again, how can you tell the difference from West investing expert Jason Meyer today to find out today's broadcast is prerecorded.

Don't try to call him, but also don't go away. Lots of information coming up on Steve Moore avoiding sources of bed that straightahead right here wisely. Rob Jason Myers, cofounder and managing partner of and tied an underwriter of moneywise and today he is also to give us a biblical perspective of investing. As with anything we talk about her on moneywise we start with God's word and apply those principles and passages to how we handle God's money. Because remember, we are stewards and Jason delighted to have you back with us on moneywise really great to be here, absolutely. Well, of course, our goal is to equip Christians to think biblically about their finances, and I believe that includes using money in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord is a Christian in the investing world and look for you to share your view on investing from a faith perspective and by the way, as we've said many times this is really a personal conviction matter, and so we would encourage you to think deeply about this. Explore the Scriptures and come to your own personal convictions, but Jason I love for you to begin the T that topic up for us today so I would say right here that the idea of thinking about and saying, and integrating our faith into our decision-making might seem strange for wine. Investing is a relatively new thing in history, it simply wasn't around when Scripture is being written for them.

I think one of the Bible really have to say about the, if anything, and into many of us tend to view the economy or business or nothing morally neutral and we really even need to bring the Bible into the conversation but I think are you currently on your show. You talk often about effective capture have plenty to say about money, how to use money expended and relevant to nothing. How we get it natural investing is just one of the ways we can get money in the fiber earn money and so we from that perspective. Certainly, there are a wealth of pathogens that could help illuminate the task of conducting from a Christian perspective, it's for sure and I think that's a helpful way to view investing is just one of many ways we can earn money until he Jason what passages have been especially meaningful to you as you thought about profit, as well as the topic of investing. Probably my favorite passage on the subject is very personal and we encounter in the book of Proverbs in the Bible, Proverbs chapter 1 opens up really listening in on the conversation taking place between the lines, father, son and the father is speaking to us on anything. There may be times in life we are presented with an opportunity to make a profit from activities that are really coming from harm toward others are, at the expense of others. In the example that the father uses is a group of people that are planning to ambush and rob some travelers along a desolate road which was actually pretty common occurrence in the ancient world. Robert the import, that the sun and they say come along with a flip ambush and harmful.

The promise of riches, wondering Bible things in the wind. Father tell Tucson watch out either bad profit. The phrase that you and Proverbs 1 is everything often hear ill-gotten gain and a modern translation might simply be bad profit or immoral profit or unethical profit.

Profit that are coming from activities or harming others and essentially telling us on hey not all profits are good for us. In fact, the bad profits will take away our very lives and not just because the activity itself is dangerous and if you think about that when I first read this. It was so surprising to me because many of us don't even have a category for bad profit or unethical profit that profit to me almost sounds like an oxymoron to words that you shouldn't exist side-by-side and what's amazing to me about this passage is that God is really giving of his perspective on profit. The father talking to assignment for God's word God the father speaking to his sons and daughters in God is telling us to avoid these these bad profit differently important category. I think to bring into thinking about our investments that are often out of sight and out of mind after the break we talked about well.it's a lot of stuff listening to moneywise live your hostess, Rob Lester special guest Jason Meyer from Tyne asset management money and life run on the same track. Unfortunately, sometimes it seems like your money is heading in a different direction from your goals and never enough three keys to financial contentment.

Author Ron blue helps you to break down all your financial options to a basic floor and then shows you how to keep it all chugging along in the right direction on the same track never enough three keys to financial contentment available when you click the store button@moneywiselive.org for 30 years and sound mind investing has been helping Christians reach their financial goals. Step-by-step guidance for investors at every stage from those just getting started, those getting ready for retirement through scriptural principles and practical suggestions. SMI offers financial wisdom information in a short via webinar on profit and peace of mind, no matter what's happening in the market is available at sound mind investing.Lori were shopping with her grandson in a Christian bookstore good Friday painting of Jesus nailed to the cross in her grandson said grandma looking we buy. It's the last one. If we don't find someone else will get that story about the boys right idea.

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It's all about Jesus. But maybe it never made Jesus, your Savior from your sin you've never been to the cross where he died to pay for your sin and said Jesus. This is for me there for me right now. All my hopes and what you did on the cross for me, like the Bible says the right time is now. What better time than this very time when he died for you and rose again to give you life. Contact us at 888 need him or chat about Jesus.com short time now.

And if that is robbing you of freedom and peace of mind. Christian credit counselors can help where a nationwide nonprofit counseling organization has helped over 3000 individuals in the last 27 years get out of credit card debt 80% faster while honoring that data and phone to learn how Christian credit counselors can help you visit Christian credit counselors.org Christian credit counselors.or call 800-557-1985 today and last, or in some circles today of the word profit or the term profit sounds like a like a dirty word but what were saying here today I think the biblical approaches.

How do you acquire your profit and what you do with it once you have that I think as believers we obviously want to run everything through scriptural lands and our good friend Jason Meyer of Eventide asset management is here today talking to us about the source of our profit and perhaps how we should go about that and even choosing our investments. Jason, you were just unpacking passage from Proverbs talking about ill-gotten gain and how we might make about the source of the wealth that were generating but there's a flipside to that and that you might call well gotten again. How do you think about that.

Yeah we talked about ill-gotten gain being profit derived from some activity that harming others are bad. Profit.

But there is, by implication, such a thing as well gotten gain or we might say good profit either profit that we can feel proud to receive profits of a project to God.

Good profit to be the polar opposite about profit. We could say from this passage we were discussing in Proverbs chapter 1 good profit to be profit that are coming as a byproduct of really serving well the needs of others. And so, from Proverbs chapter 1 we get this this lesson really in his first teaching that the wife underlines daughter we are to avoid any schemes about profit and instead seek out opportunities for good profit and I think the writer of Hebrews here is making very simple but profound point that we should seek to build our livelihood all the ways in which we earn our money from activities that we contribute about from a Christian perspective.

Well it's important inside the project to be either good or bad and that's a new idea for many, as you point out, so as we approach investing you're saying we should pay as much attention to what's generating the profits we received as we do the profits themselves. Is that right absolutely yeah really, really important inside an email that you promote the tenant jump past that and about thing and questioned by one of the financial return often overlap, three, five, 10 years what what have you, but for all that they're trying to have our decision shaped by God's word means pathogens on ill-gotten and well gotten gain we should be asking more fundamental questions about that profit questions like where this profit coming from and what are the sources of these profits. What are the activities that are generating these profit do we feel good about where this money is coming from from our Christian faith perspective.

One illustration I have been helpful for me to keep it in mind is to see every dollar in our wallet and having a story to it. If not, the dollar in her wallet. There's a story for how it came to be there and every dollar that flows in our wallet for our bank accounts or to take it back to nothing or IRA or 401(k) that have a story to it in God's word encouraging that I think to think about the stories about how the dollar came to be in our hands and not to how many dollars you might be able to accumulate or even what good things could be without money later's the way we allocate God's money says what we value, it really does tell a story and I think often we apply that perhaps to the spending we do or the giving, but perhaps we leave out the investing that we do as well and so I think that's an important notion that everything we use money for has a story to itself help us apply these ideas about good and bad profits to investing. How do we put this into practice and get very, very difficult. Many about their investing in an investment vehicle like a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund or in some some menu item on a 401(k) have no idea what companies we even own.

I think about that Randy Alcorn is a Christian pastor, you will know him a lot about money topics and he wants the average Christian retirement program. The mutual funds or stocks managed by others have no clue where God's money is actually going. I think about that resonates early with me there. There are many many layers to nothing and it can be really difficult if you lack that onion and really understand what's generating profit. Are they good or bad. If we were to do that work. I can tell you just working on the inside of the industry. I'm sorry to report that many of us to be dismayed to see some of the things we profit from there.

The few egregious categories of business that are very common to have exposure to and about things such as profit coming from abortion or pornography, tobacco, gambling, things that I like making mention of, but in our they are nonetheless clearly that's one of the exciting things happening in this state-based investing space where there's a growing number of investment solutions available to Christians either through their advisor or directly where they can apply their faith, their values to their investments. And as you said Jason.

That can include things like what they want to avoid. And so you can screen the kinds of companies out you just described it.

That's your conviction or you can embrace certain companies where you'd screen in companies that are aligned with God's heart. Let's go there for a moment doubt what do good profits look like and how does that translate into the investment world really that we started about the bad profit and wanting to have integrity at the level of taking care that our profits are coming from good sources. Naturally, step one really toward the ultimate goal of seeking out opportunities for good profit where we can really feel proud of the kind of things that were involved in, and she one of those ways where we get to participate in all kinds of businesses. You know, one of the things that I think about it.

I'll never have the opportunity to pursue a career in biotechnology.

Not to mention that I may not have the intellect that you know I'll never get to do that at the career by an investor owned companies like that into the positive that that we are really excited to embrace front faith perspective would be things like biotechnology where wearing nothing with the purpose of seeing companies develop treatments that are hopefully curing many devastating diseases or we can think about new technologies that are being applied to automobiles that are making driving significantly safer for all of us and there is over a million totality of each year, 90% are due to human driving errors and so these things like Lane departure warning for automatic breaking the thing that that are saving lives and making driving safer and more enjoyable and even the ability to harness God's natural resources to generate power and natural elements of the sun when water to power civilization and to build a legacy of growth that we've experienced in the developing world and in really many many many other areas. It's just the problems are there but there's also so many businesses that we feel like are well aligned with God's divine forgiveness and and that the whole testimony of Scripture that we can really fill that out and faith-based about thing is really about one of those those ways to gain exposure to it all. Wrap my thought here by just saying at our company week we described this approach to nothing. The faith-based approach to investing out investing that makes the world rejoice where were trying to help people save for their futures in ways that are harmonious of their values that are flowing from good kind to profit, and that are actually capitalizing blessing the lives of others in the world today something were so so excited about this is really exciting work that you and the team at Eventide asset management are doing and I know believers when they find out.

This is even an option that they can align their values with their investments in a way that makes the world rejoice there so excited, so I just encourage your listeners to check out the information that the blogging the resources that you have your website and really appreciate you being my ravening Jason Meyer of Eventide asset management are yesterday. You can find out more about faith-based investing time funds.com. This is when he was not on Steve Moore. Today's broadcast is recorded so we won't be taking any calls but we have some calls lined up in some great information coming your way will be right back. Do you know if you have enough money of house.

Do you know how much is enough. If not, one blue can help with this book. Master your money a step-by-step plan for experiencing financial contentment. Learn how to save and invest and give wisely create a long-term financial plan and how to get out of debt. Find it all in master your money by Ron blue available when you click the start button moneywise to work to actually hear a click away before God. I just want you I want you to not portion Scripture in the New Testament. He is not ashamed to call us brothers or sisters, and he blended constantly think Shirley is a shame right standing before God, and I do want to share this with you about that word from it even make sense. Clinking cannot send what I thought I was just staring word believe that we are because can't tolerate sex so many times right well come here and right before God for eternity. Just listening to the financial wealth you leave behind could be the best thing that ever happened to your loved ones or the worst in splitting hairs, giving your money and things to your children without ruining their lives. Ron blue explains why it's important to make these decisions now, instead of forcing your heirs to do with later splitting hairs will foster a real appreciation for the precious resources that God has entrusted to you, and it's available. Click the start button moneywise love I.org today. This is moneywise more than the answers last with this program. Today, however, our recorded, we will be taking your calls but we've lined up some calls in advance that I think you'll find interesting, helpful and practical. At least we've tried to make them that way so stick around. This is moneywise. Let's go directly to our phones.

I let's begin Rob by going out to Missouri.

Speaking of fair game shaking.

I understand you want to buy some hunting land. Okay, what's here, but you question what your situation will take my call on show your program but yeah yes land.

My dad one wondering if I would want to go in and partner with the buying and I didn't know what the long-term outcome will man if it would be a good investment and you know just yet sure to tell me a little about your situation first. If you don't mind Shane just in terms of you living on a spending plan. Do you have an emergency fund. And maybe thirdly are you saving for the long-term. Okay, tell me about my Mike about 3000 a month while she might surround 60 a year or so and we have an hour a 40 she's 41 so very good and are you putting money away just in the IRAs. Are you saving through company-sponsored plan of some kind.

Will she is disabled right now so that's that are sorry to hear that the tell me about any debt that you have a week. We do have some from say her student loan a car thousand and an expedition okay any credit card debt. Very little. Okay, so you're living on a spending plan. Do you have a good account of what your monthly expenses are both what I'll call the discretionary the nonrecurring expenses but also the monthly bills do you have that written down and do you track the flow of money in and out each month. Not really track it with free will know you know where things go to work okay tie things in any given month to usually have some left over at the end of the month okay very good and you making some progress toward the student loan telling you things can take to pay that off while the student loan debt is.

She's a teacher so this paper click forgive and she said however that works so she's on track over 10 years to have been forgiven and she's done her homework to make sure that she qualifies for that the best you understand okay very good so from your standpoint, you really feel like you're on track to be debt free. You've got this car loan, but you you mentioned that you are saving for retirement both in the form of an IRA as well as to her company-sponsored plan. I let's talk about the land you know land can be a fine investment. It's not my first choice for somebody who's trying to put together a well diversified long-term savings plan and get a return on that just because it tends to be somewhat illiquid. There are number of factors related to raw land and in terms of how they're going to appreciate depending upon whether or not there's infrastructure there. Whether or not it's accessible by the various roads that need to be put in if if there aren't any currently whether there's any ongoing development of the single-family homes or other dwellings in that area and whether those are going to be desirable. So there's just really a number of considerations, and for most folks who are still kind of building their financial foundation trying to get out of debt trying to save for the future handling their monthly expenses doing their giving all of that, it really would be not my first go to if were just looking at it as an investment. I'd rather see you invest in the stock and bond market with a well diversified portfolio and if you wanted to move into real estate. I'd rather see you go toward something that's more income generating as opposed to just raw land. Now if you're buying it for another purpose, such as a hobby you're going to farm the land you're going to hunt the land. Whatever it might be that's completely different but help me understand whether it's really in your mind, truly something you're doing as an investment versus something that's really just a hobby that you want to have some fun is not fairly investment it actually hurries. Finally all created what is okay so then I think the question is are you financially in a position to buy this set piece of property for a hobby and I is is this a good idea at this point in your life given you guys are 40 or try to make some progress in your financial life. Do you have the financial wherewithal to do this and I would say you know I think long and hard about that. Especially if you're going to have to take on some debt to do it but do you have the money saved up to make this purchase. Even if you're going in with somebody or are you planning to borrow to do it will be about. Okay, so I'd be hesitant there without really taken a long hard look at your priorities. I'd start you and your wife sitting down. Say what are our values and, ultimately, our goals, I give that some prayerful consideration about what we want to do in terms of our lifestyle in terms of our giving in terms of our long-term and short-term savings goals. The things that are important to us. If you have kids saving for college. Those kinds of things and as you look at those things I would look at where this fits into that.

Nothing wrong with buying piece of property to hunt on.

That's great, but I just want to make sure that it fits into your overall plan and that if you have to take on some debt to do it that you understand the implications of that that most certainly you want to make sure that is something it's can appreciate that as if you're married that you and your wife are completely in agreement on that and that you have the backing to do. What if you lost your job, so I look at all those things. Give it some prayerful consideration before you move forward in Shane we wish you the best with that. I've been googling while you been talking it doesn't look like a huge moneymaking proposition and you have to buy land listening to a best-loved broadcast of moneywise why this program is prerecorded live with you tomorrow, so please hold your questions and give us a call that, or you can email us at questions moneywise live.questions at moneywise.

Life overarching investing is more than just return. It's an expression of who you are and what you value is the way you invest your money reflect your identity as a Christian that eventide design investments for performance and a better world so you can invest with the confidence to reach your financial goals while remaining truly are Christian values and commitments. We call this investing that makes the world rejoice more is available, invest eventide.com invest eventide.com Christian healthcare ministries enables believers to show love for one another by sharing each other's health costs through CHN's voluntary health cost-sharing programs members uplift each other spiritually and financially. CHN was an eligible option under the affordable care act and a Better Business Bureau accredited charity interested. Learn more by calling 800-791-6225 or online at CH ministries.more clear communications here within any Bible Institute versus the it's found in Isaiah 5410 for the mountains may depart to founder Dwight like the Moody once said, we walk in the wilderness to the promised land tomorrow with the remainder, 100-0101 2170. Many people adopt an attitude toward marriage and finances that it will all work out somehow.

But sadly, it often doesn't financial woes can devastate a marriage but there is a better way. God's way, money and marriage God's way by Howard date will help you discover God's approach to growing your finances and strengthening your relationship with your mate and cultivating godly joy, money, and marriage God's way is available and moneywise live.org resident drop in the Senate's top Republicans are meeting amid increasing worry that the bipartisan coronavirus relief negotiations by collapse rival sides are inching toward a self-imposed end of the week deadline for deal Craddick leaders accuse the Republicans are making proposals that would nickel and dime the nation's children. Republicans say the Democrats are just stonewalling the presidents negotiators, Ohio's governor has tested positive for the coronavirus just ahead of a planned meeting with Pres. drop Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's office says he took that test as part of standard protocol before meeting Mr. drop stocks closing higher on Wall Street today. Vidal gave 185 points. The NASDAQ was ahead 109 in the S&P 500 up 21. This is SRA news moneywise plan is the life of your finances, our opinions want God's opinion. Thankfully he's given us his thoughts and opinions and directives in his word of the Bible and that's where we begin that process of figuring these things out back to our phones, Aurora, Illinois, and Jasmine, thanks for your patience. What's on your mind will mom that day.

Low McKnight McIver and literally letting now and convert family and that credit card every month and now for 99 and that I'm trying to figure out what that's about to go out 50,000 401(k) which had yet been divorced, and by better to go with that management or for Mikey. When with that word. I'm not quite sure what direction it out for the future.

Jasmine, I'm sorry to hear about the situation.

I know this is a lot of pressure on you. You're trying to be a mom to these three boys are trying to provide you got a lot in the way of debt, and financially. I realize this can just feel like a huge weight and so first of August want to encourage you. It sounds like you're doing an incredible job managing all of this, none of this caught God by surprise, and he is your provider and so organized moneywise community to be praying for you will certainly do that before we finish today and I'm really really glad you called and tell me the credit card debt of 45,000 is that all going to be your responsibility. Or is there still some question as to how that where I met sure, but the child support as you said is Artie been determined right okay you know that people have been out looking reaching out to me that right top of port with you lot actually majority writing you let me agree with the calculation right. Thank you. Know that we something that I need a job now okay do you have a sense Jasmine what you need to bring in each month to cover all of the fixed and discretionary expenses to be able to cover your taxes to be able to cover the minimum service on the debt plus the small read about your paying.

Do you know what that is 4000 okay and what are you averaging right now. Right now, how about retail yell whenever Mac had never looked at more now. Okay. And so the gap between the 3200 4000 that you really need on a monthly basis of roughly 800 a month.

You're just month-to-month try to figure that out. Where is that going to building up and accruing additional credit card debt is is your husband able your ex has been able to step in and help that his family, helping with that. Where where is that going on at all last night. I think $1800 for it really cannot buy top part number which I might find my little guy I work another week.

I don't get vacation that would literally like… Now but we gotta turn a corner here, obviously. And certainly we don't want to file bankruptcy as a last resort.

You won't find it in God's word is a modern legal term that we created, and there may be a situation where you're forced into that because there's simply no other option that doesn't mean you can't go back and as the Lord provides over time repay all of this debt because we know we should have an absolute commitment to repay as believers, but I understand your laced with what is reality right now in front of you and you just have to take one step at a time. Trust the Lord. Ask him to provide. Let's see how he does that even miraculously along the way.

Let's take the steps you can take but at some point that may become your only option, and if it is, you can navigate that from a godly perspective as well two things.

Number one is does your church know about your situation.

Have they stepped in to help as their real understanding there of of what you're facing, and perhaps they be of some assistance. I'm going to make it out on every week and I usually work all week. Well I'm really I'm really losing out on that church family birthday now looking you died only Lambright well I would really encourage. I realize you got to get your hours in and you're trying to drive and pay the bills and all of that but I would really encourage you to start to invest in the body of Christ there locally where you can build some relationships you can get to know some people you need a support system right now more than ever, and certainly family can be that and it sounds like they are, but you also need a church family that can rally around you as well. Not only financially, although I think that's a part of it but just relationally helping with the kids things like that and I think there really is no replacement for that. Even if you have to stop driving for you know 90 minutes on a Sunday morning and then you jump right back in. I realize you're doing what you have to do to pay the bills but I really encourage you to prayerfully consider where the Lord might plant you and then see what you can do to invest there and make your needs.

No let them know what your situation is because again that's part of the role of the body of Christ. I think beyond that, I would love for you to start with Christian credit counselors. You can visit with them@christiancreditcounselors.org there to start by helping you do a budget and give you some real solid counsel to know personal, what with the interest rates be on the credit cards. Can you afford to make the payment that I can put you into a debt management program. If you can't, and could we get you headed in the right direction because obviously you need to get to a place where you've got at least a minimum of the thousand or $1500 as an emergency fund because we know things are going to happen.

The car, whatever else it might be that you can have to fall back on, and any cards that go into a debt management program organ to be canceled. So let's start there. If they say no we can't help you this. If you're not a candidate for debt management will then we need to look at some other options and again you may have to go the bankruptcy route, even though that doesn't absolve all of the debts in terms of your really think desire and obligation to pay that back as a believer. So start there and then Jasmine reach back out to us.

Let us know how that turns out. And let's take it from there. Before we let you go.

We just asked the Lord to be with you right now. Father, we just look Jasmine and her three precious boys up to you. We know this is a difficult situation and yet Lord, you are on the throne you are her creator. You are her provider. You're right there so I pray that you would just give her wisdom and discernment provide even miraculously printed name of Jesus, the people would just respond in an unexplainable way just to help out his family and need more.

We just commit her to you, trust you. Look forward to hearing how you're going to work in the situation and will be sure you get all the glory for that father we ask all this in Jesus name amen S you just thank you so much for calling us will become back.

Joe has some debt problems when that wants to know about you, listening to moneywise live with Rob last time Steve Moore were going to take a brief break will be back with more moneywise.

Do you know if you have enough money house. Do you know how much is enough. If not, one blue can help with this book. Master your money a step-by-step plan for experiencing financial contentment. Learn how to save and invest and give wisely create a long-term financial plan and how to get out of debt. Find it all in master your money by Ron blue available when you click the start button moneywise hi I'm very tired.

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Today we are ported to stick around. We have coming up.

I think will not only surprise you but will bless you and you'll find help. Well tell you Steve, I love to take just a moment before we go back to the phones and just talk about the opportunity that exists to come alongside moneywise media the moneywise radio programs and be a partner, you know, we come to you each day only because of the generous support of our moneywise patrons and partners.

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By the way, there many of them you availed yourself of a question for a coach or perhaps you've engaged one on one with one of our volunteer coaches. Whatever it is we would just ask for you prayerfully to consider partnering with us financially beyond the giving you due to your local church. Could you give monthly or maybe one time, whatever that looks like for you pray about it if you're married, talk to your spouse and then click or call you can do that easily and quickly by going to our website moneywise.org and just clicking the donate button or you can give us a call at any time at 800-525-7000 and talk to one of our volunteers who would love to help you take your gift over the phone but however you want to do it we would just be grateful that you be willing to stand with us and by the way, would you pray for us as well as we do God's work here on the front line sharing his truth about managing his money that we can't do without you. That is for sure, go back to our phones even though again today's broadcast is prerecorded. Joe in Miami. How can we help you sir, my call you many times over the years in my call. Thank you so I put my house about seven years ago I paid for cash because that's all the property up north when I relocated here and I have my cars pay for no credit card yet.

I was really doing well then, if you think the capital along the way. In the last 70 stock and the stock. Hank and I just recently lost about $80,000 so I got a couple things to share with you. I had a home equity credit took a while back with interest only 6% and right now that that balance is about $72,000. I got about 25,000 credit card debt 14% and I got car loans. About 18,000 1/2% to one about the same rate. So the combined payment of the credit card in the car loan is about $1073 a month. Okay, my home equity line my payment interest-only is 60 so I learned that I can refinance that line of credit. There is no first. Right now, has a lot of 2009.

72 at 60 refinance a 30 year fixed rate interest and that pain will be 408 just a little slightly above my interest-only current and the extra dollars from that 70 parts of the hundred I would pay off my car hiked for a credit card which I don't secure the credit card. I will be securing it but it would alleviate the cash flow for me and that's where I'm at right now I'm struggling. That decision is hard to talk about this before but I just want to buy you Joe. I appreciate all the background that's really helpful. Just as did you borrow the money on the home equity line of credit for the investment I did not I was buying, selling and hardtop that weight way. I hate back over the years, and at one point it was kind of a wash. I had the same amount in my investment account, money, and so it was that I would use the money from the line of credit like hurricane it now. I was about $30,000.

I like somebody vacation. Well here's my concern. Joe yeah on paper, it makes sense for you to run first. Well, you got the right size. Your monthly budget.

We gotta get to where you've got a detailed accounting of what it's can it take to find your family, starting with not your discretionary and and fixed expenses. But starting with what it what you will want to do on the monthly basis in the area of giving what you want to do on a monthly basis in the area of saving and for what purposes, what are your what is your effective tax rate, meaning you look at your income and you divide by the amount of taxes you paid last year we got a cover that.

Beyond that, we wanted to be reducing any debt that you have not counting your mortgage and arose you don't have a first mortgage, but let's say we did this and then what is it take to fund your lifestyle both fixed and discretionary expenses and all of that is going to then tell us what income you need to be able to do all of those things to build a pay off completely your dad to give to save to cover your taxes and to live.

My concern is that because of some of the things you've done in the past. In terms of pulling out money against the house with a variable-rate pan interest-only play in the stock market which I would encourage you not to do any more moving forward because really that kind of speculation is not supported in Scripture, we should be steady plotters.

We shouldn't use a get-rich-quick scheme and that really is what that is, unless you're a professional investor and that would be a very small percentage of the people that really make that are skilled or trained in that area probably work for an institution, not on their own, and I really have the ability to do that. So my fear would be that we roll all of this into a new 30 year mortgage would string it out over the next 30 years you the pressure would come off and guess what you be right back.

In this position six months from now are the debts back probably in the form of credit cards because you haven't really dealt with the underlying issue. So help me understand how you would account for that and what you would do differently moving forward. If you paid all this off and had a fresh start with a new first mortgage so that will scratch my down to table water property taxes to all that the and all my credit card will scratch all my I'm putting away 6% of my income, which is not 6% of my employer got about 150,000 in my 401(k) money right now. Some not take paycheck and I do. I do have right now in old Bridge of income of about $800 a month. After saving, putting aside for the attractive insurance on the property separate what it was about thousand dollars and Mike Michael would be mortgage down automatic payment process. I would not let that money get paid right back to the mortgage to cut down okay well border that I think the key is you really need to demonstrate to yourself that you can do everything you just said on a monthly basis before you move forward with this. I would not roll the carload into that I would go after that. Separately, I try to keep this mortgage as low as possible what you think the value of the home is today about 4000.

Okay, so I would only consider at this point, doing the home equity loan and this credit card debt role that in but then really focus on.

First of all, paying off that car and then take that extra money and plow it back into this mortgage at least one extra payment a year if not more than that and I know you said you're looking to double and every month which would be great, but also factor in the other goals that you have along the way. Make sure you're tracking the flow of money in and out so I'm comfortable with this, so long as you can really follow through on this plan and if for some reason you start to see some credit card debt built up that you're not paying off that I'd like you to cut those cards up and and not certainly go down that path again, we appreciate your call today the Lord bless you. Thank you Joe very much and rubber used the term that some of her callers sometimes use. I occasionally play the stock market. Oh, what do they typically mean and and what do you read into that when you hear that terminology well I think this is somebody who either just as a hobby or perhaps with a certain amount that they've carved out or with the substantial portion of their long-term savings are really trying to move in and out of the market to catch a rising equity meeting a stock where they can buy write it up and then sell it. The problem is you have to have yet be able to predict the future in order to do that and that just historically enthralled. The studies that have been done on that type of approach is not a winning strategy to high risk you're knocking to do as well. Over the long term, you should be steady plotters and follow the counsel Scripture that means a well diversified long-term investment strategy of at least 5 to 10 years, not 5 to 10 days biting me right well speaking of being a steady plotters. There is no man, that's a greater proponent of that biblical principle that our good friend Howard date and the founder of compass and he talks about that and much much more. In his book, money, and marriage God's way. So I guys, ladies, if you have a difficult time speaking with your spouse about money and finances, particularly at this time of year when were doing a lot of spending because of the holidays I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book, money, and marriage God's way, you'll find really practical timeless biblical information that will help you communicate better with your spouse and really maximize your spending your saving your investing and living God's plan for your financial life defined is available for purchase. When you visit our website moneywise.

Life.org lines live.org check this out I think to a technical team, Judy, Amy, Aaron and Jim there substantial help my thank you for listening and today please tell a friend to join us again next time back with a brand-new edition moneywise