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The Sin of Envy

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore
The Cross Radio
June 24, 2021 8:03 am

The Sin of Envy

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore

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June 24, 2021 8:03 am

Once upon a time in America, envy was considered bad form and frowned upon. But in our material society today, it’s almost considered a virtue. On the next MoneyWise Live, host Rob West will explain that even though you may be convinced you’re not happy with your lot in life, the Bible still calls envy a sin. Then he’ll answer your financial questions from a biblical perspective. That’s on the next MoneyWise Live, where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio. 

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If you're like me watching little kids doing Easter egg hunt is a pretty beautiful thing, but I always feel bad for the littlest of the pack. It always seem so traumatizing to see that little one run for an egg. She has her eye on only to have a bigger cadence sweep in and steal it at the last second Heights, Doug Hastings, with Moody radio and unfortunately the same kind of situation has become a traumatizing reality for families all across the country. Families are out searching and finding their dream home only to have it pulled away by another hunter at the last second, which is why I'd really like you to meet my friends at United faith mortgage. Unfortunately, this faith focused mortgage team can't scare off the other hunters but they can very quickly get you preapproved and make it look as good as possible to sellers. They specifically made a commitment to this podcast in our listeners to do all they can to help you.

You can find the entire United faith mortgage story and especially reading how their direct lender advantage can often save your family monthly and lifelong money@unitedfaithmortgage.com United faith is a DBA of United mortgage Corp. 25 Millville Park Rd., Melville, NY license mortgage banker for licensing information, go to an MLS consumer access.org corporate MLS number 1330. Equal housing lender not licensed in Alaska, Hawaii, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah and Once upon a time in America in the was considered bad form, then looked down upon.

But today in our material society is almost considered a real blast. Advertisers spend billions to convince you that you're not happy with your lot in life. But make no mistake, the Bible still calls India said we'll talk about that first today that it's on your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is moneywise. Why where biblical wisdom meets today's financial decisions. So let's start with a definite, this one from an Evangelical dictionary envy is the sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others. That's pretty straightforward and it tells us that the words envy and jealousy are interchangeable.

Why then is in the sin well. First and foremost because God's word says so in several places. Most notably is the 10th commandment in Exodus 2017 you shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.

And of course covet is another word for envy today. Our neighbors don't have oxen or donkeys to covet, but we can still envy their new SUV or inground pool. But like the sin of pride, envy also leads to many other sins in James four verses two and three, we find that you desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and you do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You see there's a difference between envy in the proper motivation to better one's life for one that you're willing to work hard in your content with what the Lord provides, but within B you feel entitled, and deprived you feel that someone namely God owes you something. Envy is ugly and destructive. James 316 tells us forward. Jealousy and selfish ambition exists there will be disorder and every vile practice. So let's look at some of those vile practices if you will envy rears its ugly head. Very early in the Bible in Genesis 4 cane is jealous of his brother because God looked with favor on Abel's offering but not his.

In verse eight we read now Cain said to his brother Abel that let's go out to the field while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

So envy was the cause of the very first murder. It was also envy that made Joseph's brothers feel justified in selling them into slavery. In Genesis 37 in verses 23 and 24 we read so when Joseph came to his brothers. They stripped him of his robe. The robe of many colors that he wore and they took him and threw him into a pit of course, Joseph's brothers would've killed him. Had Ruben not intervened.

We also see the destructive power of envy into stories from David's life first, but when Saul became jealous of David's fame after he slew Goliath women saying David's praises first Samuel 18, eight and nine reads and Saul was very angry and this saying, displeased him. He said they have ascribed to David 10,000s and to me, they have ascribed thousands and what more can he have, but the kingdom and so I David from that day on, having first become the victim of envy.

David later succumbed to it himself by coveting and taking another man's wife Bathsheba in second Samuel 11. Worse, he said. Her husband Uriah to certain death in battle to cover his sin in verse 15, David tells Joe absent Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting and then draw back from him that he may be struck down and die, envy or jealousy is a powerful emotion that we have to always be on our guard against the Proverbs 27 for Warren's wrath is cruel. Anger is overwhelming. But who can stand before jealousy. So how do you know if envy has taken hold in your life.

Well, one way would be to look at your finances are you living beyond your means running up credit card debt to finance a lifestyle that you really can't afford that. We used to say this was keeping up with the Joneses.

Now some people call it foam, which is an acronym for fear of missing out.

You want what others have and you're willing to go into debt to get if you don't get it under control and learn to live on less than make well you're headed for financial disaster. So here's what you can do first. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you contentment with what the Lord has provided and then second if you need help setting up a budget and find ways to cut your spending. Sign up with one of our volunteer coaches you could do that moneywise live.org just click connect with the coach your calls and asked 800-525-7000 on Rob West and this is moneywise live for biblical wisdom. Today's financial decision but her back to moneywise live. So glad to have you with us today were taking your calls and questions on anything naturally love to hear from you. Here's the number 800-525-7000. We have a number of lines open. We'd love to hear from you on any financial topic, whether it's saving or getting out of debt. Perhaps it's giving whatever's on your mind today. Here's the number again 800-525-7000 our call screener is standing by and will look forward to getting you on the program today. Let's take an email. We don't get time to do these very often, but if you'd like to email us your question, we do try to take a couple of them on the air each day and this one comes from Sally in Cleveland and she says simply how do I strike the right balance between giving and providing for my family and Sally this is a great question.

I love with the author Paul David Tripp says he says you know when we start with provision.

The problem is that we can end up with an endless list of needs and wants that causes us to never get to our giving, and the challenge with that is that the gospel story is a generosity story. We were created in the ultimate in the image of the ultimate giver so I like to say were most like him when were giving so here's what I would do. First, pray Lord what lifestyle have you called me to live, how much of your money MI together and how much should I keep and spend on my lifestyle and even save for the future, then whatever that amount is the Lord leads you to give build that into your plan first, then an amount for savings or debt reduction, and then live on the Reston perhaps set a goal to increase your giving over time so that you, as you see increases in pay or you have other sources of income coming in.

You can prioritize that with your giving because you Your lifestyle you said I don't need anymore so any additional that comes in in the way of income is me an opportunity to even increase my giving that much more so I hope that helps.

As we strike that balance is something we all have to wrestle through you know God's word doesn't tell us what percentage of his provision. We should live on, so we gotta begin on her knees and say, Lord, what would you have for me. How much MI to keep how much am I to give away, and I think as we move through that prayerfully and even think about capping our lifestyle both in the way of income and our balance sheet. It gives us an opportunity to increase our giving over time. And here's the secret that giving is going to break the power of money over your life.

To the extent money can have a grip on your life giving loosens that grip and it's just a lot of fun. Here's my promise to you as you experience the joy of giving and generosity. It's only a matter of time before you reorder your finances to do even more. Sally, thank you for your email. If you'd like to send us an email to send it to questions@moneywise.org art let's head to the phones today taking your calls and questions on anything financial will apply the truth of God's word, the principles whatever you're dealing with in your financial life.

Here's the number 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000 were going to begin today in Grand Rapids, Michigan Melissa, thank you for your goal.

How can I help you property are paid or why not go to foul language. How should I sell them separately to paying a better chance of a lack of capital gain will or am I better off bundling them to gather and telling them that way you know it. It really doesn't matter if they both properties that are not your primary residence of the both investment properties help accelerate all three of them are my primary residence. They all join in any form one big square okay, I would just make sure that when you talk to your tax preparer that you evaluate that to make sure excuse me, that they are considered one dwelling. Obviously if they're connected and continued contiguous one dwelling and you've lived there two out of the last five years than you could consider that your domicile if that's the case, and it is considered your domicile for tax purposes, then you have an opportunity to miss the capital gains altogether because as an individual you would have up to 250,000 in gain, not the selling price. That's the profit on your primary residence, again assuming it is your primary residence you been there to have the last five years. If you sold it for half a million in your cost basis was 250,000 all that profit. There is no capital gains whatsoever. So that's the opportunity and then as a married couple. You have half $1 million 500,000 and gain so at that point, it wouldn't really matter now when you say you're going to be selling them off in pieces. You know I think that's again where you gotta determine with a tax professional what's going to be considered your primary residence and what might be considered separate from that.

Does that make sense altering homestead as a winding square so they are all my primary right knee as far as the capital gain part yet I do get that you get the 250 free and clear, but there would be more than that. It again would be more than double that you 50 okay so I would just connect with a tax professional. Melissa just to make sure everything is done properly, especially as you talk about selling it off in pieces. I want to make sure that you have some counsel on that to make sure that's done properly, but whatever portion is considered a capital gain would likely have a 15% capital gains tax.

As long as your income is not more than roughly $500,000, but I would get some counsel on it sounds like this is a great opportunity to begin selling these off. Especially in this red-hot real estate market. We appreciate your call today. Let's head to Marilyn, Judas, thank you for your call. How can help you a you jerk so I say it $80,000 in credit card debt and woke up one morning and I had loaded it out lifestyle of what you said, living living a lifestyle that doesn't fit it out at big happy to be on it with click the current date boom that just recently happy I made significant gain, which I did pack the yes and I just went crazy, but I spent a lot of my opened up credit card and now that of being in the green actually significantly in the red and I might actually lose my home, which is I'm so sorry to hear about where you find yourself today. Sounds like you come to a place in your life or your recognize the error of your weigh-in. Your wanting to move forward and in the different ways that right to the time of the conclusions you come to after going through by why I want I want to move.I think that I step away. God I wish out, tempted by by by greed through Hitler. When it was just me and the dog with no money.

Well, that's the paradox of prosperity is that the more have more we have, the more choices we have, the less real freedom we have in the Bible is clear it's not money is the root of all evil, with the love of money is the root of all evil. That's what it says in the Scripture, and you know greed is something that plagues us all. And unfortunately, we can try to redeem greed in the name of the American dream. But that's not right.

And that's not the model we see in Scripture that's not God's heart for us in on the parable of the sower.

When the seeds were choked out by the weeds and Jesus of this gives me the disciples asked Jesus what was it that choked out the fruitful return and he said it was the things of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things so that clearly tells me of something Judas is going to compete with God for first position in your life it's most often going to be money or the things that money can buy. So this is something that plagues us all in our sinful state. So the first place is to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and if you cannot ever come to a place where he invited them into your life to be your Lord and Savior to recognize there's nothing you can do in your own power. Apart from accepting his free gift of eternal life, and accepting what he did on the cross by dying and paying the penalty for our sins so that we might have life through him as were reconciled to the father through his shed blood. That's the starting point and if you want to understand that more fully. I direct you to a website need him.org but once we surrender our lives to Christ.

And it's about stewardship. It's about saying okay Lord I'm still a sinner that I'm one of be on your path and some to study the Scriptures and I'm to be in fellowship with the body of believers so I can grow in an understanding of what it means to follow you and I'm an increasingly love the things that you love and hate the things that you hate and that includes surrendering my financial life to you as well to sell or put all of this under the Lordship of Christ. And I'm going to leave the ways behind me of greed and trying to fill a hole or a void in my life with the things of this world because we know it doesn't satisfy King Solomon, who had arguably was the wealthiest man who ever lived.

He said money doesn't satisfy.

That's from somebody who had it all monetarily speaking so if we accept that we say okay what is my abundance. My abundance is that Jesus has adopted me that God is adopted me into his family through his son Jesus Christ. And if we begin there. That's all the abundance we need and then money becomes a tool to accomplish God's purposes so we recognize that God owns it all and were a manager of his resources. So the question is, once you put all of that under the Lordship of Christ and lay the mistakes you made. Just like we all have at the foot of the cross and see Jesus I need you to forgive me. I want to change my ways.

I want to pursue you, then at that point we need to make steps forward and you can do only what you can do but you need to be found faithful Jews at Judas with what passes through your hands toward you go from here.

Well, we need to acknowledge the debt that you have and develop a plan to get out of it. I call my friends are Christian credit counselors and Christian credit counselors.org let's get you on a credit counseling program get those interest rates down, then let's create a budget bill actually help you do it so you can live well within your means and then do everything you can to the glory of God used MOI were to talk some more off the back.

Thanks for joining us today and I live my life and have you along with us today. We got some phone lines open taking your calls and questions on anything financial, here's the number 800-525-7000 got about four lines open 800-525-7000 by delightful call from Judas you know so many of you listening to what he shared. I'm sure could find yourself in his shoes where you got caught up in the things of this world.

It's so easy to happen to any of us and the next thing we know where in dad's and we don't have the ability to pay her bills and we realize what the Lord meant when he said you gotta choose is it God or Mammon. And yet we each have to come to that place.

As we talked off the air. He was encouraged about the change that he can make.

You can reach out to Christian credit counselors.org and where to send him a copy of the stewardship Bible with all the money passages highlighted in green because we all need to be meditating on God's word it were struggling with this area of finance. You need to know God's heart related to money because it's completely different than the world and it will change your thinking it will renew your mind as it relates to how you view the things of this world and the material possessions and the money that the Lord entrusted to us, but we put it under his Lordship, it changes everything, because now, money becomes a tool to accomplish God's purposes so Judas all the best to you my friend and I look forward to hearing the rest of the story when you call us back in the future again. Phone lines are open 800-525-7000. Tammy is in Illinois hi Tammy, how can we help you today.

I will know really affecting my credit my credit being affected and wanting to get credit card and pay everything and make one know I'm not a big thing of that strategy.

So you said you have some credit card debt and then some other loans. One of those other loans for okay all right and what is the interest rate on the personal loan 22 while wow okay let's do an individual rights granted okay.

I haven't but that's said that sky high sword and want to take care that no Tammy, here's what I would do. I would tell you the same thing I told you this is that you know I would look to Christian credit counselors first which is a credit counseling program. Here's the way that works there and work with each of your creditors to determine close the accounts are closed, how much they can reduce the interest rate on these cards and loans and once they establish the new interest rates and get you on 11 set monthly payment every month. Then you'll build that right in your budget and because that payment doesn't decrease over time and with the lower interest rate. You should be able to pay this off 80% faster. I don't like going out and taking new credit starting the balance transfer game that in and of itself will further reduce your score and often adjust results in you jumping from one card to the next, you having to pay usually 2 to 3% on the front end of the total balance every time you make one of these transfers and it would gotta solve the problem that got us here in the first place, which is my next point.

And that is if you're not living on a balanced budget. We've got to really dial into your spending plan. You gotta know what you're spending every month to get a plan to track it and control it.

You gotta cut all discretionary spending.

That's not absolutely necessary because the key to getting out from under this Tammy is to have some margin beyond what you do right now that you can be sending to all of these accounts so that we can get those balances paid off quickly and then once they're paid off. Let's redirect that money into savings not additional lifestyle. So head on over to Christian credit counselors.org tell them we sent you the last set you up on a budget bill evaluate all of your debt. I think to get you going in the right. May the Lord be with you as you navigate this book sexually along with as much more to come on moneywise live years.

The number 800-525-7000 700 joining us today for moneywise live on Rob last your calls in question. Phone lines open 800 525 is a number to call 800-525-7000.

Let's head back to the phones in Illinois. Edwin, thank you for your call today. How can hello Rob, let my question is I want to try to start investing, but I got no clue how to start doubting all 401(k) and now investment to ensure yes well the starting place is to make sure that you've got some other financial priorities. Taking care of first. Edwin Lamy just ask a couple of questions. Are you living on a budget yet okay and do you have an emergency fund that would be an amount of money in savings that you could use if you had does something unexpected come out to left field that may be around 40, 45,000 saving wow okay yeah so I think you have the goal. There are assuming you're not in retirement would be probably 3 to 6 months expenses and that a savings account so let's say you total up your monthly spending and you multiply that by three or four up to six and that would be the amount I would want that in an online savings account, preferably where you're earning a little bit interest is protected but you can easily transferred over to your checking if you needed but it's not too accessible there and cutting your fund, your main funding account so you don't use it inadvertently. Anything beyond that, I would consider surplus and then I would look to see if you have any consumer debt you have any credit card debt, or other consumer debt. Minimal credit that may be at the wrong thousand.

Okay well I would knock that out first with your savings right away and again I would go back to making sure that you address the issue that got to the 2000 that that's 2000 that you charge up during the month and then you pay it off in full. That's one thing, because those are then budgeted items and you got the money to pay it off if that's a balance you're caring of a couple grand is no reason for that.

That's in a you know soon as you pay that off.

That's a guaranteed return equal to the interest rate. Let's say the interest rates on the lower ended 14% when you're not gonna find a 14% return in the stock market so it makes a lot of sense to pay that off, but I want to make sure you've addressed any issues that cause debt debt meaning overspending beyond your means and the only way to do that is to really dial into a spending plan and then have up of a process to track the flow of money in and out.

That's why we created the moneywise app so you could use the digital envelope system you could download that in your app store today, but once you've address that then I think it's you know a great idea to start thinking about saving for the future and if you have a 401(k) available at work at when I would start there. You hopefully there's some matching there in the goal would be over.

Time to get that up to 10 to 15% of your take-home pay just kind of as a rule of thumb so that you got a good bit going on a tax-deferred basis into your 401(k) and then you would choose among the investment options in the plan, there's gonna be a set number of investment choices. Mutual funds probably that you pick from.

You could use one of the target date funds which should be very simple where you know you would basically select the fund that has the date that you would expect to retire, so it's a year and retire 20 years from now, you would pick the 2041 fund and that's gonna make sure that you are properly invested from a diversification and an allocation standpoint so that you got the lion share going to stocks in a very small amount going to bonds because you have plenty of time to be more aggressive and then as you get closer and closer retirement. It would get more more conservative or you could choose from among the various stock mutual funds in the plan and you may want to ask for some assistance from one of the representatives from the 401(k) administration company so that would be my best advice on how you get started and let me just confirm you do have a 401(k) available at work. I so that would be a salary deferral that comes out of your paycheck but you gotta build that in your spending plagues.

As soon as you do that you get less money every month. You know that you've got to be able to use for your expenses. If you have money left over from that you once you put the side the 3 to 6 months expenses. You said yet about 45,000 in savings an option for that. Assuming it's money that's for the long term meaning for retirement. I would open a Roth IRA or OT H and you can put in 6000 this year.

If you have a if you're married, you could put another 6000. And if you're over 50, you guys could add a thousand to that. But that would give you place to put some of this excess money that you want to grow for the future and I would look to the Schwab intelligent portfolios or betterment as a Robo advisor to get you started on that investing Schwab intelligent portfolios or betterment you want to open a Roth IRA make the contribution for the excess beyond the emergency fund and then you get that invested as well so I hope that they had you in there to get you started in the right direction.

You stand want to send you a copy of Austen priors book sound mind investing the handbook, and I think that'll give you some great insights as well on how you can manage money. God's way and invest for the future. We appreciate your call today taking your calls and questions on anything financially got some wines open 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000 redhead next to Illinois. Tyler thank you for your patience. I can help you. I Tyler you with us yesterday so I need a guy just getting a credit card first time ever, the credit card. What are some principles you think should guide by spending a little apprehensive. I don't want I going to get it all. Some people sent out my credit score. Long-term, so long as you say are sick at guiding yeah I love this Tyler that you're thinking about this on the front and because having a healthy respect for credit and the power of unsecured credit is really important, especially as you're starting out in your financial life.

Because if you take this ability to spend beyond your means and that's what a credit card allows you to do and you exercise that in and run up some debt with some expenses that you actually can't pay for year to start heading up debt mountain like to call attend.

You know those bills will build up over time, you'll end up spending a lot in an interest so the absolute essential item for using credit is that you only use it for budgeted items, so you've gotta start with a spending plan you've got a silk at what I have to work with, and then you want to go take out any automatic deductions so you health insurance.

It comes out your paycheck and no other types of insurance any retirement contributions in than what you have left. I want you to add in your giving right up front and whatever you want to be saving on a monthly basis. Let's say you're still building your emergency fund and then you want to live on the rest. Build your budget your spending every month based on what's left after those essential items come out and then with that credit card you only use that for things that are in the budget not for things you can afford that are unbudgeted that you say. Well pay that off, and over the next several months because invariably that just won't happen. And if you can discipline yourself to do that, Tyler, then you will actually be able to build your credit because you will be reported as an on-time payer every month to the credit reports and that's an essential key to building your credit also the fact you pay it off every month means you can keep your credit utilization at near zero. That's also to build your credit score. So I think that's the next step four is to build that spending plan and the moneywise app can help you do that. In fact, I love to give you six months of the Pro subscription to our moneywise after you stay on the line will get your information get that right out to you folks if you'd like to check out the money was outfitting your app store to search for moneywise biblical finance back with your calls and questions after this 800-525-7000 this moneywise line back to moneywise line delighted along with us today if you'd like to connect with one of our moneywise coaches be happy to assist you.

These are men and women who've been especially trained his volunteers and as a part of their ministry to walk alongside God's people to help you set up spending plan.

A debt repayment plan giving plan teach you a few of these principles we talk about here on moneywise live very practical. You can do it all virtually over WebCams and the walk you through our process to actually begin to track your spending and get that spending plan in place perhaps for the very first time.

It's our moneywise coaches.

The only cost is will ask you to pay $25 for the digital workbook that goes along with it, but all the coaching and the subsequent meetings absolutely free.

It's our ministry to you just had to our website moneywise live.org and click connect the coach.

Sorry, let's head back to the phones.

Barb is in Illinois and I understand you want to talk about your mortgage.

How can I help you today shall your mortgage right. How much longer you felt, for example, like early 60s were still working it out the house. Inside here. Now if we get back in the day in the house forever make any difference whether or not I start paying down the ball know it really doesn't barb the only thing that would cause me to say. You may not want to do that would just be if there's other more pressing priorities you had high interest the consumer debt or you didn't have your emergency fund and therefore you don't have enough liquid capital for the unexpected. And so you would want to put that on a mortgage that's very illiquid, but apart from you, having a spending plan and doing some systematic giving and getting your debt consumer debt under control and having an emergency fund. Beyond that, and hopefully your contribute something for the longer-term to retirement.

Then if you have surplus.

I love the idea of accelerating your mortgage payoff you just one extra payment a year with you do that at one time or 1/12 every month will take a 30 year mortgage and shave.

In most cases, about five years off of the mortgage just one payment a year or so getting extra going to principal is just less interest you're going to pay and even if you think you're going to sell this home in five years. You're just going to end up saving the interest on that extra principal for five years and then secondly, having more equity to pull out of the home to roll into your next property so you can get that one hopefully paid off even quicker so there's no reason not to prepay the mortgage, assuming you're taking care of those other priorities, even if you plan to move in the next five years to did you follow that the all that interest down the road anyway interest for the time being right into researching we squeeze every candidate stretch think it's good stewardship that any different than most data mortgage. Do you print extra practical payment late payment after sunset a month at the show you have any training. No really doesn't matter because here's the thing once that's credited to the principal. Then when the interest is calculated for the next. Would you be the next month. This can be calculated on a lesser amount because there's less principal outstanding. So I would just send it with your scheduled mortgage payment. However, your lender or mortgage servicer wants that cut to come in. Just make sure that it's noted the way they wanted so that it does in fact go directly to principal and that shouldn't be difficult, but I would just send it with that schedule monthly payment and then as it's applied to the principal and that's a lesser balance that your next. Which is the next billing cycle. The next month. That's can be a lesser amount that the interest is charged against it and then back to your previous question, I would say you know. Yes, you're going to save the interest on the next five years while you're still in the home. But what's even more important than that, I think Barb is that when you sell it, you're going to get more equity out because you've you've got a lesser balance than you would if you just stayed on your current amortization schedule and I assume you're gonna buy another home and hopefully you put all that into the next home which is going to give you a smaller balance there that you will prepay and were just can get you out of having the mortgage, whether it's a mortgage on this one of the next one even quicker and that's the goal to be completely debt-free. So just see it as prepaying toward your mortgage. That's eventually get to go to your next mortgage to keep that as low as possible and hope that helps. Sounds like you're doing a lot of things right and I you really want to honor the Lord with your managing of your money or his money and you're doing a great job with thank you for your call to Austin, Texas, Regina, how can help you encounter regular account.

My credit union I don't have any auto payment I use my credit card every month for payment yet but I paid a balance control into my 401(k) at work, but only 3%.

I have an additional 500 and they and just wondering what I should do it there 500 you have an extra 500 a month from your paycheck to you not spending.

Is that right now okay and do you already have the equivalent of at least three months worth of expenses and savings have more okay great yes. So I probably freeze that and then take that 500 and either increase your giving or increase the amount going to that to retirement plan. I'd love for you to get that up to 10% ultimately 15% of your pay in at 3%. You still got a good bit of room there.

So if you have thought, you're paying your bills every month means you're living on a budget. You got your emergency fund. That's great. Let's try to boost that retirement savings over time and that $500 a month or 6000 year would be a great addition to those in retirement contribution. So just tell them to increase the amount or taken out of your salary deferral and you'll be glad you did down the road.

We appreciate your call today, Fort Payne, Alabama Elizabeth, how can I help you started erring all home about five years ago.

Make your health problem a lot because our insurance changed and we didn't realize it a lot going on in and were now at the point earlier about ready cave remodeling course now lick practice is gone and a lot of things have changed a lot of practice it ancillary licking at her options and several people at ~taking a construction loan and just say that for now that we can go ahead and get it. Then I was talking to my aunt and I can't get a healer HELOC loan said that we can get it over, and an element the loan stating there and if we wanted to get it number process get down or whatever we can state that is whale and I was looking at Ralph and we actually scale L about 20 years on content located on 30 and we got our interest rate is at 5.25%.

At this point Sally thinking if we could get our refi and get the money with the race and a lower interest rate and we could get 15 years that would More years are payment to get paint that five years faster and mainly contain remodeling whale yes well I like this plan and I think you because your interest rate is where it is you're planning to do the remodel anyway and you have a good bit of margin. It sounds like in your budget because it's you telling me you can afford a 15 year mortgage with a larger balance because you gonna pull money out for the remodel, which tells me you've got some room in the budget to absorb that.

That all makes a lot of sense to me. I don't like the idea of you taking out the HELOC interest rates are to be headed higher. That's can have a variable rate associated with it, which means even if it's still pretty low.

When you pull the money it can end up being a good bit higher over time. Lumber prices have been skyhigh. They been dropping pretty rapidly, so you may find that you can actually do this sooner than you thought, you know, perhaps a little later than this year because prices are coming down.

So I think assuming you got a good credit score which I suspect you do, you could probably knock and maybe even a couple points off that interest rate and then reduce your term. That all makes tons of sense with the remodel. It sounds like your to stay put for a while longer to plan to be there 5 to 7 years. I think this is a great plan. Elizabeth going pull that money out and then as soon as you're ready to start the remodel you got the funds available there at a low fixed rate and you know if you can. You got surplus you know now or down the road you can always prepay that mortgage as quickly as you need to do seven accents very well.

You're on the right track in the year making some good decisions here, so I appreciate you checking with us and all the best to you as you all make those improvements in the house. I hope you enjoy it. We appreciate your call. Well folks on Fortson were about out of time, but we covered a lot of ground today Boyd thinking back to Judas's caller was just saying you know I got caught up in the things of this world and crypto currency made some money and like I have a lot in.

Then I realized I was living way beyond my means. Now I got 80,000 dead and I want to do it God's way and you know were all there to some degree saying you know what we want to do it God's way. Don't let us get caught up in the culture and the comparison trap. Well got to go back to Scripture all the time, which is what we do on this program.

Thanks for being with us today moneywise live as a partnership between Moody radio and moneywise media.

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