Rob West: 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 and Finance on American Family Radio. Biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Rob West: 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.
Rob West: 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. 81% of CKA advisors said they help clients incorporate faith- or values-based investing into their plans. Compare that with just 57% of general advisors. 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 and 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 findacka.com to connect with a Certified Kingdom Advisor. Back with your questions after this, stick around.
David Wollen: For your walk with Jesus, I'm David Wollen with Haven Today, inviting you to anchor your day in God's word. Discipline: every child needs it, but no child wants it, because discipline is always unpleasant. And the reality is, parents don't enjoy applying it either. But we do it anyway out of love, because we know the outcome is worth it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God's discipline is even better: "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness." God's correction isn't harsh or random, it's purposeful and perfect. He shapes us through trials. So when the Lord disciplines us, we can trust His hand. It will lead to our good. Get more daily encouragement for your walk with Jesus at haventoday.org.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, in just a moment, we're going to begin taking your calls and questions. That number to call today, 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We're stewards, not owners. That has big implications. God owns it all, we manage what God entrusts to us. We do so with wisdom from God's word, and with His heart and mind that we understand from Scripture. We want to help you do that each day, that's certainly our goal. As we launch into a new week, we want to cheer you on, help you think through the decisions you're making in your financial life, give you wise counsel—not because it comes from me or anybody else here at FaithFi, but because we look to God's word, we pull those principles out, we understand the role of money in our lives. We know that it's not from us. You know, one of the pitfalls of the rich fool that we see in Luke 12 was that he felt it was all his: "My grain, my barns. Look what I did with the work of my hands." No, it's God that's our provider. Even the ability to earn and to work comes from God, we read in Scripture. And so it puts us in a posture of humility, and yet we accept great responsibility as we manage God's money, because we realize it's a high calling, and we need wise counsel along the way to make sure that we're staying in alignment with God's word, and making decisions that reflect the heart of God in Scripture.
Rob West: And that's why we started today by talking about the importance of shared values in financial advice, and some of this incredible research that we uncovered with Pinkston related to seeking wise counsel and the benefit of having an advisor who, yes, is very competent and experienced and has all the appropriate credentials, but also has been trained to bring a biblical worldview of financial decision-making that shares your values as a Christ-follower and can journey with you as you manage God's money—redefining enough, preparing the next steward, advancing the Gospel, and deploying capital, both giving capital and investing capital in a way that drives toward Kingdom outcomes. All of those things happen when you have an advisor who understands that their practice is their ministry, and their advice is rooted in biblical wisdom. If you want to find a CKA, a Certified Kingdom Advisor, to journey with you, just go to findacka.com. That's findacka.com.
Rob West: All right, in a few moments we're going to begin taking your calls and questions. So this is the opportunity, if you've got financial questions, things you're wrestling with in your life... maybe you're stuck, struggling with some debt. Perhaps you're in a position where you have not paid taxes in a few years, maybe you haven't filed, maybe you got behind, or you have a small business and you just didn't make those quarterly payments, and then the taxes due start mounting, and you just decided to kind of push it aside. Hey, I understand. You know, when we get into a situation like that, often our first response is to ignore it. It's just easier, and yet it leads to bigger problems. If that's you, we'd love to help you think through your path forward so you can get back in compliance. Maybe it's investing for the future, and you're just wondering how to navigate this market that's all over the place. I mean, selling off last week, now up 400 as oil prices are falling because of the pause in the conflict in the Middle East. You know, they're giving peace talks space. We'll see what happens. That hasn't materialized thus far. Could this be the moment? Well, the market thinks it's possible. Oil selling off, the Dow, the S&P, the Nasdaq all in positive territory for the moment.
Rob West: But how do you think about your investments given where we are near all-time highs, and yet with quite a bit of volatility? Any of those questions and more when you call 800-525-7000. Again, that number with lines open right now, 800-525-7000. Our team is standing by.
Rob West: In the news today, a new report from Bankrate suggests many Americans are finding it difficult to build a financial cushion, even as inflation has eased from its peak. Now, let me just pause there for a second. You might be saying, "Well, wait a minute, inflation? Prices are still up when I go to the grocery store." Yes, that's true. You remember, you know, we hit a peak of 9% inflation a few years ago prior to President Trump coming into office, and when we talk about inflation, it's all cumulative, right? So we're not talking about inflation going backwards, we're not talking about deflation. We're talking about a slowing of inflation, which just means even if we get to the 2% target that the Federal Reserve has, we're still at a place where that's on top of last year's four, and on top of the five prior to that, and on top of the nine prior to that. And so it is all cumulative, and if wage increases are not keeping up, you're feeling the pressure there, which is why the Fed takes its dual mandate for keeping unemployment low and keeping inflation low as a very important job. Just because it has everything to do with affordability across the board, whether it's energy or food or services, you name it.
Rob West: And so we're in that situation now where because of what's happened here in the past, you're feeling it. So inflation has eased, but it's still, you know, cumulative on top of all the previous increases. Now, while advisors generally recommend setting aside 3 to 6 months' expenses—and you hear that from me all the time—here's what the survey found: millions of households still have little or no emergency savings. That, of course, leaves many families vulnerable when an unexpected expense or loss of income occurs. Here's some of the data: Bankrate found that 58% of Americans have either the same amount of emergency savings as a year ago or even less, while only about 1 in 5 reported increasing their emergency fund. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans have no emergency savings at all, and fewer than half say they have enough set aside to cover at least 3 months of expenses. The report also found that only 47% believe they could readily cover a $1,000 emergency expense. 47%, so less than half could cover a $1,000 emergency expense with available cash or accessible funds. That, of course, highlights how quickly an unexpected car repair or a medical bill could create real financial stress.
Rob West: Interestingly, many respondents said they're balancing two competing priorities: paying down high-interest credit card debt on the one hand, while also trying to build savings. Now, both goals matter, but the right balance, of course, depends on each family's situation. We would, of course, say, listen, if you've got high-interest credit card debt—and keep in mind, the average interest rate right now is sitting at about 23%—if that's you and you don't have emergency savings, how do you balance those two competing, very worthwhile priorities: paying down high-interest credit card debt, building emergency savings? Here's the general rule of thumb, doesn't mean it's right for everyone, but maybe try to get to $1,000 in emergency savings. Maybe you can carve out $200 from the family budget by really taking a hard look, and maybe you automate that where it happens automatically like a bill. And then 5 months later, you've got that $1,000. Now, when you get to the thousand, rather than continuing to build up to 3 to 6 months' expenses, let's pause, and then let's pivot over to the credit cards. Why would we do that? Well, that's going to hopefully break the cycle, give you enough in emergency savings that you could weather an unexpected expense of $1,000 or less and not have to go back to the credit cards. And then we're prioritizing paying down the credit card debt either through the snowball method, where we line up the bills smallest to largest balance and then try to tackle them one at a time by putting extra every available extra dollar toward the smallest balance, which is going to give you the psychological win. And then once we get those credit cards paid off, now we're back to the emergency fund to get up to 3 to 6 months' expenses. By the way, if you have more than $4,000, I recommend heading over to christiancreditcounselors.org. All right, when we come back, we're going to dive into some questions. I'm also going to give you a biblical perspective on wise counsel. The number: 800-525-7000. Call right now.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. We're taking your calls and questions today. You have a financial question related to your budget, maybe it's your investments, debt repayment, giving, preparing the next steward, whatever you're thinking about today, call right now: 800-525-7000. We'd love to help you think about it in light of biblical wisdom. That's 800-525-7000. Let's go out to Texas. Don, how can I help you, sir?
Don: Well, hi Rob. I'm just trying to get a percentage of how much I should allow for various things I spend in a month. How much should I—I'm 89 years old, I've got enough money, just how much should I figure on this much I should allow, so much for utilities, this much I should allow for food, this much I should allow for... medical things, just kind of a percentage breakdown.
Rob West: I love this, Don, because, yeah, you know, having the percentage budget starting point is a great place to begin. It's what I'll call a starting framework, especially for someone who's debt-free as a retired couple, just thinking about the big buckets. Now, at the end of the day, all it is is a framework or a starting point, and you need to make it work for you. And that's ultimately going to come down to you looking at your last 90 days and looking at what did we actually spend in these categories, and how do we use this target, you know, as a guide to refine our spending. But at the end of the day, you know, it's got to be something you can live with. Let me just kind of run through some of the big-ticket items, if you will, and give you some percentages that are typical for somebody in your situation. I would say housing, 30%. So that would include taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. We would want to try to keep, if possible, that 30% or less. Food, it's more expensive now than ever, whether you're eating in or eating out. And so I would say, you know, 10 to 15% for the food budget, and that's groceries plus dining out, okay? So we're 30% on housing, 10 to 15% on food, transportation, typically another 10 to 15%, healthcare, 10 to 20% in this season of life for you. That's going to include your Medicare premiums, prescriptions, anything out of pocket. Of course, your giving, you'd want to make sure that's in there at a level that you've decided before the Lord. Personal expenses and entertainment, maybe 5 to 10%, another 5 to 10% for travel and recreation, and then, you know, 10% maybe more, up to 20% if possible, for savings. That's going to include, you know, home repairs, vehicle replacement, things like that. Now, if your home is paid off in this season of life, housing often drops below 20%, and that's going to give you a little more room for giving, travel, savings, things like that. Healthcare is often the category that grows the most in retirement, so it's wise to leave margin there. And then I think at the end of the day, you know, rather than chasing a perfect percentage, the goal is really to ensure total spending stays below your reliable retirement income, leaving room for generosity and unexpected expenses. But is that helpful at all, Don?
Don: Yeah, I just—I've always kind of figured I'm spending about $60,000 a year for everything. I don't know if that's real-world or not. I'd have to go back and look.
Rob West: Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think, you know, trying to get a handle on that and just say, you know, where is my money actually going is often a game changer for folks because, you know, they realize there's some leaks in the boat and money's slipping out to things they don't realize how much, you know, they're spending on certain categories, often the discretionary ones, the things you don't get a bill for. And so, taking maybe 30 or 60 days to just really track every penny—you don't have to do that every month. You know, I would love for you to be in a system like the FaithFi app where you are seeing every transaction and it's automatically being categorized to your, quote-unquote, digital envelope, so you can see, you know, actually what's being spent down to the penny. But if you're doing it more manually, you know, you're going to want to try to a couple of times a year to really kind of dial that in and see where your money's going so you can plug up those leaks and then redirect some of that spending to things that are more important to you, like building savings, increasing giving, things like that.
Don: Okay, that makes sense. I appreciate your advice.
Rob West: Absolutely. And if I could help provide, you know, if you want somebody to walk alongside you in this process, I'd be happy, Don, to make one of our Certified Christian Financial Counselors available to you at no cost, where they would help you kind of put that spending plan together. You may feel like you have that covered, you just needed the guideline percentage, and if so, that's great. But if you want somebody to help you take a fresh look at it, I'd be happy to provide that to you.
Don: That sounds great. I appreciate that.
Rob West: All right. Hang on the line, my team will get your information, and we'll make a Certified Christian Financial Counselor available to you. We'll pick up the tab for it, so it won't cost you anything, and hopefully that'll help you get this dialed in in a way that makes you feel better about, you know, what you're spending and how you're allocating God's money. Don, call anytime if we can help you, sir. Lord bless you. Let's go to Virginia. David, how can I help?
David: Good morning. Just, like, not even a minute or two ago, you were rattling off a list of percentages. I'm not 100% sure how to explain what it was. I mean, I think it's...
Rob West: Budget guidelines is what I would refer to it as.
David: Oh, okay. Is that somewhere—is that on a PDF file somewhere? I mean, like, it seems like it should be known...
Rob West: Yeah, it's a good question, David. And here's what I would be willing to do: I'd be happy to give you six months in the FaithFi app to be able to get your own budget situated. I don't have those guidelines in a PDF, probably something we need to create, and so I'm making a note of that now for the team. I will tell you this: there are tons of budget guidelines available that you would find on the internet, and, you know, most of them are about the same. But here's what I would do: I would put in your situation, so, you know, maybe the high level, you know, details, like 60s, you know, retired, you know, house paid off, give me an ideal budget guideline or budget percentages for somebody in my situation, and you will find all the information you could ever want that'll get your point set in the right direction. So, all of that is out there. I'd go search for it. But stay on the line, my team will get you six months in the FaithFi app, and I think that can help you really well. Thanks for your call. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. We've got lines open; we're ready for you. Your financial questions right now at 800-525-7000. Maybe there's something you were wrestling with over the weekend. Maybe you had a family gathering and your brother-in-law said something about an investment that he bought, and you're wondering if it's right for you. Or maybe you want to give wisely, or you're thinking about how do you manage adult children in terms of helping and not hurting. I mean, any of those questions and more, we'd love to hear from you. A classic one is: when do I take Social Security? Early? Full retirement age? Do I wait till age 70? How do I make that decision? Call right now with any of those questions and more: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
You know, we started today by talking about seeking wise counsel, and we were sharing some of the incredible data that we uncovered as we studied the clients of Certified Kingdom Advisors versus clients of traditional advisors to compare and contrast the results. And it was pretty remarkable, and really underscored what we had been hearing anecdotally for more than a decade, and that is that there's a real difference in the outcomes—the planning outcomes and the client satisfaction and longevity—when they work with an advisor who shares their values and has been trained to bring biblical wisdom versus working with an advisor who does not.
And we were able to unpack a little bit of that data. But you know, biblically, this is such an important topic. You know, to fear the Lord is to recognize that God is God and we are not. And it's, you know, to approach life through our choices and our relationships and our finances with dependence on Him. You know, it's not about grabbing advice from anyone who will listen. The goal is to find voices that simply echo what we want to hear. It's to seek godly guidance from people who know us, who know God's Word, and can help us align our choices with His purposes. It's really finding people we can trust because we know that wise counsel leads to wise decision-making.
But when we humble ourselves to seek wisdom from others, we acknowledge that God's plan is to work through His people to guide us; that He places mentors and elders and trusted believers and trusted advisors in our lives for a reason. You know, they've walked roads that we haven't traveled and made mistakes we can avoid.
We see this clearly when we go to God's Word in the story of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12. Solomon's son inherits a united kingdom and a decision that will determine its future. And the people plead to him for a lighter tax burden. And at first, Rehoboam does the right thing: he seeks advice from the older men who served his father. Here's what they tell him in 1 Kings 12:7. He says, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, then they will be your servants forever." Sounds like pretty good advice, and it is. But Rehoboam rejects their counsel. You see, he turns to his peers. These are young men who share his ambition, but not their elders' discernment. What is their advice? Make their yoke heavier. That was 1 Kings 12:10–11.
And that's exactly what he does. And the results, as you might imagine, are devastating. The kingdom is divided in two. What began as a decision about taxes ends really as a national tragedy.
And you know, at the end of the day, Rehoboam's story isn't just about bad leadership; it's really a sobering reminder of what happens when we elevate our own understanding above the wisdom God provides through others. You see, pride blinds us, but humility opens our eyes. And throughout Scripture, God sent voices of wisdom to call His people back to Himself, like the prophets in the Old Testament commissioned to remind Israel of their covenant and warn them when they strayed. Wise counselors in our lives serve a similar purpose. They're like divine guardrails. You know, they don't restrict our freedom; they keep us safely in the lane. They help us avoid the gutters of greed and fear and self-reliance. But when we disregard their guidance, well, we risk falling into the very pitfalls these voices were meant to help us avoid.
And you know, because money decisions are deeply personal, I believe God never meant for us to handle them in isolation. And that's why He surrounds us with people who help us see what we might otherwise miss.
And so if you feel confused or unprepared today, I would just encourage you: invite God's wisdom through the counsel of others, especially others who are God-fearing. Ask God to guide you to people with wisdom and invite those you trust into your decision-making. And again, if you would like to find a financial advisor who can help you align your faith with your finances, that's what a Certified Kingdom Advisor is—a financial professional who's met really high standards and has been trained to integrate faith-based values into financial planning and investing. And you can find one in your area with a quick ZIP code search when you go to findacka.com. That's findacka.com.
All right, we're going to get to some more questions here. Between now and the end of the program, I've got room for perhaps one or two beyond those that are holding. Call right now: 800-525-7000. Let's go to Oregon. Betty, how can I help?
Betty: Yeah. Thank you very much for taking the call. My question is this: there's got to be some kind of a resource, book, or something that I could get for my nephew. He's 36, and he's the worst money manager there is. My concern is that my sister bails him out. I said, "At our age, you can't keep doing that! He's got to learn how to manage his finances." And so what kind of resource can I lead him to or obtain for him so that to help him figure this out? Because he obviously is spending more than he has coming in, and so there's a real problem.
Rob West: Yeah. Well, I've got a solution for that, Betty. And it's not a quick fix, but obviously, if he's willing to invest some time into understanding God's way of handling money, it's going to reap, you know, significant dividends because it's God's Word, which is living and active.
I'm going to send you a copy of Ron Blue's book, Master Your Money. It's a classic. It's really the book, Betty, that I read in college that positioned me to really dedicate my whole professional life to the intersection of faith and finance. It covers all of the key areas from spending to investing to debt—you name it, it's covered. Again, it's called Master Your Money from Ron Blue. I'll send it to you. It was recently revised and updated, and we'll give it out to you as our gift to you. So when we're done here, just hang on the line, and our team will get your information, and we'll get it in the mail.
But, you know, if you pass it along to his mom and maybe she could give it to him as a gift, if he would be willing to invest the time, I'm confident it could be a game-changer.
You know, to your point though, Betty, nearly 60% of parents provide financial help to adult children these days. And the desire to give doesn't fade, but the questions get more tangled. And that is: are we helping them move forward, or are we keeping them from learning what they need to learn? And I think that's exactly your point to your sister for her adult child. You know, are we offering support, or are we stepping into a role they should now carry themselves?
And those tensions are heavy, and everyone has the best intentions. But we have to be really careful there, and we've got to make room for maturity by encouraging responsibility. Because, you know, real help strengthens a child's ability to stand on their own. And that may mean, you know, agreed-upon goals, or expecting them to carry appropriate financial weight, or just standing by and watching them make decisions that you know are not the right ones because they're going to learn from it. And so at some point, we have to stop rescuing them because we're not doing them any favors. And so I couldn't agree with you more. Stand on the line; we'll get you a copy of this book as our gift to you, and we'll be right back on Faith and Finance. Stay with us.
Announcer: To sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. That is the mission of The Christian Worldview radio program. I'm host David Wheaton, inviting you to join us this Saturday morning at 9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central, as we discuss all matters of life and faith from a decidedly biblical perspective. The Christian Worldview, Saturday mornings at 9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central, right here on American Family Radio.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. Here in our final segment, we're going to get to as many calls as we can. That number to call if you have a question is 800-525-7000. Again, that's 800-525-7000. You can call right now. Let's go to out to Texas. Hernando, how can I help you?
Hernando: God bless you, and appreciate all the work that you guys do at FaithFi. And I am a I am a contributor, so thank you very much.
Rob West: That's amazing. Thank you so much.
Hernando: My My question is, uh uh I've I've been a do-it do-it-yourself investor for quite a while going all the way back to Larry Burkett and Dan Celia when he was here with us. And now I've gotten I've gotten to a point I just retired recently last February, uh and I also was pastoring full-time, now I'm full-time pastoring. And um there is a lot that I I I just need some some guidance now on how to uh pack do some tax planning and some investment management. I still do my own investment, but I still need some management now because I got several accounts that are all over the place now. And uh it's kind of like got out of hand.
Rob West: Mmm, yeah. I totally understand. And you know, this is not uncommon uh here, Hernando, that when you get to this season of life and you've, you know, you've accumulated just through hard work and and living modestly, you've accumulated some nest eggs in a in a retirement account like a 401(k) or a 403(b) or an IRA. Um you know, it gets to the place where you're saying, "Wow, I I've got, you know, I've accumulated uh quite a bit, and I need some assistance in making sure that it's managed properly. And what investment should I choose? And how do I minimize the taxes, you know, through how I draw out from various pre-tax or after-tax investment accounts? And I need to be careful because if I take too much out, not only could I deplete it and and outlive it, but I could drive up my Medicare premium, you know, if you're if you're paying Medicare premiums through something called the IRMAA, which is the premium that you pay because you had more income. Now, it doesn't hit for two years until after the year you had the higher income, but it could be several hundred dollars more a month." And so, you know, that kind of planning uh plus the investment management is really key. And, you know, more and more Christians are saying, "Listen, I want to make sure that the investments that I have, because when I invest I'm an owner in in these companies, I want to make sure I'm in the industries that yes, are going to create value for me as a shareholder, but also uh are are not industries that are misaligned with my values, like gambling or pornography, you know, that that they involve pornography or or uh, you know, something that might have uh a tobacco company in it or something like that." So, I think that's really where we started today, Hernando, in terms of the importance of wise counsel, and we would recommend you connect with a Certified Kingdom Advisor there in Texas. This is someone who's been trained, who's met high standards in character and competence and experience. They've been trained to bring a biblical worldview of financial decision-making, a pastor reference, a client reference, a regulatory review, at least 10 years in the business. I mean, we put them through the ringer. But there's more than 2,000 that have earned that designation, which is now the really the gold standard for biblically wise financial advice. And so you could find a CKA in your area at findacka.com, and I'd recommend you interview two or three, and then find the one that's the best fit. But is that helpful at all?
Hernando: That's very helpful, sir. I appreciate that.
Rob West: Okay, yeah. Happy to do it. Again, that website: findacka.com. Thanks for your call today, Hernando, and if I can assist further along the way, don't hesitate to reach out. Uh let's go to Virginia. Lewis, how can I help?
Lewis: Um I'm making about $55,000 with my Social Security, and I'm still working. I got a mortgage of $2,400 a month. My wife takes care of all the other bills. Uh now I have $12,000 that was in an annuity, which probably was a mistake for me. Um and I want to take $6,000 out. And uh $6,000 I'm still going to invest with the Knights of Columbus in a mutual fund.
Rob West: Okay.
Lewis: I do have $4,500 in a bank, and $600 in credit card debt.
Rob West: Okay.
Lewis: Yeah, and so what is your primary question? I appreciate that overview. How can I help you best?
Lewis: Yeah, I want to invest the other $6,000, and what should I do with that?
Rob West: Got it. Yeah. Yeah, well first of all, I was just with the team at Knights of Columbus uh last week uh out in uh California. And so, have have great respect for what they do in um in faith-aligned investments. Um and there's some other wonderful asset managers like Knights of Columbus. I mean, I'm thinking of Timothy Plan. Uh you know, if you listened to Dan Celia on this program before uh Dan went home to be with the Lord, Dan talked a lot about Timothy, and they continue to be a a a wonderful partner of ours here at Faith & Finance. So Timothy Plan would be a great option. Eventide—if you go to our website, you could see a list of them, Lewis, the asset managers. Just go to faithfi.com, that's faithfi.com, and then click on "The Show." And you would get a good kind of run down of those asset managers like Timothy, Eventide. Um and that's going to give you really, there's there's about 15 uh asset managers today, and there's there's more coming, uh that take an expressly faith-based approach similar to Knights of Columbus. And, you know, that's going to give you investments, um whether it's an ETF or a mutual fund, which is really what you want with $6,000, that you would know would be aligned with your values. And then it's just a matter of picking, you know, do you want the international fund, uh you know, like the um the international ETF that was just recently uh rolled out, you know, by um by Eventide, or do you want something that has a little more uh bond exposure, or do you want something that's, you know, is really a um a large-cap growth. I mean, you know, each of these asset managers will have ETFs that fit your your risk profile, but the the great thing is that you would know they would be aligned with your values. So, I would head to faithfi.com uh and just click on "The Show," and you'll see a list of all of those asset managers there.
Lewis: Okay, thank you for your advice.
Rob West: Absolutely, Lewis. God bless you, and thanks for being on the program today. Uh you know, one of the things we were talking about just a moment ago is this idea of helping adult children without holding them back. And, you know, this is really such a a big idea. Um and and you know, I think one of the keys, I mean I said we need to make room for maturity by encouraging responsibility. Um but we also want to protect the relationship by staying unified as spouses. And this is one of the areas that trips us up, I think, or I at least see uh people get tripped up, because, you know, parents can't guide well if they're pulling in different directions. So, before offering help, here's one of the keys that I've found: I want you to talk and pray together about what you can give, and what you cannot sustain personally in your own financial life, and what patterns you want to avoid. Because when spouses bring these questions to God together and pray through them, I've found that He's going to shape a unity that brings fresh clarity. Uh you know, Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." You see, without that kind of unity, I think a family can easily end up with two problems instead of one. Because mixed messages can create confusion or unrealistic expectations. But when parents move forward together, their support comes steady and consistent, which is a gift to their child and to each other. You know, it's possible to love generously while still guiding your children toward independence. And often what I find is that, you know, one parent is saying, "I think we need to let them experience the, you know, repercussions of these decisions and, you know, maybe a little pain now is going to get them pointed in the right direction," while the other parent is just grimacing, saying, "I just can't bear to watch it. Uh we need to bail them out." And often, you know, the right approach is somewhere in the middle, and that's why that healthy tension I think is a good thing. And so, you know, with God's help, two things can exist really well: we love generously while still guiding toward independence. And that's what we all want at the end of the day. The question is, how do we get there? And it may require some tough love. And listen, I get it, it's not easy to do, but we know it's in their best interest, which makes it certainly uh more palatable, I think, to especially those that that don't want to uh to to sit it out and and really want to step in and help. Because at the end of the day, when parents seek God's wisdom and stand together, here's what the goal is: their support becomes a gift that protects both their children and their marriage. And I think that's really the big idea here. Listen, I get it that this one is a is a tough one, but at the end of the day, we want to not eliminate every struggle our adult child faces, but to support their continued growth. That is what is paramount, and that often means tying financial help to some clearly stated objectives. And I think that's often what's missing here. Um you know, Hebrews 10:24 says, "Let us consider how to stir one uh up one another to love and good works." So we want support that gently nudges them toward growth, and that's often the kind of love that that ultimately lasts. So I hope that's a good reminder. You know, that question prompted some thoughts in my mind just about how often this is a struggle for so many, and and hopefully you found something in there, if you're facing this situation, that you could take away and say, "Huh, maybe I need to think about this a little differently."
Hey, listen folks, so appreciate you being along with us uh each day. We can't do this without you. Couple of next steps I want to offer. Uh number one, we have an incredible partnership going on with Preborn right now. Between now and uh August uh the last day of August, we're looking to fund 1,500 free ultrasounds in our partnership with FaithFi and Preborn. If you'd like to pick up one of those, every $28 given funds one of those ultrasounds. Just go to faithfi.com/preborn. If you want to find a CKA, a Certified Kingdom Advisor, go to findacka.com. And then let me just finish, uh more and more of our listeners are wanting to find a Christian banking alternative, and right now our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking are offering 4% on their money market for up to a year and a $400 bonus until the end of August with the code FaithFi. To learn more, go to faithfi.com/banking. That's faithfi.com/banking. Big thanks to my team today: Pat, Devin, Taylor, Jim, and everybody here at FaithFi that makes this possible. Enjoy the rest of your day, come back and join us tomorrow, we'll do it all over again. Until then, may God bless you. Bye-bye.
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Rob West: 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 and Finance on American Family Radio. Biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Rob West: 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.
Rob West: 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. 81% of CKA advisors said they help clients incorporate faith- or values-based investing into their plans. Compare that with just 57% of general advisors. 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 and 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 findacka.com to connect with a Certified Kingdom Advisor. Back with your questions after this, stick around.
David Wollen: For your walk with Jesus, I'm David Wollen with Haven Today, inviting you to anchor your day in God's word. Discipline: every child needs it, but no child wants it, because discipline is always unpleasant. And the reality is, parents don't enjoy applying it either. But we do it anyway out of love, because we know the outcome is worth it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God's discipline is even better: "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness." God's correction isn't harsh or random, it's purposeful and perfect. He shapes us through trials. So when the Lord disciplines us, we can trust His hand. It will lead to our good. Get more daily encouragement for your walk with Jesus at haventoday.org.
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Announcer: The term providence means God's superintending care over His creation. America's Providential History with Stephen McDowell. God is at work performing His will in history. And so through this podcast, we're going to be taking a look at the providence of God in history, and in particular, in the history of America. America's Providential History, available now on the podcast page at afr.net.
Announcer: We are grateful for support from GuideStone, whose diversified suite of investment solutions align with Christian values to create positive change in the world. More information is available at faithfi.com/guidestone. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of GuideStone Funds before investing. They are distributed by Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, which is not an advisor affiliate, a registered investment advisor, nor do they provide investment advice.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, in just a moment, we're going to begin taking your calls and questions. That number to call today, 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We're stewards, not owners. That has big implications. God owns it all, we manage what God entrusts to us. We do so with wisdom from God's word, and with His heart and mind that we understand from Scripture. We want to help you do that each day, that's certainly our goal. As we launch into a new week, we want to cheer you on, help you think through the decisions you're making in your financial life, give you wise counsel—not because it comes from me or anybody else here at FaithFi, but because we look to God's word, we pull those principles out, we understand the role of money in our lives. We know that it's not from us. You know, one of the pitfalls of the rich fool that we see in Luke 12 was that he felt it was all his: "My grain, my barns. Look what I did with the work of my hands." No, it's God that's our provider. Even the ability to earn and to work comes from God, we read in Scripture. And so it puts us in a posture of humility, and yet we accept great responsibility as we manage God's money, because we realize it's a high calling, and we need wise counsel along the way to make sure that we're staying in alignment with God's word, and making decisions that reflect the heart of God in Scripture.
Rob West: And that's why we started today by talking about the importance of shared values in financial advice, and some of this incredible research that we uncovered with Pinkston related to seeking wise counsel and the benefit of having an advisor who, yes, is very competent and experienced and has all the appropriate credentials, but also has been trained to bring a biblical worldview of financial decision-making that shares your values as a Christ-follower and can journey with you as you manage God's money—redefining enough, preparing the next steward, advancing the Gospel, and deploying capital, both giving capital and investing capital in a way that drives toward Kingdom outcomes. All of those things happen when you have an advisor who understands that their practice is their ministry, and their advice is rooted in biblical wisdom. If you want to find a CKA, a Certified Kingdom Advisor, to journey with you, just go to findacka.com. That's findacka.com.
Rob West: All right, in a few moments we're going to begin taking your calls and questions. So this is the opportunity, if you've got financial questions, things you're wrestling with in your life... maybe you're stuck, struggling with some debt. Perhaps you're in a position where you have not paid taxes in a few years, maybe you haven't filed, maybe you got behind, or you have a small business and you just didn't make those quarterly payments, and then the taxes due start mounting, and you just decided to kind of push it aside. Hey, I understand. You know, when we get into a situation like that, often our first response is to ignore it. It's just easier, and yet it leads to bigger problems. If that's you, we'd love to help you think through your path forward so you can get back in compliance. Maybe it's investing for the future, and you're just wondering how to navigate this market that's all over the place. I mean, selling off last week, now up 400 as oil prices are falling because of the pause in the conflict in the Middle East. You know, they're giving peace talks space. We'll see what happens. That hasn't materialized thus far. Could this be the moment? Well, the market thinks it's possible. Oil selling off, the Dow, the S&P, the Nasdaq all in positive territory for the moment.
Rob West: But how do you think about your investments given where we are near all-time highs, and yet with quite a bit of volatility? Any of those questions and more when you call 800-525-7000. Again, that number with lines open right now, 800-525-7000. Our team is standing by.
Rob West: In the news today, a new report from Bankrate suggests many Americans are finding it difficult to build a financial cushion, even as inflation has eased from its peak. Now, let me just pause there for a second. You might be saying, "Well, wait a minute, inflation? Prices are still up when I go to the grocery store." Yes, that's true. You remember, you know, we hit a peak of 9% inflation a few years ago prior to President Trump coming into office, and when we talk about inflation, it's all cumulative, right? So we're not talking about inflation going backwards, we're not talking about deflation. We're talking about a slowing of inflation, which just means even if we get to the 2% target that the Federal Reserve has, we're still at a place where that's on top of last year's four, and on top of the five prior to that, and on top of the nine prior to that. And so it is all cumulative, and if wage increases are not keeping up, you're feeling the pressure there, which is why the Fed takes its dual mandate for keeping unemployment low and keeping inflation low as a very important job. Just because it has everything to do with affordability across the board, whether it's energy or food or services, you name it.
Rob West: And so we're in that situation now where because of what's happened here in the past, you're feeling it. So inflation has eased, but it's still, you know, cumulative on top of all the previous increases. Now, while advisors generally recommend setting aside 3 to 6 months' expenses—and you hear that from me all the time—here's what the survey found: millions of households still have little or no emergency savings. That, of course, leaves many families vulnerable when an unexpected expense or loss of income occurs. Here's some of the data: Bankrate found that 58% of Americans have either the same amount of emergency savings as a year ago or even less, while only about 1 in 5 reported increasing their emergency fund. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans have no emergency savings at all, and fewer than half say they have enough set aside to cover at least 3 months of expenses. The report also found that only 47% believe they could readily cover a $1,000 emergency expense. 47%, so less than half could cover a $1,000 emergency expense with available cash or accessible funds. That, of course, highlights how quickly an unexpected car repair or a medical bill could create real financial stress.
Rob West: Interestingly, many respondents said they're balancing two competing priorities: paying down high-interest credit card debt on the one hand, while also trying to build savings. Now, both goals matter, but the right balance, of course, depends on each family's situation. We would, of course, say, listen, if you've got high-interest credit card debt—and keep in mind, the average interest rate right now is sitting at about 23%—if that's you and you don't have emergency savings, how do you balance those two competing, very worthwhile priorities: paying down high-interest credit card debt, building emergency savings? Here's the general rule of thumb, doesn't mean it's right for everyone, but maybe try to get to $1,000 in emergency savings. Maybe you can carve out $200 from the family budget by really taking a hard look, and maybe you automate that where it happens automatically like a bill. And then 5 months later, you've got that $1,000. Now, when you get to the thousand, rather than continuing to build up to 3 to 6 months' expenses, let's pause, and then let's pivot over to the credit cards. Why would we do that? Well, that's going to hopefully break the cycle, give you enough in emergency savings that you could weather an unexpected expense of $1,000 or less and not have to go back to the credit cards. And then we're prioritizing paying down the credit card debt either through the snowball method, where we line up the bills smallest to largest balance and then try to tackle them one at a time by putting extra every available extra dollar toward the smallest balance, which is going to give you the psychological win. And then once we get those credit cards paid off, now we're back to the emergency fund to get up to 3 to 6 months' expenses. By the way, if you have more than $4,000, I recommend heading over to christiancreditcounselors.org. All right, when we come back, we're going to dive into some questions. I'm also going to give you a biblical perspective on wise counsel. The number: 800-525-7000. Call right now.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. We're taking your calls and questions today. You have a financial question related to your budget, maybe it's your investments, debt repayment, giving, preparing the next steward, whatever you're thinking about today, call right now: 800-525-7000. We'd love to help you think about it in light of biblical wisdom. That's 800-525-7000. Let's go out to Texas. Don, how can I help you, sir?
Don: Well, hi Rob. I'm just trying to get a percentage of how much I should allow for various things I spend in a month. How much should I—I'm 89 years old, I've got enough money, just how much should I figure on this much I should allow, so much for utilities, this much I should allow for food, this much I should allow for... medical things, just kind of a percentage breakdown.
Rob West: I love this, Don, because, yeah, you know, having the percentage budget starting point is a great place to begin. It's what I'll call a starting framework, especially for someone who's debt-free as a retired couple, just thinking about the big buckets. Now, at the end of the day, all it is is a framework or a starting point, and you need to make it work for you. And that's ultimately going to come down to you looking at your last 90 days and looking at what did we actually spend in these categories, and how do we use this target, you know, as a guide to refine our spending. But at the end of the day, you know, it's got to be something you can live with. Let me just kind of run through some of the big-ticket items, if you will, and give you some percentages that are typical for somebody in your situation. I would say housing, 30%. So that would include taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. We would want to try to keep, if possible, that 30% or less. Food, it's more expensive now than ever, whether you're eating in or eating out. And so I would say, you know, 10 to 15% for the food budget, and that's groceries plus dining out, okay? So we're 30% on housing, 10 to 15% on food, transportation, typically another 10 to 15%, healthcare, 10 to 20% in this season of life for you. That's going to include your Medicare premiums, prescriptions, anything out of pocket. Of course, your giving, you'd want to make sure that's in there at a level that you've decided before the Lord. Personal expenses and entertainment, maybe 5 to 10%, another 5 to 10% for travel and recreation, and then, you know, 10% maybe more, up to 20% if possible, for savings. That's going to include, you know, home repairs, vehicle replacement, things like that. Now, if your home is paid off in this season of life, housing often drops below 20%, and that's going to give you a little more room for giving, travel, savings, things like that. Healthcare is often the category that grows the most in retirement, so it's wise to leave margin there. And then I think at the end of the day, you know, rather than chasing a perfect percentage, the goal is really to ensure total spending stays below your reliable retirement income, leaving room for generosity and unexpected expenses. But is that helpful at all, Don?
Don: Yeah, I just—I've always kind of figured I'm spending about $60,000 a year for everything. I don't know if that's real-world or not. I'd have to go back and look.
Rob West: Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think, you know, trying to get a handle on that and just say, you know, where is my money actually going is often a game changer for folks because, you know, they realize there's some leaks in the boat and money's slipping out to things they don't realize how much, you know, they're spending on certain categories, often the discretionary ones, the things you don't get a bill for. And so, taking maybe 30 or 60 days to just really track every penny—you don't have to do that every month. You know, I would love for you to be in a system like the FaithFi app where you are seeing every transaction and it's automatically being categorized to your, quote-unquote, digital envelope, so you can see, you know, actually what's being spent down to the penny. But if you're doing it more manually, you know, you're going to want to try to a couple of times a year to really kind of dial that in and see where your money's going so you can plug up those leaks and then redirect some of that spending to things that are more important to you, like building savings, increasing giving, things like that.
Don: Okay, that makes sense. I appreciate your advice.
Rob West: Absolutely. And if I could help provide, you know, if you want somebody to walk alongside you in this process, I'd be happy, Don, to make one of our Certified Christian Financial Counselors available to you at no cost, where they would help you kind of put that spending plan together. You may feel like you have that covered, you just needed the guideline percentage, and if so, that's great. But if you want somebody to help you take a fresh look at it, I'd be happy to provide that to you.
Don: That sounds great. I appreciate that.
Rob West: All right. Hang on the line, my team will get your information, and we'll make a Certified Christian Financial Counselor available to you. We'll pick up the tab for it, so it won't cost you anything, and hopefully that'll help you get this dialed in in a way that makes you feel better about, you know, what you're spending and how you're allocating God's money. Don, call anytime if we can help you, sir. Lord bless you. Let's go to Virginia. David, how can I help?
David: Good morning. Just, like, not even a minute or two ago, you were rattling off a list of percentages. I'm not 100% sure how to explain what it was. I mean, I think it's...
Rob West: Budget guidelines is what I would refer to it as.
David: Oh, okay. Is that somewhere—is that on a PDF file somewhere? I mean, like, it seems like it should be known...
Rob West: Yeah, it's a good question, David. And here's what I would be willing to do: I'd be happy to give you six months in the FaithFi app to be able to get your own budget situated. I don't have those guidelines in a PDF, probably something we need to create, and so I'm making a note of that now for the team. I will tell you this: there are tons of budget guidelines available that you would find on the internet, and, you know, most of them are about the same. But here's what I would do: I would put in your situation, so, you know, maybe the high level, you know, details, like 60s, you know, retired, you know, house paid off, give me an ideal budget guideline or budget percentages for somebody in my situation, and you will find all the information you could ever want that'll get your point set in the right direction. So, all of that is out there. I'd go search for it. But stay on the line, my team will get you six months in the FaithFi app, and I think that can help you really well. Thanks for your call. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. We've got lines open; we're ready for you. Your financial questions right now at 800-525-7000. Maybe there's something you were wrestling with over the weekend. Maybe you had a family gathering and your brother-in-law said something about an investment that he bought, and you're wondering if it's right for you. Or maybe you want to give wisely, or you're thinking about how do you manage adult children in terms of helping and not hurting. I mean, any of those questions and more, we'd love to hear from you. A classic one is: when do I take Social Security? Early? Full retirement age? Do I wait till age 70? How do I make that decision? Call right now with any of those questions and more: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
You know, we started today by talking about seeking wise counsel, and we were sharing some of the incredible data that we uncovered as we studied the clients of Certified Kingdom Advisors versus clients of traditional advisors to compare and contrast the results. And it was pretty remarkable, and really underscored what we had been hearing anecdotally for more than a decade, and that is that there's a real difference in the outcomes—the planning outcomes and the client satisfaction and longevity—when they work with an advisor who shares their values and has been trained to bring biblical wisdom versus working with an advisor who does not.
And we were able to unpack a little bit of that data. But you know, biblically, this is such an important topic. You know, to fear the Lord is to recognize that God is God and we are not. And it's, you know, to approach life through our choices and our relationships and our finances with dependence on Him. You know, it's not about grabbing advice from anyone who will listen. The goal is to find voices that simply echo what we want to hear. It's to seek godly guidance from people who know us, who know God's Word, and can help us align our choices with His purposes. It's really finding people we can trust because we know that wise counsel leads to wise decision-making.
But when we humble ourselves to seek wisdom from others, we acknowledge that God's plan is to work through His people to guide us; that He places mentors and elders and trusted believers and trusted advisors in our lives for a reason. You know, they've walked roads that we haven't traveled and made mistakes we can avoid.
We see this clearly when we go to God's Word in the story of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12. Solomon's son inherits a united kingdom and a decision that will determine its future. And the people plead to him for a lighter tax burden. And at first, Rehoboam does the right thing: he seeks advice from the older men who served his father. Here's what they tell him in 1 Kings 12:7. He says, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, then they will be your servants forever." Sounds like pretty good advice, and it is. But Rehoboam rejects their counsel. You see, he turns to his peers. These are young men who share his ambition, but not their elders' discernment. What is their advice? Make their yoke heavier. That was 1 Kings 12:10–11.
And that's exactly what he does. And the results, as you might imagine, are devastating. The kingdom is divided in two. What began as a decision about taxes ends really as a national tragedy.
And you know, at the end of the day, Rehoboam's story isn't just about bad leadership; it's really a sobering reminder of what happens when we elevate our own understanding above the wisdom God provides through others. You see, pride blinds us, but humility opens our eyes. And throughout Scripture, God sent voices of wisdom to call His people back to Himself, like the prophets in the Old Testament commissioned to remind Israel of their covenant and warn them when they strayed. Wise counselors in our lives serve a similar purpose. They're like divine guardrails. You know, they don't restrict our freedom; they keep us safely in the lane. They help us avoid the gutters of greed and fear and self-reliance. But when we disregard their guidance, well, we risk falling into the very pitfalls these voices were meant to help us avoid.
And you know, because money decisions are deeply personal, I believe God never meant for us to handle them in isolation. And that's why He surrounds us with people who help us see what we might otherwise miss.
And so if you feel confused or unprepared today, I would just encourage you: invite God's wisdom through the counsel of others, especially others who are God-fearing. Ask God to guide you to people with wisdom and invite those you trust into your decision-making. And again, if you would like to find a financial advisor who can help you align your faith with your finances, that's what a Certified Kingdom Advisor is—a financial professional who's met really high standards and has been trained to integrate faith-based values into financial planning and investing. And you can find one in your area with a quick ZIP code search when you go to findacka.com. That's findacka.com.
All right, we're going to get to some more questions here. Between now and the end of the program, I've got room for perhaps one or two beyond those that are holding. Call right now: 800-525-7000. Let's go to Oregon. Betty, how can I help?
Betty: Yeah. Thank you very much for taking the call. My question is this: there's got to be some kind of a resource, book, or something that I could get for my nephew. He's 36, and he's the worst money manager there is. My concern is that my sister bails him out. I said, "At our age, you can't keep doing that! He's got to learn how to manage his finances." And so what kind of resource can I lead him to or obtain for him so that to help him figure this out? Because he obviously is spending more than he has coming in, and so there's a real problem.
Rob West: Yeah. Well, I've got a solution for that, Betty. And it's not a quick fix, but obviously, if he's willing to invest some time into understanding God's way of handling money, it's going to reap, you know, significant dividends because it's God's Word, which is living and active.
I'm going to send you a copy of Ron Blue's book, Master Your Money. It's a classic. It's really the book, Betty, that I read in college that positioned me to really dedicate my whole professional life to the intersection of faith and finance. It covers all of the key areas from spending to investing to debt—you name it, it's covered. Again, it's called Master Your Money from Ron Blue. I'll send it to you. It was recently revised and updated, and we'll give it out to you as our gift to you. So when we're done here, just hang on the line, and our team will get your information, and we'll get it in the mail.
But, you know, if you pass it along to his mom and maybe she could give it to him as a gift, if he would be willing to invest the time, I'm confident it could be a game-changer.
You know, to your point though, Betty, nearly 60% of parents provide financial help to adult children these days. And the desire to give doesn't fade, but the questions get more tangled. And that is: are we helping them move forward, or are we keeping them from learning what they need to learn? And I think that's exactly your point to your sister for her adult child. You know, are we offering support, or are we stepping into a role they should now carry themselves?
And those tensions are heavy, and everyone has the best intentions. But we have to be really careful there, and we've got to make room for maturity by encouraging responsibility. Because, you know, real help strengthens a child's ability to stand on their own. And that may mean, you know, agreed-upon goals, or expecting them to carry appropriate financial weight, or just standing by and watching them make decisions that you know are not the right ones because they're going to learn from it. And so at some point, we have to stop rescuing them because we're not doing them any favors. And so I couldn't agree with you more. Stand on the line; we'll get you a copy of this book as our gift to you, and we'll be right back on Faith and Finance. Stay with us.
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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. Here in our final segment, we're going to get to as many calls as we can. That number to call if you have a question is 800-525-7000. Again, that's 800-525-7000. You can call right now. Let's go to out to Texas. Hernando, how can I help you?
Hernando: God bless you, and appreciate all the work that you guys do at FaithFi. And I am a I am a contributor, so thank you very much.
Rob West: That's amazing. Thank you so much.
Hernando: My My question is, uh uh I've I've been a do-it do-it-yourself investor for quite a while going all the way back to Larry Burkett and Dan Celia when he was here with us. And now I've gotten I've gotten to a point I just retired recently last February, uh and I also was pastoring full-time, now I'm full-time pastoring. And um there is a lot that I I I just need some some guidance now on how to uh pack do some tax planning and some investment management. I still do my own investment, but I still need some management now because I got several accounts that are all over the place now. And uh it's kind of like got out of hand.
Rob West: Mmm, yeah. I totally understand. And you know, this is not uncommon uh here, Hernando, that when you get to this season of life and you've, you know, you've accumulated just through hard work and and living modestly, you've accumulated some nest eggs in a in a retirement account like a 401(k) or a 403(b) or an IRA. Um you know, it gets to the place where you're saying, "Wow, I I've got, you know, I've accumulated uh quite a bit, and I need some assistance in making sure that it's managed properly. And what investment should I choose? And how do I minimize the taxes, you know, through how I draw out from various pre-tax or after-tax investment accounts? And I need to be careful because if I take too much out, not only could I deplete it and and outlive it, but I could drive up my Medicare premium, you know, if you're if you're paying Medicare premiums through something called the IRMAA, which is the premium that you pay because you had more income. Now, it doesn't hit for two years until after the year you had the higher income, but it could be several hundred dollars more a month." And so, you know, that kind of planning uh plus the investment management is really key. And, you know, more and more Christians are saying, "Listen, I want to make sure that the investments that I have, because when I invest I'm an owner in in these companies, I want to make sure I'm in the industries that yes, are going to create value for me as a shareholder, but also uh are are not industries that are misaligned with my values, like gambling or pornography, you know, that that they involve pornography or or uh, you know, something that might have uh a tobacco company in it or something like that." So, I think that's really where we started today, Hernando, in terms of the importance of wise counsel, and we would recommend you connect with a Certified Kingdom Advisor there in Texas. This is someone who's been trained, who's met high standards in character and competence and experience. They've been trained to bring a biblical worldview of financial decision-making, a pastor reference, a client reference, a regulatory review, at least 10 years in the business. I mean, we put them through the ringer. But there's more than 2,000 that have earned that designation, which is now the really the gold standard for biblically wise financial advice. And so you could find a CKA in your area at findacka.com, and I'd recommend you interview two or three, and then find the one that's the best fit. But is that helpful at all?
Hernando: That's very helpful, sir. I appreciate that.
Rob West: Okay, yeah. Happy to do it. Again, that website: findacka.com. Thanks for your call today, Hernando, and if I can assist further along the way, don't hesitate to reach out. Uh let's go to Virginia. Lewis, how can I help?
Lewis: Um I'm making about $55,000 with my Social Security, and I'm still working. I got a mortgage of $2,400 a month. My wife takes care of all the other bills. Uh now I have $12,000 that was in an annuity, which probably was a mistake for me. Um and I want to take $6,000 out. And uh $6,000 I'm still going to invest with the Knights of Columbus in a mutual fund.
Rob West: Okay.
Lewis: I do have $4,500 in a bank, and $600 in credit card debt.
Rob West: Okay.
Lewis: Yeah, and so what is your primary question? I appreciate that overview. How can I help you best?
Lewis: Yeah, I want to invest the other $6,000, and what should I do with that?
Rob West: Got it. Yeah. Yeah, well first of all, I was just with the team at Knights of Columbus uh last week uh out in uh California. And so, have have great respect for what they do in um in faith-aligned investments. Um and there's some other wonderful asset managers like Knights of Columbus. I mean, I'm thinking of Timothy Plan. Uh you know, if you listened to Dan Celia on this program before uh Dan went home to be with the Lord, Dan talked a lot about Timothy, and they continue to be a a a wonderful partner of ours here at Faith & Finance. So Timothy Plan would be a great option. Eventide—if you go to our website, you could see a list of them, Lewis, the asset managers. Just go to faithfi.com, that's faithfi.com, and then click on "The Show." And you would get a good kind of run down of those asset managers like Timothy, Eventide. Um and that's going to give you really, there's there's about 15 uh asset managers today, and there's there's more coming, uh that take an expressly faith-based approach similar to Knights of Columbus. And, you know, that's going to give you investments, um whether it's an ETF or a mutual fund, which is really what you want with $6,000, that you would know would be aligned with your values. And then it's just a matter of picking, you know, do you want the international fund, uh you know, like the um the international ETF that was just recently uh rolled out, you know, by um by Eventide, or do you want something that has a little more uh bond exposure, or do you want something that's, you know, is really a um a large-cap growth. I mean, you know, each of these asset managers will have ETFs that fit your your risk profile, but the the great thing is that you would know they would be aligned with your values. So, I would head to faithfi.com uh and just click on "The Show," and you'll see a list of all of those asset managers there.
Lewis: Okay, thank you for your advice.
Rob West: Absolutely, Lewis. God bless you, and thanks for being on the program today. Uh you know, one of the things we were talking about just a moment ago is this idea of helping adult children without holding them back. And, you know, this is really such a a big idea. Um and and you know, I think one of the keys, I mean I said we need to make room for maturity by encouraging responsibility. Um but we also want to protect the relationship by staying unified as spouses. And this is one of the areas that trips us up, I think, or I at least see uh people get tripped up, because, you know, parents can't guide well if they're pulling in different directions. So, before offering help, here's one of the keys that I've found: I want you to talk and pray together about what you can give, and what you cannot sustain personally in your own financial life, and what patterns you want to avoid. Because when spouses bring these questions to God together and pray through them, I've found that He's going to shape a unity that brings fresh clarity. Uh you know, Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." You see, without that kind of unity, I think a family can easily end up with two problems instead of one. Because mixed messages can create confusion or unrealistic expectations. But when parents move forward together, their support comes steady and consistent, which is a gift to their child and to each other. You know, it's possible to love generously while still guiding your children toward independence. And often what I find is that, you know, one parent is saying, "I think we need to let them experience the, you know, repercussions of these decisions and, you know, maybe a little pain now is going to get them pointed in the right direction," while the other parent is just grimacing, saying, "I just can't bear to watch it. Uh we need to bail them out." And often, you know, the right approach is somewhere in the middle, and that's why that healthy tension I think is a good thing. And so, you know, with God's help, two things can exist really well: we love generously while still guiding toward independence. And that's what we all want at the end of the day. The question is, how do we get there? And it may require some tough love. And listen, I get it, it's not easy to do, but we know it's in their best interest, which makes it certainly uh more palatable, I think, to especially those that that don't want to uh to to sit it out and and really want to step in and help. Because at the end of the day, when parents seek God's wisdom and stand together, here's what the goal is: their support becomes a gift that protects both their children and their marriage. And I think that's really the big idea here. Listen, I get it that this one is a is a tough one, but at the end of the day, we want to not eliminate every struggle our adult child faces, but to support their continued growth. That is what is paramount, and that often means tying financial help to some clearly stated objectives. And I think that's often what's missing here. Um you know, Hebrews 10:24 says, "Let us consider how to stir one uh up one another to love and good works." So we want support that gently nudges them toward growth, and that's often the kind of love that that ultimately lasts. So I hope that's a good reminder. You know, that question prompted some thoughts in my mind just about how often this is a struggle for so many, and and hopefully you found something in there, if you're facing this situation, that you could take away and say, "Huh, maybe I need to think about this a little differently."
Hey, listen folks, so appreciate you being along with us uh each day. We can't do this without you. Couple of next steps I want to offer. Uh number one, we have an incredible partnership going on with Preborn right now. Between now and uh August uh the last day of August, we're looking to fund 1,500 free ultrasounds in our partnership with FaithFi and Preborn. If you'd like to pick up one of those, every $28 given funds one of those ultrasounds. Just go to faithfi.com/preborn. If you want to find a CKA, a Certified Kingdom Advisor, go to findacka.com. And then let me just finish, uh more and more of our listeners are wanting to find a Christian banking alternative, and right now our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking are offering 4% on their money market for up to a year and a $400 bonus until the end of August with the code FaithFi. To learn more, go to faithfi.com/banking. That's faithfi.com/banking. Big thanks to my team today: Pat, Devin, Taylor, Jim, and everybody here at FaithFi that makes this possible. Enjoy the rest of your day, come back and join us tomorrow, we'll do it all over again. Until then, may God bless you. Bye-bye.
Announcer: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
The right financial advisor can help us plan. But the right kind of counsel can also help us stay anchored to what matters most. When we seek financial guidance, we pursue both information and direction. For believers, that direction should be shaped by God’s Word and not merely by the market. On this Faith & Finance on AFR, Rob West examines why values-aligned counsel makes such a difference. Then, it’s on to calls.
(00:00) Rob West explains why shared values with a financial advisor matters
(08:30) Rob West talks about being a steward, not owner of all God has given us
(12:40) In the News: Inflation is slowing
(14:17) In the News: Report on emergency savings by individuals
(21:00) Caller Don: Retired, trying to develop an appropriate budget
(26:18) Caller David: Where can someone find budget guidelines in print
(32:03) Rob West refers to the opening topic today and expands on finding and using Biblical advice
(36:56) Caller Betty: Looking for a resource to help her nephew manage his money
(42:32) Caller Hernando: Advice on long-term care financing and managing retirement accounts
(46:10) Caller Lewis: Where and how to invest for retirement
(49:02) Rob West presents guidelines for when to help adult children
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