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  • 181 – 10 Ways To Help Overcome Inflation
    Click below to listen to Episode 181 – 10 Ways To Help Overcome Inflation
    10 Ways To Help Overcome Inflation

    Check out these 10 ways to help lower your bills to help combat inflation.

    More episodes >>

    Massive inflation is eating budgets alive, but with some wise choices like shopping thrift stores, fixing items ourselves and avoiding impulse buys, there are ways to overcome it. Bob and Shawn emphasize the importance of making wise choices, such as shopping at thrift stores, fixing items yourself, and avoiding impulse buys.

    Both hosts provide personal anecdotes and examples to support their points. Overall, this episode is highly aimed to help listeners save money and assist in navigating the challenges of inflation.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    PROVERBS 21:20 NLT

    The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

    PROVERBS 21:20 NASB

    There is precious treasure and oil in the home of the wise, But a foolish person swallows it up.

    PROVERBS 21:20 MSG

    Valuables are safe in a wise person’s home; fools put it all out for yard sales.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Massive inflation is eating our budgets alive, but with some wise choices like shopping, thrift stores, fixing items ourselves, and avoiding impulse buys, we can overcome it. Let’s get some perspective.

    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. My name’s Shawn Peters, and this is my co-host, Bob Barber. Today we’re going to be covering 10 ways to overcome inflation. We’re not going to get really into any details on all the myriad of reasons as to why inflation has been super high, because I’m sure you’ve already seen tons of videos on that and news articles and whatever else is going on. So we figured let’s focus on ways that we can help people overcome inflation.

    Bob:

    Shawn, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t talk to somebody that they’re like, I cannot believe what it’s costing me at the grocery store. And you can’t walk out of the grocery store today without just one or two sacks, and it’s going to be a hundred dollars.

    Shawn:

    Oh, I know.

    Bob:

    It’s crazy, isn’t it?

    Shawn:

    Well, and I just saw a video, I think it was yesterday, that someone had actually, they had recorded from a year or so ago a bunch of different things that they would buy at Costco and they were showing what the prices are now. They’re like, yeah, inflation is way worse even at Costco. It’s way worse than some people even think.

    Bob:

    And it’s just eating away at a family’s budget and it’s eating away at savings as well. So I’m hoping today it’s going to save you hundreds of dollars. So I will tell you this, in the next 15 minutes, hopefully it’ll be worth a couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars to you over the next year.

    Shawn:

    And there’s no sales pitch or anything on this. We’re not going to be talking about investment management or anything else that we actually do. This is purely educational. So if you do enjoy this video, we’d love for you to hit that like button, maybe comment if there are any other topics like this that you might want us to help you out with.

    Bob:

    So Shawn, before we start today, I took the scripture from Proverbs 21:20, but it’s kind of a harsh scripture. It’s kind of hard.

    Shawn:

    Blunt, I believe is what you’re looking for.

    Bob:

    And so I took three different versions. I want to read these three different versions and then we can talk about a little bit before we start. Alright, so the first one is the New Living Translation version, “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.” It’s pretty blunt, isn’t

    Shawn:

    So let’s try the New American Standard Bible version, “There is precious treasure and oil in the home of the wise, but a foolish person swallows it up.”

    Bob:

    It’s pretty blunt too, isn’t it? Yeah.

    Shawn:

    And then The Message.

    Bob:

    Go ahead.

    Shawn:

    Which I always like reading something like NASB or King James or something that’s more of a literal direct translation. And The Message is always nice to get almost more of the gist of what the verse was talking about. So here’s The Message, “Valuables are safe in a wise person’s home. Fools put it out for yard sales.”

    Bob:

    And what’s so funny, as we talk about some of the inflation data, it says fools put it out for yard sales. I thought about that because so many times what does the old saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Okay? And so many times we throw away things that are still useful, but the color’s not right.

    Shawn:

    We’ll get into that. Don’t jump ahead next too much, Bob.

    Bob:

    Exactly. Alright.

    Shawn:

    So here we go. 10 ways to help you overcome inflation.

    Bob:

    First one has Bob Barber all over it.

    Shawn:

    Oh this? Yeah. Anyone that knows this guy.

    Bob:

    Just tell everybody.

    Shawn:

    Bob Barber. Yeah, this is Bob Barber’s. 1) Fix it yourself when it breaks. If you’re watching this on YouTube, soon as we’re done, you can pretty much look up almost anything. I mean, fixing the toilet bowl, installing fixtures, screens.

    Bob:

    A couple weeks ago, Shawn, so a couple weeks ago when Jenna, your wife, our daughter, our oldest daughter by the way, when she came down to our home in Rockport to visit before she left, she said, there’s a leak in the bathroom. And I said, what is it? So I went in and it was where the toilet, where the water meets the toilet bowl itself. I’ve never fixed this before and I flush it and a little bit of water would come out on the side.

    Shawn:

    Doesn’t seem right.

    Bob:

    It didn’t. And I’m like, oh my gosh. Drained it. I had to take the whole assembly off.

    Shawn:

    Oh wow.

    Bob:

    And it had been sitting on top of it and there was a plate and it got all rusty and I replaced that plate. Anyways.

    Shawn:

    Basically the seal wasn’t good anymore.

    Bob:

    The total cost for parts was $25.

    Shawn:

    Wow.

    Bob:

    Okay.

    Shawn:

    How much did you pay yourself for labor?

    Bob:

    Nothing. Okay. But I talked with some plumbers about it and it was going to be $250 to $400 to fix it.

    Shawn:

    Wow.

    Bob:

    Because it was a lot to it. It was taking it all apart, taking those parts off. It was three different parts I had to put in.

    Shawn:

    Well, they’re making money on the parts and they’re making money on the labor. That’s how it goes.

    Bob:

    Well, just to show up, they’re going to charge you a couple hundred dollars.

    Shawn:

    Alright, so fix it yourself.

    Bob:

    I had no idea how to fix it, but I went to YouTube and I figured it out. I went on some websites, found the parts, and ordered them. That’s an example right there. Very good example of when these inflationary times of saving a couple hundred dollars.

    Shawn:

    And I can say from personal experience, Bob actually got me my last Christmas, he got me a very useful Christmas gift. Apologies, I cannot remember the name of the book, but it was a book with a, what do you call it? Laminated like sheet. And it basically gives you all these different kinds of maintenance and things to look for if you’re a homeowner or technically if you’re renting as well. But it’s all these things to be aware of. And then the book is just detailed with all kinds of things from electrical and plumbing and HVAC, I mean just everything. And it’s awesome because I can reference that book even if the Internet’s not working, I can reference that book to fix something around the house.

    Bob:

    Anything.

    Shawn:

    It’s been great for this last year.

    Bob:

    Anything today. The only thing I do say, there’s one thing, do not fix yourself. You’re always hearing me say this, if the roof gets a leak in it.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, don’t fix it.

    Bob:

    Don’t try that one because your hospital bill at the emergency room is going to be much higher than what you would pay somebody to come fix it, plus you’re hurt then.

    Shawn:

    Alright, let’s move on. Number one, fix it yourself unless it’s the roof, otherwise you can try it maybe on your own.

    Bob:

    Okay, here’s another Bob Barber one, right?

    Shawn:

    Yep. 2) Install an antenna and drop the monthly subscription. Now Bob and I had a little bit of a disagreement, if you will, on this one. He said drop the monthly subscription. I’m like, what? I don’t have cable. I have never had cable in my adult life. For me, Netflix was the only streaming service when Jenna and I started subscribing.

    Bob:

    But Shawn, the streaming services like FUBO or YouTube TV, they say cut the cable, but still it’s $79, a $80 a month. So what I did was about a month, a month and a half ago, I just got tired of paying it. I’m like, this is a thousand dollars a year I’m paying to watch tv, so I’m going to get a picture. We need to show this picture of this antenna I got. It’s about this big and it looks like something from Star Wars

    Shawn:

    What was it like? It was like 50 bucks or something?

    Bob:

    It was $50.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, 50 bucks.

    Bob:

    So, I put it up, hit the scan, come up with 90 channels.

    Shawn:

    For free and their HD.

    Bob:

    The clarity is unbelievable. I called a friend that does this for a living. He goes, yeah, your clarity is going to be better. I’m like, really? Through streaming? He said, absolutely. And I noticed all of the stations that I liked that I’ve been paying for came up on the antenna tv. So now I’m going to be saving a thousand dollars a year. A year!

    Shawn:

    Yeah. On a $50 investment. I think that’s pretty good.

    Bob:

    Yeah, I do too. I think it’s a real good.

    Shawn:

    So if you currently have cable, might want to look into that. 3) Eat out less and make coffee at home.

    Bob:

    My wife’s the one that said make coffee at home because she loves, she’s got all the different kinds of syrups and she does the pour over and all that. But man, you could save a lot of money there.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Pack a lunch for work, go on picnics instead of eating out if it’s a nice day and it’s a lot of fun. The other thing too, if you don’t want to make your coffee at home, you can also get, for at least for us, if you’re in the HEB area of the country, you can grab the HEB cold brew concentrate. I like the cold brew stuff, and it’s very inexpensive. I mean I think it’s like 25 cents maybe for a cup is what it comes out to. It’s real cheap.

    Bob:

    I watch here in our town, we have a local coffee provider and the line is just always huge of cars going through and I’m thinking they’re paying $4 a cup

    Shawn:

    Anywhere from $4-6, something really…well, depending on what kind of drink they get.

    Bob:

    I haven’t bought it in so long.

    Shawn:

    Well, every time I drive by, I see $5 there, $5 there, $5 there, $5 there.

    Bob:

    You could save $3 or $4 a day right there. So that’s over a year. That’s a thousand dollars. We’re talking about having to overcome inflation. That’s definitely one way to do it.

    Shawn:

    And it’s okay. You know what? Every once in a while, if you want to go through that coffee drive through, that’s fine, but make a habit of preparing ahead of time because if you don’t prepare ahead of time, you’re really going to eat into that and inflation’s going to eat you up.

    Bob:

    Yeah.

    Shawn:

    Alright, 4) Buy gently used – garage sales, thrift shops, local Craigslist, Facebook marketplace is another one. A lot of those things you can find all kinds of great stuff.

    Bob:

    Our middle daughter Jaeci just moved back to New Braunfels, and they sold a lot of the furniture that they had out in California before they moved back. She needed a big dresser. And I found one at a thrift shop a couple weeks ago. I found it for $40. I mean this didn’t have a scratch on it. It looked perfect.

    Shawn:

    It was solid wood, too.

    Bob:

    It was solid.

    Shawn:

    It was easily a 300 plus dollar piece of furniture.

    Bob:

    But it was just gently used. Somebody had taken really good care of it. But that’s an example, again, in these inflationary times…

    Shawn:

    Estate sales, also. Those are sometimes a little bit nicer because everything must go.

    Bob:

    By the way, we have our home in Rockport. There’s a lot of estate sales going on down there because that’s a lot of retired folks down there.

    Shawn:

    Alright, 5) Staycations, not vacations. Instead of the hotel or AirBnB, getting those plane tickets, having to Uber around once you get there, stay home, but still take off work. So this doesn’t just mean like, oh, you’re going to work from home or something like No, no, no. Still take off work.

    Bob:

    Take a vacation.

    Shawn:

    But maybe go to a local state or national park that’s within a hundred miles. It’s not going to cost much for gas. You could visit local museums, go hiking, bike riding, fishing – if you like fishing or even volunteer for a charity.

    Bob:

    Yeah, there’s so many things that you can do and I’ve heard a lot of people do this and they really have a good time.

    Shawn:

    Jenna and I do this most of the time now that we have kids. We finally got a used but very good price, a little travel trailer we can pull around. We needed somewhere for the kids to sleep in climate control.

    Bob:

    So, you let somebody else pay all that depreciation.

    Shawn:

    Exactly, yeah. We bought a three-year used one and yeah, we saved almost 50% off of it if we had bought it new.

    Bob:

    Alright, let’s go to number six. 6) Compare prices online before buying anything. Let your fingers and your keyboard do the walking for you, and you’ll save on gas. You’ll save on, possibly, if you get hungry while you’re out, you’re not going to have to eat out then. You can save so much by doing that. And we’re going to, by the way, it’s either next week or the following week. Couple of weeks from now, we’re going to do an entire session on buying a car online.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Okay.

    Bob:

    Okay.

    Shawn:

    Yeah. On the compare prices online, A good example of that one, I know Clayton and I from our office, there’s a particular type of energy drink, which I’m not going to mention because then it almost sounds like it’s paid promotion. But at the local gas station, if you forgot to plan ahead like we were talking about, it’s about twice the cost even with their “buy two, get one free”, it’s about twice the cost as if you get it from the HEB or the grocery store. So again, compare online, don’t do the impulse purchases and definitely don’t make it a habit at least. But that also goes into our number seven, which is avoid impulse buying. So think logically and wait at least a week before buying anything unnecessary.

    Bob:

    And I got to say this one, keep emotions out of buying. Okay. You cannot let emotions get into buying decisions and just wait a week and see if you still want it. But do that research.

    Shawn:

    One thing that you can use that is free is there’s the Honey browser extension that you can use. So if you’re on Amazon and Walmart and there’s a whole bunch of places that it integrates with, if you see something that you’re considering, this is part of number six compared to prices online. But also, don’t do the impulse buy. Well look at the price history. Great example – Jenna and I, so I used Honey to, you can use it to track something.

    Bob:

    It’s called Honey?

    Shawn:

    It’s called Honey. I’ll show you later. We’ll put it in the description as well. But again, not sponsored, it’s free, but with honey you can track things that you are considering purchasing and you can see the price history sometimes back as far as I think like 180 days or more. So Jenna and I needed to buy a new trailer hitch so we can actually pull the RV, and it had gone up since we’d been looking at it. We’re finally, okay, we’re ready to actually purchase it. This is for sure the right one, it’d gone up $60. I’m like, oh my gosh, I don’t want to buy it. So I put it on the drop list and after about a week and a half or so, it had already dropped back down and actually had dropped back down even further below then what I had seen it from before the price went up. So then I ended up saving $70 on if I had just bought it right then when I was ready.

    Bob:

    Wow. Wow. Rachael bought a vacuum cleaner recently and she said she’d been looking at it for a year. She said it was at the lowest cost she’d seen in a year.

    Shawn:

    Yep.

    Bob:

    Okay. Alright.

    Shawn:

    8) Avoid the use of credit cards. Bob, I’ll let you cover this one. You’re very passionate about this one.

    Bob:

    I am very passionate about this, but studies have shown over and over, even if you’re paying it off at the end of every single month that you spend more when you use a credit card because the credit card is not like…

    Shawn:

    How much more do you spend on average, Bob?

    Bob:

    15-20%.

    Shawn:

    Wow. That’s more than inflation’s been.

    Bob:

    Yeah, much, much more.

    Shawn:

    But that’s if you pay it off. Even if you pay it off, you’re still spending more. But then if you’re not paying it off, I mean the amount of interest cost you’re adding on top of that is just astronomical.

    Bob:

    You’re buying it already and now you’re adding the interest on top of that. Now you’re really inflating the price.

    Shawn:

    Going to be adding 25%.

    Bob:

    So we’re going to show you a little chart. I got this off of Dave Ramsey’s site. I really like Dave Ramsey. He’s taught me so much and I know he learned a lot from Larry Burkett who I used to listen to years and years ago. But this chart you can see where when you’re using a debit card, you’re using your own money, and it’s real time. It’s coming down.

    Shawn:

    It’s coming out of your bank account.

    Bob:

    It’s coming right out of your bank account.

    Shawn:

    If your money’s not in the bank account, you can’t use it.

    Bob:

    But when you’re using a credit card, it’s not going to tell you when you’ve spent too much.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    They want you to spend more because they’re making their percent of it and your debit account’s not going to charge you interest or a credit card budget.

    Shawn:

    If you don’t pay that full balance.

    Bob:

    But you still get the same fraud protection. You can still use it for travel.

    Shawn:

    You can still use it online, you can still swipe it. You don’t have to carry a bunch of cash with you.

    Bob:

    Alright, number nine.

    Shawn:

    9) You don’t have to buy another one if it’s not broken.

    Bob:

    Contrary to popular belief.

    Shawn:

    If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

    Bob:

    That’s exactly right.

    Shawn:

    Or in this case, if it ain’t broke, don’t replace it.

    Bob:

    And just because the color’s off a little bit or the fixture might be outdated, it’s got this certain look to it, but now they’re using this other look because you saw it on HGTV, and you think I have to update it.

    Shawn:

    I have a great example on this one for you, Bob.

    Bob:

    Go ahead.

    Shawn:

    Jenna and I were given, I think it’s a 42, it’s a 42 inch Samsung TV and it’s flat screen, not as flat or skinny as the new ones, but it was a flat screen and we had that from the time we got married till, I dunno, about eight, nine years later, easy. And we were starting to have some issues with the screen. Well it was something I could not fix at least at the time, but I looked it up. There’s a local TV repair shop. I took it down there, cost 30 bucks, maybe 40 bucks, in and out, including labor and we still have that TV. We moved it to a different room. We since then got something, again, used and it was very inexpensive to use as our main TV. We still have it.

    Bob:

    I’m a big believer in big screen TVs. You know why? Because you know me, I haven’t been to the movie theater in 10 years.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, just have one at home.

    Bob:

    And so I just wait. That’s another way to save on inflation is wait for the movie to come out. There’s so many coming out every week. Just don’t look at what movies are coming out and you’ll get to watch it. One of my favorites in the last year has been “Top Gun”. It came out and I wanted to see that. I waited four or five months, it came out and yeah, I spent $5, we rented it for $5.

    Shawn:

    And the whole group can watch it for $5.

    Bob:

    What would it have cost us if we’d gone into the theater and watched that? Plus the popcorn and coke?

    Shawn:

    At least $5 or $6 per person if you go on the Tuesday night when it’s cheaper, but most days I think, what is it now? $8 to $10 on the matinee side.

    Bob:

    Shawn, if I go, I’m going to smell the good popcorn.

    Shawn:

    Well, you’re going to do that, too.

    Bob:

    So there’s another, so I’m spending $20 or $25 just to go the movie. Now I understand it’s entertainment, but still, we’re talking about inflation.

    Shawn:

    Don’t replace. Yeah, let’s not get on the movie industry. So, if it’s not broke, don’t buy another one. And number 10) Think energy efficiency.

    Bob:

    Last one.

    Shawn:

    To lower your utility bills, look for air gaps in your home and apply new weather stripping or insulation. Not expensive to get those items. You can install screens for windows so that way you don’t let the bugs in, but you can it if it’s a nice day, like in the fall and spring and shut off the air conditioner altogether during that time.

    Bob:

    We did this with our home in Rockport recently, as you know, this is an older home that we bought. They had all the screens sitting in the garage, and by the way, a lot of ’em had got rusted. But I pulled the screen off, I repainted it, you know me, and got some new screen from Walmart and fixed ’em all. Our average usage for kilowatt hours has gone down by about 75% right now because it’s such a nice time of year.

    Shawn:

    It’s a nice time of year.

    Bob:

    Right. So when we’re down there, we just open all the windows and I’m amazed, Shawn, when Rachael and I do our walks daily, how many people, they don’t open their windows during this nice time of the year and how much you could save on utility costs. There you go. That’s 10 ways. And I believe if you…

    Shawn:

    And only six rabbit trails.

    Bob:

    But if you will follow these ways and really follow this, it will help you with inflation. You’re going to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the next year.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. That’s right. Well, God bless and thank you for joining us. Hope you enjoyed it.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    20 min
  • 180 – 6 Ways Financial Advisors Are Paid
    Click below to listen to Episode 180 – 6 Ways Financial Advisors Are Paid
    6 Ways Financial Advisors Are Paid

    Check out the 6 different ways that your financial advisor could be paid.

    More episodes >>

    Ever wondered how financial advisors really get paid? Join Christian Financial Advisors as Bob and Shawn discuss the six types of payment and the potential conflicts of each. They emphasize the importance of transparency and encourage clients to ask their advisors about their payment structure.

    Just a couple of the ways financial advisors get paid include hourly fees and salaried advisors. They also highlight the potential conflicts of interest that can arise when advisors are motivated by large upfront commissions.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4

    Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility va lue others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Ever wondered how financial advisors really get paid? Join us today as we discuss the six types and the potential conflicts of each. Let’s get some perspective. Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives.
    My name is Shawn Peters and I’m joined as always by my co-host and father-in-law, Bob Barber. And today we have what I think will be a really fun episode. We’re going to be talking about these six ways that financial advisors are paid because believe it or not, there’s more than one.

    Bob:

    Yeah, that’s right.

    Shawn:

    So Bob, what made you want to do this episode today?

    Bob:

    I think because of mass confusion, Shawn, that’s why. People just don’t understand how advisors are paid. They don’t understand it can be six different ways. I know when somebody hears that, they’re thinking, you mean my advisor’s getting paid six different ways? No, your advisor’s probably getting paid one or two of these ways.

    Shawn:

    Not six all at once.

    Bob:

    Right, exactly. But these are the ways in which financial advisors are paid and they got to make a living, right? And so, I think it’s very good to be transparent about this and just be upfront. We have nothing to hide when it comes to how we’re paid.

    Shawn:

    And what we get paid is right there on our website. So we’re literally not hiding it. It’s publicly available.

    Bob:

    It is. It’s right there. Okay. So I came up with these six, and the first way was financial advisors are paid by the hour, like a fee, like you would pay a CPA.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, exactly. CPA ,attorney, something like that where it’s like, well, I’m probably going to need about three hours of work on that and this is my rate.

    Bob:

    And you’ll either pay the financial advisor directly or you’ll make the check to their company. Well, I’d say check, electronic check.

    Shawn:

    However you want, just depending on how they’re set up.

    Bob:

    But this is very upfront, very easy. Most of your financial advisors, depending on if they’re a CFP or not or their experience will do financial advice, do some financial planning for you. Probably starting at about the $150, $200 an hour all the way up to $400/500 per hour

    Shawn:

    $400 or $500. That’s right. So for our firm, as an example, this is one of the two ways that we get paid. And typically for us, obviously we don’t do a whole lot of business by the hour, but we have people that come to us sometimes and they don’t necessarily have a lot of money or they don’t have money they want us to manage it for them, but they want to make sure, hey, are we actually on the right path? And so maybe they do a couple hours of some one-on-one financial planning with one of our advisors and just kind of make sure they’re on the right path. Or we have maybe an existing client that we offer different levels of financial planning and the number of hours depending on assets under management with us. And maybe it’s someone who just needs extra time or extra hours that aren’t included already. So there’s just a couple of different ways that people might do that with us. And some people work only that way. Some advisors just work by the hour. They don’t do any kind of asset management or anything else.

    Bob:

    And Shawn, today with technology, it’s so efficient that I can do a tremendous amount of planning in just an hour to an hour and a half. It’s amazing. And we do this online and we have some past podcasts you could go back and listen to that. I don’t remember the exact titles of them, but we did one.

    Shawn:

    Well, this is only episode 180.

    Bob:

    Yeah.

    Shawn:

    Shame on you, Bob, for not remembering every single episode.

    Bob:

    It was one that we called, I think, interactive financial planning.

    Shawn:

    Yeah.

    Bob:

    Yeah, that’s right. So the second way that advisors are paid, financial advisors, and this is how we work around here, is through a ongoing monthly or quarterly asset fee for actively managing investment portfolios.

    Shawn:

    Right. So that is just a percentage of the assets under management that is billed, like you said, either monthly year or quarterly. For us, we bill quarterly. So whatever that annual fee is divided by four.

    Bob:

    Well, on our website we get paid, we say 1%. So it’s really 0.25% per quarter, which means if you wanted us to manage a $100,000, it’s $250 a quarter. That’s simple.

    Shawn:

    That’s it.

    Bob:

    And the thing about it also when a fee-based advisor is managing your money and it’s $250 for that quarter, there’s no surrender penalties or withdrawal penalties. So if you decide after just two weeks, I don’t want to do this anymore, you’ll be refunded part of that $250.

    Shawn:

    Depending on the advisor. So our firm, some firms bill in advance, which is what we do, we bill in advance and some bill in arrears, which is I guess a fancy way of saying in reverse, looking back. And so for us, since we bill in advance at the beginning of the quarter, in the case that you just said, Bob, if you were working with us and two weeks later you just said, this isn’t working out for me, for whatever reason, no hard feelings, we’ll pray for you. We’ll say best of luck to you. But we do a prorated to see, okay, well the two weeks is what percentage remaining of the quarter that we just billed for. And then those fees are refunded back.

    Bob:

    That’s correct.

    Shawn:

    Like you said, no surrender penalty. And we really like this in particular, which is part of why we work this way because if someone has been with us for five years, it wasn’t because they had to. They chose to stay over a five-year period, they weren’t locked in.

    Bob:

    I always say it’s like paying your tourist guide along the way instead of paying them all up front. You’re paying them along the way. He’s guiding you up the mountains.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    Okay. Now the third way is kind of the old fashioned way. And that is a upfront commission paid to a financial advisor from an annuity company, the old mutual funds that used to have a sales load to them or an alternative investment like a real estate investment trust paid by the company to the advisor for placing the client’s money in that product.

    Shawn:

    There’s different ways, obviously depending on the type of product, but typically the most common would be, for example, if you’re working with someone that is affiliated with a broker dealer, so they’re a registered representative, still a type of financial advisor, but if they put you in an annuity, let’s say it’s $100,000 you can invest in the annuity. They might get 5%, 10%, somewhere in between there, but let’s just say 5%. Well, they’re going to get that $5,000 commission upfront. And then typically the way the company protects themselves from you leaving early is there’s going to be a five year surrender penalty or surrender period where if you take your money out a year later, you’re only going to get the growth minus 4% of the original. So that original, what is that, $96,000. You’ll get $96,000 back of the original principal.

    Bob:

    If it was commission. That’s right.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    Right.

    Shawn:

    And then if there’s any growth, but that’s how they protect themselves because they don’t want to pay an advisor a 5% commission and then you take all your money out a year later and they’re left holding the bag.

    Bob:

    That’s right. And it usually goes down a little bit each year for four or five years.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. Well just to give you an example of a year later on a 5% commission.

    Bob:

    We’re going to go over some of those examples here later as well. Okay. So the fourth way out of our six ways is ongoing monthly, quarterly, or annual trail commissions. This is kind of like the ongoing quarterly asset management fee, but with some, it’s called a trail commission. And that’s usually going to be around 0.25% to 1% a year.

    Shawn:

    And a really common one for that one is if the advisor you’re working with places you in, say a C-class mutual fund, then those typically, the way they’re paid is instead of a upfront 5% commission, maybe it’s 1% per year. And again, that’s paid by the mutual fund company on an ongoing basis as part of the expense ratio.

    Bob:

    The client does not pay that. The mutual fund company does, but in a way the client does because the fee’s built in to the product. A lot of your annuities also have this same thing. And then we come across the fifth way. And the fifth way is what I refer to as a hybrid financial advisor. It’s a fee-based advisor and a commission-based advisor built into one. Now how does that work? Well, there may be a program like asset management that’s a fee-based program. And then maybe the advisor does sell annuities because they’re licensed to, or he sells life insurance and that’s commission based. So he’s getting the fee based and the commission.

    Shawn:

    And a common example of that would be an advisor who maybe they had been working only with a broker dealer and then maybe they decided to open up their own RIA, like our firm is. And they were doing some business under the RIA for the ongoing fee-based fee or management fee. But then they also, like you mentioned, they have some products like the annuity or insurance, something like that, that pays a commission that they run through the broker dealer. And so that’s how they’re able to operate in that hybrid environment and be both commissioned and fee-based.

    Bob:

    And always make sure as we’re going through this that you ask the advisor what they’re being paid. And this all should be disclosed to you do a prospectus. Alright.

    Shawn:

    And one thing I would suggest is don’t ask them how much are you paying them? Ask them how much are they being paid? I have heard that before.

    Bob:

    That’s true.

    Shawn:

    And actually it was just a few days ago as at the time of this recording, but I had a client call in and they were calling in on behalf of one of their kids and they had talked to someone when they asked, well, how much am I paying you? They said, oh, well you’re not paying anything. This is just part of it. But what she should have asked was, how much are you getting paid? Because it was one of those things where there was a fee built in. So technically she wasn’t going to be paying the advisor, but the advisor’s being paid by the company and the investment product that she was going into. It was like, I feel like, come on, you know what she was asking. So ask, how much are you getting paid? Don’t ask, how much am I paying you to kind of hopefully sift through that a little bit.

    Bob:

    Folks, you got to admit there is no free lunch. So that’s built in there somewhere. And then the last one is a salaried financial advisory. A lot of times you’ll see these kinds of advisors working for a very large company or a large mutual fund company, and they’re paid from the fees that are generated in those proprietary funds that they may manage or the trades of stocks on buy sell side. Not a commission, but just, well there is that, but it’s just a small amount.

    Shawn:

    It’s almost more like kind of a bonus if you will, if they hit their sales target, something like that. Because again, you’re not technically paying, in this case, you’re not paying that advisor directly because they’re on salary. Again, it’s more of, well, depending on how well the company has done and because they’re putting you in maybe funds that the company owns or runs, they’re still getting paid. Like you said, there’s no free lunch. So they’re still getting paid. It’s just a little different.

    Bob:

    Okay. So that’s the six ways. And I just want to share one last thing I want you to think about, and this has to do with a little bit about commissions. Often commissions are not paid upfront by client, like we mentioned, but they’re backloaded as withdrawal penalties for a certain number of years in a financial product. Example, there’s a 7% to 10% penalty for getting your money back in one year. The commission is probably around that same amount paid upfront to a financial advisor.

    Shawn:

    Which at 7% for our firm to make that same amount, would take about seven years.

    Bob:

    So here you go. So as an example, you invest $100,000, then you want your money back in one year, but you may only be able to get – an example of a 10% commission – $90,000.

    Shawn:

    Plus the interest or returns made.

    Bob:

    That’s correct. Exactly. Here’s where the potential, and it’s very tough on some advisors when they think about it, that advisor is, I could get paid $250 upfront to manage this person’s money for a fee, or I could make a $10,000 commission.

    Shawn:

    $250 ongoing each quarter. Yeah.

    Bob:

    Ongoing.

    Shawn:

    Versus $10,000 upfront.

    Bob:

    Okay, so you think about that, I get $10,000 now or $250 now. That’s where the temptation, a great temptation, can come in and it’s very tempting for a financial advisor, especially when they’re just getting started in the business. And Shawn, I thought, as we are Christian Financial Perspectives. I think a good scripture to go with this is from Philippians 2:3-4. You ready? Because you’re my reader? You go for it.

    Shawn:

    I like this one. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interest, but each of you to the interest of the others.”

    Bob:

    There you go.

    Shawn:

    That’s a good scripture.

    Bob:

    It is a good scripture and it’s a good scripture for the reason you need to look for a fiduciary, fee-based financial advisor. Look for it in that order.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. You can visit our website, www.ChristianFinancialAdvisors.com. You can also call or text us during normal business hours at 830-609-6986. Or if you’re really fun and tech savvy, you can always comment on the video if you’re watching the video, and we try to respond to all those. So God bless and thank you for joining us.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    15 min
  • 179 – Why Traders Are NOT Investors
    Click below to listen to Episode 179 – Why Traders Are NOT Investors
    Why Traders Are NOT Investors

    We delve into the differences between a day trader and a legitimate investor.

    More episodes >>

    Ready to clear up a big misconception in the financial world – are traders and investors the same thing? Spoiler alert, they’re not. From Warren Buffett’s long-term growth strategies to the quick buck culture of trading, Bob and Shawn demystify these often confused terms.

    Traders focus on short-term profits and are often compared to professional gamblers, while investors have a long-term perspective and aim to build wealth over time. The misuse of these terms by financial websites can lead to confusion and misconceptions about investment strategies. The need to differentiate between traders and investors in financial writing is extremely important in order to receive more accurate advice.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    PROVERBS 13:11

    Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

    MATTHEW 6:24

    No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

    ECCLESIASTES 11:2

    Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

    LUKE 14:28

    Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?

    HEBREWS 13:5

    Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Ready to clear up a big misconception in the financial world – are traders and investors the same thing? Spoiler alert, they’re not. From Warren Buffett’s long-term growth strategies to the quick buck culture of trading, today, we’re demystifying these often confused terms. Let’s get some perspective. Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us. My name is Shawn Peters. I’m joined as always by my father-in-law and co-host, Bob Barber. Today we have a really exciting episode for you today on why traders are not investors, and if we ruffle some feathers, sorry, not sorry, but we are going to be sharing scriptures and how those apply within this. So we hope you stick around and if we help at least one person from making the mistake of getting caught up in the trading that is effectively gambling, then I think this video will have been absolutely worth producing.

    Bob:

    Shawn, what made me want to make this program was I’m kind of tired of reading the financial articles every day where they intermix and mix up the words between an investor and a trader.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. So that’s kind of where this came from is I’m sure you’ve seen in the news all the time, oh, what are investors looking at buying today? Or what are investors looking at? Yeah, exactly. So we’re going to be going over that and starting out with, first of all, what is an investor? So we have a couple different definitions, not just ones we came up with, but from arguably credible sources. So the first one, Bob, why don’t you cover that one from Investopedia.

    Bob:

    Investopedia says, “An investor is any person or other entity who commits capital.” I like that word, commits. “Commits capital with the expectation of receiving financial returns. Investors rely on different financial instruments to earn a rate of return and accomplish important financial objectives like building retirement savings.” Notice that building, “Funding a college education or merely accumulating additional wealth over time.” Emphasize some words in there.

    Shawn:

    So the second definition we have for you is from Webster’s Dictionary, “To commit money in order to earn a financial return to make use for future benefits or advantages.” So what I’m noticing here, Bob, is a little bit of common thread.

    Bob:

    I do, too.

    Shawn:

    On investors are focused on the long-term, 3 to 10 years or longer for their time horizon. And then just some additional insights for you, Bob, if you want to.

    Bob:

    Well, I just see they’re committed. They’re committed. It’s to building wealth. It’s not about what’s happening today, Shawn. It’s the future.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. We’re not talking in days, weeks, or for the most part, even months. we’re talking about in years because otherwise you’re not investing, which we’ll get into that next. So an investor uses a diversified portfolio to mitigate risks. They’re not looking for the hot stock pick of the day. That’s not investing, that’s trading. And investors often will look at companies’ fundamentals, the management team, long-term growth potential, and maybe even like we do here, you’re looking at, well, what is it they even do? Even if a company has a lot of really good fundamentals, but the product and the service that they’re offering is maybe kind of going out of style or it’s just not something that’s very dependable and maybe that’s not a good idea for the investment.

    Bob:

    And we throw in the mix biblically responsible investing.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    What is the company, what might they be supporting?

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    We’ve talked so much about that on our other episodes that we’ve had.

    Shawn:

    That’s right, that’s right. So the scripture for this section, we have Proverbs 13:11, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”

    Bob:

    Yeah. Not all trying to get rich quick, is it?

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    Yeah, it’s little by little.

    Shawn:

    I love that verse. And it really focuses on the slow and steady wealth accumulation through long-term investments, not get rich quick, which again, I love how many times scripture talks about these kinds of principles. And you hear on social media, I’m not going to mention any specific names, but you will see all the time, oh, there’s this new cryptocurrency or this new investment or there’s this, “If you do this one trick, you’ll make all this money.” Everyone feels like I’m behind and I need to catch up quickly. But that’s not how you build and maintain wealth. And scripture talks about that a lot.

    Bob:

    The turtle wins the race.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. So the next section we want to cover.

    Bob:

    We get to the definition of what we feel an investor is. Okay.

    Shawn:

    So now we want to cover the definition of a trader.

    Bob:

    That’s right.

    Shawn:

    Which as we kind of allude to already is short term. Maybe it’s minutes to days or could maybe be a couple of weeks, but…

    Bob:

    Usually it’s not.

    Shawn:

    Usually short term. That’s right.

    Bob:

    Usually it’s just a day. And that’s why you see so many fluctuations between one hour and the next or sometimes between 15 minutes and the next you can see sometimes right before closing or right after, right at the opening, you’ll see it shoot up real quick, then you’ll see it shoot back down and then you’ll see the same thing happening in the last few minutes of the day. It’s just crazy. It’s crazy.

    Shawn:

    What is a trader? Well, according to Investopedia, a trader is “an individual who engages in the buying and selling of assets in any financial market either for themself or on behalf of another person or institution.”

    Bob:

    And their time horizon, again, is aimed for just short-term profits based strictly on market trends, news, what’s happening at the moment, not the long-term, but what’s just happening at the moment.

    Shawn:

    Some interesting things to consider, but for traders, 95% of day traders lose money, which I think that’s a pretty good highlight on the high risk nature of trading. And they incur or may incur, I guess we have to say, but they may incur higher transaction costs including taxes like the short-term taxes as well as commissions that can eat into the profits.

    Bob:

    I think it’s the taxes, that’s the main thing.

    Shawn:

    Yeah.

    Bob:

    I mean the taxes is all based on income taxes.

    Shawn:

    Instead of long-term capital gains.

    Bob:

    Capital gains. And I was mentioning to you that we know somebody that got caught up in the day trading and they were really doing good. It was in like 2021 and when the market was doing nothing, you could throw a dart and it was going to go up. But then what happened was they traded this stock over and over and over and they made a lot of money and then they got caught, I’d say with their pants down.

    Shawn:

    For lack of a better way to say it.

    Bob:

    And then it dropped and dropped and they owed $200,000 or $300,000 in income taxes. And then…

    Shawn:

    Because of all the trades that have been going on for years.

    Bob:

    And the value of the stock was not there and they couldn’t get the value out to pay the taxes. So guess what they had to do? Go borrow against their home. So it is sad to see this happen.

    Shawn:

    Well, long story short here is that it’s not that we don’t see traders make money. Okay? That’s not the case here.

    Bob:

    They’ll occasionally make money and you always hear about it when they’re making money, but you never hear about it when they’re losing.

    Shawn:

    The issue here is that traders, the very nature of what they’re doing, it’s not going to last. So it’s not a matter of if they lose money, it’s really a matter of when they lose money. I mean, you’ve been doing this over 30 years, Bob, how many day traders have you met that have been doing what they do successfully for 20 years or longer? Have you ever met one?

    Bob:

    Shawn, I’ve never met somebody that’s been doing it for three years or longer, but I have seen between three and four years I’ve watched…

    Shawn:

    Maybe five, depending on when they were doing it.

    Bob:

    We’ve covered this with sudden wealth. I’ve watched Sudden Wealth just slowly dwindle down to nothing over that time as they’re doing the day trading. And you got to look at the motivation. What’s the motivation behind day trading? Is it just to make a quick buck? Well, yeah, it is. It really is. And I think this is where scripture plays into this too. We look at Matthew 6:24 and it says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you’ll hate the one and love the other, or you’ll be devoted to one and despised to other.” You cannot not serve both God and money. So this is really speaking into the quick prophets and just trying to make a quick buck.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. You cannot simultaneously aim for quick profits and long-term growth. So, Choose wisely.

    Bob:

    Yeah, definitely.

    Shawn:

    Alright. So what are the main differences between a trader and investor?

    Bob:

    And I think it’s important, this is important right now to see what we say about this, I want to say something in the middle here. The main difference between a trader and investor, when you’re reading anything on the internet, this is where you really got to pay attention right now, because there’s a big difference between a trader and investor. We’ve gone over what an investor is and a trader, but what are the main differences.

    Shawn:

    So the first and foremost is the duration for which the person holds the asset or the time period. So, is it being held for a day, a few days? Is it something that’s being held for months or years. That would give you a big indication, the longer term, on whether or not it’s a trader or an investor.

    Bob:

    Investors have that longer term time horizon.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    It’s going to be investors going to have a 3, 10, 15, 20 year time horizons.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. And traders tend to hold assets for much shorter periods of time to try to capitalize on short-term trends.

    Bob:

    They’re looking for those trends.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    And they’re all guessing against each other. And they’re also gambling many times on just one company or two companies. So they’re putting more of their eggs in one basket where an investor’s going to diversify a portfolio.

    Shawn:

    Which goes right into our scripture for this one, Bob, which is Ecclesiastes 11:2, “Invest in seven ventures. Yes, in eight, you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” Diversification is crucial in investments to mitigate risk.

    Bob:

    That was the wealthiest guy in the entire globe.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    I don’t know what. We heard some kind of interpretation that he would be worth. – Solomon would be worth 7 or 8 trillion a day or something. It’s some crazy number.

    Shawn:

    Some crazy numbers.

    Bob:

    Alright.

    Shawn:

    The misuse of the terms trader and investor. So here’s the problem, as you alluded to in the beginning.

    Bob:

    This is why I made the program today.

    Shawn:

    Many financial websites use these two terms trader and investor interchangeably. Apparently, I think due to inexperience and lack of knowledge, I mean I guess no journalistic integrity.

    Bob:

    I cannot understand why they mix ’em so much together like that. And so many times I’m saying you mean to say trader here, not investor.

    Shawn:

    The implications of this, the misuse confuses the public and it leads to misconceptions about investment and trading strategies.

    Bob:

    So when you hear the word investors are doing in this and investors are doing that and you’re thinking, well, I’m an investor, I’m not doing that.

    Shawn:

    Or then we get the question too, Bob. So clients will ask us, well, I heard on CNBC or whoever, whatever. I mean it’s a pretty major one.

    Bob:

    Yeah, it is.

    Shawn:

    But you’ll hear on these financial sites, whether it’s articles or videos about what investors are doing. And then clients are asking us and we go, no, that’s a very short term. That’s a day trader thing.

    Bob:

    They should be saying trader investing, that’s not investors. Right.

    Shawn:

    So investors, and I think this is an easy way to hopefully remember this. Investors focus on time IN the markets, not TIMING the markets and time in the markets is a proven strategy.

    Bob:

    It is, yep. A trader is just concerned about quick profits without regards of the company’s long-term potential or their impact on society.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. And so the scripture, this is Luke 14:28, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower, won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” Planning and assessing risk are essential before embarking on any financial journey.

    Bob:

    Absolutely.

    Shawn:

    Especially when it comes to your investments.

    Bob:

    We’re going to hark on a little bit more here.

    Shawn:

    I feel like I had to hold you back on this, Bob, because this is the part you wanted to get to. Traders are professional gamblers.

    Bob:

    They are, I mean, similar to the gambling, the majority of day traders lose money or do so eventually, if not right away.

    Shawn:

    Like we said earlier, you’ve seen some that have three to four years maybe in the right circumstances, maybe five years, but you don’t hear about or meet people that have been day trading consistently and profitably for 10 years. It just doesn’t happen.

    Bob:

    And I’ve had clients in the past, they’ve gone through all the courses, they’ve bought all the advertisements since they’ve heard and spend a lot of money on the trading programs.

    Shawn:

    And we won’t get too far into that Bob, but we talked about one of our other episodes on the professional doomsayers. And you have these people that are selling you this trading program that’s going to help you be profitable. Here’s my first question.

    Bob:

    Yeah.

    Shawn:

    Why are they wasting their time on this educational training program that supposedly works? Because if it actually worked half as good as they say it does, they wouldn’t be wasting their time selling it.

    Bob:

    They’re doing fine themselves.

    Shawn:

    They’re making money on tricking you into buying their nonsense, not on what they’re actually selling you.

    Bob:

    Because if they sell it too much and everybody starts using that program, it’ll no longer work because now the strategy is everywhere.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, just like gamblers, the traders, they’re not particularly concerned with the underlying value of the assets. They’re more focused on those short-term movements. And we have another scripture, Hebrews 13:5 if you want to read that one.

    Bob:

    “Keep your lies free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Money’s not evil, but the love of it. And this is what day trading can do. And I like your interpretation. I’ll let you share that.

    Shawn:

    Yes. Money should not be the end goal. It’s just a means to achieve financial security and contribute back to society. Expanding God’s kingdom, if you’re a Christian, that’s our goal. So we have a case study, if you will.

    Bob:

    A case study, right.

    Shawn:

    I guess it’s not long enough to be a case study.

    Bob:

    No, it’s not.

    Shawn:

    Warren Buffett.

    Bob:

    Oh, he is definitely. He turned 93 a few weeks ago. So the old guy just keeps on going.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Well, so investors look at what the company makes and its long-term growth potential or dividends. Warren Buffett is arguably the most famous moderate investor. And his long-term strategy focuses on finding excellent companies to invest in and holding them for their long run. Warren Buffett doesn’t day trade, as far as I know. Never has.

    Bob:

    I mean, when you listen to him and I listen to ’em a lot, they hate the thought of it.

    Shawn:

    And it doesn’t work.

    Bob:

    And they talk about how it is so bad for the markets itself as well.

    Shawn:

    Again, to use the gambling idea, Bob, the reason why we say day traders or traders, not investors, are gamblers is because just like with gambling, the house always wins. So you might get a lucky streak at blackjack or whatever is your game of choice, but eventually the house wins and you lost it all. And if you’re really lucky, maybe you made enough money to pay for your drinks.

    Bob:

    Well, I think I want to learn from the most successful investor I know in modern times, which is like you say, Warren Buffett. He’s very intelligent and also he doesn’t let any motions get involved. You always hear him injecting money in the markets when they’re way down. So he takes the emotional part out of it and he’s looking for things on sale. So the guy is smart. And I guess something’s going on there, too. At 93 years old, he’s still doing it. I think that’s amazing.

    Shawn:

    So we hope this clarification of the difference between an investor and a trader has helped you for the next time you see an article about “what traders are looking to invest in today”. Because as I think we’ve made clear what the writers usually mean is what traders are looking to BUY today, not invest today.

    Bob:

    That’s correct.

    Shawn:

    Using those interchangeably again. And ultimately, financial writers need to exercise caution and correctly differentiate between traders and investors to provide accurate advice. So if we happen to have someone watching or listening that works for one of those financial sites, hopefully this helped.

    Bob:

    I hope so. And please, if you are a writer, don’t call an investor a trader.

    Shawn:

    Yeah.

    Bob:

    Okay. And we’re here to help you invest for the long term and we’re here to help you with a Biblically responsible investment as well.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Thank you. And God bless.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    18 min
  • 178 – What God’s Word Says About Money Part 2
    Click below to listen to Episode 178 – What God’s Word Says About Money Part 2
    What God’s Word Says About Money Part 2

    Lean in to what the Bible says about money when it comes to saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness.

    More episodes >>

    Bob and Shawn finish the second half of their series on “What God’s Word Says About Money”. They discuss the importance of saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness according to Biblical teachings.

    Listeners are highly encouraged to seek wisdom from trusted advisors and to be faithful stewards of their resources, emphasizing the order and responsibility that comes with building wealth. As always, several scriptures are highlighted that emphasize the significance of these topics and provide real-life applications.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    PROVERBS 13:11

    Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

    PROVERBS 21:5

    The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

    ECCLESIASTES 11:2

    Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

    PROVERBS 20:21

    An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.

    ECCLESIASTES 7:11

    Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.

    PROVERBS 15:22

    Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

    PSALM 1:1

    Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

    LUKE 16:10

    Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Ready for round two of Financial wisdom from the Bible? Last episode, we tackled honesty, debt giving, and ownership. Today we’re turning the page to saving, investing inheritance, and more. Brace yourselves. We’re diving deep again, so let’s get some perspective. Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us. My name is Shawn Peters. I’m joined as always by my co-host, Bob Barber. Today we’re going to be covering part two of a series on what God’s word says about money. There are over 1500 scriptures on stewardship and talking about money. So we think this is a really important topic to cover. And so we’ve divided this into eight total subjects. If you missed part one, links in the description should be somewhere on screen as well. Last time we covered honesty, debt, giving, and ownership. We’re going to be covering saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness.

    Bob:

    One of the things I want to make sure that we say too, Shawn, when you talk about scriptures is that Jesus and all he spoke on, he spoke on stewardship more than heaven and hell combined according to many biblical scholars. So that’s a lot of…

    Shawn:

    So maybe it’s important.

    Bob:

    It’s very, very important. It sure is. So like you say, if you didn’t hear last week’s, please go back and listen to it. We’re giving you some really good information, but we’re only covering about 20 of the 1500 scriptures.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    Yeah. Okay.

    Shawn:

    So don’t worry, we’re not covering all of them.

    Bob:

    Alright, so let’s get started with saving and investing. Most people don’t realize that scripture speaks into this and it does and it comes. We have three scriptures that I see that go with this. Proverbs 13:11, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” Proverbs 21:15, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit is surely as haste leads to poverty.” And…

    Shawn:

    Ecclesiastes 11:2, “Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.”

    Bob:

    We say that one a lot around here.

    Shawn:

    We do. That is definitely one of our firm life verses, if you will.

    Bob:

    So when I look at these scriptures, they’re talking about saving and they’re talking about investing, but they’re talking about it with wisdom. I see where these scriptures provide protection and they talk about being frugal.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little. It’s not get rich quick, Shawn.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. So that takes us into, for this particular subject, saving and investing, we have three real life application areas to cover. Saving with wisdom – so understanding the importance of diligently saving over time for financial security. We have protection – having a diversified investment strategy can protect against unforeseen financial downturns. And of course frugality – being economical in your saving and investing can lead to long-term financial stability.

    Bob:

    So the next subject we’re going to talk about today is inheritance. And when it comes to inheritance, we’re just going to go over two scriptures today, but there’s actually over 200 scriptures that have to do with inheritance.

    Shawn:

    It’s hard to pick just two.

    Bob:

    Yeah, it is. But I picked Proverbs 20:21 and Ecclesiastes 7:11. Proverbs 20:21 says, “An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed in the end.” There’s a lot of thought behind that, and Ecclesiastes 7:11 says, “Wisdom like an inheritance is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.” So Shawn, I see that how we leave an inheritance to our children is extremely important and if we leave it without wisdom, it can hurt ’em more than it can help.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. That’s right. And for our real life application, how we leave inheritance to our children matters. The timing and thoughtfulness in leaving an inheritance can result in long lasting family stability and blessing. I know, Bob, from your personal experience, I know that you have your estate planning set up to where a certain percentage of the trust, everything that you have in your estate can be distributed out each year, but no more than that.

    Bob:

    That’s correct.

    Shawn:

    Specifically. So it will theoretically continue to last for multiple generations. And you even have, I believe, the church and maybe Compassion International.

    Bob:

    I do. And Focus on the Family is about 20% of my estate. That’s right.

    Shawn:

    Which is again, is a great way not just for Bob’s children, my wife being one of those, but it’s one of those things that will allow it to last without it just being completely spent and depleted by the descendants, but also that continued blessing for charities and for expanding God’s kingdom after Bob’s gone to be with the Lord. So that’s something that you could do in your own estate planning.

    Bob:

    Another thing else that we put in there is an idea is for the men of the family to inherit their portion each year, they have to work for that and so they basically get a matching grant for how much they worked. So it’s an incentive to work because work is a good thing.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. And then of course, wise inheritance.

    Bob:

    Yes.

    Shawn:

    Inheritance shouldn’t be given without wisdom because again, as we said, it could hurt the children more than it helps, it can compound the problems of the child. If your child is receiving a large inheritance, but they haven’t been able to show themselves faithful with what God has given them already, it’ll just exacerbate that problem and it basically amplifies whatever the weaknesses are.

    Bob:

    That’s right

    Shawn:

    In the child.

    Bob:

    Sure does.

    Shawn:

    So careful planning to make sure that what you’re giving to them, that what they’re inheriting is ultimately going to help them, going to bless them, not ultimately make their life worse.

    Bob:

    So this kind of takes us right into the next subject, doesn’t it?

    Shawn:

    Yep. Seeking wise counsel is our number three for today, and our first scripture on that is Proverbs 15:22, which is one of my favorites, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.”

    Bob:

    And another one is from Psalms 1:1 and Psalms 1:1, you can look at it kind of two ways. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked.” So blessed is a man that does walk in the council of wisdom, right?

    Shawn:

    Yeah, that’s right.

    Bob:

    “Or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” So it’s saying the man will be blessed if he’s not walking in the council of the wicked.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    So I look at that and I say, okay, what’s the opposite of that basically is saying the man will be blessed by walking in wisdom in God’s word. There’s a lot of real life application to this.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. So the first one, wise counsel over social media and Hollywood.

    Bob:

    Oh yeah.

    Shawn:

    I mean our world is just saturated with information, some of it good, much of it not. And seeking the wisdom of trusted advisors rather than just whatever’s popular on “insert social media network of your choice here” or whatever popular culture is talking about. It’s critical. And when we say multiple advisors, that could be, like our firm, Bob and I are both financial advisors, Christian financial advisors, but there’s also, there’s CPAs, there’s attorneys, there’s maybe you have a trusted older relative of some kind. Could be a parent, grandparent, but someone who has shown themselves to be trusted with what God has given to them. Those are all examples of people that you can seek wise counsel from.

    Bob:

    And look at the traits that are listed for an elder or a deacon in the third chapter of Timothy. We don’t have that one as one we’re sharing today, but I just thought of that.

    Shawn:

    It’s a very good one.

    Bob:

    While you’re doing it, the third chapter of Timothy is a person with a good reputation, well known in their city, not drunkenness/too much wine and alcohol, things like that. So it’s got really good virtues in there that you would want to look for in that wise council.

    Shawn:

    And so going into our last topic or subject for today, but it’s faithfulness. So our scripture for this one is Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. And whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much,” which goes back to, I mean, I guess like we said on multiple of these, if you’re seeking counsel or if you are receiving an inheritance, whatever the case may be, you need to be someone that can be trusted with what you have been given. Because if you can be trusted with a little, well, maybe you can be trusted with more.

    Bob:

    There’s order in wisdom, and there’s order in becoming wealthy as well. And that’s where I see this because it’s basically saying, okay, you handled that $5, how you handled that $5,000, how you handled that $50,000. Well maybe I can bless you with a $100,000 or $200,000 or even $500,000. You handled that well, now there’s a million. So it can increase. And it says this right here. If you can be trusted with that little bit. So you’re thinking I want to go way out there to the million or 2 million, how are you doing with the $5 or $10 in your pocket? How are you doing with credit cards?

    Shawn:

    And that could be more closer to home too of not just oh, that God somehow blessed you with money out of nowhere, but in your relationships maybe with your spouse, your kids, your job, maybe with your church and volunteering and that you don’t just get to be the leader all of a sudden. You don’t get to be the high income earner.

    Bob:

    That’s right.

    Shawn:

    You earn your way to that. You show that you can be trusted and faithful with what God has already put on your plate in all areas of your life.

    Bob:

    So I like what you wrote down here, the real life application of this, Shawn, and I know you wrote this, there is an order in becoming wealthy.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Building wealth isn’t just about having resources, it’s about being faithful in managing whatever you have, large or small. Financial stability comes with time and faithful stewardship.

    Bob:

    So there you have it. There’s parts one and two of what God’s word says about money. Like you said, we shared about 20 and stewardship, we shared about 20 of the scriptures and last week’s, if you didn’t hear it, I would now invite you to go back and listen to that one of last week. We went over honesty, debt, giving, ownership, saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness. What’s amazing, there’s so much more in God’s word, over 1500 to 2000 scriptures.

    Shawn:

    So hopefully this inspired you. Again, we did not share all 1500 to 2000 scriptures, but hopefully this has inspired you that we would encourage you to seek God’s word and read this for yourself. I mean, you can go to bible.com and Bible Gateway. There’s all these different places. Just look for scriptures on honesty, scripture on inheritance, scriptures on…

    Bob:

    We have this all on our website, Shawn.

    Shawn:

    We do. We have a lot of these on our website as well. We’ll have a link in the description. But again, God’s word says so much about this, so we hope this has encouraged you to seek this more, to look into this yourself. Don’t just take our word for it. Go look at God’s word. And I think that’ll wrap it up for today. If you want to get in touch with us, if you’re watching this on YouTube love for you to leave a comment. You can also contact us via phone or our website. That’s (830) 609-6986. Call or text. You can also visit www.christianfinancialadvisors.com. Thank you and God bless.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    12 min
  • 177 – What God’s Word Says About Money Part 1
    Click below to listen to Episode 177 – What God’s Word Says About Money Part 1
    What God’s Word Says About Money Part 1

    Delve into the Biblical financial principles of honesty, debt, giving, and ownership.

    More episodes >>

    Bob and Shawn get back to what Christian Financial Perspectives is really about by delving into key scripture on what the Bible says about money, finance, and stewardship. In part 1, they cover four key biblical principles related to finances: honesty, debt, giving, and ownership with scripture references and real-life applications for each principle.

    The importance of honesty in business dealings and the benefits of living debt-free is emphasized, as well as the joy and significance that comes from giving and the responsibility of stewarding God’s creation. Don’t forget to check out part 2 that will be covering saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness!

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    PROVERBS 12:19

    Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

    PROVERBS 21:16

    A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

    PROVERBS 22:7

    The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

    PROVERBS 22:26-27

    Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

    PROVERBS 11:25

    A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

    2 CORINTHIANS 9:6

    Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

    HAGGAI 2:8

    “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the LORD Almighty.

    PSALM 24:1

    The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Are you navigating the choppy waters of financial decisions and wondering where true north is? Did you know that Jesus spoke more about stewardship than Heaven and Hell combined? Today we’re diving into four key Biblical principles that can set your financial compass straight. Let’s get some perspective.
    My name is Shawn Peters. I’m joined as always by my father-in-law and co-host, Bob Barber. Today we’re going to be covering a really exciting topic on what God’s word says about money. We’re going to do this as a two-parter because God’s word does have a lot to say about this entire subject, and we’re going to break it down for you into eight separate subjects. Today, we’re going to cover the first four because there are over 1500 scriptures on stewardship and what the Bible says about money. And many Biblical scholars say that Jesus spoke on stewardship more than Heaven and Hell combined, which seems like it might be important then. So today our first four subjects we’re going to be covering are honesty. Number two is debt. Number three is giving, and number four is ownership. Bob, you got anything to start with us today?

    Bob:

    Shawn, I will tell you I get very excited when I start talking about God’s word and what it says about money because I’ve been studying it for so many years. What we’re going to do with each one of these is we’re going to say the scripture, then we’re going to have a real life application as to how this would apply.

    Shawn:

    First subject for today is honesty. We have Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” And then our second scripture, Proverbs 21:16, “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” And just to be forewarned, we do have a lot of Proverbs. Proverbs does have a lot of really good wisdom.

    Bob:

    It does, and I see this speaking into a lot of protection and prosperity as well, because when you look at that, a lying tongue lasts only a moment and it’s fleeting when you’re lying. So this is the importance of honesty because when you’re honest, good things happen. A society can operate off honesty where it cannot operate if it’s a dishonest society.

    Shawn:

    Well, and think about that from the idea of protection. So with protection, being honest in your business dealings can offer you protection from potential legal consequences and damaged relationships because you’re not being untruthful. So, you’re not going to run into the same issues of, oh, well, you told one person one thing and then you told somebody else something different, and now you’re getting in trouble somehow for that it just…not a good idea.

    Bob:

    When you’re dishonest, you always have to be looking behind you.

    Shawn:

    You got to keep track of what did you do.

    Bob:

    What did you say? That’s correct.

    Shawn:

    And then the second one is prosperity. So transparency and honesty builds trust, which can lead in the long-term to prosperous relationships and partnerships, both personally and professionally.

    Bob:

    Another area that the Bible speaks into, of course, is debt. And Proverbs 22:7, it says, “The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Now think about that. Banks, okay, banks, lending institutions, we become basically servant to them or a slave to them when they’re lending to us, especially if we over borrow.

    Shawn:

    The lender does not care if you are borrowing more than you really should be borrowing. If you qualified for it. Sure. They’ll lend it out to you and then they’ll snatch your home out from underneath you if you can’t pay for it. So it’s very important in this case, make sure that you are doing what you should as far as how much you’re borrowing, not what you are say approved for, because that doesn’t necessarily equal to the same number.

    Bob:

    No, it doesn’t. And Proverbs, this 22nd chapter is about debt. And again, so we mentioned Proverbs 22:7.

    Shawn:

    And then we go into Proverbs 22:26-27, “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts. If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.”

    Bob:

    It’s pretty scary.

    Shawn:

    Yeah. Direct to the point.

    Bob:

    Basically, it’s like the old saying, Shawn, pull the rug right out from under you if you don’t have the means to pay.

    Shawn:

    So for real life application, we have two areas, safety and tranquility. So for safety, living debt-free allows for greater financial security and less vulnerability to economic downturns.

    Bob:

    Yes, it does.

    Shawn:

    And then for tranquility, no debt means no anxiety over bills, creating a more peaceful living environment.

    Bob:

    I know that I sleep well knowing my bed’s not going to be snatched out from under me. Now, I know that’s metaphorically speaking, but it’s really about things being taken away from you if you’re not wise with what you do. It’s like they call the guy repossessing, repossessing a car if you’re not paying for it. There’s a lot of peace that comes and tranquility that comes with being debt-free.

    Shawn:

    And so now on to number three of four for today is number three, giving. The first scripture on this is Proverbs 11:25, “A generous man will prosper. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” That’s a good one. And 2 Corinthians 9:6, “Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

    Bob:

    I think these scriptures can apply to real life by giving provides joy, and it also provides significance. Because you’re doing something of significance when you’re getting outside of yourself, and you think about supporting the Habitat for Humanity or supporting your church or around here, we support Compassion very strong and those children. And there’s so much joy that giving brings.

    Shawn:

    Well, there’s a reason it’s better to give than to receive.

    Bob:

    Yeah.

    Shawn:

    And giving allows us to tap into something that God first did for us, that God sent his Son for us to be able to redeem us back to him. And so when we give, not only are we being more like God, we are giving of what he has given to us, but we’re also showing that we trust him. And there’s a lot of joy in that, in trusting, okay, God, I’m trusting you that by giving to someone else, by giving from what you’ve given to me, that you will continue to take care of me and take care of my family and our needs. So joy, the act of giving can provide emotional and spiritual joy knowing that you’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life, and of course significance, your generosity can leave a lasting impression and perhaps even inspiring others to be generous as well. That could be something where maybe in your financial planning and your estate planning that you set things up to a portion of whatever you have left in your estate would continue to give to a charity ongoing or to your church.

    Bob:

    And we’re going to talk about inheritance next week and what that says, that’s going to be for our number five through eight areas.

    Shawn:

    I guess that was Easter egg, right?

    Bob:

    That’s exactly right.

    Shawn:

    So subject number four, ownership. Haggai 2:8, “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.” And Psalm 24:1, “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” The two areas of real life application for this one – responsibility, recognizing that all you “own” is actually God’s, encourages better stewardship and responsibility. And like we said, taking care of God’s creation, it motivates you to take care of the environment and the people around you knowing that they all belong to God and are his creations as well.

    Bob:

    I can see how these can apply to real life, like responsibility. Responsibility with what we have, the material possessions that we have, and taking care of them. Also taking care of God’s creation. You hear bad things about, “Well, that environmentalist, he’s crazy. All he cares about is the environment. He doesn’t care about people.” Wait a second, God created. So if we love the Creator, take care of the creation.

    Shawn:

    We can do both. We obviously, yes, we need to take care of people. And if you ask me what’s more important, this tree or this person, I’m going to pick the person every time. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to take care of the rest of God’s creation. He put us in charge. He left us. He put us on this earth, and that’s part of it.

    Bob:

    Talk about this a little bit more about the material possessions as well, because we look at our car, we look at our home, how are we taking care of them? If we believe God owns them, then we should take good care of them because he’s put us in charge of that home. He’s put us in charge of that car. And that’s why you want to keep a clean car. That’s why you want to keep a clean home. That’s why you want to keep things in order because God gave you that.

    Shawn:

    Tell that to a one and a half and a four and a half year old though.

    Bob:

    Yeah, I know.

    Shawn:

    They have not learned, in my household, they have not learned that yet.

    Bob:

    Yeah, no. Hey, I remember when we had teenagers, we just closed the door and just said, okay, we’re going to take care of the rest of the house.

    Shawn:

    I heard somebody say it one time, Bob, name one thing more efficient than a toddler making a mess. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

    Bob:

    I’m not going to. But you know, the other day when I was playing with your daughter, my granddaughter, by the way, she would take the Lego apart and I’d put it back together and she’d take it apart and I’d put it back together. So I kept trying to put it together and she would just, and then throw it just wherever.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    So there you have it. That’s the first four for today. Believe me, there’s so many. I thought about this. This series about what God’s word says about money. By the way, we could just make this an entire podcast program. We could do 1500.

    Shawn:

    Well, sure.

    Bob:

    Because there’s 1500 scriptures it has to do with. So we’re not going to do that. Okay? But next week we’re going to cover what God’s word says about saving and investing, inheritance, seeking wise counsel, and faithfulness. So you’ll want to join us for the next program as well, and it’s going to really be inspirational. We want to operate by God’s principles, Godly principles in the Bible for handling finance. And that’s what we do at Christian Financial Advisors. And if you would like us to help you align your investments and your portfolio and your financial planning with what God’s word says about money, you can give us a call at (830) 609-6986. You can text that number as well, or you can find us on the internet www.christianfinancialadvisors.com. Any last words, Shawn?

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Thank you so much for joining us and God bless.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    12 min
  • 176 – 10 Ways to Sabotage Your Investment Portfolio
    Click below to listen to Episode 176 – 10 Ways to Sabotage Your Investment Portfolio
    10 Ways to Sabotage Your Investment Portfolio

    Steer clear of these common errors to help safeguard your investment portfolio.

    More episodes >>

    Avoid these common mistakes when it comes to your investments! Bob and Shawn discuss the 10 ways they often see clients sabotaging their investment portfolios. They emphasize the importance of discipline, wisdom, and seeking counsel in making investment decisions.

    Whether it is a client making large frequent withdrawals or even treating their investment portfolio like a savings account, there are many ways to sabotage your investment portfolio without knowingly doing so. They stress the long-term consequences of these behaviors and the need to be good stewards of one’s finances.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    HEBREWS 12:11

    For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

    PROVERBS 1:87

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

    PROVERBS 21:20

    The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Are you unknowingly sabotaging your investments? From ignoring wisdom to making emotional choices? We’ll explore 10 pitfalls to avoid, backed by Scripture. Let’s get some perspective.
    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. My name is Shawn Peters and I’m joined as always by my esteemed co-host and father-in-law, Bob Barber. Whether you’re watching this online or you’re listening on one of the many podcast directories, we’re so glad that you’ve joined us. Today, we are going to be covering 10 ways people sabotage their investment portfolios. Now, if you do enjoy content like this where we cover financial topics from a Christian perspective with the goal of helping Christians glorify God in their finances, we’d love for you to hit that subscribe button. But today, this is a kind of difficult topic, and we want to be sensitive to that. We understand that the journey of investing is fraught with challenges and emotions because we are emotional creatures made in God’s image. So can’t really help that, right Bob?

    Bob:

    No, we can’t.

    Shawn:

    But today, our mission, our goal if you will, is to offer you some compassionate guidance on some typical missteps that we see people make with their investment portfolios. Keep in mind, no judgment here, just wisdom steeped in years of experience, faith, and scripture. I will say the years of experience are more heavily leaned towards the side here on Bob’s side.

    Bob:

    It’s the gray hair.

    Shawn:

    But I’ve almost gotten to 10 years. So I can almost say I have a decade of experience.

    Bob:

    Yes.

    Shawn:

    A little bit closer. But I’d like to share a scripture before we go any further. Since this is Christian Financial Perspectives, I think that’s appropriate. Hebrews 12:11, “For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Now, I think that’s a wonderful scripture when we’re talking about in investing because it is for the long term and that in the moment that discipline can seem difficult or painful or in the way of what you’re trying to do. But the reality is you need that to be successful. So hopefully if we cover some of these today and if even one of these jumps out at you, we’ll have done our job.

    Bob:

    And Shawn, as you know, as always, I’m coming to people. I’m coming to them from the perspective of many years. We talk about decades. I got three decades of investment experience. And it’s heartbreaking when someone calls us for the 50th time and takes a withdrawal and you’re done, your portfolio’s depleted, you’ve depleted it. And they’re like, well, I had $500,000 just two or three years ago, or I had $1,000,000 5 years ago. And we give numerous, numerous warnings and it’s hard. It’s hard. And that’s why we want to come at this with compassion.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. And of course we’ll get into what Bob’s referring to on the withdrawals.

    Bob:

    Exactly. So we’re going to cover this from the least important to the most important. So the most important is going to be at the end of the program, but I’ve seen overall, there’s 10 areas I’ve seen that people will sabotage their portfolio from lack of. So starting at number 10.

    Shawn:

    Sure, number 10, lacking a written investment strategy and sticking to it.

    Bob:

    Now, I’ve never met anybody that had a written investment strategy. We have one here, but just sticking to it, that word sticking to it is the most important thing. And again, a lot of this program is going to focus around discipline because that’s what this is about is discipline. The reason investment portfolios are sabotaged over time is because of a lack of discipline.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. Which manifests in numerous ways. So number 9, lack of diversification. So investing in only one or two sectors.

    Bob:

    And I’ve said this many times on the program where I see the main sector that people get so caught up in, they believe a hundred percent of their investments ought to go there is in real estate. Shawn, right here in New Braunfels, we have a major development that we started about six or seven years ago. When I say major, it’s going to be 5,000 homes by the time it’s done; they’re probably at about 1500 homes. Now, I’m not going to mention the name of development.

    Shawn:

    Because they didn’t pay us for a sponsorship.

    Bob:

    Well, it’s not just that because they might not.

    Shawn:

    I know, I’m kidding.

    Bob:

    But Shawn, I went on realtor.com the other day, and remember we gave the warnings about real estate. There are some homes in there that are coming up on one year being on the market that are finished homes. They’re not resales and they haven’t sold. And we’re heading up to a year.

    Shawn:

    I remember it wasn’t that long ago, Bob, where your average duration of inventory was like one month. So homes, if you had it on the market for 30 days, it was kind of weird.

    Bob:

    So those that just invested in real estate probably pretty much hurting right now as we see interest rates are at 7.5-8% when they were 3% just a year ago.

    Shawn:

    As a side note, we are not dogging on anybody investing in real estate.

    Bob:

    Not at all.

    Shawn:

    That’s just a very common example of when someone is investing in one primary area. Definitely the most common.

    Bob:

    You know me, I’m a big real estate investor.

    Shawn:

    Oh yeah, yeah. We’ll have to cover that on another day.

    Bob:

    Yeah, we can. Alright.

    Shawn:

    But number 8, trying to time the markets

    Bob:

    Just doesn’t work.

    Shawn:

    It doesn’t.

    Bob:

    The markets will move so quickly that you cannot time them, and thinking that you can and be successful at it, you’re going to be on the wrong side of the trade.

    Shawn:

    Bob, I do have a question for you to cover for our viewers and listeners. Trying to time the markets doesn’t work. Now, how is that different with how we manage as a fiduciary discretionary advisor? How is that different? Because I’m sure that someone watching right now or listening is going to say, well, isn’t that something you guys do in your management?

    Bob:

    Not necessarily. No, we really don’t because we’re looking at long-term trends and we were looking at long-term trades. We never make a trade to go to over-wait a position or under-wait a position. We never do that based on just a date.

    Shawn:

    Or to try to time the exact top or the exact bottom. No, I think a good example, which I’m not going to give specific numbers, but there was recently when we were towards the end of 2021, you had talked to us with the investment management team and the idea was the wind’s out of the sails. So even though the boat’s moving forward, there’s not a whole lot supporting continued growth at the rate that we were at.

    Bob:

    There wasn’t a lot of steam left.

    Shawn:

    Yeah. And this is third quarter 2021. So no one would look at that and say, oh you timed the market perfectly. Because, I mea,n we were pulling back from some of our positions three months before we actually had a huge pullback.

    Bob:

    But I didn’t go completely out.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. Yeah. We made a slight adjustment again, which I think is a big distinction is many times the timing in the market comes into people try to take everything out and then move everything back in. But in professional management it’s a, “Oh well let’s pull some back because that way we’re still invested. However, we also have a little bit of an opportunity to hopefully buy some at a discount.” Again, not necessarily the absolute bottom.

    Bob:

    It’s over-waiting or under-waiting.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. Okay. Anyway.

    Bob:

    So number 7, I want you to read this and I’m going to comment, I got some good comments on this one.

    Shawn:

    Okay. Number seven, not understanding the Rule of 72 and how compounding works and applies.

    Bob:

    Shawn, this will sabotage your investment portfolio worse than anything there is if you don’t understand how the Rule of 72 works.

    Shawn:

    Now, Bob, for our viewers and listeners…

    Bob:

    I’m gonna explain

    Shawn:

    …because there may many that don’t know what it is. What is the Rule of 72?

    Bob:

    Alright, so the Rule of 72 is based on, it’s a mathematical formula where you take the rate of return that you’re making. Okay, so let’s say 6%. The reason I’m using 6% is because 6 goes into 72 perfectly. It goes into it 12 times based on the Rule of 72’s, that means that a portfolio will double if you don’t take anything out of it and is averaging 6% year in year out, that portfolio will double in 12 years.

    Shawn:

    So not adding or removing any money, assuming it’s consistent at 6% a year.

    Bob:

    And it would double in another 12 years. So you think about that’s $50,000 going to a $100,000, $100,000 going to $200,000…times four. So we’re going to talk about the times four effect. Okay?

    Shawn:

    Yeah. Got it. Okay. So number 6, panicking: not understanding the risk-reward relationship and how volatility is a normal part of investing, which I think is important. Bob just made the mention of a portfolio returning 6% a year for the Rule of 72. Now what that does not mean is that you made exactly 6% every year. But it’s that over the course of that 12 year time period, for that example, you are assuming an average of 6%. And the reality shows this is that one year it might be 10%, another year it might be 2% or 3%, might be down.

    Bob:

    That’s right.

    Shawn:

    But over that period of time, that would end up being the average. And so that panicking part, that understanding the volatility, whether you’re in a portfolio that is very conservative with just fixed income and cash-like equivalents or you’re very aggressive in 100% growth equity, growth stocks, there is volatility associated with every single one of those. Now the volatility of how much you’re down in a six month window you might be, is going to be very different from one end to the other of that spectrum. But it’s very important that you understand the objective, “Hey, what’s normal?”

    Bob:

    Because people will see how much their portfolio was down and I had a client in here yesterday and the portfolio was right at $2 million. Well, okay, so if you’re down 4% on $2 million, what’s the number, Shawn, how much would you be down? 4% on 2 million.

    Shawn:

    Don’t make me do the math right now.

    Bob:

    $80,000, okay, you’d be down $80,000, but if you’re down 4% on a $100,000, you’re down $4,000. So, it’s hard. It was harder for this person. They’re like, wow, I never thought of it that way. Because the more you have, even though it’s the same percentage, it’s going to be a lot more dollars.

    Shawn:

    The dollar amount is bigger, the percentages are still the same.

    Bob:

    That volatility is a normal part of investing and this will sabotage your portfolio. Again, if you do not understand that volatility, risk, and reward are all associated with investment portfolios.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, that’s right. So number 5, allowing emotions over logic to dictate your investment decisions.

    Bob:

    I’ve said this over and over, emotions and finance mix together like oil and water, it should not ever, ever be involved in investment decisions.

    Shawn:

    And one way to think of that, Bob, is your emotions are part of you. I mean we’re made in God’s image.

    Bob:

    They are. And it’s hard to put that aside.

    Shawn:

    So what I would say using your favorite saying, it’s just math, is you use the math and logic and the statistics and knowing what is normal versus abnormal to basically help you keep control of your emotions. And if you’re feeling that emotion of “Oh, we need to sell, we need to buy!” Maybe take a second, look at the facts, look at the numbers, seek wise counsel. So your emotions don’t rule you.

    Bob:

    Look at logic.

    Shawn:

    So number 4, chasing returns. I think the example you have here is changing car lanes type mentality of you’re in stop and go traffic and all of a sudden a little spot opens. So you move over to the left and you’re like, oh, oh, now spot open. You move back into the lane you were in.

    Bob:

    Exactly.

    Shawn:

    And at the end of the day, what have you done? You’re no further ahead really.

    Bob:

    You’ve gotten no…right.

    Shawn:

    You just expended a lot of extra energy and stress and frustration jumping back and forth. It’s no different with chasing returns.

    Bob:

    I’ve seen this, there’s a tendency in us as humans, sometimes we want change every five to seven years and we get caught up in chasing returns. So we think, well if I’ll go over to that new advisor, I’ll get a better return. And it usually happens in a bear market, so there’s nowhere else to go but up. So you feel really good about your new advisor because there was nowhere, I mean his portfolio, her portfolios went down the same amount, but you weren’t there when it happened. So you move from one advisor to another. We get a lot of them, they’re moving from and I’m like, okay, this is how you invested. And I always make sure, yeah, we were down, too.

    Shawn:

    We tell people.

    Bob:

    Right, I don’t want to say no, we’re just up.

    Shawn:

    So Bob, I believe the biggest downfall of how to sabotage someone’s portfolio is because if you’re chasing those returns, what ends up happening? Well, in a downmarket, you move to another advisor. So you’re selling out of the positions that you already had. And usually, there’s a bit of a lag time. So depending on how long the bear market and the pullback is lasting in the markets, you may be selling at one of the worst times. And then by the time the dust settles and you’re actually onboarded with the new advisor and you go through the process you’re supposed to go through and you get invested, you may have missed out on 10-20% of whatever the rally was. I mean, the percentage is, I’m not going to give a specific percentage, but the point is you could miss out on the markets have already started to recover. So not only did you sell while you were down, but now you weren’t in because you were too busy chasing returns somewhere else, right?

    Bob:

    Yeah. I mean in a matter of 10 days of markets can move easily, move 8-10% they can. And I’ve seen it many, many times.

    Shawn:

    So anyway, I just thought that’d be a good example of, well how does that actually hurt you? So number 3, using an investment portfolio, like a savings account or a checking account.

    Bob:

    We see this one a lot, don’t we?

    Shawn:

    Which does kind of tie into our number one most important thing to remember, which we’ll get into.

    Bob:

    It does, it does. So we’ll get into that here in just a minute, which is very, very important. But do not use an investment portfolio like a savings account, bottom line.

    Shawn:

    It’s not a piggy bank.

    Bob:

    Alright, so we’re getting down to the number one, but first we’re going to get into number 2.

    Shawn:

    Unwilling to take wise counsel or advice.

    Bob:

    We’re getting into the top two now.

    Shawn:

    So if you don’t remember anything else from this program, remember this one we’re about to cover and the last one. So number 2, unwilling to take wise counsel or advice. The Bible teaches us the importance of seeking wisdom and counsel, ignoring advice from experienced professionals can set you on a dangerous path. We have seen, Bob more than I have because he’s been around longer, but we’ve seen portfolios go from flourishing to empty because individuals thought they knew better than those guiding them. And this is not a prideful thing of like, oh, Bob and I are so smart, but this is what we do for a living. And as a fiduciary advisor, our goal is to try to do our best to do what’s best for our clients. So when we give advice, it’s to try to help the people we’re working with. We’re not trying to…

    Bob:

    We’re not doing it to hurt you.

    Shawn:

    …be like you don’t know what you’re doing or look how cool we are. We want to help you. And so Proverbs 1:5-7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

    Bob:

    That’s scripture.

    Shawn:

    Exactly.

    Bob:

    Very clear there.

    Shawn:

    This scripture emphasizes the significance of wisdom and instruction in the context of investing. Disregarding sound advice could lead to catastrophic financial consequences. It is soul crushing when we have to watch people lose what they have worked so hard for, typically over many years, simply because they were closed off to sound advice and guidance. And Bob, I know you have two wise sayings you’d like to share.

    Bob:

    It’s the country boy in me. It’s always the country boy in me. It comes out a little bit here. And these two sayings are people can be their own worst enemy. We’ve heard that one before and one that we always used out on the farm with my grandfather. Either you could lead a horse to water for his own good, but you can’t make him drink it.

    Shawn:

    And if you stick his head in the water, you might drown him if he doesn’t want to drink. So you really can’t force him.

    Bob:

    Which takes us to number 1. Can you guess what it is? Maybe Jenna can put a drum roll in here. You know what number one reason that people sabotage their investment portfolio.

    Shawn:

    Large frequent withdrawals.

    Bob:

    Yep.

    Shawn:

    So number one is the heavy price of large frequent withdrawals. The Bible warns us against foolish spending habits, and yet one of the most destructive behaviors we’ve observed is making large frequent withdrawals from an investment portfolio. The immediate ramifications are concerning enough, but the long-term effects are even more devastating.

    Bob:

    Yes, they are.

    Shawn:

    We’ve seen this occur through frequent large, one single withdrawal as well as many cumulative ones over a 9 to 12 month period. So, when the total of these withdrawals are more than 6-8% of a portfolio’s value, whether it was that one time or during that 12 month period they totalled up to that.

    Bob:

    You withdrew more than 8% of your portfolio.

    Shawn:

    It can have devastating effects on the lifespan of the portfolio. And when you have a $500,000 portfolio and you take out $50,000, well it doesn’t seem like much, right? It’s only $50,000, I have $500,000. Or when you have someone with a 2 million portfolio and they’re taking out $50,000 here and a $100,000 here and oh, I’m going to do a remodel, whatever it is, it adds up so quick. It does. So to kind of reiterate what we said a little earlier, but an investment account is not a piggy bank or savings account. It is meant for long-term growth and then a long-term draw from that, typically during retirement where you’re not earning money anymore and you need to be able to have that last at least as long as you might last.

    Bob:

    Well, I see a lot of people in their fifties doing this.

    Shawn:

    Kind of getting closer to retirement, but you’re still 15 years away.

    Bob:

    I mean they’ve got 30 more years, 35 more years to live. And this is the things we see it for wanting to buy a new car or truck, which today is $50,000.

    Shawn:

    Oh, easy. Yeah.

    Bob:

    Easy. Especially for a truck; paying for expensive vacations. We’ve seen this many times over and over. This is an interesting, and I put this in there because I’ve seen this several times.

    Shawn:

    We’ve seen this unfortunately happening more often now, number three.

    Bob:

    You’re taking a large withdrawal for an adult child because they want something, and there’s this parent guilt complex if you don’t help ’em.

    Shawn:

    Because from their perspective, well, you have the money not ,realizing that the very fact that they’re asking, they’re not being a good kid, they’re not being respectful of you as a parent because they’re asking you to take money that’s supposed to help take care of you as you’re getting older.

    Bob:

    In your older age.

    Shawn:

    To pay for something that they want.

    Bob:

    These areas that we’re mentioning right now, the new car or truck, the expensive vacations, the adult child needing some money, next will be home remodeling. All of these should be taken from savings accounts, not investment portfolios. Because when we build an investment portfolio, we’re building it for the long term, and it’s disruptive to our portfolios. We may have just taken a new position and that new position, we plan on that for three years and we’ve only been in it three days and now we got to go and sell that position off. And another thing that people need to understand too, in investment portfolio, having a little bit of cash is a strategy, an investment portfolio. That’s not cash to spend, that’s cash for investing. And it is part of a strategy. I’ve seen this one, too. Speculative startup businesses and these businesses we know, and again, we’re coming to this out of compassion, it’s not here to hurt anybody, but 90% of businesses fail in the first couple of years, and consistently withdrawing money from that portfolio to fund that business because the business can’t fund itself, Shawn. Okay.

    Shawn:

    And then the last one, just general spending based on things that you want and not needs and living beyond your means. So you have a certain amount of income that you’re living on and then you decide, oh, we want a little bit more. We’re gonna buy a few more things and you start pulling more money from your investment account, and it’s not sustainable.

    Bob:

    And you notice I have here…

    Shawn:

    And this happens especially with sudden wealth.

    Bob:

    Especially with sudden wealth,

    Shawn:

    Whether that’s inherited and we’ve covered that before, we’ll put a link in the description.

    Bob:

    Yeah, about sudden wealth.

    Shawn:

    There’s a lot of reasons why you might have sudden wealth.

    Bob:

    So here’s the thing that most people don’t realize , large or frequent withdrawals that add up over that 12 month portfolio over that 12 month rolling period, can really destroy it. And this is because of the Rule of 72. So I want to describe this to you. Remember I said the Rule of 72, if you’re making 6%…

    Shawn:

    Takes 12 years to double.

    Bob:

    Right. Okay, so just say you’re 60, that’s 84, 24 years ahead.

    Shawn:

    To double twice.

    Bob:

    Yeah. So you take $50,000 out to buy that truck. What you have just done is you have just caused your portfolio, you’ve taken away $200,000 from your portfolio later in years.

    Shawn:

    Over the next 24 years.

    Bob:

    What is that truck? Or what is that car going to be worth in 24 years?

    Shawn:

    Let’s see, 0.

    Bob:

    10% or 20% of the value. But that’s the kind of thing that I don’t think people really understand and they don’t understand they need to apply the Rule of 72, if they take it out of a growth portfolio that’s averaging 8-10%, now you’re talking about maybe possibly three doubles. So it’s a fourfold effect. So when you take out $50,000 or you take out 20k, it’s like you’re really not taking out 20k, you’re taking out 80k, or you’re really not taking out 50k, you’re taking out $200,000. That is something that a lot of people never think about on longterm consequences.

    Shawn:

    Based on life expectancies, Bob, if you’re watching this and you have maybe another 20, 30 years that you’re expected to live, then that money you’re taking out, multiply that by four to give you an idea of what it’s really costing you in the long run.

    Bob:

    That’s correct. That’s right. And Shawn, I’ve seen how long it can take to save it and when you pull it out, usually you don’t get it back. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen withdrawals put back in that were large withdrawals.

    Shawn:

    Especially later in life. Maybe when you’re younger, maybe in your twenties and thirties. Sure.

    Bob:

    But bottom line is we don’t want you to sabotage your portfolio. We don’t want to see anybody’s portfolio sabotaged. We want to help you.

    Shawn:

    The long-term goals – we want to make sure if you’re watching or you’re listening to this, we want to make sure that whatever that God has blessed with, that you’ve been a good steward with and you’ve been saving up, we want to make sure that is still left over whenever you go home to be with the Lord. We don’t want you to be around and the money isn’t.

    Bob:

    So Proverbs 21:20, it says, “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.” Investing is truly a lifelong commitment that demands patience, discipline, and a trusted advisor.

    Shawn:

    To lean on. That’s right. And we’re here to offer you that support, of course rooted in Biblical principles and decades of experience, mostly on this side, on Bob’s side. Thank you so much for taking time to be with us today. I know we went a little bit longer, but I feel like this was just…

    Bob:

    It’s a very important subject.

    Shawn:

    Really important subject. And even if just one person found this and it helped, I think it was worth it. So if you want to reach out to us for comment, questions, help, whatever it might be, you can reach us via phone or text at (830) 609-6986. You can also visit our website www.christianfinancialadvisors.com. Thank you so much and God bless.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    26 min
  • 175 – Can I Recession-Proof my Finances?
    Click below to listen to Episode 175 – Can I Recession-Proof my Finances?
    Can I Recession-Proof my Finances?

    Learn how to get a better handle financially and emotionally when it comes to a recession.

    More episodes >>

    “Recession” is a word constantly looming in many Americans’ minds, and it is a common topic among news outlets. But, what if you could prepare financially for a recession? Bob and Shawn discuss the ongoing predictions of an economic recession in the financial markets. They emphasize the inevitability of economic cycles with periods of boom and bust.

    Through insight from various scriptures, they encourage diversifying investments across different sectors of the economy, saving during prosperous times, and avoiding excessive debt. Economic cycles are a natural part of life, so preparing for them should be a natural part of financial planning as well.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    US Debt Clock
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    ECCLESIASTES 11:2

    Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

    GENESIS 41

    Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dream of 7 good years and 7 bad years of harvest and famine.

    PROVERBS 6:6-11

    Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

    PROVERBS 22:7

    The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn:

    Is a recession looming? With $33 trillion in national debt, what does the Bible teach us about weathering financial storms? Tune in for faith-driven financial strategies. Let’s get some perspective.
    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us today. Whether you’re watching or listening, my name is Shawn Peters and I’m joined as always by my esteemed father-in-law and co-host Bob Barber. Today we’re going to be covering a topic that we believe would be very beneficial to those of you out there – wisely preparing for economic recessions. So today we do have a lot to cover, but we are going to save the scriptures that we have for more towards the end, which will make sense. But Bob, you want to give us a little more of an intro on here?

    Bob:

    I sure will, Shawn. As you know for about the last year to year and a half, the markets have been predicting, when I say the markets, the stock markets, the equity markets, all the financial markets have been predicting that we’re going to go into this economic recession, especially as the Fed has been raising rates.

    Shawn:

    Okay.

    Bob:

    Well, it’s interesting because this has not happened yet.

    Shawn:

    So for over a year we’ve been hearing the predictions of, “We’re going to have a recession. We’re going to have a recession.” So will it happen? Maybe. Maybe not, but we have some things to cover in relation to that. So I would say the first one, there will always be economic booms and busts. Always. It’s just a natural part of economic cycles and preparing for recessions is wise.

    Bob:

    It’s like the balloon. You can only blow the balloon up so much before there it’s going to pop.

    Shawn:

    Or the rubber band.

    Bob:

    It’s natural. The rubber band, you can only stretch it.

    Shawn:

    You can stretch it. You can only stretch it so far before it either snaps back or snaps.

    Bob:

    And recessions can be short-lived. Some can be long. The one that we had a few years ago was very short because the government came in and stimulated the economy so much by adding $7-9 trillion of money into the economy and now we’ve got to pay that back, by the way.

    Shawn:

    I still can’t wrap my head around. I mean $7-9 trillion.

    Bob:

    A trillion has 12 zeros in it.

    Shawn:

    Yeah, it’s a lot. It’s a big number.

    Bob:

    Recessions will always come and go. Some will be short, some will be long, as the famous Great Depression of the 1930s lasted many, many years. I hope we never had that happen again. The one thing that’s different about now versus then is we’re a very diversified economy where back then it was very driven by farming and just industrial, where now there’s all the different sectors that are driving the economy. But the one thing I want to say, Shawn, is the government’s not always going to be able to bail us out.

    Shawn:

    That’s true. Yeah. Well, as a good example too when Germany, I believe it was after World War I, that they were having serious issues with their currency and they just tried to print more and more money because of the war debts and everything else that they had. And it got to the point that it was more efficient and cost less money to burn German currency to keep warm than it was to actually buy firewood. So there is a point that if we’re not careful for any country, that there is no way for the country to bail itself out, especially not with printing money. You have to actually make some changes.

    Bob:

    You do, Shawn. The interesting thing though is for the last 90 years, the government bailed us out of the Great Depression. It was with wartime and they started printing money at that point.

    Shawn:

    Well, also what helped a lot with that Bob, is from the Depression and then going into World War II, is that the industries all kicking into high gear to support the war effort. It wasn’t just about the printing money, but it was something actually happening.

    Bob:

    Who was paying for that?

    Shawn:

    Yes, I know the government’s paying for it, but unlike the German example I was saying is that at least there was some sort, there was a lot in the private sector that was actually generating jobs and work and product. So it wasn’t just printing money, but again, the printing money didn’t help either.

    Bob:

    Yeah.

    Shawn:

    In the long run.

    Bob:

    So right now, and you can go to USdebtclock.org and you can see all this, but our country is heading to a debt of 33 trillion. You hear that 33 trillion and Shawn, that’s 50% higher than it was just four years ago. So it took us 80, 90 years to get to the $20 trillion debt. And then in just the last three years, we’ve gone 50% higher and it was all the stimulus checks that Covid, from Covid, that caused this. And there’s a lot of Trump fans, and I’m not going to try to get political here, but 7 trillion of that was from him. Okay.

    Shawn:

    It’s almost like our government does this kind of regardless of the political party.

    Bob:

    It seems that way.

    Shawn:

    Again, not trying to point fingers either way, but it’s just our government as a whole, doesn’t matter what party it is, has a bad habit of continuing to just spend money it doesn’t have.

    Bob:

    And every time we print more money, every single time, it devalues it. And that’s why we’ve had such so much inflation. Last year we had inflation at 9% and 10%. And it’s interesting now as the government, as the Fed starts raising rates and tightening things back, it pulls inflation back down. But there was all this free money. As you know, two years ago, you had no advantage of being a cash buyer over a borrowing buyer for real estate. So it caused real estate to go through the roof.

    Shawn:

    The prices of real estate.

    Bob:

    So 33 trillion, okay. Remember a trillion has 12 zeros behind it. Alright? If you divide that and I looked at the population of the United States, now it’s about 332 million. So I get my calculator out and I divide it, and that is right at nearly a hundred thousand. It’s actually $99,397 of debt for every man, woman and child.

    Shawn:

    Not household, every man, woman, and child, based on the latest population estimates were 332 million. So wow. So for my household, there’s Jenna and I and our two kids.

    Bob:

    Right. So you’re about $400,000.

    Shawn:

    Our share as a family is $400,000.

    Bob:

    Yes. Yes, exactly. Now countries rise and they fall on debt. The Roman Empire is a very, very good example too of when a government gets too large and out of control and it always eventually falls. Listen, I want to say I cannot, and I will not predict this, okay? I’m not saying that we’re going to fall off a cliff tomorrow. I’m not saying we’re going to fall off a cliff in 20 years. I am not going to predict when this is going to happen. But you know me, my favorite saying…

    Shawn:

    It’s just math.

    Bob:

    It’s just math.

    Shawn:

    And in this case, math doesn’t lie. So this is less of a, we’re trying to scare you. And then so you have some ad about buying gold or coins or whatever afterwards that this is more of just trying to give some sort of realistic expectation of this is the way stuff works. But again, not a prediction on this is going to happen next year or something like that.

    Bob:

    Not at all. And we’re going to get into some scriptures pretty deep here in a minute. Normally we start off at the beginning with scripture, but we’re going to end up the program today. We’re going to spend some good amount of time with scripture, because scripture gives us examples of how to prepare for recessions. And you should never just go stick your head in the sand and say it’s not going to happen. But governments, they get less and less efficient the larger they get. That’s right. Our forefathers were geniuses, but I wonder if they ever realized we’re going to be 332 million people.

    Shawn:

    Well, and spanning how many thousands of miles across?

    Bob:

    The US huge. We were 13 back

    Shawn:

    Then. Yeah, 13 colonies just kind of over on the east coast and now compared to the size of the country then, it’s huge.

    Bob:

    And over taxation. And the government’s attempt to equalize everyone. It never works in the long run because you know what the wealthy will do? They’ll find a way not to be taxed at higher rates or they’ll leave. They’ll just leave. And politicians that say the wealthy don’t pay their fair share, they’re just liars. Okay? All you got to do is go look at a tax table, just pull up IRS tax table and you’ll see that the more you make the larger percentage you have to pay. And we have people in our country paying 35% and 40% with state tax paying him 50%.

    Shawn:

    Bob. I have a really interesting example. I’d like to cover that. So Warren Buffett, it wasn’t that long ago that he had said it was like an interview and he was talking about how he pays less taxes than his assistant, his secretary, whatever position was. And while technically you could say that was true, the problem was even for him to say that knowing full well what he was saying was incredibly misleading. And in my opinion, when you say things in a way specifically to mislead people, that’s the same thing as lying to him. And the reality is that people who actually work and make an income, I think like doctors and lawyers and people who make arguably a very large income, the problem is they’re making a normal income where they work and got paid and they pay income tax off of it. But when you talk about this really, really wealthy families who are able to, oh, they just sell some of their stock positions or things like that and they’re only paying capital gains, okay, sure. Technically their overall taxable rate isn’t as high. But again, when they sell those stocks, it’s not like they didn’t work. They took a risk by having that money invested. There’s a reason why we have the income tax rate and the capital gains rate. But in either case, the idea of like, oh, the wealthy aren’t paying their fair share is still ludicrous as a whole because the vast majority of Americans pay not just percentage wise, but dollar amount wise, pay way more than the rest of us.

    Bob:

    And Shawn…

    Shawn:

    So anyway, rant over.

    Bob:

    Boy, you did, didn’t you?

    Shawn:

    I’m just frustrated hearing that. It’s such a lie that politicians use to basically trick a bunch of us that aren’t in the 40-50% tax bracket,

    Bob:

    But even you have long-term capital gains with the 20% plus an additional what they call the Obama care tax, you’ll be at 24-25%.

    Shawn:

    And what that doesn’t take into account, unlike with income tax over time and the amount you pay, the tax rate…

    Bob:

    We have to go on.

    Shawn:

    Okay, I know, but I just want to make sure that people hear this point and stop repeating that stupid lie about the wealthy don’t pay their fair share. The capital gains tax is lower, but it doesn’t take into account inflation. So the purchasing power change. So when you hear about these changes to capital gains on how people should pay money on investments, even if they didn’t sell anything, it’s even more ludicrous. We need to do another episode on that. I’m frustrated. Let’s go.

    Bob:

    I could tell. I could tell. Okay. Here’s the one thing, though. I want you to understand when we talk about preparing for economic recessions, that they’re always going to come along and there’s going to be good times and bad times because scripture tells us. We’ve shared this scripture many times, “There’s a time for everything.” There’s going to be good times and bad times. And some of the scriptural examples I think are great to apply for recessions would be, the first one would be Ecclesiastes 11:2, which we mention around here a lot is, “Invest in seven ventures. Yes, in eight, you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.”

    Shawn:

    I mean, I can’t think of a better scripture that directly talks about preparing for recessions, whether it’s minor or major.

    Bob:

    So we’re talking about all the different sectors. There’s 11 to 12 different sectors of the economy and everything from utilities to energy to technology…

    Shawn:

    Healthcare, real estate,

    Bob:

    Yeah, you name it, they’re all listed. So that’s what this means is you don’t go put all your money in one basket. It’s like mom always said, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. That’s right. Okay.

    Shawn:

    So in mathematical terms with seven to eight, you’re looking at somewhere around 12.5 to 14.3%. Don’t put any more than that in any one particular sector, especially when you hear the news talking about how oh, technology is up 70%. Well first of all, you missed the opportunity to move into it.

    Bob:

    What’s this already up 70?

    Shawn:

    But also definitely don’t put any more than say 12.5% to 14.3% in there because you’re going to be way overweighted and not properly diversified.

    Bob:

    So I have these listed again, technology, real estate, healthcare, energy, consumer staples, materials, and the list goes on. And people have a hard time with this though. I was just talking with Don here in our office this morning and he’s talking with the business owner and the business owner has everything invested in his one business and he has very little outside of that.

    Shawn:

    Which is dangerous.

    Bob:

    It’s very dangerous. Exactly.

    Shawn:

    Don’s one of our advisors.

    Bob:

    Alright, now the other scriptural principle that we’re going to spend some time on, but it’s a whole chapter so we’re not going to read the whole chapter.

    Shawn:

    Genesis 41.

    Bob:

    Genesis 41. And it gives us an example in here where Pharaoh has a dream and he has Joseph, not the Joseph in the New Testament, the Joseph in the Old Testament, the one that the brothers all…

    Shawn:

    The one with the bright colors, uh coat.

    Bob:

    They threw him in the hole and then he came out and pretty much helped run, not ruin, but run each later. But he had him interpret the dream and this dream he was seeing these seven fat cows and then he was seeing seven lean cows.

    Shawn:

    They were like famished.

    Bob:

    Pharoah’s like, what does this mean? And he said, you’re going to have seven good years.

    Shawn:

    Of plenty.

    Bob:

    And then you’re going to have seven bad years. He says, okay, so what should we do? And he says, take a fifth of the harvest.

    Shawn:

    Or 20% for those of you who don’t remember your fractions.

    Bob:

    Right. So lett’s take 20% of the harvest during the good years and save it up.

    Shawn:

    For the bad years.

    Bob:

    That’s preparing.

    Shawn:

    To basically help get you through it.

    Bob:

    Am I not saying right there that is a scriptural principle right there.

    Shawn:

    I believe that emphasis is in…

    Bob:

    Preparing for economic recessions

    Shawn:

    Verse 34 through 36. So if you’re wanting to look at it.

    Bob:

    Okay, yeah.

    Shawn:

    And the other part that’s amazing with this Bob, is that that preparation was not just Egypt, but many of the countries surrounding it, including the land of Canaan or whatever it’s called at the time. Joseph’s family, when they came to Egypt, Egypt was basically the only place in the area that wasn’t dying off from the famine. And so had it not been for the position that Egypt was in and that God had over time gotten Joseph exactly where he needed to be, it wouldn’t have just been Egypt, but the entire area over there in the Middle East might have died off. I mean, we don’t know what would happen. But the point was God took care of both Egypt and the surrounding countries from having Joseph at the right place.

    Bob:

    And I believe that this is in the Bible to give us a scriptural example how to prepare for recessions. We’ve got the Ecclesiastes, give your portions of seven or eight. We’ve got Genesis 41 that talks about preparing and saving during the good years, not living like…there’s people you’ll see in the good times, you just spend, spend, spend and they live like there’s no tomorrow and that’s not wise. And then we go over, right over to Proverbs, it talks about the ant. And we’ve mentioned this many times. We don’t have to read the whole thing today, but he talks about, “You sluggard.”

    Shawn:

    That’s right. So consider the ant and don’t just sit around and just think, oh yeah, that’s fine. We don’t need to prepare or anything because scarcity and poverty will come on you.

    Bob:

    Like a bandit.

    Shawn:

    I’m paraphrasing.

    Bob:

    Yeah. But it says it was saving in the summertime for the wintertime. Alright. Because think of wintertime and economics like an economic winter.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. Or a recession.

    Bob:

    And then debt is the same way. Don’t get yourself in a lot of debt. Proverbs 22:7, and we read this many times on Christian financial perspectives. You become a slave to the lender when you have more debt than you can handle.

    Shawn:

    Specifically, “The rich will rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

    Bob:

    So God has given us in his word how to prepare for recessions. It’s all laid out right there.

    Shawn:

    So Bob, what do we do with all this information?

    Bob:

    You take this information and you put it in financial planning and you diversify your portfolio, you build cash reserves up to that amount. And by the way, if you’re saying what does that amount, 20% times seven. 2×7=1.4, that’s 1.4 years. I know that’s a long time to think of cash reserves. Most people were thinking in six month realms or even three months if they can get there. But the point of this is during the good times to be saving up for the bad times because they will always happen. God’s word says it will happen and God’s word is always true.

    Shawn:

    But the good news about that too, it says in Ecclesiastes that there’s a time for everything. That’s also not something to be scared of. Because just like we know there will be bad times in the bad times, we know there will be good times again.

    Bob:

    And God does not want us to live in a spirit of fear. That is not of God. Okay? So be wise and plan, plan, plan. And we’ll help you with all these variables so you’ll be ready for any minor or major significant economic recessions because they’re going to happen and when the next one’s going to happen. I’m not going to predict, I don’t predict things like that, but I do believe it’s wise to always be prepared, and we can advise you using proven long-term biblical principles. They’re in the Bible. The Bible has so much to say about finances. We know it’s 1500 to 2000 scriptures is what biblical scholars say. Alright. You want to talk more about this? You want to prepare for the next recession, you want to handle things from a Biblical perspective with your finances? Give us a call, we can be reached at (830) 609-6986. You can call that or text that during business hours. Or you can go to our website www.christianfinancialadvisors.com. And Shawn, any last words?

    Shawn:

    No, I think we covered it. And apologies everybody on my rant earlier, we’ll do another episode on that, so I can get it all out there. But thank you so much for joining us. God bless, and we’d love to hear from you. So send us an email, text, comment down below if you’re on the video. And other than that, God bless you. Thanks for joining us.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    20 min
  • 174 – Pioneering Faith Based Investing: The Timothy Plan Story
    Click below to listen to Episode 174 – Pioneering Faith Based Investing: The Timothy Plan Story
    Pioneering Faith Based Investing: The Timothy Plan Story

    Learn about the history of The Timothy Plan, one of the pioneers of the BRI movement.

    More episodes >>

    Delve deep into the history of Christian financial stewardship and Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) as Shawn speaks with Timothy Plan team member, Brian Mumbert. Christian Financial Advisors is proud to be a part of this movement since the beginning of Timothy Plan.

    30 years ago, Timothy Plan introduced only a few morally responsible investment fund choices, and they now offer several mutual funds and ETFs, along with multiple other firms now offering Biblically Responsible Investment options. They are a leader in the BRI movement and have truly helped pave the way for values based investing when it comes to Christians investing with their Biblical principles in mind.

    The history of BRI, its growth, and how far it has come over the years is truly a blessing!

    GUESTS: Brian Mumbert

    HOSTED BY: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Brian Mumbert
    Shawn Peters
    The Timothy Plan
    Website

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn (00:00):

    Ever wonder about the origins of Biblically Responsible Investing? Today we’re diving deep with Brian Mumbert from The Timothy Plan, a trailblazer in the BRI world. You don’t want to miss these eye-opening insights. Let’s get some perspective.

    (00:20):

    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. My name is Shawn Peters. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us. If you do enjoy content on finance, but from a Christian perspective, we’d love for you to hit that subscribe button and join our growing community of Christians who are wanting to glorify God with their finances. Now today I’m actually joined by a special guest, Brian Mumbert from The Timothy Plan. Bob is not available, so we decided we’d do a special episode for you. And with this episode, we thought it would be useful to cover a little bit of the history of Biblically Responsible Investing or BRI as that’s what our firm focuses 100% on. And with Brian from The Timothy Plan here, I thought it might be good for us to cover a little bit of the history of Timothy Plan and their role in the BRI movement. Some of you may not know this, but The Timothy Plan was very much a pioneering force in the early days of the BRI movement, still is. And much like my father-in-law, Bob, who is founder of Christian Financial Advisors, they were very instrumental in those early years, I would say. But anyway, without further ado, Brian, thank you so much for joining us.

    Brian (01:38):

    Thank you, Shawn. I really appreciate being here and there’s a lot of shared connection between Timothy Plan and Bob as Bob was one of the first advisors to really take this Biblically Responsible Investing mandate and really work it into his practice. It was so neat to see. And this was back, we’re talking 1994, or as my son refers to it, back in the 1900’s, which just makes us feel really old.

    Shawn (02:02):

    Oh yeah, for sure.

    Brian (02:03):

    But it’s just exciting to connect with fellow BRI believers and to be on this podcast. Thank you.

    Shawn (02:08):

    Yeah, absolutely. And the respect is very much mutual, Brian. Bob has spoken very highly of Art Alley, since I know he’s known him for a number of years, and their collaboration as pioneers in the BRI industry. So with our shared history, I guess you’d say as our shared firms, but with our shared history, do you think you could shed some light for our viewers and listeners on the early days of Timothy Plan and some of the challenges that you encountered?

    Brian (02:34):

    Sure. So early on in Timothy Plan, you have to go back to the start and what caused Art Alley to even do this. He was a financial advisor. He had his own practice and he was looking to put together retirement plans for nondenominational pastors. And ultimately what he found was that he could not get any of the fund managers to take on this mandate of screening out or filtering companies that would not profit from things like abortion or pornography. They said it couldn’t be done. They didn’t want to take the challenge, they didn’t think the performance would be okay, and they told him he was crazy. So he ended up starting Timothy Plan to be this retirement plan for non-denominational pastors. It ultimately ended up being a mutual fund. There was a lot of skeptics out there though. I mean outside of the investment advisor community.

    (03:24):

    The consumer had no idea. This whole idea of investment is ownership and how this all works, and I’m just investing in a mutual fund. It’s a growth fund. What’s in this fund? I don’t even know. And so, the education challenge was huge. There were a lot of financial challenges at Timothy Plant when we first started. There were times where we didn’t know if we were going to make it. Art had to meet net capital several times in the early days and go back and ask for more funding and more funding to continue and say that this is going to work. Just trust me. And again, Bob was there at the beginning using our funds, and we had one fund, and so you’re trying to allocate your clients into different asset classes, but all we can give you is small cap. And that was a frustration, but through a lot of faith, a lot of prayer, a lot of support in the community, it became a viable option. And here we are almost 30 years later.

    Shawn (04:17):

    Yeah, man. Well, it’s so heartening to hear about the support from stalwarts like Bob, given our firm’s focus on BRI, I know firsthand about the challenges, but also the rewards. So what unique hurdles did Timothy Plan face due to its BRI focus?

    Brian (04:36):

    There were a lot of skeptics, again, that said that this could not be done. When we started this, you had social investing was a big thing. You could remove things like alcohol and tobacco and gambling, but we had to lay the groundwork for this. And then like I said, the education was the big issue. So you could educate the advisor, but then the advisor, we had to count on them to educate their clients. Unfortunately, you did not have a lot of advisors like Bob that would be willing to put themselves out there as Christians and to even just ask simple questions to their clients, are there any moral or ethical concerns that you might have before I make any recommendations in these portfolios? And so changing the habits of something that they’ve been trained for decades on was a big headwind.

    Shawn (05:27):

    Right. And then logistically, did you have any challenges there as far as with BRI and being able to actually align the funds with the different screening process?

    Brian (05:41):

    It took a lot of time to build this screening network or a screening of companies as we’ve done. And the benefit of being as whole as we are now is now we have data that goes back 30 years. And so we’re looking at companies and when we look at these companies, we’re looking at a repeated pattern. Is it something that a company does every year? Do they fund Planned Parenthood corporately every year or is it just one time back in the 1900’s when they did it and they haven’t done it since? Because we’re not in the business of just punishing a company for something they did decades ago. We want to see that a company is doing these things on a regular basis.

    Shawn (06:21):

    So that continuous research, adaptation, and monitoring, because you might have a company that for some time was involved in some contentious areas and stuff that wouldn’t align with our beliefs, but if they then change or maybe they have some new leadership and you notice in the monitoring that, “Hey, they’re not involved in these anymore.” Okay, great. Well, that might be a viable option then for some of the funds.

    Brian (06:45):

    Absolutely. I mean, we’ve seen companies that have changed their patterns. Some for the better, unfortunately, probably more for the worse as we’ve gone in a certain direction in this culture. But still letting each company know, this is why we do not invest in you. We would like to invest in your company, but unfortunately, this is why we cannot really has generated some conversations.

    Shawn (07:07):

    Got it. Well, it’s always about the community, isn’t it? So speaking of that, I’d love to hear a little bit about how Timothy Plan handled some of the societal challenges, especially in the early days.

    Brian (07:19):

    Yeah, so there was a lot of pushback. There was a society that did not understand what we were trying to do. I kind of already touched on this before, but the whole “investment is ownership” piece. I was taught that when I was in high school in economics. If I’m shareholder, I’m part owner of a company. But unfortunately, the vast majority of people don’t really understand that concept. And to put it in the most simple terms, if I purchase shares of a company and we could use a tobacco company, for example, I need that company to be profitable. What is their business? Well, cut and dry their business is selling tobacco and ultimately the addiction of people that are using their products. If I’m shareholder of that company, I need them to do whatever they do better and more of. And so unfortunately, if I own a company like that, morally, it can create a big question in my mind about what am I doing with the money that God has entrusted to me here? How am I earning these dollars? And I’ve heard many describe “ill gotten gains” as it talks in Proverbs.

    Shawn (08:24):

    That’s a good example.

    Brian (08:25):

    And yeah, it really is that. So education, again to the end client, Art put together a Biblical stewardship series actually many years ago to kind of really do this because ultimately people need to understand that there is a way to align their investments with their faith. They just have to hear about it, they have to know about it. And advisors like Bob that tell them about it. That’s really the key.

    Shawn (08:51):

    Many people from what I’ve seen personally, but also from hearing from Bob, from his experience in working with you guys, that people would see BRI as it’s somehow restrictive or it’s outdated, like, oh, whatever. Those values don’t matter. But at the end of the day, it does matter. I mean, because if you have a certain set of beliefs as a Christian that you apply to your entire life, and then when it comes to your finances, when it comes to your investments, you leave it at the door, how could you possibly say that you’re really giving your life to Christ, that God is actually the God of your entire life? Because I remember, I think Bob was the first one that gave me this example, but use the analogy of someone accepts Christ and they’re going to get baptized and right before they get dunked under the water.

    (09:37):

    Well, for me and Bob, we’re Southern Baptist, so we got dunked, not sprinkled, but

    Brian (09:40):

    I’m a dunker.

    Shawn (09:41):

    Assuming you’re a dunker, right Before you get dunked under the water, you grab your wallet and hold it up above the water. You’re like, well, okay, Lord, I’m dedicating my life to you except for my wallet. It’s kind of the same idea that somehow that doesn’t apply or matter, and in reality it does. And I would say more so even than on their retail side, when people say, well, there’s a lot of companies that you only have a few choices for necessities. Okay, well, that’s very different than when you come to an ownership side. There’s a lot of choices, not just between mutual funds and ETFs, things like that, but just in general, the number of companies that are available to invest in. With so many options, you can’t really make the argument of, well, there’s no way to actually do this, or there’s no way to be clean.

    Brian (10:26):

    You really hit the head on there because the whole choice thing is the huge thing. You get pushback all the time. I have an Apple phone. Well, my choices in phones are limited, unfortunately. My cell carriers, unfortunately, are limited. And some of them are in the cable business, in broadcast pornography. I’m sorry. I wish I had a better choice. And I know that there are some out there, and we’re getting better with these things. But ultimately, in the investment world, I get a choice.

    Shawn (10:52):

    There’s lots of choices.

    Brian (10:53):

    Take control of the finances and do what God wants me to do as a steward of his money and invest Biblically. And it’s a huge, huge thing that many more Christians could understand. I love that image of holding the wallet above your head.

    Shawn (11:08):

    Feel free to use that. It’s not copyright or anything.

    Brian (11:10):

    That’s fantastic.

    Shawn (11:11):

    Yeah. So would you say, I guess that really over time, from those early days to now, that we’ve really seen more of a shift in people’s perceptions as the alignment of their investments and their faith continue to gain traction?

    Brian (11:25):

    Yes. I’d say definitely three decades now basically of this. And now there’s other people in the business that are doing this, other firms that are doing this, other investment companies that are providing product, and it’s great to have more product. We need more choices. So yes, it’s come so far, and I think that honestly, investors have learned, especially if you just take the microcosm of this past year, that companies are not their friends. They will do things that will really alienate half of their client base and they do not care. And it’s up to you to tell them that, and how are you going to tell them that you can try to boycott, and we’ve all done this before, but in reality, stop investing in the company. That’s how you tell them.

    Shawn (12:09):

    If their share price starts dropping, that’ll get their attention real quick.

    Brian (12:12):

    Absolutely.

    Shawn (12:12):

    That’s something that I think with companies like Timothy Plan, and I know there are others that we work with as well, but when you have mutual funds and ETFs, one of the other benefits of doing that is that we have this collective bargaining power that through a company like Timothy Plan being able to say, “Hey, we’re divesting from your company because we just found out that you now own a casino, this real estate fund or something like you own this casino or you are now giving to Planned Parenthood,” and you say, “We’re going to be moving out.” And if it’s one investor with a thousand dollars and maybe even a million dollars, the company say, I don’t care, whatever. But if it’s multiple millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars, they’re like, “We’re going to leave.” Well, now all of a sudden they’re more likely to listen.

    Brian (13:01):

    Absolutely. I mean, you’ve gone from a position where I feel helpless to enact change to. If we all as Christians did this, we can enact the change that we’re looking for. And so at this point it’s like, what are you waiting for?

    Shawn (13:14):

    Yeah. Yeah. So I really say with all of that, I know we covered quite a bit there, but it’s really a testament to perseverance and continuing that even when it seemed like nobody was listening, it seemed like maybe you weren’t going to make it or whatever, but just a testament to perseverance. And shifting gears a little bit, looking at BRI’s trajectory over the years, how have you seen the industry evolved and where do you see it heading now?

    Brian (13:41):

    It’s a really exciting time because when we started, it was just mutual funds and mutual funds are still a huge part of what everyone invests in. But four years ago we started ETFs as well, and now I know there are other firms out there that do SMAs and different products like that. So the product lineup is really increasing because ultimately you want to do this in every aspect of your investment life, and you’re going to need different products for different investors. So it’s exciting to see what’s gone from one small cap value fund to 12 mutual funds, seven ETFs at Timothy Plan alone, and then ultimately other firms and other investment companies that have other products as well, and just giving investors the choice to do this. And so it’s come so far. The future really is unlimited on this. I mean, it’s just, again, it’s a matter of education. It’s a matter of the clients knowing they have the choice, and it’s a matter of making an impact with your dollars.

    Shawn (14:37):

    Now, I know our firms come at this a little bit differently. You guys focus more on providing the fund choices, and whether it’s Mutual Fund or ETF and our firm Christian Financial Advisors, we focus more on working directly with investors, with clients. But that being said, have you noticed much of a shift as far as does it seem like more people seem to be finding you and seeking you out and wanting to learn more about BRI and about aligning their faith in their investments?

    Brian (15:06):

    I would say absolutely. I mean, you look at all these reports and there is a lot of truth to this that the churches are shrinking, that Christians are falling away from the church, are walking away from their faith, but the ones that are staying are very dedicated in their faith. And as we continue to push this back out into the United States and abroad, this is a way that we can again, take capital and make a difference in society, and we have to be transparent about what we’re doing here. It is a challenge, but there’s a lot of cooperation between the firms that are doing this to increase this movement. We have advisors like Bob that are a big part of groups like Kingdom Advisors that are pushing this forward. And so ultimately, it’s still a very exciting time. And I have to say, interestingly enough, one of our best advertisers recently has been companies like BlackRock that have been pushing ESG, and people are realizing that might not be exactly what I’m looking for. It is a values aligned investment. It’s just not quite the value I thought I was getting.

    Shawn (16:18):

    Okay.

    Brian (16:18):

    Yeah.

    Shawn (16:19):

    You threw me a little bit when you said BlackRock. What do you mean? Okay.

    Brian (16:22):

    Yeah. So we’re finding people that find us because they’re looking for something that’s more reflective of their personal faith. And so through no fault of their advisor, they heard those words. They thought, well, this must be exactly what they’re looking for. And they put them in a product like that, not realizing that might be of Christian faith and want something that really more reflects my stance on being pro-life and pro-family and not so much on being whatever BlackRock pretends to be at this point.

    Shawn (16:53):

    So effectively the raised awareness about ESG has made more investors open to the idea of, oh, values-based investing. I know recently the SEC decided to name everything ESG, which I know for us definitely in the Christian space, kind of raised the hair on the back for our neck and everything. Trying to understand well, no, no, I understand what they were trying to do. But for people who’ve been in the industry a long time doing values-based investing, I would say it’s more of a, okay, values-based investing, there are different types of that. There’s ESG, which we would consider typically not very Christian. You actually have Christian focused, and then there are other options, but it really all comes down to it’s a type of values-based investing.

    Brian (17:40):

    Exactly.

    Shawn (17:40):

    You just want to make sure, is it the values that you actually hold to or not? If not, maybe look for something else.

    Brian (17:47):

    Exactly.

    Shawn (17:48):

    Well, as we continue this journey, it’s kind of the last section before we wrap up, but do you have any advice for financial advisors like myself and others who have followed the path trailblazed by people like Bob and Art?

    Brian (18:02):

    I would say people like Bob have been doing it right for a long time. I mean, look at the name of your firm, like Christian Financial Advisors. You’re not hiding from who you are. You walk into your office, you know exactly what you’re going to get. I walked in, I saw in the lobby there was a screen that was talking about Biblically Responsible Investing. So it’s conditioning the client and you’re knowing what you’re going to be getting. And if you don’t like it, that’s fine. There are a lot of other advisors around. But for advisors, really it’s a matter of living out your faith and not checking it at the door. You go back to your image of holding the wallet up above the water. It’s like, “Well, I’m a Christian, but when I walk through my work doors, I’m just going to be myself and I’m not going to live my faith in my practice.” I’m nervous about that. Don’t be nervous. There are clients that want this, that expect this from you. They’re Christian, they probably chose you because they knew you were a Christian. We all run in the same circles, and they’re looking for you to provide Biblical advice for their investments, and what better way to do it than to do Biblically Responsible Investing. And so, I really want to encourage advisors out there. There are so many clients that are looking for this, they just need to hear it.

    Shawn (19:13):

    And I would say from my more limited experience compared to Bob, but from my experience, don’t be afraid. If you are an advisor and you’re watching this or listening, don’t be afraid to potentially lose a client or a potential new client because it doesn’t really make sense to me to be offering Biblically Responsible Investing and also non-Biblical responsible investing.

    Brian (19:33):

    Exactly.

    Shawn (19:33):

    A house divided cannot stand. Make a choice. If you’re a Christian, if you’re a believer and you’re a financial advisor, choose to do this or not. But if you choose to do this, don’t be afraid to lose someone. Number one, I think you’ll have more clients that will respect your commitment to it, but also ultimately we will answer to the Lord one day. So why not do this? And keep in mind too, yes, we all have different businesses, but when it really comes down to it, I see this as for those of us that are Christians in this space and we’re trying to be Biblically responsible in how we manage assets for our clients.

    (20:11):

    This is a community, so we shouldn’t see each other as competitors, but as companions, and I tell people all the time when we’re having a potential sales meeting, and I just say, I pray that the Lord would guide your steps. And if our firm, Christian financial Advisors, is where you’re supposed to be, I pray that God will give you peace in your heart and if not, give you a check in your spirit that this, for whatever reasons, this isn’t the right place, but don’t be afraid to tell me that you don’t think it’s the right fit. Because if that’s the case, I can go to Kingdom Advisors, National Association of Christian Financial Consultants. There are other resources where I’ll find it. If it’s just a matter of you want someone that’s nearby, you want someone physically you can go to their office, that’s fine. Just because a lot of people are using Zoom and whatever, and other web meetings stuff doesn’t mean you have to do that. And if that’s the case, I would rather connect you with a fellow believer who is doing what we’re doing physically nearby you than you to go to some secular investment management company.

    Brian (21:11):

    Yeah. I talk about this all the time because advisors are, I don’t want to market in my church. And I understand you don’t want to treat church as your business place necessarily. It’s a place of worship, but at the same time, people need to know what you do because…

    Shawn (21:28):

    And that it’s an option.

    Brian (21:29):

    Right. It’s an option because I, as a person, if I need something fixed in my house, if I’m looking for a handyman or I need something done, the first place I want to go to is, does someone in my church know how to do this? Can I pay them to do it? I’d rather pay them to do it than pay someone I don’t know to do it. Besides, we will both benefit from this. And at the same time, I could say, I can walk into my own church of 400 people and they kind of know what Timothy Plan is, but if I ask someone to describe it to me, I don’t think I get more than 10 or 12 that could actually articulate what we do. And so here we are in my own congregation, and they don’t understand. So do not be afraid. People need to understand.

    (22:11):

    If they don’t get advice from you, they’re going to get advice from the world, and we know where that’s going to go. So yes, please help people out in Biblically Responsible Investing. And the last thing you mentioned, the whole network of investment firms. We’re not competition with each other. We need more product in this space. And we all work together to increase the awareness of what is Biblically Responsible Investing. And so even though we have different firms and different ideas about how we screen, and some do and some don’t do as well as others, we’re all working towards the same goal. And so we will work together to amplify this message and to help Christians understand that investment is ownership and you can make a difference.

    Shawn (22:57):

    And that through all of that, regardless of which firm you’re working with, we’re still expanding the Kingdom of God.

    Brian (23:03):

    Absolutely.

    Shawn (23:03):

    And specifically through the Gate of Finance. And so, yeah, man, this has been very enlightening to hear about Timothy Plan’s journey and the challenges that you guys have faced over the years and just kind of how the industry has evolved over time. Very exciting. I hope this has been beneficial to those of you watching and listening. It was a little bit different of a format. If anybody missed Bob, feel free to put in the comments. It’ll make him happy. I won’t tell Brian. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. But yeah, thank you so much for being here, Brian.

    Brian (23:34):

    I really appreciate it, Shawn. And again, thank you to Bob for all the contributions he’s done over the years and being such a stalwart in this industry and not checking his faith at the door. We really appreciate that.

    Shawn (23:46):

    Awesome. And well, thank you guys for what you do and continue to do. So as always, thank you so much for joining us. If you did enjoy this, I would love for you to hit the like button, subscribe, share with your friends, and as always, God bless. Thank you.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    25 min
  • 173 – Is Retirement Biblical
    Click below to listen to Episode 173 – Is Retirement Biblical
    Is Retirement Biblical

    Did you know that retirement is only mentioned ONCE in the Bible, and working is mentioned over 500 times!?

    More episodes >>

    Join financial advisors, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, as they discuss the Biblical view on retirement. Drawing from Numbers 8:23-26, the only passage in the Bible explicitly mentioning retirement, they note that the Bible’s context of retirement doesn’t perfectly align with typical Western ideas. The Bible actually heavily emphasizes the importance of work, viewing it as a blessing, not a curse.

    Retirement for Christians should not mean disengaging from life to pursue leisure but should instead be a phase to serve others. It can be a time to focus on ‘marketplace ministry,’ using your skills and extra time to volunteer. While they’re not against leisure activities like golf, they caution that an obsession with such activities in retirement can lead to depression and a lack of fulfillment. Proper planning—both financial and spiritual—is essential for a meaningful, Biblically-aligned retirement.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    NUMBERS 8:23-26

    The Lord also instructed Moses, “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”

    GENESIS 2:15

    The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

    MATTHEW 25:31-40

    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

    Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Shawn (00:00):

    Think retirement is your ticket to permanent leisure. The Bible might disagree. Today we’re diving into what God really says about our golden years. Let’s get some perspective.

    (00:09):

    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. So glad that you’ve joined us today. My name is Shawn Peters and I’m joined as always by my esteemed co-host and father-in-law, Bob Barber.

    Bob (00:27):

    I’m glad you say esteemed. That makes me feel really good.

    Shawn (00:30):

    And if you enjoy content on financial topics, but from a Christian perspective, we’d love for you to hit that subscribe button and join our growing community of other Christians who want to glorify God in their finances. So today we have a topic on, “Is Retirement Biblical?” Now, before you click off or stop listening, I promise it’s going to be a good episode.

    Bob (00:54):

    Yes, it’s going to be very good.

    Shawn (00:56):

    So please stick around, but we’re going to start with the scripture. First is Numbers 8:23-26, “The Lord also instructed Moses, ‘This is the rule the Levites must follow. They must begin serving in the tabernacle at the age of 25, and they must retire at the age of 50. After retirement, they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.'”

    Bob (01:28):

    The Bible only speaks of retirement, Shawn, one time. This is the only passage in the entire Bible that speaks about retirement and it’s definitely not in the context of what we think of as retirement.

    Shawn (01:42):

    Not of what we typically think of retirement, especially in the, I guess you’d say the Western world.

    Bob (01:45):

    Yeah. Yes. But I’ll tell you what, the Bible does speak of working in the importance of working over 500 times. I think it was 565 to be exact, but different versions.

    Shawn (01:59):

    So from my count Bob, we’ve got one mention of retirement

    Bob (02:02):

    Yep.

    Shawn (02:03):

    Over 500 or so talking about work and the importance of work.

    Bob (02:07):

    Yeah.

    Shawn (02:08):

    It seems like the topic of work is a little bit more important. Okay.

    Bob (02:13):

    Yeah. And not working, laziness and idle hands, are spoken of in a negative light in the Bible. Very much so. So work is seen as a blessing, not a curse.

    Shawn (02:30):

    Which does make sense. If you look back at the creation story, and…

    Bob (02:34):

    It was before the fall

    Shawn (02:34):

    Before the fall of man, that work existed before sin. Sin just made certain aspects of work a lot more difficult.

    Bob (02:43):

    The weeds. Yeah.

    Shawn (02:45):

    But work was always part of the plan. Yeah.

    Bob (02:47):

    Yes. And work should be seen as a blessing, not a curse. I mean, you think about marketplace ministry and what happens in the workplace. There’s so much more ministry. Sunday is for an hour and a half, your small group is isolated to just believers most of the time and maybe 15 people. But in your workplace, you can truly be a witness to so many others. It is what I call marketplace ministry.

    Shawn (03:14):

    You are at work typically a lot of the day for most of us.

    Bob (03:19):

    Yep, that’s right.

    Shawn (03:20):

    Okay. So work is God’s provision for you and your family even if it’s not what you dreamed of doing. So today, as we kind of mentioned earlier, we will be discussing if retirement is Biblical or I guess we could say, is the way we talk about retirement typically Biblical or is the American retirement Biblical?

    Bob (03:43):

    I think that’s a good point is the American retirement, but then Europe is the same way. Okay.

    Shawn (03:48):

    This is America, Bob, we don’t need to talk about Europe.

    Bob (03:50):

    We read in that scripture in Numbers 8:23-26. There’s just no other direction in scripture that would suggest we even should retire. But I want to point out, okay, very quickly right off in the front of this, as we’re doing this program today, that retirement is not sinful.

    Shawn (04:11):

    Right? That’s not what we’re saying.

    Bob (04:12):

    Yeah, not at all. But for a Christian it should be viewed from a Biblical worldview, not a secular one, as the pagans do. We don’t want to negate the design of God’s design on retirement because we were created to work and help others with our resources. You just mentioned the scripture.

    Shawn (04:36):

    I just mentioned it, right? Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Now for those of you who aren’t remembering exactly where that fits in scripture, again, this is before sin entered into the world.

    Bob (04:51):

    Exactly.

    Shawn (04:52):

    And it says very specifically that God put man in the garden to work it and take care of it.

    Bob (04:57):

    So American retirement, the way we look at it in many ways, Shawn, it has normalized something that was never intended by God and that is not working.

    Shawn (05:08):

    Right or not working at all.

    Bob (05:09):

    Yeah, not working at all. Now there’s nothing, I want to say this. There’s nothing wrong with a good game of golf. Alright? You know we have a second home on a golf course.

    Shawn (05:21):

    And he keeps trying to get me to play. I don’t like to play.

    Bob (05:25):

    You got kind of excited last time you came down there.

    Shawn (05:26):

    I got a little, but my hands started hurting. I’m not used to it.

    Bob (05:31):

    I’ll tell you. Shawn went to the driving range with me and he was knocking those balls. Just Shawn’s an old athlete.

    Shawn (05:39):

    Well, as they say in golf, Bob, it’s all about power, not finesse, right?

    Bob (05:43):

    I guess so. But there’s nothing wrong with golf. There’s nothing wrong with fishing or hanging out on the beach, but that’s not what retirement is supposed to be about. And if it does become about that and you become consumed with that, it can lead to depression and a lack of significance.

    Shawn (06:02):

    And a shortened lifespan.

    Bob (06:03):

    So I want to give you some examples of what I’ve seen being and living on a golf course. I’ve watched these older gentlemen that are retired, it becomes consuming to them and it becomes, they get the competitive side of them because they’re no longer working in the workplace and we’re on hole number 15 in Rockport. We’re right at the end of it. We look right out on it and I watched them throw their golf clubs, hit the ground with it. I listened to them cursing and I’m thinking, is this really fun now?

    Shawn (06:46):

    Yeah, it’s a game.

    Bob (06:46):

    What has happened to this? Something has gone wrong in retirement with these good men, and they’re nice men. I mean, I hang out in the club with them and I sit around in the bar and have a glass of iced tea. They know I’m not the drinker, and I become friends with them and try to tell ’em about Christ because that’s truly what it’s about. But I think we need to look at retirement from a scriptural basis truly and from a Christian worldview, and I’ve picked this scripture, I’m going to have you read that we can reach in and say, alright, if I’m going to retire because I have the financial resources to do so, how could I apply this scripture to retirement? Alright, you ready?

    Shawn (07:38):

    So Matthew 25:31-40, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he’ll separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my father, take your inheritance the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The king will reply. ‘Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”

    Bob (08:41):

    How could you take this scripture, this scripture right here and apply it to retirement?

    Shawn (08:47):

    Well, one of the things that I know we have been talking to clients about with this that are nearing retirement is retiring from your career that you’ve needed to build assets, plan for retirement, and pay the bills. You’re retiring from that and moving into what is it God is calling you to do now with feeding the hungry, helping the sick, visiting those in prison, sharing Christ. If you’ve planned properly, that doesn’t mean you don’t play the occasional round of golf like you were saying.

    Bob (09:20):

    Absoluterly. Absolutely. Hey, I love golf.

    Shawn (09:22):

    But we do know that from avoiding depression, from having purpose, from living a longer life, people who only focus on having fun and doing things just for themselves, they don’t last as long.

    Bob (09:41):

    No, they don’t.

    Shawn (09:42):

    But those who have a mission and a purpose will be more fulfilled. They will live longer. And it’s Biblical because now you aren’t being constricted by, well I have to work to be able to survive. But you’re focusing on, okay, well this is a passion that God has given me. Just like when we talk about with the priest in the first scripture, the older priests retire from the normal day-to-day active duties and they’re basically moving into a support, mentoring…

    Bob (10:15):

    They become a mentor and they become a teacher to the younger priests.

    Shawn (10:17):

    So they’re still continuing that on. It’s much in the same way that maybe something you could do is, depending on what your career was, but maybe you were a leader in your field by the time you retired and now you volunteer your time. You come in as basically a consultant.

    Bob (10:32):

    This is the point that I wanted to get to is that a Biblical retirement, this is what it looks like. Retirement for Christians should mean free time to devote to serving others without the necessity of getting paid for it. It is truly a time to rethink how you invest your time and resources. And instead of quitting from life and moving to Florida, Arizona, or Texas and playing golf every day, waiting for the, waiting for the first piece of mail to arrive, instead be diligent to save and willing to serve. And if we adopt this mindset and devote those last years or decades, for some, of our lives of serving others, then the Lord will find us doing his work if he returns and when he returns.

    Shawn (11:20):

    When he returns. That’s right.

    Bob (11:22):

    So should you put together a plan for retirement from a Biblical sense?

    Shawn (11:28):

    Absolutely.

    Bob (11:28):

    Absolutely, you should.

    Shawn (11:29):

    I think that’s the key point here is that we’re not saying that you shouldn’t be saving and investing and preparing for retirement. If anything, we’re just trying to call to your attention that there’s more to this life than just having fun when you retire. And if you’ve done that planning right, we’ll go into that.

    Bob (11:48):

    So I got these nine points we got to get through. Okay. All right. And we’re just going to list these.

    Shawn (11:52):

    Sorry, Bob, I’m just getting excited.

    Bob (11:53):

    Okay. I know you do. That’s all right, Shawn. 1) So financially and spiritually preparing for retirement is wise. You go to number two.

    Shawn (12:03):

    2) Knowing and understanding your annual financial need and how it will be funded.

    Bob (12:07):

    Yeah, you got to know that.

    Shawn (12:08):

    Because you are still going to have to eat and live somewhere.

    Bob (12:10):

    That’s exactly right. 3) Will you need to downsize your home or sell it all together when you retire or rent. And why did I say that? Maybe you need to rent. So if God calls you to go into the ministry, which he just did, I saw a couple just last week in our megachurch here in town come up and they were in their sixties and they sold everything and they’re going into the mission field. And I think that is awesome. I was so excited to see that.

    Shawn (12:37):

    They’re self funded to do the ministry God’s calling them to do.

    Bob (12:38):

    Exactly. But there are things that you need to think about during retirement, 4) Will you need to work to supplement those essential needs. And here’s a big one. This is one I don’t see.

    Shawn (12:52):

    5) Have you written down your retirement goals according to God’s plan?

    Bob (12:55):

    Right. Put that before the Lord and written ’em down in a spiral notebook or anything, but write ’em down. Write ’em down. 6) Have you earnestly prayed about what God wants you to do during retirement and sought His Word, the Bible for the answers, or even should you retire at all? God’s called me. I prayed about it big time, and God’s called me not to retire. He’s called me to continue to work.

    Shawn (13:24):

    And in all full transparency, we will make it personal here. I know Bob has no intentions of ever “retiring, retiring”, but I do know that over time the plan might be that Bob can let go of a couple things and the rest of the staff we kind of share the load and move forward. But I mean, if you’ve ever known Bob, you would know that he doesn’t really sit around anyway. So God’s definitely called him to continue doing stuff.

    Bob (13:50):

    I’m also a good delegator. I don’t mind delegating. So I want to challenge you if you’re retired or you’re about to retire, to do this, write down your retirement goals according to God’s plan, not your own, but according to God’s plan. Write down how you want to spend those days. 7) Do it in two to three hour slots and say, this is how I’m going to spend my day. 8) Write down the charities that you want to volunteer your time at during those retirement years. And 9) How can you be a mentor to help others?

    Shawn (14:20):

    That’s right. Just like the retired priest.

    Bob (14:23):

    Exactly. So we end with the question that we started at, “Is retirement Biblical?” You know what it can be if it’s not all about you and serving you, not serving yourself, but serving others and helping to build the Kingdom of God. We want to help you do that.

    Shawn (14:39):

    And in retirement, think of it this way, there’s only two things you can do. You can either build the kingdom of self or you can build the kingdom of God.

    Bob (14:46):

    You’re always saying that.

    Shawn (14:47):

    Well, I love that.

    Bob (14:48):

    Yep. That’s right.

    Shawn (14:49):

    I didn’t come up with it. We heard it from somebody else.

    Bob (14:51):

    Tell somebody how to get ahold of us if they would like to talk more about this.

    Shawn (14:53):

    If you want to talk more, if you want to get some help on this or if you have ideas for future episodes, you can visit our website www.christianfinancialadvisors.com. Send us a message. You can also call and or text us during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Texas time. And that is (830) 609-6986. Thank you. And as always, God bless and see you next time.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    16 min
  • 172 – Does God Really Care What I Invest In
    Click below to listen to Episode 172 – Does God Really Care What I Invest In?
    Does God Really Care What I Invest In

    Bob and Shawn delve into the reasons why God does care what you invest in.

    More episodes >>

    Join Bob and Shawn as they delve into the topic of Biblically responsible investing, questioning if God really cares where Christians invest their money. Drawing on various scriptures, they argue that Christians should invest in a manner that aligns with their faith and values. There’s a difference between merely doing business with companies and actually profiting from them. Thus, ownership implies a greater level of responsibility.

    They also address a common question about whether one can both invest responsibly according to Christian values and have a diversified portfolio. The answer is a resounding yes, noting that there are over 2,500 Biblically responsible companies and a variety of corresponding ETFs and mutual funds. Overall, this episode serves as a guide for Christians who seek to align their financial decisions with their faith.

    HOSTED BY: Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®

    CO-HOST: Shawn Peters

    Mentioned In This Episode
    Christian Financial Advisors
    Website
    Bob Barber, CWS®, CKA®
    Shawn Peters
    Bible Verses In This Episode
    1 TIMOTHY 6:9-10

    Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

    2 CORINTHIANS 6:17

    “Come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.”

    PSALM 24:1

    The earth is the Lords and everything in it.

    Want to ask a question about your specific situation? Schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone call.

    SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTDid you enjoy this episode? Sign up for email updates and never miss an episode.
    EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    Intro:

    Ever wondered if God cares about where you invest your money? What if your investments support things like pornography or abortion? Stick around as we explore why Biblically responsible investing is not just optional for a Christian, it’s essential.

    Shawn:

    Welcome to another episode of Christian Financial Perspectives. We’re so glad that you joined us today. As always, if you enjoy content on finance, but from a Christian perspective using Biblical principles, we’d love for you to hit that subscribe button and join our growing community of fellow Christians who want to glorify God through their finances. Today we’re going to be covering the topic, “Does God really care what I invest in?” So for example, does God really care if the companies or mutual funds I buy in my IRA or brokerage account support things that are completely against my beliefs as a Christian? The short answer is yes. So end of episode, right Bob?

    Bob:

    I guess that’s it. Yeah, we have a lot more to share.

    Shawn:

    We have a lot more to share. So we will go into the why, but as always, I’m joined by my co-host Bob Barber. And Bob, I know this is something that has been near and dear to your heart for many, many years in your chosen field of your profession. So why don’t you take it from here?

    Bob:

    Okay, I will. So does God really care? That’s a good question. Isn’t it? What you invest in. Does he care if we support companies that are supporting pornography and abortion and destructive behaviors and lifestyles such as the LGBT? You took some of this out.

    Shawn:

    LGBT+

    Bob:

    T plus,

    Shawn:

    There’s a bunch of letters now.

    Bob:

    Adultery, human slavery, gambling, alcohol addiction, and anti-family entertainment. I believe he does. Does it really matter to God if these companies I invest in support these agendas as long as they’re making a profit? I think it does. Yes, it does matter. And as a Christian, if profit is your only goal, you need to search your heart. And that’s what we’re going to do today. We’re going to search.

    Shawn:

    That’s right.

    Bob:

    We’ve got a scripture here.

    Shawn:

    First scripture for today is 1Timothy6:9-10, which warns us of this by saying, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction, for the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. And some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” I do love that scripture, but I do also understand that many of us have misread or misunderstood that scripture because you hear many times, oh, the love of money is the root of all evil, or the love of money is evil or money is evil. You hear different things like that.

    Bob:

    Well, you hear money is evil, but it’s the love of money.

    Shawn:

    Exactly. It’s the love of money. Money is just a tool like a hammer.

    Bob:

    So what we’re speaking of today is if you put profit above principle….

    Shawn:

    Right, that’s the problem. And that fits with that scripture as well because it’s the love of money, which is the root of all sorts of evil. So don’t put your love of money ahead of your love of God and what he’s calling you to do and the principles that he has set out for us. So the next scripture.

    Bob:

    Which comes to investing in companies and what they’re doing.

    Shawn:

    2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to, “‘Come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord, “And do not touch what is unclean and I will welcome you.'”

    Bob:

    Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” You know what? That includes our investments, Shawn.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. I’m pretty sure our investments are in the world, so I would think that would be part of that. Right?

    Bob:

    Exactly. So when we invest in companies supporting immorality, we’re buying them with God’s money because of that scripture. The earth is the Lord’s. So this is God’s money, and we’re buying those companies that support immorality.

    Shawn:

    Which leads us to our next scripture.

    Bob:

    It does.

    Shawn:

    Which is 2 Corinthians 6:14, which warns us of being yoked together with unbelievers, “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common, or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” So as a Christian, we are managers and stewards, not owners of God’s property. And when we invest in a company either directly by buying their stock or very common for people is indirectly through say, an ETF or a mutual fund. We are becoming a part owner of that company. And when they profit for supporting immorality, we are participating in it. So I’ve heard this analogy before, Bob, and I think you may have even shared it with me in times past, but there’s a principle here. If someone baked you some brownies…

    Bob:

    Oh, okay, I know where you’re coming from with this.

    Shawn:

    And they say, well, I just baked these brownies and there’s a little bit of poop in it. Are you going to eat the brownies? No. Well, they say, well, I only did a little bit. I only did a teaspoon. It doesn’t matter, right? Because whether it’s a lot or a little bit, nobody wants poop in the brownies. Well tie that to the company that you’re investing in, whether you own 100% of it because it’s a company you started, you’re a majority owner of 50% or more, or you own 0.5% or 0.05%. Does it really matter? Because in all those cases, you’re still an owner. And ultimately, if we believe what the Bible says and that we are stewards, that everything belongs to God, what we are involved in and something that we are an owner in, we are ultimately responsible for what that company does. And by being an owner, you are saying, here’s my stamp of approval that I believe in this company and what it’s doing, and I’m okay with how it operates. So if that’s not true, why be an owner?

    Bob:

    See, this is truly, Shawn, this is a faith walk. And this is a walk of, do you believe that what you believe is really real? Do you trust God with those dollars that he’s given to you? And do you trust them enough even though the companies may be making a profit to say, no, I’m not going to invest in that company if it’s making, just because it’s making a profit. If that company is supporting immorality in any way. And you would be surprised how many are, I mean, it’s about 50% of the S&P 500, but I’m going to point out later how many choices we do have, which is actually a couple thousand. So, we’re still good. So the question that it really comes down to, this heart, your heart. Is it okay for a Christian to profit from a company supporting immorality? And no, never. It’s never okay. But what about doing business with one of those companies? I get this a lot. Well Bob, I’m not investing in them, but how can, I mean, I may be doing business with them. Well, let’s look at it that way. I mean, God’s looking at the heart and I think if we try in every way that we can to not invest in those companies or do business with those companies, that’s what God is looking at. But sometimes that’s not possible. Do you realize that?

    Shawn:

    I think a good example for that, to try to break it down. When you’re talking about investing, you don’t have a choice of two or three companies. There’s thousands of companies.

    Bob:

    Right. Exactly.

    Shawn:

    I mean the S&P 500, there’s still a very large percentage of the S&P 500 that would pass Biblically responsible screens, that would pass the screens that we’re talking about and whether or not you can invest. However, when it comes to the retail side of things, so for instance, you need to get a smartphone. I mean, who doesn’t operate in this world now without some kind of smart device, whether that’s a smartphone, computer, or both. And for many jobs and positions, it’s a necessity. It’s almost impossible. Now, it doesn’t mean you have to get the most expensive fanciest one, but it comes down to you need to have that. It is a requirement on the retail consumer side. I’ll wait for a second, but for those of you watching or listening, can you name the two companies basically that you can pick a smartphone from?

    Bob:

    We’re not going…

    Shawn:

    Technically 3.

    Bob:

    We gotta be careful about that.

    Shawn:

    But effectively when it really comes down to it, there’s maybe three choices depending on the operating system.

    Bob:

    And none of them would be Biblically responsible.

    Shawn:

    And when it comes to computers, there’s effectively…

    Bob:

    Same thing.

    Shawn:

    I mean, there’s two operating systems. There’s slightly more companies, but it’s still a handful of companies. So I would argue, here’s the other part, too. It’s not just that there’s a lot less choices for something that’s a necessity, but like you said, Bob, it’s about the heart. And when it comes down to it, when you are the owner of a company, whether a lot or a little bit, that is a very different level of responsibility than you purchased a product one time from a company.

    Bob:

    Exactly. Because when you buy something from a company, while you may be supporting it, you’re not profiting from it.

    Shawn:

    And you are not becoming an owner and becoming responsible for what that company is doing.

    Bob:

    That’s the big difference that you’ve got to associate with this. There’s a difference between investing in the company and buying something from the company. Here’s an example, too. I’ve given this example, and we’ve had Eventide Mutual Funds on here give this example, and I like this example. He says, so I need gas for my car. I’m out in the middle of nowhere, and there’s one of the companies that support some of these agendas that violate Biblical principles. I got to have gas in my car. That same company sells lottery tickets that goes into gambling, of course. And they sell pornographic magazines and they sell some heavy hard liquor, which leads to destructive lifestyles.

    Shawn:

    But of those four things, the gas is the only one that’s a requirement.

    Bob:

    Exactly. So I’m getting gas from my car and maybe I’m out in the middle of nowhere and Texas right now it’s a hundred degrees plus and I need some water for my family and some soft drinks and maybe some peanuts. Well, I’m not supporting, like you say, the lottery tickets. I’m not buying the pornography.

    Shawn:

    And you’re not an owner of the company.

    Bob:

    Exactly. Exactly. So I’m supporting the good in that company and I’m not an owner in it. That’s an example of how you’ve got to understand the difference between investing and owning it versus needing to support. It’s maybe an essential. That is an essential if you’re out in the middle of the desert, you’ve got to have gas.

    Shawn:

    Okay. Well, Bob, by that same logic. If you’re listening or watching this and you’re thinking, what else could this apply to? Well, think about movies. There’s a lot of different production companies. They make a lot of different kinds of movies, but you may not be an owner, but you can vote and influence those companies through your dollars on deciding what movies you will and won’t support. So if there’s a movie that is a good movie, it has good values, at the very least, it’s just good, clean, family fun, maybe go support that. But then don’t support the movie that is obviously preaching an agenda that does not align with our values as Christians. Well, that’s one of those things where if the company keeps seeing that they’re not making as much money on certain kinds of movies and they’re making more on the other ones, they’re going to probably make more of the movies they’re making money on.

    Bob:

    Here’s a question I know people are asking now. I mean, as they’re watching us and as they’re listening to us, they’re going, okay, I want to ask you, Bob, me or you, Shawn, I want to ask, can a Christian invest in Biblically responsible companies and still have a diversified portfolio? Yes. Out of the S&P 500, the midcap index and small cap indexes, there’s over 2,500 Biblically responsible companies a Christian can invest in and many choices of Biblically responsible ETFs and mutual funds across all the asset classes that hold these Biblically responsible companies. So, it is very possible today. Now, when I started this 27, 28 years ago, there were only a few choices. I mean, still there was the markets you could go in, but as far as the mutual funds and the ETFs, there were only a few choices. Now, there’s every choice there is.

    Shawn:

    And I would just like to say, praise God for that.

    Bob:

    Amen.

    Shawn:

    To see how much the industry has changed and realizing that there are a lot of us out there, there is a lot of believers and Christians who want to invest like this. And the market has responded in kind to now have so many more choices where if you just wanted some ETFs and mutual funds, you don’t have to go out and individually pick all these stocks. There are a lot of options now and there didn’t used to be. So I guess to answer that question, you certainly can invest in a diversified portfolio and still remain Biblically responsible. Because the other thing to keep in mind when we say Biblically responsible, we don’t mean that the company is Christian. All we mean is that they are not failing in what we call the negative screens. Abortion, pornography, LGBT+, all those other destructive lifestyles and things like that. And then on the positive side, it’s companies that are doing good through how they treat their employees, how they treat their vendors, the kinds of products they’re producing. So it doesn’t necessarily mean Christian, it just means it passes muster with our principles that we can get behind.

    Bob:

    So we spent a lot of time back in February of this year, we had a three part series on Biblically responsible investing. What we wanted to cover today is, does God care what you invest in? And he does. I believe he does. It’s all in his word. It’s all about it. Alright. And there’s so much about stewardship in the Bible. So I want to invite those of you who have not listened to the three part series we did on Biblically responsible investing back in February. That was episodes 143, 144, and 145. To go back and listen to those episodes on Biblically responsible investing. We give you the history of it and we give you much more detail about Biblically responsible investing.

    Shawn:

    And those links will be in the description.

    Bob:

    Absolutely.

    Shawn:

    Okay. But if you are driving and listening to this, please stop first before you try to click on this.

    Bob:

    So we are calling all Christians to basically put their money where their mouth is. Because this is God’s money and to come out and be separate and to really look at Biblically responsible investing and it’s out there everywhere. We can help you put together a portfolio or you can go to www.kingdomadvisors.com and look for a Christian advisor in your area that focuses on Biblically responsible investing. We focus on it here. If you’d more information about it, you can call or text us at (830) 609-6986. Or you can go to www.christianfinancialadvisors.com.

    Shawn:

    That’s right. And as always, thank you so much for joining us. God bless. And I would also say, if you can, pray for this channel and pray for people who might come across this, we hope that it blesses others and glorifies God in the process. Thank you.

    ——-

    [CONCLUSION]

    That’s all for now.

    We invite you to listen to all of our past episodes covering many financial topics from a Christian Perspective. To make sure you don’t miss any of Bob’s upcoming episodes you can subscribe to Christian Financial Perspectives on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, or Stitcher. To learn more about integrating your faith with your finances, visit ciswealth.com or call 830-609-6986.

    [DISCLOSURES]

    * Investment advisory services offered through Christian Investment Advisors Inc dba Christian Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Comments from today’s show are for informational purposes only and not to be considered investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell any company that may have been mentioned or discussed. The opinions expressed are solely those of the hosts, Bob Barber and Shawn Peters, and their guests. Bob and Shawn do not provide tax advice and encourage you to seek guidance from a tax professional. While Christian Financial Advisors believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability.

    17 min

About Christian Financial Perspectives

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Biblical wisdom for financial decisions and goals. Conversations about managing money according to Christian principles, featuring expert insights on budgeting, investing, giving, and building wealth…

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