To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Proverbs 13:22 tells us we should leave something to our heirs. It says,A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. But it doesn’t say how to do it. Often, when parents make out a will, they simply divide their assets equally among their children and that includes property. But some experts will tell you that’s asking for trouble.

A common entry you’ll find in any will is My estate will be divided equally among my children. But this immediately forces your heirs to make a difficult decision. Do they continue to hold the property in joint ownership? Or do they sell it and divide the proceeds? However, a third option exists: are one or more heirs willing to buy out the others?

Emotionally, inheriting real estate may cause heirs to make unwise decisions based upon feelings, rather than facts. In many cases, the ancestral family home becomes a money pit that breeds contention.

Many experts suggest that you handle this like any other asset in your will. Stipulate that upon your death that all property be sold and that the proceeds be divided equally among your heirs.

Discuss your wishes with your family so that no one is surprised after die. Everyone needs to understand not only your decisions but why you made them.

By having serious discussions about your estate ahead of time you can eliminate the potential for infighting and resentment later.

If you need help drawing up a will or changing one, it’s important to work with an estate attorney who shares your Christian worldview. You can do that by finding a Certified Kingdom Advisor. Go to MoneyWise.org and clicking on Find a CKA.

On today’s program we also answer a couple of yourquestions:

My wife and I are trying to decide if it’s a better time to go ahead and take some money and buy property three years ahead of actually moving onto it. But because of the worries of the possibility of investing and getting taxed heavily on it if we were to put into into some kind of investment account, we’re also worried about the current, political outlook. How should we proceed, you think?

Is it true that you can put other things into a Roth IRA other than just stock market purchases?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

Proverbs 13:11 tells us, Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Applied to investing it means patience is a virtue. All too often impatience can be costly especially if you’re trying to time the market. Investing expert Mark Biller joins us today to tell us how to win at that game without really trying.Mark Biller is the executive editor at Sound Mind Investing where they’ve found an interesting analogy to investing in competitive tennis.Then it’s on to your calls at 800-525-7000.

The tennis analogy refers to investors trying to beat the market. Just like in tennis, there are amateurs and professionals trying to win at that game.

Beating the market is really hard. The truth of professional investing is that most actively managed investments including most mutual funds, advisor portfolios, newsletter strategies, etc. fail to outperform the overall market.

Traditional money management is based on the assumption that professional managers can consistently beat the market through research, intelligent risk-taking, and exploiting the mistakes of others. While some do for a season, this assumption has largely been proven false. For many investors, therefore, the secret to winning the money game may be in not trying to win.

In the book, Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Player, the author talks about how amateur tennis is a loser’s game, meaning the winner is determined by the behavior of the loser. For amateur players, the key to winning isn’t overpowering your opponent, but rather letting your opponent beat himself by making mistakes that lose points.

In pro tennis, points are won rather than lost - players take calculated risks to win points with exceptionally powerful or well-placed shots. At the expert level, it is the winning of points that drives the action and determines the outcome.

Wall Street is still full of fund managers because the pros do tend to do a little better than the market overall, but the cost of the fees they charge drops their performance below the market.

Another reason is because the markets have changed. A few decades ago, the active investment manager was competing with a lot of cautious custodians and amateur investors who weren’t as in tune with the markets as the pros. Today, investing is largely a competition between high powered pros. Several thousand professional investors hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and so on operate in the market all day, every day, in the most intensely competitive way.

In order to play the loser’s game it is best to rely on low-cost index funds. They offer distinct advantages and are very easy to set up into a simple portfolio.

Mark Biller’s been our guest today. He’s executive editor at Sound Mind Investing. you can read more about today’s topic at SoundMindInvesting.org. The article is titled, The Loser’s Game That Can Make You a Winner.

Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I am refinancing my home with a cash out and looking to get an investment home. I am taking out a percentage of the equity and have a tenant in mind to rent. Is this wise if the rental person is in business to do the same thing as me?

I would like to help my mom with estate planning. I heard you talk about tax laws on capital gains. Should she gift things prior to her death because of these laws?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Remember, you can call or email us 24/7.Visit us online at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and download free resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediato join the latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Proverbs 13:11 tells us, Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Applied to investing it means patience is a virtue. All too often impatience can be costly especially if you’re trying to time the market. Investing expert Mark Biller joins us today to tell us how to win at that game without really trying.Mark Biller is the executive editor at Sound Mind Investing where they’ve found an interesting analogy to investing in competitive tennis.Then it’s on to your calls at 800-525-7000.

The tennis analogy refers to investors trying to beat the market. Just like in tennis, there are amateurs and professionals trying to win at that game.

Beating the market is really hard. The truth of professional investing is that most actively managed investments including most mutual funds, advisor portfolios, newsletter strategies, etc. fail to outperform the overall market.

Traditional money management is based on the assumption that professional managers can consistently beat the market through research, intelligent risk-taking, and exploiting the mistakes of others. While some do for a season, this assumption has largely been proven false. For many investors, therefore, the secret to winning the money game may be in not trying to win.

In the book, Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Player, the author talks about how amateur tennis is a loser’s game, meaning the winner is determined by the behavior of the loser. For amateur players, the key to winning isn’t overpowering your opponent, but rather letting your opponent beat himself by making mistakes that lose points.

In pro tennis, points are won rather than lost - players take calculated risks to win points with exceptionally powerful or well-placed shots. At the expert level, it is the winning of points that drives the action and determines the outcome.

Wall Street is still full of fund managers because the pros do tend to do a little better than the market overall, but the cost of the fees they charge drops their performance below the market.

Another reason is because the markets have changed. A few decades ago, the active investment manager was competing with a lot of cautious custodians and amateur investors who weren’t as in tune with the markets as the pros. Today, investing is largely a competition between high powered pros. Several thousand professional investors hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and so on operate in the market all day, every day, in the most intensely competitive way.

In order to play the loser’s game it is best to rely on low-cost index funds. They offer distinct advantages and are very easy to set up into a simple portfolio.

Mark Biller’s been our guest today. He’s executive editor at Sound Mind Investing. you can read more about today’s topic at SoundMindInvesting.org. The article is titled, The Loser’s Game That Can Make You a Winner.

Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I am refinancing my home with a cash out and looking to get an investment home. I am taking out a percentage of the equity and have a tenant in mind to rent. Is this wise if the rental person is in business to do the same thing as me?

I would like to help my mom with estate planning. I heard you talk about tax laws on capital gains. Should she gift things prior to her death because of these laws?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Remember, you can call or email us 24/7.Visit us online at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and download free resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediato join the latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

Did you know that Christians gave a larger percentage of their income to their churches during the Great Depression than they do now? And that was true before the COVID pandemic hit. There’s no question that church giving isn’t where it should be. We’ll talk about that first today and what’s stopping us from giving more.

There’s no question that church giving suffered during the pandemic. While some churches actually experienced an increase in giving more than a third saw their weekly giving drop.

On average, Christians today are giving only about 2.5% of their income to the church, while during the darkest days of the Great Depression they gave 3.3%.

Most every Christian you ask will tell you they’d like to give more but somethingprevents them from doing it. The reason people cite most often is financial bondage. Some say they’d like to even give sacrificially above the tithe, but they can’t. They have too much debt. Or they have some other financial limitation or obligation.

Financial bondage can show itself in many ways. Debt is the most obvious, but there’s also hoarding and just spending foolishly. The more debt you have, the more you hoard, and the more you spend, the less you’re able to give to God’s Kingdom.

Spiritual bondage is next. Our desires, our will, is not in tune with God’s will. As a result, we make life decisions that prevent us from giving more. In spiritual bondage, we simply want other things more than we want to give.

1 Timothy 6:10 warns us about spiritual bondage. It reads, 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.

The solution is to pray that the Holy Spirit helps align your will with God’s will. We should do this all the time, but especially when we feel convicted about giving.

The last obstacle is emotional bondage, or we might call it a lack of emotion. You just don’t feel passionate about giving. Our natural state is to not give. if you’re in emotional bondage, you might shy away from learning about giving opportunities because they make you uncomfortable. Instead, we should feel excited or emotional about giving. It’s a very tangible form of worship which we were designed to do.

Any or all of these obstacles, can limit how much you give. But you don’t have to allow it. You can get on your knees and ask God to make your will conform to His, to give you clear direction on how much you should give and where.

Here are a few questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I would like to invest for my niece as a gift. Where is the best place to do this?

Can you help me understand how to invest properly and Biblically?

I am a veteran with a current VA mortgage. I am getting a lot of calls to refinance. Should I do this?

What is your opinion on prenuptial agreements?

My mother is retired and is 73 years old. She is asking about investments that she can make for her grandchildren. Advice?

I was guilty of a lot of financial issues in my previous marriage. How do you recover and move forward?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Did you know that Christians gave a larger percentage of their income to their churches during the Great Depression than they do now? And that was true before the COVID pandemic hit. There’s no question that church giving isn’t where it should be. We’ll talk about that first today and what’s stopping us from giving more.

There’s no question that church giving suffered during the pandemic. While some churches actually experienced an increase in giving more than a third saw their weekly giving drop.

On average, Christians today are giving only about 2.5% of their income to the church, while during the darkest days of the Great Depression they gave 3.3%.

Most every Christian you ask will tell you they’d like to give more but somethingprevents them from doing it. The reason people cite most often is financial bondage. Some say they’d like to even give sacrificially above the tithe, but they can’t. They have too much debt. Or they have some other financial limitation or obligation.

Financial bondage can show itself in many ways. Debt is the most obvious, but there’s also hoarding and just spending foolishly. The more debt you have, the more you hoard, and the more you spend, the less you’re able to give to God’s Kingdom.

Spiritual bondage is next. Our desires, our will, is not in tune with God’s will. As a result, we make life decisions that prevent us from giving more. In spiritual bondage, we simply want other things more than we want to give.

1 Timothy 6:10 warns us about spiritual bondage. It reads, 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.

The solution is to pray that the Holy Spirit helps align your will with God’s will. We should do this all the time, but especially when we feel convicted about giving.

The last obstacle is emotional bondage, or we might call it a lack of emotion. You just don’t feel passionate about giving. Our natural state is to not give. if you’re in emotional bondage, you might shy away from learning about giving opportunities because they make you uncomfortable. Instead, we should feel excited or emotional about giving. It’s a very tangible form of worship which we were designed to do.

Any or all of these obstacles, can limit how much you give. But you don’t have to allow it. You can get on your knees and ask God to make your will conform to His, to give you clear direction on how much you should give and where.

Here are a few questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I would like to invest for my niece as a gift. Where is the best place to do this?

Can you help me understand how to invest properly and Biblically?

I am a veteran with a current VA mortgage. I am getting a lot of calls to refinance. Should I do this?

What is your opinion on prenuptial agreements?

My mother is retired and is 73 years old. She is asking about investments that she can make for her grandchildren. Advice?

I was guilty of a lot of financial issues in my previous marriage. How do you recover and move forward?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

If you had to pick a single Bible verse to explain the financial condition of many American households today it might be Proverbs 20:21: Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. But these days we’d define precious treasure and oil as money or wealth. Is something keeping you from storing it up? Today on MoneyWise we’ll look at some of the biggest reasons this might happen.

Credit card debt. We’re always hearing about low interest rates these days, but that certainly doesn’t apply to credit cards. The average balance for folks carrying one is roughly $6,800 with an average interest rate of 16%. If you’re carrying a credit card balance, it’s imperative that you get on a budget and make a plan to pay that debt off quickly.

Student loan debt. Worse than just racking up a lot of college debt is doing that, but then not earning the degree. It’s arguable that borrowing for education is an investment that, in most cases, will pay for itself with a higher future salary. But not if you don’t stick with it -- if you drop out of school without the diploma, you’re still stuck with the debt but likely in a lower paying job. If you’re considering college, make a commitment to graduate before borrowing a penny. Otherwise, it’s money down the drain.

Buying a home or car that’s more than you can afford. It’s estimated that a vehicle depreciates up to 20% just by driving it off the dealer lot. If you’re buying a house or car, don’t let your pride and ego enter into the decision-making process. Make sure the payments fit comfortably in your budget.

Next on the list of big wealth killers is no doubt the most controversial, divorce. There’s no question that God hates divorce. In Matthew 19:6, Jesus says spouses that are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. And while it’s spiritually devastating, we also can’t ignore the financial destruction caused by divorce. It splits assets, increases expenses, and reduces net income. The National Retirement Risk Index shows that most people would need a 30% increase in income to maintain the same lifestyle after divorce.

And of course, one of the biggest reasons often cited for divorce is couples arguing about money. It’s important that you and your spouse share the same financial goals. That makes saving and spending decisions much easier. To determine those goals, it’s helpful to seek outside assistance from an advisor who shares your Christian values. You can do that by finding a Certified Kingdom Advisor near you. Go to MoneyWise.org and click Find a CKA.

Last of the list is personal lifestyle creep -- spending more than you can afford given your other goals and priorities. If your income increases, so does your spending and you never get ahead. In his book Master Your Money, Ron Blue sums it up like this, If you spend more than you make, you’ll go into debt and rob yourself of the ability to save for emergencies and to invest for the future. This is just simple, inescapable math. Yet so many people do it.

On today’s program we also answer the following listener questions:

We want to be able to set up our 4 children financially for the future. What would you recommend?

Would you recommend for us to keep the money that we currently have in savings and move it into something else like CDs or mutual funds?

I just retired and want to make a purchase. Would it be better to make the purchase and pay it off with their store credit card (deferred payments) or would it be better to just pay it off with money that I now have in savings?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them to [email protected]. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

If you had to pick a single Bible verse to explain the financial condition of many American households today it might be Proverbs 20:21: Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. But these days we’d define precious treasure and oil as money or wealth. Is something keeping you from storing it up? Today on MoneyWise we’ll look at some of the biggest reasons this might happen.

Credit card debt. We’re always hearing about low interest rates these days, but that certainly doesn’t apply to credit cards. The average balance for folks carrying one is roughly $6,800 with an average interest rate of 16%. If you’re carrying a credit card balance, it’s imperative that you get on a budget and make a plan to pay that debt off quickly.

Student loan debt. Worse than just racking up a lot of college debt is doing that, but then not earning the degree. It’s arguable that borrowing for education is an investment that, in most cases, will pay for itself with a higher future salary. But not if you don’t stick with it -- if you drop out of school without the diploma, you’re still stuck with the debt but likely in a lower paying job. If you’re considering college, make a commitment to graduate before borrowing a penny. Otherwise, it’s money down the drain.

Buying a home or car that’s more than you can afford. It’s estimated that a vehicle depreciates up to 20% just by driving it off the dealer lot. If you’re buying a house or car, don’t let your pride and ego enter into the decision-making process. Make sure the payments fit comfortably in your budget.

Next on the list of big wealth killers is no doubt the most controversial, divorce. There’s no question that God hates divorce. In Matthew 19:6, Jesus says spouses that are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. And while it’s spiritually devastating, we also can’t ignore the financial destruction caused by divorce. It splits assets, increases expenses, and reduces net income. The National Retirement Risk Index shows that most people would need a 30% increase in income to maintain the same lifestyle after divorce.

And of course, one of the biggest reasons often cited for divorce is couples arguing about money. It’s important that you and your spouse share the same financial goals. That makes saving and spending decisions much easier. To determine those goals, it’s helpful to seek outside assistance from an advisor who shares your Christian values. You can do that by finding a Certified Kingdom Advisor near you. Go to MoneyWise.org and click Find a CKA.

Last of the list is personal lifestyle creep -- spending more than you can afford given your other goals and priorities. If your income increases, so does your spending and you never get ahead. In his book Master Your Money, Ron Blue sums it up like this, If you spend more than you make, you’ll go into debt and rob yourself of the ability to save for emergencies and to invest for the future. This is just simple, inescapable math. Yet so many people do it.

On today’s program we also answer the following listener questions:

We want to be able to set up our 4 children financially for the future. What would you recommend?

Would you recommend for us to keep the money that we currently have in savings and move it into something else like CDs or mutual funds?

I just retired and want to make a purchase. Would it be better to make the purchase and pay it off with their store credit card (deferred payments) or would it be better to just pay it off with money that I now have in savings?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them to [email protected]. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

You picked out the make and model. You’ve been saving your money, waiting to buy a new car. You may have even found the car you want. Now the question is what to do with the old one! If your current vehicle still has value, you can trade it in if you’re buying from a dealer or sell it yourself. If that thought fills you with fear and loathing, here's how to do it. And remember that in most cases, you'll end up with more money by selling it it yourself. Dealerships have overhead and they have to clean and prep the vehicle, then price it to make a profit. But that’s money you could make by selling it yourself.

First, gather your papers, starting with the vehicle’s title. You won’t have one if there’s a lien on the car and you still owe money. In that case, it’s best to wait until you have it paid off before selling the vehicle.

Go online to your Department of Motor Vehicles to see what forms are needed to transfer ownership like a downloadable bill of sale. Also, check to see if the license plates stay with the car after it’s sold. Then order a vehicle history report from Carfax or AutoCheck. Buyers will want to check it.

Set your asking price. Go online to Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book. Plug in your make, model, mileage, features, and condition to get an estimated value. Set your price a bit higher to give room to negotiate.

Give your car a thorough cleaning. Outside, you want curb appeal, so wash and wax. Inside, remove all the stuff that’s accumulated in the glove box, under the seats and in the trunk. Pull out the floor mats and scrub them clean and vacuum the carpet. If the car starts to look too good to sell, you know you’ve done a good job.

Advertise. Take lots of photos inside and out and choose the best half dozen or so. Include the best features like low tread-wear on the tires. Now you’re ready to start posting ads. You can do that at Craigslist, Auto Trader or Ebay Motors. Craigslist is free. Autotrader ad rates start at $25 but it’s worth it because the site is used by serious buyers. At Ebay Motors, you can either auction the car or buy an ad. In any case, enter basic information about the car: make, model, mileage, price, and so on. Also write a short description where you can list special features like bluetooth or reverse cam.

Screen perspective buyers. If you give a phone number, let it go to voicemail so you can choose who to call back. And watch out for buyers who lowball you or negotiate before seeing the vehicle. They could be flippers who buy low and then put the vehicle back on the market at a higher price. Be ready to discuss the car’s features.

When you have a good prospect, set up a test drive. Don’t do it from your home. Choose a safe, public location like a big box store parking lot. Take a friend with you if you can. And let the buyer drive the carbut go along for the ride. Resist negotiating at that point. Instead, just answer any questions the buyer may have. If they want to have a mechanic inspect the car, agree, but insist they pay for it. If the inspection reveals items that need immediate attention, you may have to lower your price to compensate. However, don’t address every item on a long list of potential problems. It is, after all, a used car.

Close the deal. Don’t make the first offer. If you're asked for your best price, say your asking price is fair, but you’ll consider an offer. If you agree to a price, tell the buyer you’ll accept only cash or a cashier’s check. Then, with the money in hand, sign and date the title and give the buyer a completed bill of sale. That’s it!

One more option: You can donate the vehicle. First, check with your local church to see if there’s interest in taking the donation. The church could use it to bring people to services or give it to a member in need. You can also donate your car to the Salvation Army or another Christian charity.

Order a vehicle history report from Carfax.com or Autocheck.com. Check your car’s value at Edmunds.com or Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com). Donate your vehicle to the Salvation Army by visiting SalvationUSA.CarEasy.org/faq.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

Is my ex-spouse eligible to collect Social Security on me? Does that affect my own benefits?

Should I give more, save more, or do both? How do I decide where and when to do that?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them to [email protected]. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

You picked out the make and model. You’ve been saving your money, waiting to buy a new car. You may have even found the car you want. Now the question is what to do with the old one! If your current vehicle still has value, you can trade it in if you’re buying from a dealer or sell it yourself. If that thought fills you with fear and loathing, here's how to do it. And remember that in most cases, you'll end up with more money by selling it it yourself. Dealerships have overhead and they have to clean and prep the vehicle, then price it to make a profit. But that’s money you could make by selling it yourself.

First, gather your papers, starting with the vehicle’s title. You won’t have one if there’s a lien on the car and you still owe money. In that case, it’s best to wait until you have it paid off before selling the vehicle.

Go online to your Department of Motor Vehicles to see what forms are needed to transfer ownership like a downloadable bill of sale. Also, check to see if the license plates stay with the car after it’s sold. Then order a vehicle history report from Carfax or AutoCheck. Buyers will want to check it.

Set your asking price. Go online to Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book. Plug in your make, model, mileage, features, and condition to get an estimated value. Set your price a bit higher to give room to negotiate.

Give your car a thorough cleaning. Outside, you want curb appeal, so wash and wax. Inside, remove all the stuff that’s accumulated in the glove box, under the seats and in the trunk. Pull out the floor mats and scrub them clean and vacuum the carpet. If the car starts to look too good to sell, you know you’ve done a good job.

Advertise. Take lots of photos inside and out and choose the best half dozen or so. Include the best features like low tread-wear on the tires. Now you’re ready to start posting ads. You can do that at Craigslist, Auto Trader or Ebay Motors. Craigslist is free. Autotrader ad rates start at $25 but it’s worth it because the site is used by serious buyers. At Ebay Motors, you can either auction the car or buy an ad. In any case, enter basic information about the car: make, model, mileage, price, and so on. Also write a short description where you can list special features like bluetooth or reverse cam.

Screen perspective buyers. If you give a phone number, let it go to voicemail so you can choose who to call back. And watch out for buyers who lowball you or negotiate before seeing the vehicle. They could be flippers who buy low and then put the vehicle back on the market at a higher price. Be ready to discuss the car’s features.

When you have a good prospect, set up a test drive. Don’t do it from your home. Choose a safe, public location like a big box store parking lot. Take a friend with you if you can. And let the buyer drive the carbut go along for the ride. Resist negotiating at that point. Instead, just answer any questions the buyer may have. If they want to have a mechanic inspect the car, agree, but insist they pay for it. If the inspection reveals items that need immediate attention, you may have to lower your price to compensate. However, don’t address every item on a long list of potential problems. It is, after all, a used car.

Close the deal. Don’t make the first offer. If you're asked for your best price, say your asking price is fair, but you’ll consider an offer. If you agree to a price, tell the buyer you’ll accept only cash or a cashier’s check. Then, with the money in hand, sign and date the title and give the buyer a completed bill of sale. That’s it!

One more option: You can donate the vehicle. First, check with your local church to see if there’s interest in taking the donation. The church could use it to bring people to services or give it to a member in need. You can also donate your car to the Salvation Army or another Christian charity.

Order a vehicle history report from Carfax.com or Autocheck.com. Check your car’s value at Edmunds.com or Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com). Donate your vehicle to the Salvation Army by visiting SalvationUSA.CarEasy.org/faq.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

Is my ex-spouse eligible to collect Social Security on me? Does that affect my own benefits?

Should I give more, save more, or do both? How do I decide where and when to do that?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them to [email protected]. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

Looking for ways to squeeze just a few more dollars out of your budget? Sometimes, just a single tip can save you a tidy little sum each month. But bundle a few of them together and now you’re really saving money! The Bible teaches us to be wise stewards of God’s resources and that starts with living on a budget. Today we have some great tips to help you stretch your budget.

Take advantage of your grocery store’s option to order online. When you order online you always know exactly what you’re spending. If you go over budget, you can easily remove something from your digital cart. Some folks have reported saving over a hundred dollars a month that way. Plus, this saves a lot of time. If you need to pick up a grocery item or two later in the week, don’t get a cart or basket. That way, when you have to carry the items to check out you won’t be able to impulse shop.

Keep your checking and savings accounts in different banks. If you don’t "see" your savings account you’re less likely to tap into it. This is another reason to have your savings account in a higher interest online bank. You can connect it with your checking account to transfer money. But otherwise, your savings are out of sight.

Pay off debt first! Don’t wait to see how much you have left over at the end of the month. Budget an amount for debt repayment and transfer that money when it comes in. That way you know it’s done.

Have a weekly budget meeting or "Money Date" with your spouse. Sit down and discuss how well you did last week staying on budget and how you’re doing at meeting your goals.

Get an accountability partner, probably your spouse, for large purchases. Agree to consult the other person before spending, say, more than $50. By talking about it, you may discover that the item isn’t necessary. Often, just the thought of having to clear it with someone makes the desire to spend go away.

If an unexpected expense crops up and you don't yet have an emergency fund and it blows your budget for the month, don’t give up! Instead, write up a temporary budget to get you through the rest of the month or until your next paycheck. Cut out all unnecessary spending and try to stay as close to budget as possible while living on as little as you can. Don’t let it become an excuse to overspend just because you hit a bump in the road.

Make it more difficult to buy stuff online. Delete your credit or debit card information from online stores. If you have to get up and hunt for your wallet, you’re more likely to think twice about making a purchase.

If you spend cash rather than using plastic, you’re already spending less just from the psychological factor of having to use real dollars. But there's another way cash-spenders can save. Let’s say you have to make a major purchase and you’ve saved up cash for it. Ask for a discount because you’re paying with cash. The store is automatically saving 2 or 3% by not having to pay a vendor fee and they might pass some of that savings on to you. Hey, every little bit helps and it doesn’t cost anything to ask. You can often negotiate your medical bills, too. In many cases, a doctor, hospital or clinic will give you a break, especially if you’re paying with cash. That way, they don’t have to go through an insurance company to get paid.

On today’s program we also answer the following listener questions:

I keep hearing about Roth IRAs. I don’t have one. Am I too old and will it benefit me much? I’m 57 years old.

Just how much money do you need for retirement anyway?

What is a SEP IRA and how can it benefit me as someone who’s self-employed?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them to [email protected]. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29