We’re all familiar with the account of David versus Goliath in the Bible. A similar story has been taking place on Wall Street but with millions of Davids. Followers of Reddit, a social media discussion site, are buying up shares of troubled companies by the truckload and are causing a panic on Wall Street. Today, Kingdom Advisors President Rob West has the details.

On the one hand you have a very large group of young, upstart day traders, many of whom are millennials and younger people even down to Generation Z. On the other hand, you have the establishmentprofessionals who manage large funds also hedge fund operators and short sellers. This last group are people who basically bet on a company’s stock price falling.But these two groups don’t get along. Up until now, the old timers probably haven’t paid much attention to the youngsters. But these young day traders have always had it in for the Wall Street professionals whom they blame for causing big market downturns like we saw in 2008. So they feel they’re finally getting some pay back.

This is all taking place on a certain Reddit page called WallStreetBets which has two million followers. They’re able to communicate with each other and to identify struggling companies that are likely targets of the short sellers. The day traders then buy options for those stocks. Options are essentially bets investors put on a stock, allowing them to buy or sell at a certain price. When that happens in large volume it can force the price of a stock up or down.Short sellers are investors who essentially borrow shares at one price hoping the stock’s value will fall. When it does, they settle the account at the lower price, keeping the difference as profit. But if the stock’s value climbs higher they losemoney.

So the hedge fund guys and the short sellers are losing their shirts right now and driving those stock prices even higher. They have to buy shares themselves to hedge their bets and minimize their losses.

This is happening right now because of technology.Stock trading has undergone a revolutionary, major change by technology. No-fee apps like Robinhood allow armchair investors to use sophisticated tools like options that were once only available to the Wall Street elite. When you add in a platform like Reddit with millions of followers, suddenly a single post can affect the price of a stock.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

I have a savings account at my bank but hear good things about online banks instead brick-and-mortar ones. I want to improve my yield. What do you think?

How can I help convince my husband to stick to our budget and to not so frivolously spend the money?

In case I become disabled or go into a nursing home, what’s the best way to enable someone else to manage my CD, for example, or my checking or savings accounts?

My husband recently passed away. Our house is now in my name due to his death. However, the mortgage is inhisname. Since my credit’s not good, I know I’ll be turned down to refinance. Income is tight. What’s my option?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atmoneywise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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

We’re all familiar with the account of David versus Goliath in the Bible. A similar story has been taking place on Wall Street but with millions of Davids. Followers of Reddit, a social media discussion site, are buying up shares of troubled companies by the truckload and are causing a panic on Wall Street. Today, Kingdom Advisors President Rob West has the details.

On the one hand you have a very large group of young, upstart day traders, many of whom are millennials and younger people even down to Generation Z. On the other hand, you have the establishmentprofessionals who manage large funds also hedge fund operators and short sellers. This last group are people who basically bet on a company’s stock price falling.But these two groups don’t get along. Up until now, the old timers probably haven’t paid much attention to the youngsters. But these young day traders have always had it in for the Wall Street professionals whom they blame for causing big market downturns like we saw in 2008. So they feel they’re finally getting some pay back.

This is all taking place on a certain Reddit page called WallStreetBets which has two million followers. They’re able to communicate with each other and to identify struggling companies that are likely targets of the short sellers. The day traders then buy options for those stocks. Options are essentially bets investors put on a stock, allowing them to buy or sell at a certain price. When that happens in large volume it can force the price of a stock up or down.Short sellers are investors who essentially borrow shares at one price hoping the stock’s value will fall. When it does, they settle the account at the lower price, keeping the difference as profit. But if the stock’s value climbs higher they losemoney.

So the hedge fund guys and the short sellers are losing their shirts right now and driving those stock prices even higher. They have to buy shares themselves to hedge their bets and minimize their losses.

This is happening right now because of technology.Stock trading has undergone a revolutionary, major change by technology. No-fee apps like Robinhood allow armchair investors to use sophisticated tools like options that were once only available to the Wall Street elite. When you add in a platform like Reddit with millions of followers, suddenly a single post can affect the price of a stock.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

I have a savings account at my bank but hear good things about online banks instead brick-and-mortar ones. I want to improve my yield. What do you think?

How can I help convince my husband to stick to our budget and to not so frivolously spend the money?

In case I become disabled or go into a nursing home, what’s the best way to enable someone else to manage my CD, for example, or my checking or savings accounts?

My husband recently passed away. Our house is now in my name due to his death. However, the mortgage is inhisname. Since my credit’s not good, I know I’ll be turned down to refinance. Income is tight. What’s my option?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atmoneywise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone. Wise words to guide us with our investments from Proverbs 23. Anyone can have a long range plan for their retirement savings, but sticking to it that’s the hard part.Today, host Rob West welcomes investing expert Mark Biller to talk about that and more. Mark Biller is executive editor at Sound Mind Investing.Then it’s your calls and questions at 800-525-7000.

There’s a measurement of how positive stock market investors are feeling that’s called the Citigroup Panic/Euphoria indicatorlast month, this indicator showed that market sentiment was the most euphoric it has ever been, even surpassing the reading from the previous peak during the dot.com bubble in early-2000.

In the article, The Wisdom To Show Restraint, he highlighted one of Warren Buffett’s favorite market-valuation signals, which is the ratio between the total value of the U.S. stock market and U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This is of particular interest because a year ago, exactly one week before the COVID-19 bear market began, SMI put out an article showing that this indicator had just surpassed its March 2000 peak level of roughly 143%. Fast forward to today this is following a full year of varying lockdowns and a massive global recession and this ratio rather than going down, has soared from 143% to 192%! In other words, the stock market has never before been so richly valued relative to the actual economy.

Today’s market levels are clearly based largely on the belief that the world’s central bankers and governments are justifying these valuations by low interest rates and massive fiscal and monetary support.

Investors have learned over the last dozen years that when governments take the kinds of actions we’re seeing today, a large portion of that support winds up driving the prices of stocks and bonds higher. And governments around the world have never acted at this scale before.

The two most likely paths forward seem to be: One, eventually, the market bubble pops anyway and we get a deflationary/bear-market type result similar to most prior episodes of significant financial market excess. Or two, all of this government spending and borrowing ends up devaluing the value of our money to the point that the 40-year inflation cycle reverses and we start seeing higher inflation.

The first key to investing in euphoric markets like this is to focus on risk first and returns second. Your investment choices regarding strategies and the kinds of assets you own should be based on the idea that another sharp downturn could happen at any time.

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

I heard you talk about a bank with better savings than I am getting. Can you address this again?

I hear you talk about pulling 4% per year from your retirement assets. Where do you get this number?

SMI’s executive editor Mark Biller has been our guest today. You can read his article, The Wisdom To Show Restraint at SoundMindInvesting.org.

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

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone. Wise words to guide us with our investments from Proverbs 23. Anyone can have a long range plan for their retirement savings, but sticking to it that’s the hard part.Today, host Rob West welcomes investing expert Mark Biller to talk about that and more. Mark Biller is executive editor at Sound Mind Investing.Then it’s your calls and questions at 800-525-7000.

There’s a measurement of how positive stock market investors are feeling that’s called the Citigroup Panic/Euphoria indicatorlast month, this indicator showed that market sentiment was the most euphoric it has ever been, even surpassing the reading from the previous peak during the dot.com bubble in early-2000.

In the article, The Wisdom To Show Restraint, he highlighted one of Warren Buffett’s favorite market-valuation signals, which is the ratio between the total value of the U.S. stock market and U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This is of particular interest because a year ago, exactly one week before the COVID-19 bear market began, SMI put out an article showing that this indicator had just surpassed its March 2000 peak level of roughly 143%. Fast forward to today this is following a full year of varying lockdowns and a massive global recession and this ratio rather than going down, has soared from 143% to 192%! In other words, the stock market has never before been so richly valued relative to the actual economy.

Today’s market levels are clearly based largely on the belief that the world’s central bankers and governments are justifying these valuations by low interest rates and massive fiscal and monetary support.

Investors have learned over the last dozen years that when governments take the kinds of actions we’re seeing today, a large portion of that support winds up driving the prices of stocks and bonds higher. And governments around the world have never acted at this scale before.

The two most likely paths forward seem to be: One, eventually, the market bubble pops anyway and we get a deflationary/bear-market type result similar to most prior episodes of significant financial market excess. Or two, all of this government spending and borrowing ends up devaluing the value of our money to the point that the 40-year inflation cycle reverses and we start seeing higher inflation.

The first key to investing in euphoric markets like this is to focus on risk first and returns second. Your investment choices regarding strategies and the kinds of assets you own should be based on the idea that another sharp downturn could happen at any time.

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

I heard you talk about a bank with better savings than I am getting. Can you address this again?

I hear you talk about pulling 4% per year from your retirement assets. Where do you get this number?

SMI’s executive editor Mark Biller has been our guest today. You can read his article, The Wisdom To Show Restraint at SoundMindInvesting.org.

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

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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.

As vaccines roll out, we may soon see light at the end of the tunnel for the Covid crisis. But it may take years to overcome the credit crisis in its wake. The loss of income during the pandemic forced many Americans, maybe you, to rely on credit and run up balances. Today, host Rob West talks with Neile Simon of Christian Credit Counselors about a way to speed up your financial recovery process. Neile Simon is the director of Strategic Partnerships at Christian Credit Counselors. Then we take your calls at 800-525-7000.

Maybe not since the Great Depression did we see such sweeping job loss and income reduction as we did last year and it continues to take a heavy toll on personal finances. Many people are behind on their bills and have run up credit balances just to keep their heads above water.

Finicity conducted a survey of over 2,000 US consumers to learn the extent of the impact on their finances.Over half of those surveyed said they experienced temporary or permanent job or income loss from COVID-19. And the majority of those affected said they were having difficulty staying current on bills.

15% of those impacted by the Covid crisis say they’ve experienced a permanent job loss or income reduction.

The Finicity survey revealed that folks with annual incomes below $50,000 have suffered the biggest impact.

The Covid crisis has caused many people to be in debt because of many factors; Kids are at home classes which causes lost hours for parents not able to go into the office to work, many relief programs ended, unemployment ended, many people have higher grocery bills and higher utilities from being at home, and the uncertain future is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Christian Credit Counselors can offer guidance to those struggling to make ends meet. There are counselors and budget coaches to help you get back on track.

Is it also wise to connect with your local church, family, friends, or small groups to seek assistance.

If you are in trouble with credit card debt, the first thing you should do is make a budget and determine your needs vs. wants. It is vital to only spend intentionally and to be open and bold with people who might be willing to help. Contact your lenders and let them know of your situation.

To learn more aboutChristian Credit Counselors visit their website at ChristianCreditCounselors.org or call 800-557-1985.

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

I will be receiving survivors benefits soon. I don’t plan to retire any time soon. I have a 403A through my employer. How should I use this money? Retirement or mortgage?

A neighbor of mine is an insurance agent. She has been trying to sell us insurance for our children. Should I use my extra income and take out a separate life insurance policy for my children, or put it in a 529 plan?

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

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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

As vaccines roll out, we may soon see light at the end of the tunnel for the Covid crisis. But it may take years to overcome the credit crisis in its wake. The loss of income during the pandemic forced many Americans, maybe you, to rely on credit and run up balances. Today, host Rob West talks with Neile Simon of Christian Credit Counselors about a way to speed up your financial recovery process. Neile Simon is the director of Strategic Partnerships at Christian Credit Counselors. Then we take your calls at 800-525-7000.

Maybe not since the Great Depression did we see such sweeping job loss and income reduction as we did last year and it continues to take a heavy toll on personal finances. Many people are behind on their bills and have run up credit balances just to keep their heads above water.

Finicity conducted a survey of over 2,000 US consumers to learn the extent of the impact on their finances.Over half of those surveyed said they experienced temporary or permanent job or income loss from COVID-19. And the majority of those affected said they were having difficulty staying current on bills.

15% of those impacted by the Covid crisis say they’ve experienced a permanent job loss or income reduction.

The Finicity survey revealed that folks with annual incomes below $50,000 have suffered the biggest impact.

The Covid crisis has caused many people to be in debt because of many factors; Kids are at home classes which causes lost hours for parents not able to go into the office to work, many relief programs ended, unemployment ended, many people have higher grocery bills and higher utilities from being at home, and the uncertain future is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Christian Credit Counselors can offer guidance to those struggling to make ends meet. There are counselors and budget coaches to help you get back on track.

Is it also wise to connect with your local church, family, friends, or small groups to seek assistance.

If you are in trouble with credit card debt, the first thing you should do is make a budget and determine your needs vs. wants. It is vital to only spend intentionally and to be open and bold with people who might be willing to help. Contact your lenders and let them know of your situation.

To learn more aboutChristian Credit Counselors visit their website at ChristianCreditCounselors.org or call 800-557-1985.

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

I will be receiving survivors benefits soon. I don’t plan to retire any time soon. I have a 403A through my employer. How should I use this money? Retirement or mortgage?

A neighbor of mine is an insurance agent. She has been trying to sell us insurance for our children. Should I use my extra income and take out a separate life insurance policy for my children, or put it in a 529 plan?

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

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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.

Imagine a court freezing your assets and then combing through every detail of your finances for months or longer. That’s exactly what happens if you die without a will.The probate court will have to decide how your assets will be distributed.If there are minor children involved, the court will have to decide who will take care of them as well and those decisions may not line up with your intentions.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create a will and give your loved ones some comfort in your passing, but that’s just one part of Setting Your Estate in Order. Steve Moore and Rob West have a checklist of documents you’ll need to get the job done.

A will for both you and your spouse.

A Financial Power of Attorney naming a trusted individual to make financial decisions for you should you become incapacitated.

A Medical Power of Attorney (sometimes called a Health-Care Proxy) giving someone the authority to make decisions about your health care if you aren’t able to make them yourself. Depending on your state, financial and medical powers of attorney may be combined into one document.

An Advance Directive specifying your wishes about being put on life-support equipment in the event of a terminal illness. That document may eliminate family arguments.

Be sure to name beneficiaries for your retirement accounts and insurance policies. Doing so supersedes anything you’ve laid out in your will. Assets in those accounts go directly to the named beneficiaries without going through probate.

While putting all of this together may seem daunting, Rob suggests that hiring an Estate Attorney may be a good investment of both time and money.They’re very familiar with the process in your state and will often reduce the cost per document if you do them all at once.If you can’t find an Estate Attorney, go to MoneyWise.org and click on Find a CKA.

Next, Rob and Steve answer some questions from our listeners:

I’m self-employed so I have no guaranteed pension.I have a retirement account with about $850k in it.What’s the right mix of investments so that I’m not at risk of losing it?

I have my own business and I hear you talk about the importance of using social media to connect with customers.I’ve tried to do this for example to let customers know that our hours are changing but it doesn’t seem to be working.What should I be doing differently?

My husband bought a term life policy 20 years ago.It’s about to expire.When it expires, will we lose all that money we’ve paid into it?Should we keep paying for it at the much higher rate once it expires?

I own three weeks at a timeshare.Unfortunately, the maintenance fees keep going up and I’m now on a fixed income.I’ve been to meetings with organizations that say they can help me get rid of my timeshare, but the costs for that are astronomical.What can I do?(Rob says that there aren’t many good options, but your best bets are [1] try to get rid or it yourself, [2] consider renting it to cover the maintenance fees in years when you can’t use it, or [3] to contact the management company to see about giving it back.He recommends the Timeshare Users Group website as a good resource:tug2.net.)

We have a variable income and find it hard to stick to a budget.Any advice on how to make that work?

At the end the program, Steve mentions the book,Money and Marriage God’s Wayby Howard Dayton.It’s available in the STORE on our website.If you have a question you’d like to ask on the program, call (800) 525-7000 or [email protected] to connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, or download the free MoneyWise app?Just visit our website atMoneyWise.org

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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

Imagine a court freezing your assets and then combing through every detail of your finances for months or longer. That’s exactly what happens if you die without a will.The probate court will have to decide how your assets will be distributed.If there are minor children involved, the court will have to decide who will take care of them as well and those decisions may not line up with your intentions.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create a will and give your loved ones some comfort in your passing, but that’s just one part of Setting Your Estate in Order. Steve Moore and Rob West have a checklist of documents you’ll need to get the job done.

A will for both you and your spouse.

A Financial Power of Attorney naming a trusted individual to make financial decisions for you should you become incapacitated.

A Medical Power of Attorney (sometimes called a Health-Care Proxy) giving someone the authority to make decisions about your health care if you aren’t able to make them yourself. Depending on your state, financial and medical powers of attorney may be combined into one document.

An Advance Directive specifying your wishes about being put on life-support equipment in the event of a terminal illness. That document may eliminate family arguments.

Be sure to name beneficiaries for your retirement accounts and insurance policies. Doing so supersedes anything you’ve laid out in your will. Assets in those accounts go directly to the named beneficiaries without going through probate.

While putting all of this together may seem daunting, Rob suggests that hiring an Estate Attorney may be a good investment of both time and money.They’re very familiar with the process in your state and will often reduce the cost per document if you do them all at once.If you can’t find an Estate Attorney, go to MoneyWise.org and click on Find a CKA.

Next, Rob and Steve answer some questions from our listeners:

I’m self-employed so I have no guaranteed pension.I have a retirement account with about $850k in it.What’s the right mix of investments so that I’m not at risk of losing it?

I have my own business and I hear you talk about the importance of using social media to connect with customers.I’ve tried to do this for example to let customers know that our hours are changing but it doesn’t seem to be working.What should I be doing differently?

My husband bought a term life policy 20 years ago.It’s about to expire.When it expires, will we lose all that money we’ve paid into it?Should we keep paying for it at the much higher rate once it expires?

I own three weeks at a timeshare.Unfortunately, the maintenance fees keep going up and I’m now on a fixed income.I’ve been to meetings with organizations that say they can help me get rid of my timeshare, but the costs for that are astronomical.What can I do?(Rob says that there aren’t many good options, but your best bets are [1] try to get rid or it yourself, [2] consider renting it to cover the maintenance fees in years when you can’t use it, or [3] to contact the management company to see about giving it back.He recommends the Timeshare Users Group website as a good resource:tug2.net.)

We have a variable income and find it hard to stick to a budget.Any advice on how to make that work?

At the end the program, Steve mentions the book,Money and Marriage God’s Wayby Howard Dayton.It’s available in the STORE on our website.If you have a question you’d like to ask on the program, call (800) 525-7000 or [email protected] to connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, or download the free MoneyWise app?Just visit our website atMoneyWise.org

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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.

There’s a record of Abraham negotiating with God about the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 18. Then he said, May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’What lessons might that passage hold for us today? And how does it tie into today’s political climate.Rob West and Steve Moore are joined by economist Jerry Bowyer to explore that. Jerry Bowyer is the chief economist at Vident Financial and a regular contributor on the Fox Business Channel.You can read his commentaries atTownHall.com.The answer, they suggest, is that it’s really all about God, andnotabout politics.Here’s what they cover:

The role of politics in economics

A Christians view politics and how much importance should it have

How we should treat others who differ from us politically

What God’s Word can teach us about partisan politics

How we should respond when there’s a change of power in Washington and one group cheers while the other group thinks, We’re doomed!

Where to find hope today regardless of political party or preference

Next, Rob and Steve answer some questions from our listeners:

I have a stock that I purchased in 1999 as part of my IRA.It is now only worth a few cents per share.Is it even possible to sell this given that it’s worth so little?If so, can I write it off as a loss on my taxes?

I have enough in my emergency savings to pay for a home renovation.Should I use the savings to pay for it?Or should I borrow to handle this?

My wife works for a financial institution and, as such, she is under specific regulations about buying and selling stocks.Can I bypass those regulations by using a different financial institution or app?And will I get her in trouble if I do?

If you have a question you’d like to ask on the program, call (800) 525-7000 or [email protected] to connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, or download the free MoneyWise app?Just visit our website atMoneyWise.org

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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

There’s a record of Abraham negotiating with God about the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 18. Then he said, May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’What lessons might that passage hold for us today? And how does it tie into today’s political climate.Rob West and Steve Moore are joined by economist Jerry Bowyer to explore that. Jerry Bowyer is the chief economist at Vident Financial and a regular contributor on the Fox Business Channel.You can read his commentaries atTownHall.com.The answer, they suggest, is that it’s really all about God, andnotabout politics.Here’s what they cover:

The role of politics in economics

A Christians view politics and how much importance should it have

How we should treat others who differ from us politically

What God’s Word can teach us about partisan politics

How we should respond when there’s a change of power in Washington and one group cheers while the other group thinks, We’re doomed!

Where to find hope today regardless of political party or preference

Next, Rob and Steve answer some questions from our listeners:

I have a stock that I purchased in 1999 as part of my IRA.It is now only worth a few cents per share.Is it even possible to sell this given that it’s worth so little?If so, can I write it off as a loss on my taxes?

I have enough in my emergency savings to pay for a home renovation.Should I use the savings to pay for it?Or should I borrow to handle this?

My wife works for a financial institution and, as such, she is under specific regulations about buying and selling stocks.Can I bypass those regulations by using a different financial institution or app?And will I get her in trouble if I do?

If you have a question you’d like to ask on the program, call (800) 525-7000 or [email protected] to connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, or download the free MoneyWise app?Just visit our website atMoneyWise.org

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very 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.