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

Its a subject not many of us like to think about: how will our final days play out and what happens to our earthly possessions when weve gone home to the Lord? Estate planning answers some of those questions but not all of them. Wills and trusts are important components of estate planning but only go so far. Today on MoneyWise, financial planner and teacher Rob West explains why you also need a health care directive.

This term may be relatively new but the concept is not. A health care directive is also called a living will, medical directive, or a durable health care power of attorney (although sometimes the medical power of attorney is a separate document).

A health care directive is a legal document that spells out the individuals wishes for care during illness and especially during the unfortunate event of dementia. It also specifies end of life decisions. The purpose is to give guidance if the individual can no longer communicate with caregivers and family. Ultimately, it can provide instructions on how the body should be handled after death.

Only about 1 out of 3 of us have drawn up a health care directive. Its not an expensive process and most state attorney general web sites offer a legal form you can use.

To start, the first thing you need to do is choose your agent. This person is often a family member but doesnt have to be. The agent will act on your behalf, making decisions according to your wishes if you cant act yourself.

Specify your wishes for end-of-life treatment and what should happen with your body afterwards. You then need to go over this in detail with your chosen agent. This is your chance to explain your decisions should the agent need to step in and advocate on your behalf.

In todays show we also answer your questions:

I have about $45,000 in credit card debt and have a low income. I live paycheck to paycheck. Should I do debt management or bankruptcy?

What advice do you have to help fund my family and to get on a budget? Ive made a lot of very bad financial decisions in my past.

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 its 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.

Most of us have financial goals even if we don’t give them much thought. Maybe you’d like to get out of debt, earn more money, or open an IRA. Those are all great, but have you asked God about His goals for you? Setting faith financial goals is our topic today. Host Rob West welcomes Kingdom Advisors co-founder Ron Blue to help us set a firmer foundation for our financial planning. Ron Blue has written many books that help us apply God’s financial principles to our lives and today we’re looking at Master Your Money: A Step-by-Step Plan for Experiencing Financial Contentment and specifically how to increase our chances of achieving our financial goals.

When we set goals, our choices for activity become purposeful with more potential for being God-directed.

Goals crystalize our thinking about what we really want to accomplish.

Goals provide personal motivation.

Some of the reasons people don’t set goals are fearing failure, reaching the goal will take too long, lacking a process, or we simply don’t know what goals to set.

Rob and Ron give practical and Biblical advice on what goals to set and how to reach them.

In today’s show we also answer your questions:

How do you determine which loan to pay off first?

What are your thoughts on investing in precious metals?

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

Most of us have financial goals even if we dont give them much thought. Maybe youd like to get out of debt, earn more money, or open an IRA. Those are all great, but have you asked God about His goals for you? Setting faith financial goals is our topic today. Host Rob West welcomes Kingdom Advisors co-founder Ron Blue to help us set a firmer foundation for our financial planning. Ron Blue has written many books that help us apply Gods financial principles to our lives and today were looking at Master Your Money: A Step-by-Step Plan for Experiencing Financial Contentment and specifically how to increase our chances of achieving our financial goals.

When we set goals, our choices for activity become purposeful with more potential for being God-directed.

Goals crystalize our thinking about what we really want to accomplish.

Goals provide personal motivation.

Some of the reasons people dont set goals are fearing failure, reaching the goal will take too long, lacking a process, or we simply dont know what goals to set.

Rob and Ron give practical and Biblical advice on what goals to set and how to reach them.

In todays show we also answer your questions:

How do you determine which loan to pay off first?

What are your thoughts on investing in precious metals?

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 its 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.

Have you heard of FIRE? It’s short for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It sounds great, right? Who wouldn’t want to have a million bucks in the bank and sleep in everyday? On today’s MoneyWise, we take a hard look at the budding movement called FIRE, where it came from, where it might be going, and whether believers should grab on or pull away like it’s a hot stove!

The FIRE idea comes from a 1992 best seller calledYour Money or Your Life. The premise is that you compare the number of hours you have to work against the number of hours in your life. Every expense increases your working hours, so you cut your expenses to the bone, while at the same time putting every single penny you can into savings.

Fat Fire. That’s someone with a traditional lifestyle who saves more than the average retirement investor. A Lean Fire is someone with a highly restricted lifestyle and extreme savings.

Barista Fire. This is someone who’s saved enough to quit their high-paying job but still works part time to reduce the need to withdraw from their retirement fund.

Coast Fire. That’s someone who still works part time even though their retirement fund has enough to support their current lifestyle.

The FIRE movement differs from the advice from MoneyWiseby pushing you to put up to 70 percent of your income into investment accounts. So instead of retiring in 30 or 40 years, their goal is for you to be able to quit working completely in half that time or less.

In today’s show we also answer your questions:

How does an HSA (Health Savings Account) work?

I’ve got a ton of debt. What’s the best way to make it go away?

I have a some extra money. Should I invest it (in the event the economy goes down) or pay off debt?

What are Robo-advisors and what do you think of them?

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

Have you heard of FIRE? Its short for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It sounds great, right? Who wouldnt want to have a million bucks in the bank and sleep in everyday? On todays MoneyWise, we take a hard look at the budding movement called FIRE, where it came from, where it might be going, and whether believers should grab on or pull away like its a hot stove!

The FIRE idea comes from a 1992 best seller calledYour Money or Your Life. The premise is that you compare the number of hours you have to work against the number of hours in your life. Every expense increases your working hours, so you cut your expenses to the bone, while at the same time putting every single penny you can into savings.

Fat Fire. Thats someone with a traditional lifestyle who saves more than the average retirement investor. A Lean Fire is someone with a highly restricted lifestyle and extreme savings.

Barista Fire. This is someone whos saved enough to quit their high-paying job but still works part time to reduce the need to withdraw from their retirement fund.

Coast Fire. Thats someone who still works part time even though their retirement fund has enough to support their current lifestyle.

The FIRE movement differs from the advice from MoneyWiseby pushing you to put up to 70 percent of your income into investment accounts. So instead of retiring in 30 or 40 years, their goal is for you to be able to quit working completely in half that time or less.

In todays show we also answer your questions:

How does an HSA (Health Savings Account) work?

Ive got a ton of debt. Whats the best way to make it go away?

I have a some extra money. Should I invest it (in the event the economy goes down) or pay off debt?

What are Robo-advisors and what do you think of them?

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 its 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.

You’ve heard it said The greater the risk, the greater the reward. That might be a good strategy for playing Monopoly but for investing a better approach might be to ask, What’s the worst that could happen? When it comes to putting up your hard earned dollars there’s more than one type of risk and they don’t give equal results. Today, our host Rob West welcomes investing expert Mark Biller to explain that for us.

The first key is to understand that when risk is discussed in an investment context, what’s often being measured is the volatility of an investment in other words, how much does its return vary over time.

Stocks, whose returns vary a lot, have higher volatility, while bonds have lower volatility. And it’s appropriate to think of stocks as being riskier than bonds, based on that measurement of volatility.

Investors should always consider the likelihood of a permanent loss of capital.

There are dangers of being too conservative.

In today’s show we also answer your questions:

What are the best questions to ask when interviewing financial advisors?

What do you like about online banks and are there safety concerns?

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

Youve heard it said The greater the risk, the greater the reward. That might be a good strategy for playing Monopoly but for investing a better approach might be to ask, Whats the worst that could happen? When it comes to putting up your hard earned dollars theres more than one type of risk and they dont give equal results. Today, our host Rob West welcomes investing expert Mark Biller to explain that for us.

The first key is to understand that when risk is discussed in an investment context, whats often being measured is the volatility of an investment in other words, how much does its return vary over time.

Stocks, whose returns vary a lot, have higher volatility, while bonds have lower volatility. And its appropriate to think of stocks as being riskier than bonds, based on that measurement of volatility.

Investors should always consider the likelihood of a permanent loss of capital.

There are dangers of being too conservative.

In todays show we also answer your questions:

What are the best questions to ask when interviewing financial advisors?

What do you like about online banks and are there safety concerns?

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 its 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.

Internet sites like Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn make almost every job opportunity in the country just a click away! But this hasn’t changed how 75% of all openings are filled by word of mouth.

Hiring managers still fill most vacancies without ever advertising. So, making the right connections is still the best way to land your dream job. Learn more on today’s MoneyWise with Kingdom Advisors’ president, Rob West. How do I get started in job networking?

- Start small. Make a list of folks that might be able to help you with your job search. Consider each person then prioritize them.

- Some people find networking difficult because they feel like they’re being a burden to others. How do I overcome that?

- Take notes of everyone you meet and what you talked about. Get their contact information. Put this information in a spreadsheet for easy access.

- Write down an elevator pitch or speech. This is a 20- or 30-second summary of what you do and what type of job you’re looking for.

- If you’re currently unemployed don’t be shy about letting others know it! There’s no shame in looking for work. Some contacts may go out of their way to pass along job leads to you.

- Have an updated business card to hand out and have your resume up to date.

- Here’s the real secret to overcome the fear of networking: don’t make it about you! Always ask your contacts how you can help them (and be genuine).

In today’s show we also answer your questions:

-How much money should I have saved up for retirement?

- What’s the difference between a living trust and a will?

- Should I tap into my home equity line of credit to help pay for my kids’ college?

- I have power of attorney over my dad’s finances. I have my name on his checking and savings accounts but someone once told me that could be risky. Is that so?

To ask your questions, call (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website,moneywise.org,where 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!And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. You can 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

Internet sites like Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn make almost every job opportunity in the country just a click away! But this hasnt changed how 75% of all openings are filled by word of mouth.

Hiring managers still fill most vacancies without ever advertising. So, making the right connections is still the best way to land your dream job. Learn more on todays MoneyWise with Kingdom Advisors president, Rob West. How do I get started in job networking?

- Start small. Make a list of folks that might be able to help you with your job search. Consider each person then prioritize them.

- Some people find networking difficult because they feel like theyre being a burden to others. How do I overcome that?

- Take notes of everyone you meet and what you talked about. Get their contact information. Put this information in a spreadsheet for easy access.

- Write down an elevator pitch or speech. This is a 20- or 30-second summary of what you do and what type of job youre looking for.

- If youre currently unemployed dont be shy about letting others know it! Theres no shame in looking for work. Some contacts may go out of their way to pass along job leads to you.

- Have an updated business card to hand out and have your resume up to date.

- Heres the real secret to overcome the fear of networking: dont make it about you! Always ask your contacts how you can help them (and be genuine).

In todays show we also answer your questions:

-How much money should I have saved up for retirement?

- Whats the difference between a living trust and a will?

- Should I tap into my home equity line of credit to help pay for my kids college?

- I have power of attorney over my dads finances. I have my name on his checking and savings accounts but someone once told me that could be risky. Is that so?

To ask your questions, call (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website,moneywise.org,where 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!And remember that its your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. You can help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

Hot foot, lead foot, put the hammer down, let er rip and give er the berries those are just a few of the colorful expressions people use for speeding, and you may have a few of your own. And while it might seem difficult or even impossible at times to obey the posted speed limit, there are good reasons to do it. Financial planner and teacher Rob West fills us in on those today.

Average fines for speeding now range from $150 to $200. If you’re cited in a school or construction zone, the penalty could double. Generally, the greater your speed over the limit, the greater the fine.

Some insurance companies will raise your rates with every ticket.

Increased fuel efficiency is the next benefit. Generally, the faster you go, the lower your miles per gallon of fuel.

Driving at lower speeds, in theory, reduces total emissions.

According to government studies, excessive speed is involved in about a third of all fatal crashes.

In today’s show we also answer your questions:

My wife is making $1200/year doing some babysitting. If we don’t receive a 1099, what should we do?

I am 50 years old and single. Should I purchase life insurance?

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