Financial Pathway

Dan Murray is the owner of Ministry Books. He partners with churches and business to assist with their bookkeeping, payroll, and financial consulting.

We talk about the importance of solid financial management, common mistakes in how churches/businesses handle their books, and why he's seen a huge level of interest in Ministry Books within their first year.

Dan and I share a lot of the same passions - finance, ministry, and even the Dallas Cowboys! I know you’ll enjoy hearing his story on the podcast today. 

A quick roundup on some of the most interesting articles this month...

- Make sure you're not leaving money on the table during open enrollment season

- 5 tricks to overcome decision paralysis

- Billionaire lives modest lifestyle so he can give away $8 billion

- State-by-state breakdown of how much each state's residents pay in taxes

Tim McKee is a CPA, Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and a RamseyTrusted Tax Advisor. He provides tax preparation and tax advice to individuals and small businesses.

In today's episode, Tim explains the important difference between a tax preparer and a tax advisor. He also shares some of the best tax strategies that help you be proactive and minimize taxes by avoiding the "income tax bomb".

A quick roundup on some of the most interesting articles this month...

- Americans preference for larger families at highest level since 1971

- What does the American Dream really mean to you?

- Bargain megastore Costco now sells gold bars

- An interactive map that helps you find your ideal place to live

There are thousands of finance books out there. Today, I'll share four that are absolute must-reads.

Bonus: three honorable mentions + a pre-recommendation of the next finance book I'm excited to read!

When it comes to church giving, the 80/20 principle holds true (in fact it might be more like 90/10!). Most of the giving comes from a small percentage of the church membership.

This is because some church members will have a disproportionate capacity to give in a much bigger way. Today, I'll highlight four strategic ways to make a big gift to your church while minimizing taxes and maximizing impact.

A quick roundup on some of the most interesting articles this month...

- How Americans attitude toward tipping has soured in the last few years

- Politics is big money and that's not changing any time soon

- Why new home buyers are opting for newly constructed homes

- The slow death of cable tv

Jeremy DeSpain is the lead pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Port Orchard, WA, and hosts the Actual Faith YouTube channel.

Last year, Jeremy joined me on the podcast to discuss his journey from being in the financial services industry years ago to his current role as a full-time pastor. Well, since that episode, Jeremy has decided to step back into financial world by starting his own investment advisory firm as something he does in addition to pastoring.

In today's episode, I talk with Jeremy about what it's really like to be a financial advisor, what we wish more people understood about our industry, and why getting financial advice from a knowledgable and ethical source is so crucial.

Jeremy's new firm: https://adventcapitalstrategies.com/

Luke Clayton and I talk about our shared experience of starting and running a solo business.

Luke is the found of Must Increase Media and he helps businesses (primarily churches) be excellent in their graphic design, web development, and video production.

In this digital age, the opportunities to do remote work and start your own side hustle have never been easier. Luke and I talk about the pros and cons of running your own business, learning time management, and the importance of investing in yourself.

Connect with Luke:

ChurchMediaHQ.com

Must Increase.com

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-must-increase-podcast/id1441076650

A quick roundup on some of the most interesting articles this month...

- Could the Federal Reserve be done raising interest rates?

- Alef designing flying car with vertical takeoff/landing

- Taylor Swift tour to create over $5 billion in economic activity

- New app can count calories based on a picture

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