September 29, 2025 • 43 mins
Our money soundtrack—what plays on repeat in our heads—will either help or hinder our financial decisions. We all know the power of overthinking—but the good news is, we can change the tune of those money soundtracks playing in our minds. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Jon Acuff show us how. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live—biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:08):
Your money soundtrack. What plays on repeat in your head
will either help or hinder your financial decisions. Hi, I'm
Rob West. We all know the power of overthinking, but
the good news is you can change the tune of
those money soundtracks playing in your mind. Jon Acuff joins
us today to show you how. And then it's on
to your phone calls at 800 525 7000. That's 800
(00:32):
525 7000. This is faith in finance. Live. Biblical wisdom
for your financial journey. Well, it's an absolute pleasure to
welcome Jon Acuff to the program today. He's a bestselling author, speaker,
and podcaster. He's written ten books, including the one we'll
be focused on today called Soundtracks The Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Jon,
(00:57):
great to have you here.
S2 (00:58):
Looking forward to it. Rob.
S1 (01:00):
John. Little known fact. So you and I were at
Stanford together, Samford University in Birmingham. We didn't know each other,
but we discovered we graduated in the same year. Seems
a little surprising because it's not a huge school and yet.
S2 (01:12):
It's not huge.
S1 (01:13):
I'm sure our paths crossed along the way.
S2 (01:15):
I bet we had a class together at some point.
S1 (01:18):
I suspect we did. Well, I'm looking forward to this
conversation today. I know you've been writing on this idea
of soundtracks for a while, and I'm thrilled that you've
been thinking about how it intersects with the money conversation.
But give our audience first to just a sense of
of your background in terms of your path to the
writing and speaking you do today.
S2 (01:37):
Sure. I was in corporate marketing for about 13, 14
years with big brands like Bose and Staples and Home Depot.
I started a blog called Stuff Christians Like, which was
a satire of the funny things we do in faith.
I'm a pastor's kid. I'm I love Jesus. And so
I wrote, you know, about the funny things we do
in faith, like wishing you had a shirt that said,
(01:59):
I direct deposit my tithe that you could wear on
a Sunday so people wouldn't judge you for not giving
because they don't know you give online. I just think
you're a heathen. And so I wrote that blog. It
turned into a book. It turned into a couple years
with Dave Ramsey, and it turned into the last 12
years of me owning my own business, writing a bunch
of books and helping a bunch of companies. A bunch
(02:19):
of people, uh, change their lives via mindset and goals.
S1 (02:24):
Well, well, I've heard you speak a number of times,
and I'm just so grateful for the message God has
given you. And I think this is a really important
topic today in terms of the soundtracks we have playing
out in our minds. Set the stage for that. How
do you define it and why did you go in
that direction?
S2 (02:40):
Yeah, so really, my life changed when I learned a
simple principle. It's that your thoughts turn into actions and
your actions turn into results. And so all too often
we overfocus on the results we want, but we never
change the underlying thoughts. And so we don't get the results.
And that's why God talks about how you think so constantly.
So in essence, I wrote a book that is a
(03:01):
practical version of how do you renew your mind? How
do you take every thought captive? How do you think
on what's true and noble and beautiful? So that's what
soundtracks is. And it's three simple steps. It's you retire
your broken soundtracks. You identify the ones that are getting
in the way. You replace them with new ones. It's
not enough to get rid of the old. You got
to replace it with the new. And then you repeat
(03:22):
those new ones. So often they become as automatic as
the old ones. So it's retire, replace, repeat. And you
can very clearly see I'm the son of a Southern
Baptist minister with that alliteration. I mean, come on, it's
so easy.
S1 (03:34):
I love it, no doubt about it. All right, let's
unpack those a bit before our first break here. We
just got about 90s start with retire. I mean, that's
not easy to do, is it?
S2 (03:43):
It's not easy. But the first thing is you identify it.
So I'll give listeners an exercise they can do. That's
very simple. Write down a goal. It can be I
want to get out of debt. It can be I
want to own a lake house. It can be. I
want to give to missionaries, write down a financial goal
and then listen to your first thoughts. Listen to your
reaction to that goal. Because every reaction is an education.
You're educating yourself about what you really believe about what
(04:06):
you're capable of. So are your first thoughts positive or
are they negative? And most people rob their first thoughts
are negative. Who are you to think you could do that?
You can't make more money than your parents did. Money
is for people that understand how to make money, and
so a lot of people will surface negative thoughts just
by doing the act of writing down a goal they
care about.
S1 (04:26):
Mm. Yeah. And it's really important to start there with
that identification, because I would imagine a lot of people
don't understand how those soundtracks are affecting them. Right.
S2 (04:37):
Well they're shaping everything you do. Um, and they're often inherited.
I had a friend of mine named Steven Scoggins, and
his dad used to say, Scoggins, don't get ahead, Scoggins,
get by. Imagine speaking that over a kid as he's
growing up to go, hey, we don't get ahead. We
get by, we get by, we get by. He became
an adult and had to retire that broken soundtrack because
it was no longer helpful.
S1 (04:58):
Well, when it comes to money, what are some of
those broken soundtracks? We'll talk about that with Jon Acuff
just around the corner. And what do we believe about those,
and how can we move to a healthier soundtrack and
replace the ones that are broken? Jon Acuff here today.
He's the author of ten books, including soundtracks The Surprising
Solution to Overthinking Much More Just Around the Corner. Stay
(05:22):
with us. Great to have you with us today on
Faith and Finance Live. My guest today is my friend
Jon Acuff. He's the author of Soundtracks The Surprising Solution
(05:43):
to Overthinking. You can learn more at Jon acuff.com. That's
Jon without the H Jon acuff.com. Jon. We were talking
about the broken soundtracks that people have in their lives,
what's on repeat in their heads that can often derail
them from God's best. Translate that to the financial soundtracks.
(06:04):
What are some of those broken money soundtracks we walk
around with?
S2 (06:08):
Sure, I'll give you one of the most popular mo
money Mo problems. Mo money, mo problems. There's even a
song about it and what it tells you is more
success equals more stress. And boy, is that a lie.
Because I'll tell you what, Rob, I've had no money
and I've had some money, and no money did not
come with no problems. I guarantee you that. Like when
(06:29):
you don't have money, a transmission issue is a huge emergency.
When you have some money, it's a minor inconvenience. So
what happens is, if you believe mo money, mo problems,
you will self-sabotage your success. You will be the one
who buries the talent out of fear, out of, oh,
I can't handle this bigger opportunity. Or what would I
even do with all this money and mo money, mo problems.
(06:51):
And so that's a really common one that I see
people struggle with.
S1 (06:55):
Yeah, I can certainly see that. What about as it
relates to our giving. Is there a common broken soundtrack there.
S2 (07:01):
Oh yeah. I'll give when I'm successful. And you and
I both know giving is a is a practice. It's
a skill you get better and better at as you grow.
And so I think a common broken soundtrack around giving
is I'll give when I have more money versus I'll
give from what I have now so that later, if
I do have more money, I'm already pretty good at giving.
(07:23):
I would rather you practice it with a dollar so
that the $10,000 you're already in motion. You've already got
that skill down.
S1 (07:30):
Yeah, no doubt about it, John. There's some in our
listening audience today who just feel like I'm not the
money person. You know, whether they're single or maybe in
the marriage, it's like, no, that's what my spouse does.
I'm not good at that. Can that result in a
broken soundtrack?
S2 (07:45):
Of course. I meet people all the time. They'll say, well,
I'm not a money person. I'll say, well, you're 32
Two forever, like for the rest of your life. You've
already decided the next 50 years. I don't get to
get better at this. So in that situation, you're accepting
a label you've labeled yourself of. I'm not a math person.
I'm not a money person. I've never been good with money.
And I would just say again, if you treat it
(08:07):
like a skill, if you treat it like something you
can learn and you're also dealing with some perfectionism there,
like somebody would go, I have to be an expert
at money. That's hard. So therefore I can't be even
a little better. And I always tell, you know, perfectionists
believe in all or nothing, even I'm perfect or I
don't try at all. And I always say, you know,
when it comes to money, some beats none, some education,
(08:28):
some learning. Listening to a radio show and getting a
little bit better can go a long way.
S1 (08:33):
Yeah. Uh, we're going to get to how we replace
these here in just a second. But to put a
finer point on the problem with these broken soundtracks, how
do they play out these broken soundtracks in a way
that really, uh, tells us in our money journey.
S2 (08:50):
Well, you pull back, you, uh, you pull back from
opening all the gifts you've been given. You know, we
did a huge survey, 3000 people. We asked them if
they're living up to their full potential, and 96% of
people said no. 96% of people. So what happens is,
if you believe a broken soundtrack about money, when you
have the opportunity to make more or learn more about it,
(09:11):
you pull back. Because if you say, like some people say,
you know, uh, rich people are greedy. So guess what
happens if you get more money? If God blesses you
with more money, you feel terrible. And what a great
way to ruin a gift. The broken soundtrack ruins that gift.
And so that's a really simple example of where people
that what they think about money ruins how they experience
(09:34):
the actual act of money, and then they feel guilty
and then they refuse the gift from God, and they
don't put it into the marketplace and be generous with it.
And it's just it ends up being a whole big mess.
S1 (09:45):
All right. So perhaps this is an aha for our
listeners today. They've started by retiring that idea. They've identified
the negative thought they've been repeating in their heads. So
now they're ready to replace it with something that is true.
What does that look like in the money conversation?
S2 (10:01):
Well, it can look like a number of things. One,
you could just flip the broken one, you could take
a broken soundtrack and say, what's the opposite of this?
What what is actually true here? You could also, you know,
read the Bible and go, okay, God, show me what's
a better soundtrack for me. Or you could listen to
a radio program and say, hey, what's a better soundtrack
for me? You know, how do I like I collect soundtracks,
(10:23):
meaning I talk to wise people and go, how are
you handling money? What did you learn about money? I,
I always tell people that somebody who's ahead of you
in life, somebody who's ten years, 20 years older than you,
they're a time machine. They've been to the future. The
future you're trying to get to. And if you ask
them how they got there and humbly listen, they'll often
tell you so you can find new soundtracks everywhere. The
(10:45):
world is full of them. They can come from friends,
from mentors, again, from content, from the Bible. And so
I just I actively go look for better soundtracks because
I know that's how my brain works, and I want
to be the one who chooses them.
S1 (10:59):
So get us started. What are some examples of healthy
money soundtracks we might replace the broken ones with?
S2 (11:05):
Well, you could say I can do amazing things with money.
I can do amazing things with money. Um, you know,
a simple one could be I can make more money
than my parents. Like you would be shocked how many
people accidentally set the bar of their life on their
parents level of money. And that was one I had
to struggle with. My dad's a pastor. My mom was
a dental hygienist, and we weren't well off by any means.
(11:28):
We weren't poor by any means either. I don't want
to dramatize that, but as I became successful in my
own career, I could feel myself pulling back from that.
And so I had to really say, okay, I can
make more money than my parents. Another one is I
am my biggest venture capitalist. What does that one mean?
It means I meet people all the time that say,
I want to write a book, or I want to
start my own thing, but I got this day job
(11:49):
that's in the way. And I always say, oh, that
day job is paying for the dream. Be your own
venture capitalist like. Connect those two things. Now you've got
a reason to give your all to day job, because
you see that money as helping you with the dream.
And so that redeems the day job while you're redeeming
the money.
S1 (12:07):
Mhm. I know that's part of your story as well.
We're going to have to have you back to talk
about that. But you did that in your own life
didn't you.
S2 (12:13):
100%. I, you know, I had a blog that God
blessed and started to grow and but there wasn't any
money really. And so it would be easy for me
to be grumpy and go, I gotta go do this
day job. And now I'm demonizing work. And instead I said,
you know what? You're only one person. You don't get
to half do your day job and think you'll hustle
on the weekend. So I had to say, I'm going
(12:34):
to honor this day job. I'm going to lean into it,
and that's going to benefit every part of my life.
And so that's why I always encourage people that feel
like they're stuck at a job. Like, be faithful to that.
That's part of your mission field, too. And so again,
if you can change the thought, you'll watch the actions
change and then the results will start to happen too.
And I didn't again, I didn't invent this. This is
(12:55):
just you reap what you sow. I mean, the Bible
is full of examples of this.
S1 (13:00):
Oh, that is so true. Well, John, as we begin
to wrap up today, I want you to finish by
talking to that person in our listening audience who just
feels stuck. What might you encourage them with today?
S2 (13:10):
Well, I would I would say, um, go at the
pace that makes the most sense. The challenge is stuck.
People often think they have to change everything overnight. Um,
I meet people all the time. They'll say, I want
to get in shape and I'll go, great. And they'll go, yeah,
I'm going to run a marathon. And I go, well,
have you have you ever run a half marathon? Have
you ever run a 10-K or A5K even just a K,
because I want it to be sustainable change. And so
(13:32):
if you feel stuck, I'd encourage you to do something
different with 15 minutes of your day to day, just
15 minutes. You don't have to radically change everything. You
don't have to try to read the Bible in a day.
You don't have to try to, you know, get ten
new jobs tomorrow. What could you do with 15 minutes
in the right direction? And what would happen if you
stacked that on another 15 minutes tomorrow and another 15
(13:55):
minutes tomorrow? I think those little efforts. I mean, we
serve a mustard seed. God. We know that's true. So
what could you do with your mustard seed?
S1 (14:03):
Incredible. John, so appreciate your time. This has been powerful.
Thanks for stopping by.
S2 (14:08):
Thanks for having me.
S1 (14:09):
That's John Acuff. So don't forget, folks. Those repeated thoughts
about money really do shape the way you handle it.
To dig deeper, go to John acuff.com. That's John without the.com.
We'll be right back.
S3 (14:37):
The opinions offered during this program represent the personal or
professional opinions of the participants. Given for informational purposes only.
Any information provided is not intended to replace advice from
a financial, medical, legal, or other professional who understands your
specific situation.
S1 (15:00):
Hey, great to have you with us today on Faith
and Finance live. A lot of fun to have John
Acuff here, but we're ready to turn to your questions today.
So the remainder of the broadcast is where we will
entertain those questions you have in your financial life. Perhaps
there's been something you've been stuck on, or maybe there's
a couple of directions you could go and you're just
wondering what is the right path, especially in light of
(15:22):
a biblical worldview. Whatever it is you're thinking about today,
preparing the next steward wealth transfer, investing wisely, especially amidst
all of the incredible strength in the markets as of late. Again, uh,
the S&P 500 closes higher as AI leader. Nvidia rebounds.
You know, there's just a lot of strength and momentum
(15:44):
in the markets right now. Despite these rich valuations well
how do you proceed especially if you've been on the
sidelines and maybe on the opposite end of the spectrum.
What if you're struggling with paying down debt or living
within your means? Whatever's on your mind today? We've got
lines open. We'd love to take your calls at 800
525 7000. Again, that number is 800 525 7000. We're
(16:06):
going to dive into the first question here in just
a moment in Huntsville. But first in the news today,
a faith based investing just took a major step into
the mainstream. That's right. The S&P 500 index. Uh, S&P global,
the parent company, has launched. You ready for this the
(16:26):
S&P 500 Christian Values Index I know that's not something
I would ever expect that I would have said. And
yet it's a reality. Uh, it's designed to filter companies
according to what they call an evangelical Christian framework, and
provide this offering to investors that still tracks the large
(16:49):
cap performance of the S&P 500, which by definition is
the 500 largest companies in the United States, but again
screened for Christian values. And it screens out what we
often call the Big five gambling, tobacco, alcohol, uh, anything
related to pornography and also abortion. So what do we
(17:10):
think about it? Well, at Kingdom Advisors and Faith fi,
as we lead what we call the Christian financial industry,
serving you, God's people as stewards in managing God's resources
and training and equipping and designating advisors to serve Christians.
There's a lot of folks wanting to know our perspective
on it. I will start with the good side, the
positives of this, and then I'll get to the points
(17:33):
of opportunity or improvement that we're hoping will come. What
are the positive observations? Observations. Well first accessibility. You see
the Christian values screened index from S&P, which again is
the largest probably the most well known of the indexes.
Establish this large cap beta benchmark that major financial firms
(17:57):
can now integrate into investment products, which has already started happening.
The first one has, I believe, just rolled out, and
there's many more that have been filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. So the biggest ETF providers in the
world are going to start creating products based on this
S&P 500 Christian value screened index. That's of course, going
to expand adoption among institutional and retail investors in the
(18:21):
Christian financial market. And it's transparent rules and governance are
going to give this index the credibility needed to serve
as really a strong foundation for these ETFs and mutual
funds at the institutional level. Secondly, positively awareness. The introduction
of this index clearly raises the profile of Christian values
(18:43):
based investing in the public eye, and signals that this
segment is part of a broader, values based investing landscape.
That's a good thing. Wall Street is recognizing the importance
of the Christian market segment. And then thirdly, credibility. You know,
the association of what they call, quote, evangelical Christian values
with the S&P brand offers a new level of legitimacy
(19:06):
within mainstream finance. And I think this is going to
increase the willingness of all parties, advisors, firms and clients
to engage in discussions about faith aligned investing. So what
are the opportunities for improvement? Well, we're calling this a
light touch exclusionary screening. You see, only 7% of the
(19:27):
S&P 500 have been excluded based on the the criteria
that the team uh, you know, has put in place.
And it largely centers around revenue based thresholds for exclusion.
They're more relaxed than many faith based funds, um, which
might exclude maybe ten or even 20%, not 7% of
(19:49):
the S&P 500. Uh, many of the faith based investing
companies that we talk often about on this program, like
Guidestone and Crossmark and Eventide and One Ascent and Timothy
and Praxis, you know, they might screen out 100 of
the companies, not 37. So again, it's a light touch
on the negative screening. Uh, I think, uh, therefore adoption
(20:13):
could lack just because the reviews are going to be
mixed as a result. So no doubt this represents a
pretty significant milestone in public recognition and access to faith
informed investing, certainly at large firms and institutional platforms. But
clearly there's an opportunity to improve this product over time.
(20:36):
We're certainly going to lean into that and frankly, have
been invited into that conversation by the the team that
has formed really the advisory board and are making the
decisions with regard to how the screening, uh, conditions are set,
and we're going to lean into that. In fact, already have.
Our team has been in hours of conversations, um, with
(20:56):
the group putting this together. But at the end of
the day, let's celebrate that, uh, Wall Street and these
big firms. And now the largest, most well known index, uh,
in the investing landscape is creating products and indexes now
specifically for God's people. That's a big idea and a
big win for Christians. All right. We're going to take
(21:18):
your calls, uh, just around the corner. So if you
have a financial question today, go ahead and give us
a call. Right now, that number is 800 525 7000. Again,
that's 800 525 7000. We'll begin with Tony in Huntsville
after the break and then talk to Sandra in Georgia.
And perhaps your question as well. Again, that number 800
(21:39):
525 7000. A quick break and back with much more.
Just around the corner. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. Helping.
(22:08):
You see, God is your ultimate treasure and money. A
tool to accomplish God's purposes. This is faith and finance. Live.
I'm Rob West. We're delighted you're here today. If you
have a financial question, the lines are filling up, but
we've got room for you at the moment. 800 525 7000.
Let's head to Huntsville. Tony, thanks for your call. Go ahead.
S4 (22:28):
Thank you very much, Rob, for taking my phone call.
S1 (22:30):
Of course.
S4 (22:32):
Uh, my wife and I have been blessed, and we
have several pieces of rental property, and we would like
to leave them, uh, each of our kids, uh, property.
But we'd like to protect it from probate and, uh,
like to collect rent on their property at the same time.
(22:53):
How could we set up a trust? What would be
our best way to proceed?
S1 (22:57):
Yeah, it's a great question. And you've got several options
to explore. Ultimately, I would sit down with an estate
planning attorney just to talk you through each of the
options that are available to you. Um, you know, the
most common way that people will address this is through
what's called a revocable living trust. I think that's what
you referred to there, um, where you essentially transfer the
(23:20):
property into the trust. So it would require a retitling. Um,
you would then, uh, keep control and continue receiving rental
income as trustees. And then on your. Upon your death
or incapacitation, the property, um, would ultimately pass directly to
the children without probate. Um, the downside, if there is any,
(23:45):
is that there's no creditor protection. Um, so if you're
looking for some sort of, uh, you know, liability protection, um,
you know, that would not be offered through the revocable
living trust, but it would accomplish your primary objectives, which
is continue to receive the rental income, keep control, and
have the efficient transfer to the kids outside of probate. Um,
(24:10):
maybe a simpler solution, although I don't know that it
goes quite far enough, is what's called a life estate
deed with the remainder to the children. So this is
essentially where, uh, the d you deed the property to
the children but retain a life estate, which gives you
the legal right to collect, rent and use the property
for life. And then at death, the property passes automatically.
(24:33):
It's harder to change later. It may complicate selling or refinancing.
So that's why I think the revocable living trust is best.
The third option would be what's called a family limited
partnership or an LLC, and that allows you to retain
managing interest and income rights. You can then gift the
ownership shares to the children over time using, let's say,
(24:55):
annual gift tax exclusions. And that is going to provide
liability protection. And, you know, perhaps even estate tax efficiency
if that were to be a factor. Although the way
the laws are today, you got to get an estate
over $13 million before that's an issue. But if you're
looking for that liability protection that could be offered there.
(25:15):
It's more complex to set up and maintain, which is
why unless the liability is a big issue for you,
that revocable living trust is probably going to be the
way to go.
S5 (25:26):
All right.
S4 (25:27):
I thank you very much, Rob.
S1 (25:29):
Absolutely. God bless you, Tony. Appreciate your call today. Uh,
George is where we're headed next. Shonda. Go ahead.
S6 (25:36):
Hey. So my question is, I got divorced in my
mid 50s and had to start completely over. I have
a little over $37,000 in my 401 K. I am 66,
so I'm eligible to roll it over. And I've listened
to your program and several others that talk about screening
(25:58):
and clean programs, and I would like to move mine
into a Christian based finance. But everyone that I've contacted,
you have to have a minimum of $50,000. So do
you have any suggestions?
S1 (26:13):
Yeah I do. I think there's a little better one
that's coming. But let me start with what you have
available today. You could absolutely today just roll it over
to a rollover IRA at a custodian without minimums like
a Fidelity or Schwab. Um, and they would offer you
basically access to all of the Christian screened mutual funds
(26:37):
and exchange traded funds that we talk about on this program. Uh,
and you wouldn't need $50,000 or you wouldn't need at
least that amount. You could start with as little as
you wanted, and you would then have to just pick
the investments yourself. That's perhaps going to be the only
downside to this. If you're looking for somebody to make
those decisions for you, that's going to be more challenging,
(27:00):
because often you're right. Advisors will often have minimums. And
so you could go direct to these mutual fund companies
or asset managers that offer exchange traded funds. That's no problem.
But you're going to have to be the one to say,
you know, which of the funds at Eventide or Crossmark
or One Ascent or Guidestone am I going to put
(27:21):
this money in? And if you don't have, you know,
that training or expertise that does become challenging. Um, the
other option is what's coming. And what's exciting is in
the faith based investing universe, just like I started today
by saying, we've got a really exciting new development where
the S&P 500 has now created a version of it
(27:42):
for Christians, where it's Christian screened. Now, that's an index.
That's not an investable product yet, but it's coming. Um,
but it's a sign that there's a lot of innovation
taking in this, uh, taking place in this space. Christian investing.
And one of the things that's coming is the first
robo advisor that only uses, uh, Christian screened investments. So,
(28:06):
just like Betterment or Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, you answer a
series of questions and it will build basically a portfolio
for you, but only using investments that are screened for
Christian values. Uh, the alpha on that. And then the beta,
which basically just means it's it's in a test phase.
It's going to be out before the end of the year.
(28:28):
And then probably in Q1 of next year, 2026, it's
going to be widely available for anybody. And we'll be
talking about it here. So if you listen to the program,
you'll hear about it when it's ready. That's going to
make things a little simpler. Sonda, because now you won't
have to be the ones making the decision on which
investments to choose. Does that make sense?
S6 (28:49):
It does, and that's very exciting. Um, so do you
have any suggestions for boosting that over the next four years?
Because $37,000 will not last long?
S1 (29:00):
No. Yeah, I hear you. Well, I mean, I think
the key is for you to get it invested and
let the market do what it does, because the very
best place to build wealth over the last 57,500 years
is in a properly diversified stock and bond portfolio. And
the extent to which you can continue to add money
to it systematically, Automatically, regardless of whether the market's up,
down or sideways is really the key. It's the combination
(29:24):
of those two. It's the new contributions you can make
on top of the contributions you've already made, and the
compounding effect of those, when invested, are going to be
really the keys to you continuing to see that nest
egg grow. Um, how are you continuing to work at
this point?
S6 (29:42):
I am, my plan is to work until I'm 70.
S1 (29:45):
Okay. Yeah. So I think the key is to take
full advantage of these next four years to live as
modestly as you can, to sock away as much as
you can, and hopefully let that grow to something more
meaningful that could then supplement other income sources, whether that's a,
you know, a spousal benefit, uh, you know, from your
ex-husband or your own Social Security benefit or anything else
(30:08):
you might have coming your way.
S6 (30:10):
All right. Perfect. Thank you so much.
S1 (30:12):
All right, Sondra, thanks for your call today. I appreciate
you being on the program. Well, folks, we're going to
take a break When we come back, Bob Dole stops by.
We'll get Bob's take on the markets again, closing up
across the board. Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Russell 2000 all
in positive territory, albeit fairly modest today. But that's on
(30:35):
top of all the other gains. We'll find out what's
moving the markets. What's Bob watching this week. That's straight ahead.
Plus we'll try to get a few more questions in.
I'll also give you an update on our, uh, special
partnership and focus this month. Only two days left with
Buckner's shoes for orphan Soles. That's coming up right around
the corner. Stay with us. We'll be right back. Great
(31:07):
to have you with us today on faith and finance.
Live well before we head back to the phones. Bob
Dole is here. It's a Monday. Bob checks in with
us to preview the week ahead for the markets. and
Bob is CEO and CIO at Crossmark Global Investments. Bob,
here we are about to kick off Q4 2025. Would
you have ever imagined at the start of this year,
we'd be at these levels on the on the big board?
S7 (31:30):
Sure wouldn't. But, uh, to company that, I'd be surprised
that earnings have been as good as we've seen. Uh,
they've been quite good. Uh, both uh, revenue growth has
been okay, but profit margins have expanded from record levels
to higher levels. It's pretty amazing.
S1 (31:46):
What do you attribute that to, Bob? Is it advances
in technology or something else?
S7 (31:51):
Uh, all of the above that is, uh, AI and
related productivity has certainly, uh, improved allowing a lot of
companies have been careful about how they manage their business
in these times, because the uncertainty levels have been high,
have advanced their profit margins, and analysts are expecting even
higher margins next year.
S1 (32:10):
Yeah. What are you expecting with regard to the fed?
I know there's a lot of debate. Are we going
to get those two additional cuts or, you know, are
we going to see inflation really thwart that effort?
S7 (32:21):
Um, our view is most likely one more cut, not two, uh,
in part because of what you just said. Inflation is
just stubborn. Um. It's sticky. It doesn't want to move
down from that three ish level toward two. Uh, and that,
I think, will keep the Hawks on the fed from, uh,
(32:41):
acquiescing to two more cuts. So probably one more in December.
S1 (32:45):
Yeah. Bob, I know you had a comment about the
housing market. And I'll tell you, in terms of eroding
the consumer's ability to continue to drive this economy, you know, these, uh,
this really challenging housing market has been a key there.
And the question is, how long can we go on
with mortgage rates at these levels? And it not start
(33:07):
to really impact in a material way? The consumer.
S7 (33:10):
Yeah, a great question. There's no question that housing has
struggled most of this year. And yet the economy, which
is often dependent on housing, has motored right along housing
market struggles because, first of all, mortgage rates are stubbornly
high and likely to stay there. Home prices are down
(33:31):
in some places, but still pretty high. Insurance premiums have
moved up utility bills. It's expensive to own a home,
and that's creating a lot of headwinds.
S1 (33:41):
Bob, how challenging is it for you as an asset
manager managing billions of dollars in the market with these
these rich valuations, is that concerning?
S7 (33:51):
No question Rob. It is concerning. And yet I've learned
over my career the hard way that devaluation is never
a timing tool. Just because a stock or a sector
or the market expensive does not mean it has to
go down. Um, as long as earnings are moving forward
and the fed is in a mode of reducing rates,
(34:12):
stocks will probably do just fine and move from already
very high to perhaps higher valuation levels. It just gives
you a sense of of the risk you have out
there should something go wrong.
S1 (34:24):
Yeah. Bob, what about internationally? I know just given how
well the US has performed, a lot of people are
underweighted the rest of the world. What would you say?
S7 (34:33):
Yeah, I'd say you better own some international diversification. Makes
a whole lot of sense. Look, if you if you
didn't own much outside the US, you were left in
the dust in the back part of the fourth quarter,
the first quarter and the early part of the second quarter.
Since then, the U.S. has come back. So it's not
going to be a one way street, but I think
having some international portfolio makes some sense. Rob.
S1 (34:56):
Bob, last question. We started today by talking about just
the noteworthy news about the S&P 500, adding a Christian
Values index. And even though there's a lot more they
can do there in terms of really screening out companies
misaligned with Christian values. What do you make of that?
And what does that say with regard to Wall Street's
acceptance of this space?
S7 (35:17):
I think what it's saying is we are moving in
a direction where it's being recognized more and more. That
is faith based investing as legitimate investment tool. Um, there
is no just like for the market overall, there's no standard.
Some look at the towels, some look at the S&P,
some look at the S&P, some look at the Nasdaq.
(35:38):
So there's not going to be one index. There's the
holy grail. But the fact that we're getting some acceptance
um by general public and by Wall Street as you
put it, means this is becoming more and more legitimate,
which is just wonderful to the Lord.
S1 (35:55):
Well, we certainly hope that those doing the deep work,
like you and the team at Crossmark, are the real
beneficiaries of this because of the the great way you're
serving your clients with really thoughtful portfolios.
S7 (36:05):
I think that's for that kind comment. It's our privilege,
pleasure and ministry.
S1 (36:10):
Thanks for your time today, Bob.
S7 (36:12):
God bless.
S1 (36:13):
All right. That's Bob Dole, he's CEO at Crossmark Global Investments,
a leader in faith based investing. You can learn more
at Crossmark global. Com. All right. Back to the phones.
We'll try to round out the broadcast today with perhaps
two more questions. Susan's in Ohio. Go ahead.
S8 (36:28):
Uh, yes. Um, I'm retired and my husband will be
retiring soon. And, um, we don't have a whole lot
of money, but he has a 401 K at work.
We're not even sure what to do with that. Um,
and so we need some help with what we do
so that we'll have enough money for retirement.
S1 (36:48):
Yeah. Yeah, it's a good question. Uh, you know, I
think this is a key time, Susan, for you to
spend a little bit of time with an advisor who
can really help you. First step would be a comprehensive
financial plan. Understanding what is this next season of life
look like? What is God calling you to in terms
of location and how you'll use your time in service
to the Lord, and is there going to be in
(37:10):
any income, even on a part time basis? What assets
do you have? How do we minimize taxes and maximize
the the income that you've got and the assets? How
should you invest what you've spent a lifetime accumulating with
your 401 K? All of these questions can be addressed.
And when you use a certified Kingdom advisor, you could
do that in light of a biblical worldview. So if
(37:31):
I were you, I would head to faith Philly.com. That's
our website. Faithful comm. Click. Find a professional. Do a
zip code search there in Ohio, perhaps interview one or
2 or 3, find one that's a good fit, and
start with, you know that, uh, that consultation, that initial
meeting where you'd get to know one another and I
(37:52):
think map out a plan whether or not that advisor
ends up managing, you know, the assets in the 401
K that might be rolled to an IRA is, I think,
secondary to this advisor putting a plan together. So you
all have the peace of mind to know where you stand.
Are you going to fund your expenses? And if there's
a gap, how you're going to address it, and perhaps
whether you need to work longer or add some part
(38:15):
time income along the way. So again, that website is faith.com.
Just click Find a Professional. Thanks for your call. Hudson, Florida. Glenn,
you'll be our final caller. Go ahead.
S9 (38:25):
Yeah. Thank you for taking my call. Um, I've tried
to apply all of your principles, um, debt free living,
emergency fund and so forth like that. I've got students
that I work with and we're talking about investing in.
So I came up with a project where I told
them that I'd invest $4,000 and they could pick some stocks,
(38:46):
and we'd see how that would work. Yeah. And so
is there a way to purchase just individual stocks because
it's only 4000 and there's there's several students that have
picked these out. Um, and I didn't know if there
was a way to do that.
S1 (39:02):
That's a great question. So are you going to gift
the money to them or are you going to keep
control of it and just let them make the investment decisions?
S9 (39:09):
They're going to make the investment. I'll keep the money,
but I'll make the investment decisions. I want to do
real dollars behind this.
S1 (39:16):
Okay, great. Yeah. I mean, there's plenty of apps out
there now that, um, and platforms that allow you to
essentially start with, you know, little to nothing in the
way of investments. I mean, even fidelity has now what
they call stocks by the slice, allowing you to buy
fractional shares starting at a dollar. Uh, Charles Schwab has
(39:37):
something similar called stock slices that allow you to buy
fractional pieces of any of the S&P 500 companies. Um,
and then there's some of the the newer offerings in
this space, uh, like Robinhood, which would be another one
offering fractional shares. Uh, there's also, um, some user friendly
(39:57):
platforms like public and SoFi invest. So I would check
those out. Uh, again, I'd start with fidelity, Robinhood Public
and SoFi invest. Any of those really are built for
this kind of thing. Um, that would allow you to
essentially invest in in fractional type shares, which is probably
(40:18):
going to be what you need for the type of
investing you're looking to do. Um, I'll throw one more
out there. You know, they really are designed for micro
investing and it's called stash. And I think, um, you know,
as you look through these, the ones that are going
to have probably the best web and app experiences are
Robinhood and Stash. But if you're really just looking for
(40:38):
a great platform, I think, you know, you can add
fidelity to that mix. So hopefully that helps. Glenn, I
love what you're doing here. Um, how many, uh, how
many kids are we talking about?
S9 (40:49):
Um, there's 13 teenagers right now so far.
S1 (40:52):
All right. And they're in high school?
S9 (40:54):
Yes. Yep. They're 11th and 12th graders, and I'm trying
to encourage them to follow the principles that you're teaching
on the radio.
S1 (41:02):
Yeah. That's incredible. Let me send you a workbook that
I think you might really enjoy if you like it.
I'll get you one for each of the kids, and
we'll pick up the cost on it. Because I love
what you're doing here. It's called Open Hands Finance, and
it's a combination kind of workbook alongside, um, a podcast
(41:22):
that I think they may enjoy. We'll start by sending
you one. See what you think of it. If you
like it, give me a call back and we'll send
you a bunch more, okay?
S9 (41:30):
Oh, thank you very much.
S1 (41:31):
All right, hang on the line, Glen. We'll get some
information out to you, and we'll put those in the mail.
Thanks for your call today, folks. Before we finish today,
let me just remind you of the incredible opportunity you
have just today and tomorrow as we round out the
month of September. You know, as you live as a
faithful steward and you apply biblical wisdom to your financial
(41:53):
decision making, one of the natural byproducts of that is
you just are overwhelmed by the grace extended to you
and I through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as
he took on the penalty for our sin and therefore
reconciled us to the father through his shed blood on
the cross. We just become givers. Giving in every area
of our lives. But that should include our finances. And
(42:16):
as a result, each month or each quarter we shine
a light on a great ministry, doing incredible work in
the name of Jesus. And that ministry this month has
been Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We are so thrilled
to be able to share this with you. Our goal
is 1000 pairs of shoes on a child's feet somewhere
in the world. We're not quite there yet. We've got
(42:37):
two days to get there. This is a game changer
for these these children. Every $15 is a new pair
of shoes, socks and the cost to get it there.
Learn more. Give shoes today. That's give shoes today. Thanks
to Tahira, Jim, Josh and Dan. Faith and finance is
a partnership between Moody Radio and Faith fi. We'll see
you next time.
Your money soundtrack. What plays on repeat in your head
will either help or hinder your financial decisions. Hi, I'm
Rob West. We all know the power of overthinking, but
the good news is you can change the tune of
those money soundtracks playing in your mind. Jon Acuff joins
us today to show you how. And then it's on
to your phone calls at 800 525 7000. That's 800
(00:32):
525 7000. This is faith in finance. Live. Biblical wisdom
for your financial journey. Well, it's an absolute pleasure to
welcome Jon Acuff to the program today. He's a bestselling author, speaker,
and podcaster. He's written ten books, including the one we'll
be focused on today called Soundtracks The Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Jon,
(00:57):
great to have you here.
S2 (00:58):
Looking forward to it. Rob.
S1 (01:00):
John. Little known fact. So you and I were at
Stanford together, Samford University in Birmingham. We didn't know each other,
but we discovered we graduated in the same year. Seems
a little surprising because it's not a huge school and yet.
S2 (01:12):
It's not huge.
S1 (01:13):
I'm sure our paths crossed along the way.
S2 (01:15):
I bet we had a class together at some point.
S1 (01:18):
I suspect we did. Well, I'm looking forward to this
conversation today. I know you've been writing on this idea
of soundtracks for a while, and I'm thrilled that you've
been thinking about how it intersects with the money conversation.
But give our audience first to just a sense of
of your background in terms of your path to the
writing and speaking you do today.
S2 (01:37):
Sure. I was in corporate marketing for about 13, 14
years with big brands like Bose and Staples and Home Depot.
I started a blog called Stuff Christians Like, which was
a satire of the funny things we do in faith.
I'm a pastor's kid. I'm I love Jesus. And so
I wrote, you know, about the funny things we do
in faith, like wishing you had a shirt that said,
(01:59):
I direct deposit my tithe that you could wear on
a Sunday so people wouldn't judge you for not giving
because they don't know you give online. I just think
you're a heathen. And so I wrote that blog. It
turned into a book. It turned into a couple years
with Dave Ramsey, and it turned into the last 12
years of me owning my own business, writing a bunch
of books and helping a bunch of companies. A bunch
(02:19):
of people, uh, change their lives via mindset and goals.
S1 (02:24):
Well, well, I've heard you speak a number of times,
and I'm just so grateful for the message God has
given you. And I think this is a really important
topic today in terms of the soundtracks we have playing
out in our minds. Set the stage for that. How
do you define it and why did you go in
that direction?
S2 (02:40):
Yeah, so really, my life changed when I learned a
simple principle. It's that your thoughts turn into actions and
your actions turn into results. And so all too often
we overfocus on the results we want, but we never
change the underlying thoughts. And so we don't get the results.
And that's why God talks about how you think so constantly.
So in essence, I wrote a book that is a
(03:01):
practical version of how do you renew your mind? How
do you take every thought captive? How do you think
on what's true and noble and beautiful? So that's what
soundtracks is. And it's three simple steps. It's you retire
your broken soundtracks. You identify the ones that are getting
in the way. You replace them with new ones. It's
not enough to get rid of the old. You got
to replace it with the new. And then you repeat
(03:22):
those new ones. So often they become as automatic as
the old ones. So it's retire, replace, repeat. And you
can very clearly see I'm the son of a Southern
Baptist minister with that alliteration. I mean, come on, it's
so easy.
S1 (03:34):
I love it, no doubt about it. All right, let's
unpack those a bit before our first break here. We
just got about 90s start with retire. I mean, that's
not easy to do, is it?
S2 (03:43):
It's not easy. But the first thing is you identify it.
So I'll give listeners an exercise they can do. That's
very simple. Write down a goal. It can be I
want to get out of debt. It can be I
want to own a lake house. It can be. I
want to give to missionaries, write down a financial goal
and then listen to your first thoughts. Listen to your
reaction to that goal. Because every reaction is an education.
You're educating yourself about what you really believe about what
(04:06):
you're capable of. So are your first thoughts positive or
are they negative? And most people rob their first thoughts
are negative. Who are you to think you could do that?
You can't make more money than your parents did. Money
is for people that understand how to make money, and
so a lot of people will surface negative thoughts just
by doing the act of writing down a goal they
care about.
S1 (04:26):
Mm. Yeah. And it's really important to start there with
that identification, because I would imagine a lot of people
don't understand how those soundtracks are affecting them. Right.
S2 (04:37):
Well they're shaping everything you do. Um, and they're often inherited.
I had a friend of mine named Steven Scoggins, and
his dad used to say, Scoggins, don't get ahead, Scoggins,
get by. Imagine speaking that over a kid as he's
growing up to go, hey, we don't get ahead. We
get by, we get by, we get by. He became
an adult and had to retire that broken soundtrack because
it was no longer helpful.
S1 (04:58):
Well, when it comes to money, what are some of
those broken soundtracks? We'll talk about that with Jon Acuff
just around the corner. And what do we believe about those,
and how can we move to a healthier soundtrack and
replace the ones that are broken? Jon Acuff here today.
He's the author of ten books, including soundtracks The Surprising
Solution to Overthinking Much More Just Around the Corner. Stay
(05:22):
with us. Great to have you with us today on
Faith and Finance Live. My guest today is my friend
Jon Acuff. He's the author of Soundtracks The Surprising Solution
(05:43):
to Overthinking. You can learn more at Jon acuff.com. That's
Jon without the H Jon acuff.com. Jon. We were talking
about the broken soundtracks that people have in their lives,
what's on repeat in their heads that can often derail
them from God's best. Translate that to the financial soundtracks.
(06:04):
What are some of those broken money soundtracks we walk
around with?
S2 (06:08):
Sure, I'll give you one of the most popular mo
money Mo problems. Mo money, mo problems. There's even a
song about it and what it tells you is more
success equals more stress. And boy, is that a lie.
Because I'll tell you what, Rob, I've had no money
and I've had some money, and no money did not
come with no problems. I guarantee you that. Like when
(06:29):
you don't have money, a transmission issue is a huge emergency.
When you have some money, it's a minor inconvenience. So
what happens is, if you believe mo money, mo problems,
you will self-sabotage your success. You will be the one
who buries the talent out of fear, out of, oh,
I can't handle this bigger opportunity. Or what would I
even do with all this money and mo money, mo problems.
(06:51):
And so that's a really common one that I see
people struggle with.
S1 (06:55):
Yeah, I can certainly see that. What about as it
relates to our giving. Is there a common broken soundtrack there.
S2 (07:01):
Oh yeah. I'll give when I'm successful. And you and
I both know giving is a is a practice. It's
a skill you get better and better at as you grow.
And so I think a common broken soundtrack around giving
is I'll give when I have more money versus I'll
give from what I have now so that later, if
I do have more money, I'm already pretty good at giving.
(07:23):
I would rather you practice it with a dollar so
that the $10,000 you're already in motion. You've already got
that skill down.
S1 (07:30):
Yeah, no doubt about it, John. There's some in our
listening audience today who just feel like I'm not the
money person. You know, whether they're single or maybe in
the marriage, it's like, no, that's what my spouse does.
I'm not good at that. Can that result in a
broken soundtrack?
S2 (07:45):
Of course. I meet people all the time. They'll say, well,
I'm not a money person. I'll say, well, you're 32
Two forever, like for the rest of your life. You've
already decided the next 50 years. I don't get to
get better at this. So in that situation, you're accepting
a label you've labeled yourself of. I'm not a math person.
I'm not a money person. I've never been good with money.
And I would just say again, if you treat it
(08:07):
like a skill, if you treat it like something you
can learn and you're also dealing with some perfectionism there,
like somebody would go, I have to be an expert
at money. That's hard. So therefore I can't be even
a little better. And I always tell, you know, perfectionists
believe in all or nothing, even I'm perfect or I
don't try at all. And I always say, you know,
when it comes to money, some beats none, some education,
(08:28):
some learning. Listening to a radio show and getting a
little bit better can go a long way.
S1 (08:33):
Yeah. Uh, we're going to get to how we replace
these here in just a second. But to put a
finer point on the problem with these broken soundtracks, how
do they play out these broken soundtracks in a way
that really, uh, tells us in our money journey.
S2 (08:50):
Well, you pull back, you, uh, you pull back from
opening all the gifts you've been given. You know, we
did a huge survey, 3000 people. We asked them if
they're living up to their full potential, and 96% of
people said no. 96% of people. So what happens is,
if you believe a broken soundtrack about money, when you
have the opportunity to make more or learn more about it,
(09:11):
you pull back. Because if you say, like some people say,
you know, uh, rich people are greedy. So guess what
happens if you get more money? If God blesses you
with more money, you feel terrible. And what a great
way to ruin a gift. The broken soundtrack ruins that gift.
And so that's a really simple example of where people
that what they think about money ruins how they experience
(09:34):
the actual act of money, and then they feel guilty
and then they refuse the gift from God, and they
don't put it into the marketplace and be generous with it.
And it's just it ends up being a whole big mess.
S1 (09:45):
All right. So perhaps this is an aha for our
listeners today. They've started by retiring that idea. They've identified
the negative thought they've been repeating in their heads. So
now they're ready to replace it with something that is true.
What does that look like in the money conversation?
S2 (10:01):
Well, it can look like a number of things. One,
you could just flip the broken one, you could take
a broken soundtrack and say, what's the opposite of this?
What what is actually true here? You could also, you know,
read the Bible and go, okay, God, show me what's
a better soundtrack for me. Or you could listen to
a radio program and say, hey, what's a better soundtrack
for me? You know, how do I like I collect soundtracks,
(10:23):
meaning I talk to wise people and go, how are
you handling money? What did you learn about money? I,
I always tell people that somebody who's ahead of you
in life, somebody who's ten years, 20 years older than you,
they're a time machine. They've been to the future. The
future you're trying to get to. And if you ask
them how they got there and humbly listen, they'll often
tell you so you can find new soundtracks everywhere. The
(10:45):
world is full of them. They can come from friends,
from mentors, again, from content, from the Bible. And so
I just I actively go look for better soundtracks because
I know that's how my brain works, and I want
to be the one who chooses them.
S1 (10:59):
So get us started. What are some examples of healthy
money soundtracks we might replace the broken ones with?
S2 (11:05):
Well, you could say I can do amazing things with money.
I can do amazing things with money. Um, you know,
a simple one could be I can make more money
than my parents. Like you would be shocked how many
people accidentally set the bar of their life on their
parents level of money. And that was one I had
to struggle with. My dad's a pastor. My mom was
a dental hygienist, and we weren't well off by any means.
(11:28):
We weren't poor by any means either. I don't want
to dramatize that, but as I became successful in my
own career, I could feel myself pulling back from that.
And so I had to really say, okay, I can
make more money than my parents. Another one is I
am my biggest venture capitalist. What does that one mean?
It means I meet people all the time that say,
I want to write a book, or I want to
start my own thing, but I got this day job
(11:49):
that's in the way. And I always say, oh, that
day job is paying for the dream. Be your own
venture capitalist like. Connect those two things. Now you've got
a reason to give your all to day job, because
you see that money as helping you with the dream.
And so that redeems the day job while you're redeeming
the money.
S1 (12:07):
Mhm. I know that's part of your story as well.
We're going to have to have you back to talk
about that. But you did that in your own life
didn't you.
S2 (12:13):
100%. I, you know, I had a blog that God
blessed and started to grow and but there wasn't any
money really. And so it would be easy for me
to be grumpy and go, I gotta go do this
day job. And now I'm demonizing work. And instead I said,
you know what? You're only one person. You don't get
to half do your day job and think you'll hustle
on the weekend. So I had to say, I'm going
(12:34):
to honor this day job. I'm going to lean into it,
and that's going to benefit every part of my life.
And so that's why I always encourage people that feel
like they're stuck at a job. Like, be faithful to that.
That's part of your mission field, too. And so again,
if you can change the thought, you'll watch the actions
change and then the results will start to happen too.
And I didn't again, I didn't invent this. This is
(12:55):
just you reap what you sow. I mean, the Bible
is full of examples of this.
S1 (13:00):
Oh, that is so true. Well, John, as we begin
to wrap up today, I want you to finish by
talking to that person in our listening audience who just
feels stuck. What might you encourage them with today?
S2 (13:10):
Well, I would I would say, um, go at the
pace that makes the most sense. The challenge is stuck.
People often think they have to change everything overnight. Um,
I meet people all the time. They'll say, I want
to get in shape and I'll go, great. And they'll go, yeah,
I'm going to run a marathon. And I go, well,
have you have you ever run a half marathon? Have
you ever run a 10-K or A5K even just a K,
because I want it to be sustainable change. And so
(13:32):
if you feel stuck, I'd encourage you to do something
different with 15 minutes of your day to day, just
15 minutes. You don't have to radically change everything. You
don't have to try to read the Bible in a day.
You don't have to try to, you know, get ten
new jobs tomorrow. What could you do with 15 minutes
in the right direction? And what would happen if you
stacked that on another 15 minutes tomorrow and another 15
(13:55):
minutes tomorrow? I think those little efforts. I mean, we
serve a mustard seed. God. We know that's true. So
what could you do with your mustard seed?
S1 (14:03):
Incredible. John, so appreciate your time. This has been powerful.
Thanks for stopping by.
S2 (14:08):
Thanks for having me.
S1 (14:09):
That's John Acuff. So don't forget, folks. Those repeated thoughts
about money really do shape the way you handle it.
To dig deeper, go to John acuff.com. That's John without the.com.
We'll be right back.
S3 (14:37):
The opinions offered during this program represent the personal or
professional opinions of the participants. Given for informational purposes only.
Any information provided is not intended to replace advice from
a financial, medical, legal, or other professional who understands your
specific situation.
S1 (15:00):
Hey, great to have you with us today on Faith
and Finance live. A lot of fun to have John
Acuff here, but we're ready to turn to your questions today.
So the remainder of the broadcast is where we will
entertain those questions you have in your financial life. Perhaps
there's been something you've been stuck on, or maybe there's
a couple of directions you could go and you're just
wondering what is the right path, especially in light of
(15:22):
a biblical worldview. Whatever it is you're thinking about today,
preparing the next steward wealth transfer, investing wisely, especially amidst
all of the incredible strength in the markets as of late. Again, uh,
the S&P 500 closes higher as AI leader. Nvidia rebounds.
You know, there's just a lot of strength and momentum
(15:44):
in the markets right now. Despite these rich valuations well
how do you proceed especially if you've been on the
sidelines and maybe on the opposite end of the spectrum.
What if you're struggling with paying down debt or living
within your means? Whatever's on your mind today? We've got
lines open. We'd love to take your calls at 800
525 7000. Again, that number is 800 525 7000. We're
(16:06):
going to dive into the first question here in just
a moment in Huntsville. But first in the news today,
a faith based investing just took a major step into
the mainstream. That's right. The S&P 500 index. Uh, S&P global,
the parent company, has launched. You ready for this the
(16:26):
S&P 500 Christian Values Index I know that's not something
I would ever expect that I would have said. And
yet it's a reality. Uh, it's designed to filter companies
according to what they call an evangelical Christian framework, and
provide this offering to investors that still tracks the large
(16:49):
cap performance of the S&P 500, which by definition is
the 500 largest companies in the United States, but again
screened for Christian values. And it screens out what we
often call the Big five gambling, tobacco, alcohol, uh, anything
related to pornography and also abortion. So what do we
(17:10):
think about it? Well, at Kingdom Advisors and Faith fi,
as we lead what we call the Christian financial industry,
serving you, God's people as stewards in managing God's resources
and training and equipping and designating advisors to serve Christians.
There's a lot of folks wanting to know our perspective
on it. I will start with the good side, the
positives of this, and then I'll get to the points
(17:33):
of opportunity or improvement that we're hoping will come. What
are the positive observations? Observations. Well first accessibility. You see
the Christian values screened index from S&P, which again is
the largest probably the most well known of the indexes.
Establish this large cap beta benchmark that major financial firms
(17:57):
can now integrate into investment products, which has already started happening.
The first one has, I believe, just rolled out, and
there's many more that have been filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. So the biggest ETF providers in the
world are going to start creating products based on this
S&P 500 Christian value screened index. That's of course, going
to expand adoption among institutional and retail investors in the
(18:21):
Christian financial market. And it's transparent rules and governance are
going to give this index the credibility needed to serve
as really a strong foundation for these ETFs and mutual
funds at the institutional level. Secondly, positively awareness. The introduction
of this index clearly raises the profile of Christian values
(18:43):
based investing in the public eye, and signals that this
segment is part of a broader, values based investing landscape.
That's a good thing. Wall Street is recognizing the importance
of the Christian market segment. And then thirdly, credibility. You know,
the association of what they call, quote, evangelical Christian values
with the S&P brand offers a new level of legitimacy
(19:06):
within mainstream finance. And I think this is going to
increase the willingness of all parties, advisors, firms and clients
to engage in discussions about faith aligned investing. So what
are the opportunities for improvement? Well, we're calling this a
light touch exclusionary screening. You see, only 7% of the
(19:27):
S&P 500 have been excluded based on the the criteria
that the team uh, you know, has put in place.
And it largely centers around revenue based thresholds for exclusion.
They're more relaxed than many faith based funds, um, which
might exclude maybe ten or even 20%, not 7% of
(19:49):
the S&P 500. Uh, many of the faith based investing
companies that we talk often about on this program, like
Guidestone and Crossmark and Eventide and One Ascent and Timothy
and Praxis, you know, they might screen out 100 of
the companies, not 37. So again, it's a light touch
on the negative screening. Uh, I think, uh, therefore adoption
(20:13):
could lack just because the reviews are going to be
mixed as a result. So no doubt this represents a
pretty significant milestone in public recognition and access to faith
informed investing, certainly at large firms and institutional platforms. But
clearly there's an opportunity to improve this product over time.
(20:36):
We're certainly going to lean into that and frankly, have
been invited into that conversation by the the team that
has formed really the advisory board and are making the
decisions with regard to how the screening, uh, conditions are set,
and we're going to lean into that. In fact, already have.
Our team has been in hours of conversations, um, with
(20:56):
the group putting this together. But at the end of
the day, let's celebrate that, uh, Wall Street and these
big firms. And now the largest, most well known index, uh,
in the investing landscape is creating products and indexes now
specifically for God's people. That's a big idea and a
big win for Christians. All right. We're going to take
(21:18):
your calls, uh, just around the corner. So if you
have a financial question today, go ahead and give us
a call. Right now, that number is 800 525 7000. Again,
that's 800 525 7000. We'll begin with Tony in Huntsville
after the break and then talk to Sandra in Georgia.
And perhaps your question as well. Again, that number 800
(21:39):
525 7000. A quick break and back with much more.
Just around the corner. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. Helping.
(22:08):
You see, God is your ultimate treasure and money. A
tool to accomplish God's purposes. This is faith and finance. Live.
I'm Rob West. We're delighted you're here today. If you
have a financial question, the lines are filling up, but
we've got room for you at the moment. 800 525 7000.
Let's head to Huntsville. Tony, thanks for your call. Go ahead.
S4 (22:28):
Thank you very much, Rob, for taking my phone call.
S1 (22:30):
Of course.
S4 (22:32):
Uh, my wife and I have been blessed, and we
have several pieces of rental property, and we would like
to leave them, uh, each of our kids, uh, property.
But we'd like to protect it from probate and, uh,
like to collect rent on their property at the same time.
(22:53):
How could we set up a trust? What would be
our best way to proceed?
S1 (22:57):
Yeah, it's a great question. And you've got several options
to explore. Ultimately, I would sit down with an estate
planning attorney just to talk you through each of the
options that are available to you. Um, you know, the
most common way that people will address this is through
what's called a revocable living trust. I think that's what
you referred to there, um, where you essentially transfer the
(23:20):
property into the trust. So it would require a retitling. Um,
you would then, uh, keep control and continue receiving rental
income as trustees. And then on your. Upon your death
or incapacitation, the property, um, would ultimately pass directly to
the children without probate. Um, the downside, if there is any,
(23:45):
is that there's no creditor protection. Um, so if you're
looking for some sort of, uh, you know, liability protection, um,
you know, that would not be offered through the revocable
living trust, but it would accomplish your primary objectives, which
is continue to receive the rental income, keep control, and
have the efficient transfer to the kids outside of probate. Um,
(24:10):
maybe a simpler solution, although I don't know that it
goes quite far enough, is what's called a life estate
deed with the remainder to the children. So this is
essentially where, uh, the d you deed the property to
the children but retain a life estate, which gives you
the legal right to collect, rent and use the property
for life. And then at death, the property passes automatically.
(24:33):
It's harder to change later. It may complicate selling or refinancing.
So that's why I think the revocable living trust is best.
The third option would be what's called a family limited
partnership or an LLC, and that allows you to retain
managing interest and income rights. You can then gift the
ownership shares to the children over time using, let's say,
(24:55):
annual gift tax exclusions. And that is going to provide
liability protection. And, you know, perhaps even estate tax efficiency
if that were to be a factor. Although the way
the laws are today, you got to get an estate
over $13 million before that's an issue. But if you're
looking for that liability protection that could be offered there.
(25:15):
It's more complex to set up and maintain, which is
why unless the liability is a big issue for you,
that revocable living trust is probably going to be the
way to go.
S5 (25:26):
All right.
S4 (25:27):
I thank you very much, Rob.
S1 (25:29):
Absolutely. God bless you, Tony. Appreciate your call today. Uh,
George is where we're headed next. Shonda. Go ahead.
S6 (25:36):
Hey. So my question is, I got divorced in my
mid 50s and had to start completely over. I have
a little over $37,000 in my 401 K. I am 66,
so I'm eligible to roll it over. And I've listened
to your program and several others that talk about screening
(25:58):
and clean programs, and I would like to move mine
into a Christian based finance. But everyone that I've contacted,
you have to have a minimum of $50,000. So do
you have any suggestions?
S1 (26:13):
Yeah I do. I think there's a little better one
that's coming. But let me start with what you have
available today. You could absolutely today just roll it over
to a rollover IRA at a custodian without minimums like
a Fidelity or Schwab. Um, and they would offer you
basically access to all of the Christian screened mutual funds
(26:37):
and exchange traded funds that we talk about on this program. Uh,
and you wouldn't need $50,000 or you wouldn't need at
least that amount. You could start with as little as
you wanted, and you would then have to just pick
the investments yourself. That's perhaps going to be the only
downside to this. If you're looking for somebody to make
those decisions for you, that's going to be more challenging,
(27:00):
because often you're right. Advisors will often have minimums. And
so you could go direct to these mutual fund companies
or asset managers that offer exchange traded funds. That's no problem.
But you're going to have to be the one to say,
you know, which of the funds at Eventide or Crossmark
or One Ascent or Guidestone am I going to put
(27:21):
this money in? And if you don't have, you know,
that training or expertise that does become challenging. Um, the
other option is what's coming. And what's exciting is in
the faith based investing universe, just like I started today
by saying, we've got a really exciting new development where
the S&P 500 has now created a version of it
(27:42):
for Christians, where it's Christian screened. Now, that's an index.
That's not an investable product yet, but it's coming. Um,
but it's a sign that there's a lot of innovation
taking in this, uh, taking place in this space. Christian investing.
And one of the things that's coming is the first
robo advisor that only uses, uh, Christian screened investments. So,
(28:06):
just like Betterment or Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, you answer a
series of questions and it will build basically a portfolio
for you, but only using investments that are screened for
Christian values. Uh, the alpha on that. And then the beta,
which basically just means it's it's in a test phase.
It's going to be out before the end of the year.
(28:28):
And then probably in Q1 of next year, 2026, it's
going to be widely available for anybody. And we'll be
talking about it here. So if you listen to the program,
you'll hear about it when it's ready. That's going to
make things a little simpler. Sonda, because now you won't
have to be the ones making the decision on which
investments to choose. Does that make sense?
S6 (28:49):
It does, and that's very exciting. Um, so do you
have any suggestions for boosting that over the next four years?
Because $37,000 will not last long?
S1 (29:00):
No. Yeah, I hear you. Well, I mean, I think
the key is for you to get it invested and
let the market do what it does, because the very
best place to build wealth over the last 57,500 years
is in a properly diversified stock and bond portfolio. And
the extent to which you can continue to add money
to it systematically, Automatically, regardless of whether the market's up,
down or sideways is really the key. It's the combination
(29:24):
of those two. It's the new contributions you can make
on top of the contributions you've already made, and the
compounding effect of those, when invested, are going to be
really the keys to you continuing to see that nest
egg grow. Um, how are you continuing to work at
this point?
S6 (29:42):
I am, my plan is to work until I'm 70.
S1 (29:45):
Okay. Yeah. So I think the key is to take
full advantage of these next four years to live as
modestly as you can, to sock away as much as
you can, and hopefully let that grow to something more
meaningful that could then supplement other income sources, whether that's a,
you know, a spousal benefit, uh, you know, from your
ex-husband or your own Social Security benefit or anything else
(30:08):
you might have coming your way.
S6 (30:10):
All right. Perfect. Thank you so much.
S1 (30:12):
All right, Sondra, thanks for your call today. I appreciate
you being on the program. Well, folks, we're going to
take a break When we come back, Bob Dole stops by.
We'll get Bob's take on the markets again, closing up
across the board. Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Russell 2000 all
in positive territory, albeit fairly modest today. But that's on
(30:35):
top of all the other gains. We'll find out what's
moving the markets. What's Bob watching this week. That's straight ahead.
Plus we'll try to get a few more questions in.
I'll also give you an update on our, uh, special
partnership and focus this month. Only two days left with
Buckner's shoes for orphan Soles. That's coming up right around
the corner. Stay with us. We'll be right back. Great
(31:07):
to have you with us today on faith and finance.
Live well before we head back to the phones. Bob
Dole is here. It's a Monday. Bob checks in with
us to preview the week ahead for the markets. and
Bob is CEO and CIO at Crossmark Global Investments. Bob,
here we are about to kick off Q4 2025. Would
you have ever imagined at the start of this year,
we'd be at these levels on the on the big board?
S7 (31:30):
Sure wouldn't. But, uh, to company that, I'd be surprised
that earnings have been as good as we've seen. Uh,
they've been quite good. Uh, both uh, revenue growth has
been okay, but profit margins have expanded from record levels
to higher levels. It's pretty amazing.
S1 (31:46):
What do you attribute that to, Bob? Is it advances
in technology or something else?
S7 (31:51):
Uh, all of the above that is, uh, AI and
related productivity has certainly, uh, improved allowing a lot of
companies have been careful about how they manage their business
in these times, because the uncertainty levels have been high,
have advanced their profit margins, and analysts are expecting even
higher margins next year.
S1 (32:10):
Yeah. What are you expecting with regard to the fed?
I know there's a lot of debate. Are we going
to get those two additional cuts or, you know, are
we going to see inflation really thwart that effort?
S7 (32:21):
Um, our view is most likely one more cut, not two, uh,
in part because of what you just said. Inflation is
just stubborn. Um. It's sticky. It doesn't want to move
down from that three ish level toward two. Uh, and that,
I think, will keep the Hawks on the fed from, uh,
(32:41):
acquiescing to two more cuts. So probably one more in December.
S1 (32:45):
Yeah. Bob, I know you had a comment about the
housing market. And I'll tell you, in terms of eroding
the consumer's ability to continue to drive this economy, you know, these, uh,
this really challenging housing market has been a key there.
And the question is, how long can we go on
with mortgage rates at these levels? And it not start
(33:07):
to really impact in a material way? The consumer.
S7 (33:10):
Yeah, a great question. There's no question that housing has
struggled most of this year. And yet the economy, which
is often dependent on housing, has motored right along housing
market struggles because, first of all, mortgage rates are stubbornly
high and likely to stay there. Home prices are down
(33:31):
in some places, but still pretty high. Insurance premiums have
moved up utility bills. It's expensive to own a home,
and that's creating a lot of headwinds.
S1 (33:41):
Bob, how challenging is it for you as an asset
manager managing billions of dollars in the market with these
these rich valuations, is that concerning?
S7 (33:51):
No question Rob. It is concerning. And yet I've learned
over my career the hard way that devaluation is never
a timing tool. Just because a stock or a sector
or the market expensive does not mean it has to
go down. Um, as long as earnings are moving forward
and the fed is in a mode of reducing rates,
(34:12):
stocks will probably do just fine and move from already
very high to perhaps higher valuation levels. It just gives
you a sense of of the risk you have out
there should something go wrong.
S1 (34:24):
Yeah. Bob, what about internationally? I know just given how
well the US has performed, a lot of people are
underweighted the rest of the world. What would you say?
S7 (34:33):
Yeah, I'd say you better own some international diversification. Makes
a whole lot of sense. Look, if you if you
didn't own much outside the US, you were left in
the dust in the back part of the fourth quarter,
the first quarter and the early part of the second quarter.
Since then, the U.S. has come back. So it's not
going to be a one way street, but I think
having some international portfolio makes some sense. Rob.
S1 (34:56):
Bob, last question. We started today by talking about just
the noteworthy news about the S&P 500, adding a Christian
Values index. And even though there's a lot more they
can do there in terms of really screening out companies
misaligned with Christian values. What do you make of that?
And what does that say with regard to Wall Street's
acceptance of this space?
S7 (35:17):
I think what it's saying is we are moving in
a direction where it's being recognized more and more. That
is faith based investing as legitimate investment tool. Um, there
is no just like for the market overall, there's no standard.
Some look at the towels, some look at the S&P,
some look at the S&P, some look at the Nasdaq.
(35:38):
So there's not going to be one index. There's the
holy grail. But the fact that we're getting some acceptance
um by general public and by Wall Street as you
put it, means this is becoming more and more legitimate,
which is just wonderful to the Lord.
S1 (35:55):
Well, we certainly hope that those doing the deep work,
like you and the team at Crossmark, are the real
beneficiaries of this because of the the great way you're
serving your clients with really thoughtful portfolios.
S7 (36:05):
I think that's for that kind comment. It's our privilege,
pleasure and ministry.
S1 (36:10):
Thanks for your time today, Bob.
S7 (36:12):
God bless.
S1 (36:13):
All right. That's Bob Dole, he's CEO at Crossmark Global Investments,
a leader in faith based investing. You can learn more
at Crossmark global. Com. All right. Back to the phones.
We'll try to round out the broadcast today with perhaps
two more questions. Susan's in Ohio. Go ahead.
S8 (36:28):
Uh, yes. Um, I'm retired and my husband will be
retiring soon. And, um, we don't have a whole lot
of money, but he has a 401 K at work.
We're not even sure what to do with that. Um,
and so we need some help with what we do
so that we'll have enough money for retirement.
S1 (36:48):
Yeah. Yeah, it's a good question. Uh, you know, I
think this is a key time, Susan, for you to
spend a little bit of time with an advisor who
can really help you. First step would be a comprehensive
financial plan. Understanding what is this next season of life
look like? What is God calling you to in terms
of location and how you'll use your time in service
to the Lord, and is there going to be in
(37:10):
any income, even on a part time basis? What assets
do you have? How do we minimize taxes and maximize
the the income that you've got and the assets? How
should you invest what you've spent a lifetime accumulating with
your 401 K? All of these questions can be addressed.
And when you use a certified Kingdom advisor, you could
do that in light of a biblical worldview. So if
(37:31):
I were you, I would head to faith Philly.com. That's
our website. Faithful comm. Click. Find a professional. Do a
zip code search there in Ohio, perhaps interview one or
2 or 3, find one that's a good fit, and
start with, you know that, uh, that consultation, that initial
meeting where you'd get to know one another and I
(37:52):
think map out a plan whether or not that advisor
ends up managing, you know, the assets in the 401
K that might be rolled to an IRA is, I think,
secondary to this advisor putting a plan together. So you
all have the peace of mind to know where you stand.
Are you going to fund your expenses? And if there's
a gap, how you're going to address it, and perhaps
whether you need to work longer or add some part
(38:15):
time income along the way. So again, that website is faith.com.
Just click Find a Professional. Thanks for your call. Hudson, Florida. Glenn,
you'll be our final caller. Go ahead.
S9 (38:25):
Yeah. Thank you for taking my call. Um, I've tried
to apply all of your principles, um, debt free living,
emergency fund and so forth like that. I've got students
that I work with and we're talking about investing in.
So I came up with a project where I told
them that I'd invest $4,000 and they could pick some stocks,
(38:46):
and we'd see how that would work. Yeah. And so
is there a way to purchase just individual stocks because
it's only 4000 and there's there's several students that have
picked these out. Um, and I didn't know if there
was a way to do that.
S1 (39:02):
That's a great question. So are you going to gift
the money to them or are you going to keep
control of it and just let them make the investment decisions?
S9 (39:09):
They're going to make the investment. I'll keep the money,
but I'll make the investment decisions. I want to do
real dollars behind this.
S1 (39:16):
Okay, great. Yeah. I mean, there's plenty of apps out
there now that, um, and platforms that allow you to
essentially start with, you know, little to nothing in the
way of investments. I mean, even fidelity has now what
they call stocks by the slice, allowing you to buy
fractional shares starting at a dollar. Uh, Charles Schwab has
(39:37):
something similar called stock slices that allow you to buy
fractional pieces of any of the S&P 500 companies. Um,
and then there's some of the the newer offerings in
this space, uh, like Robinhood, which would be another one
offering fractional shares. Uh, there's also, um, some user friendly
(39:57):
platforms like public and SoFi invest. So I would check
those out. Uh, again, I'd start with fidelity, Robinhood Public
and SoFi invest. Any of those really are built for
this kind of thing. Um, that would allow you to
essentially invest in in fractional type shares, which is probably
(40:18):
going to be what you need for the type of
investing you're looking to do. Um, I'll throw one more
out there. You know, they really are designed for micro
investing and it's called stash. And I think, um, you know,
as you look through these, the ones that are going
to have probably the best web and app experiences are
Robinhood and Stash. But if you're really just looking for
(40:38):
a great platform, I think, you know, you can add
fidelity to that mix. So hopefully that helps. Glenn, I
love what you're doing here. Um, how many, uh, how
many kids are we talking about?
S9 (40:49):
Um, there's 13 teenagers right now so far.
S1 (40:52):
All right. And they're in high school?
S9 (40:54):
Yes. Yep. They're 11th and 12th graders, and I'm trying
to encourage them to follow the principles that you're teaching
on the radio.
S1 (41:02):
Yeah. That's incredible. Let me send you a workbook that
I think you might really enjoy if you like it.
I'll get you one for each of the kids, and
we'll pick up the cost on it. Because I love
what you're doing here. It's called Open Hands Finance, and
it's a combination kind of workbook alongside, um, a podcast
(41:22):
that I think they may enjoy. We'll start by sending
you one. See what you think of it. If you
like it, give me a call back and we'll send
you a bunch more, okay?
S9 (41:30):
Oh, thank you very much.
S1 (41:31):
All right, hang on the line, Glen. We'll get some
information out to you, and we'll put those in the mail.
Thanks for your call today, folks. Before we finish today,
let me just remind you of the incredible opportunity you
have just today and tomorrow as we round out the
month of September. You know, as you live as a
faithful steward and you apply biblical wisdom to your financial
(41:53):
decision making, one of the natural byproducts of that is
you just are overwhelmed by the grace extended to you
and I through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as
he took on the penalty for our sin and therefore
reconciled us to the father through his shed blood on
the cross. We just become givers. Giving in every area
of our lives. But that should include our finances. And
(42:16):
as a result, each month or each quarter we shine
a light on a great ministry, doing incredible work in
the name of Jesus. And that ministry this month has
been Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We are so thrilled
to be able to share this with you. Our goal
is 1000 pairs of shoes on a child's feet somewhere
in the world. We're not quite there yet. We've got
(42:37):
two days to get there. This is a game changer
for these these children. Every $15 is a new pair
of shoes, socks and the cost to get it there.
Learn more. Give shoes today. That's give shoes today. Thanks
to Tahira, Jim, Josh and Dan. Faith and finance is
a partnership between Moody Radio and Faith fi. We'll see
you next time.
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