Episode 192 - Are You Being Financially Steered or Shepherded? with Kingdom Advisors

In this March "Marks on the Markets" episode, hosts Richard Cunningham and Luke Roush welcome Kingdom Advisors CEO Rob West to discuss the transformative impact of the recent Kingdom Advisors Annual Conference in Orlando.

Key Points:

About Kingdom Advisors:

• Founded in 2003 by Ron Blue and Larry Burkett to help Christians plan and manage finances with biblical principles
• Serves as the gathering place for the Christian financial industry
• Offers the Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation - the only designation for biblically-wise financial advice accepted by most major Wall Street firms
• Conference grew 40% in past two years to 2,700 attendees, significantly outpacing industry norms

Industry Trends:

• Financial advice evolving from product-driven to values-driven approaches
• Christian investors increasingly want their faith reflected in every domain of life, including money decisions
• Major financial firms recognize that connecting with clients at a values level creates better outcomes for everyone
• Industry acceptance of faith-based investing products and communities growing rapidly

Market Opportunity:

• Approximately 350,000 client-facing financial planners in the US
• Estimated 90,000 practicing Christians in the field (26%)
• Kingdom Advisors currently serves about 4,000 members with 1,700 having earned the CKA designation
• Christians hold an estimated $20+ trillion in investable assets

Next Generation Focus:

• 250 undergraduate students from 25 universities attended the conference
• Eight universities now offer CKA alongside CFP (Certified Financial Planner) programs
• With 38% of financial advisors retiring in next decade (average age 55), demand for next-gen advisors is high
• Students now graduating ready to enter the industry with faith-aligned perspectives from day one

Evolution of Faith-Based Investing:

• Moving beyond just "avoiding" certain investments to "embracing" impact investments
• Growing focus on deploying capital to solve problems and create positive change
• Increased emphasis on engagement through proxy votes and shareholder resolutions
• Next generation of inheritors viewing wealth differently, prioritizing impact alongside returns

Market Commentary:

• Despite current market volatility and uncertainty, biblical principles of economics and wealth creation provide stability
• Return to more normalized cost of capital (8-12% interest rates) reflects historical norms after decades of artificially low rates
• Faith-driven investors can find peace by anchoring to timeless truths rather than timely market fluctuations

Closing Wisdom:

• From Ecclesiastes 7:12: "Wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: wisdom preserves those who have it."
• True wisdom is not just intellectual mastery or best practices—it's knowing Christ personally

Featured Guest:

• Rob West, CEO of Kingdom Advisors and host of the nationally syndicated Faith and Finance radio program

Resources Mentioned:

• Kingdom Advisors Annual Conference "Redeeming Money"
• Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation
• Faith and Finance radio program (faithfi.com)