By Edwin and Meshia Waleh Medical School & Debt Since I can remember, I (Meshia) have always wanted to be a doctor. I believe God made me to be a doctor, however, I wish I had taken more time to research the value and reward proposition before embarking on my medic
Author: Patrick Blair Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank recently collapsed because their depositors pulled out their money forcing these banks to liquidate their underwater investments. Behind Washington Mutual in 2008, these were the biggest bank failures in U.S. History
Moving to be near a senior loved one who needs your support can be thoroughly rewarding and challenging at the same time. As you navigate this major decision, you’ll want to consider many things, such as whether to rent or buy a home, when it’s time to go, how to help your loved one with everyday tasks, and more.
Author: Patrick Blair I recently met a sophisticated, 45-year-old* salesman who said he’d just come out of retirement, because he lost 90% of his net worth in the FTX bankruptcy. As a result, his wife was seriously considering divorcing him and taking their young son with her.
Author: Patrick Blair I recently read Douglas Jacoby’s newsletter where he wrote a very thought-provoking article entitled: The Widow is Heroic, but Also a Victim . Douglas provided key support for me in writing Faith and Finances , especially in the area of church giving.
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on August 12, 2022 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The book title accurately describes the book, which is a solid, spiritual treatise on the biblical perspectives about money. The book also provides ample practicals and personal examples. &
Author: Patrick Blair I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of men. –Sir Isaac Newton The great physicist Sir Isaac Newton was credited with this quote while caught up investing in the infamous South Sea Stock bubble circa 1720. He was sa
Motivation: If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon. –Motivation quote from Demotivators (Despair, Inc.) I get a kick out of these “Demotivators.” Here’s my own Demotivator: New Year’s...
Famed bond investor Ray Dalio recently said, “Cash is trash!” He warned that the growing U.S. dollar money supply will lead to its devaluation. In the interview, Dalio advocated having a diversified portfolio, including gold. In somewhat of a contrast, Warren Buffet recently sold large portions of Berkshire Hathaway investments so it can have a
When we feel unhealthy, we reconsider our eating and fitness habits. When spiritually depleted, we pray and read the Bible. When our houses are dirty, we clean them. How about when our finances need attention? I suggest having financial focus times. Take a few hours every few months to review, organize, plan, and make decisions.
Dave Ramsey teaches his “7 Baby Steps”: 1. Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund. 2. Pay off all debt (except the house) with the debt snowball. 3. Save 3-6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund. 4. Invest 15% of your household income in retirement. 5. Save for your children’s college fund.
Author: Patrick Blair Inflation is like toothpaste. Once it’s out, you can hardly get it back in again. –Carl Otto Pohl There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages
Author: Patrick Blair I loved watching the Suze Orman Show and her “Can I Afford It?” segment. She would analyze if someone could afford something based on their financial situation and other emotional factors. It helped give me clarity about my purchases, personalit
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on April 9, 2021 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: If this book were from another author, I would expect it to be more practical and basic, however Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad fame) has made a teen version of his Rich Dad Poor Dad book. &
Author: Patrick Blair A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3 HCSB) In 2020, many of our basic assumptions about the world have been challenged. The year brought socio-political and
Author: Patrick Blair “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundati
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on September 15, 2020 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The book is exactly what it appears to be: a book about spiritual riches versus earthly riches and Christian giving. The Book in a Word: Challenging Summary: John Cortines and Gregory Baum
Author: Patrick Blair I remember the old days when people thought we might someday pay off the U.S. national debt. Now, no one even entertains that possibility. As of July 2020, the debt is over $26.5 trillion and rising exponentially.
Author: Patrick Blair Famed bond investor Ray Dalio recently said, “Cash is trash!” He warned that the growing U.S. dollar money supply will lead to its devaluation. In the interview, Dalio advocated having a diversified portfolio, including gold. In somewhat of a contr
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on May 15, 2020 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The book title appears to be a paradox. How could giving to others gain you treasure? You learn that the title accurately describes the biblical principle laid out by Jesus, where you
Author: Patrick Blair [Patrick Blair and Greg Garcia were scheduled to do a session entitled “Faith and Finances in Retirement” at the World Discipleship Conference 2020 in the 50+ Track. Because of COVID-19, the conference has been rescheduled to 2022.] Because of the severe economic effec
By Gregory A. Garcia, Attorney/C.P.A. I am the proud son of Cuban immigrants. My mother had a third-grade education and made close to minimum wage, yet she managed to raise two children and amass significant wealth over her lifetime. Here are valuable money management lessons that I’ve
Author: Patrick Blair For the first time in over a year, the stock market has taken a significant drop. This is big news because most people’s retirement accounts and other investable assets are in the stock market. But is it cause for worry, since the market has been steadily r
Authors: Lake and Jess Maner We got married in the Spring of 2015. Jesus used parables, which were very often drawn from nature and natural growth. Just as a plant grows over time, we believed our marriage, careers, and finances should as well. As he says in Luke 8
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on December 31, 2019 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The book’s title accurately describes the subject matter of the book but appears to focus on money. However, the book goes way beyond money and focuses on the totality of humans’ quality of
Author: Patrick Blair Have you felt like it’s hard to make things work financially these days? With 10+ years of so-called “economic expansion,” why do most of us feel like things are getting harder? No, you aren’t crazy; things really are getting harder. What I
Author: Patrick Blair The news media has been reporting on an impending recession as if it is a foregone conclusion. We’ve experienced yield curve inversions, mass retailer bankruptcies, slowdowns in manufacturing and auto sales, drops in housing prices in some markets, etc.,
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on September 9, 2019 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The book at first glance appears to be a “how to get rich” type of book. Honestly, I bought it on the cheap at a used bookstore – and mostly because of the interesting combination
Author: Patrick Blair Late last year, I noticed our family checkbook was getting very light. Dread filled my mind as I realized that we would need to borrow money to pay our bills for the next few months. In addition to dread, I felt frustrated because I had carefull
Author: Patrick Blair On July 15th, 2019, my book Faith and Finances: A 21st Century Biblical Guide for Growing, Protecting, and Using Your Money was released! You can order it now by clicking here . What Is the Book About? Handling money in today’s world can be a com
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on June 25, 2019 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: Based on the title, I imagined a book filled with interesting personal finance advice and hacks. The book does have some shorter-term personal finance content but is primarily focused
Author: Patrick Blair When I check out of my local grocery store, the cashiers always ask me for my phone number so my purchasing habits can be tracked. What do I get for this? Well, after ringing up the goods, the cashier always tells me something like, “You’ve save
Author: Patrick Blair 0% interest: it’s everywhere these days. You see it in credit card teaser rates, promotional loans, and auto loans. You can even count no-interest loans from friends or family members in this category. Most of us have had a 0%-interest
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on March 4, 2019 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: I expected a detailed account of how our world is on the precipice of financial disaster. The book, however, spends most of its time analyzing modern investments and past financial an
Reprinted from Chapter 9 of the book A Profession of Faith, Volume 1 , Bringardner & Jordan Eds. (2002) with permission from the author and publisher. Perspectives and Priorities During my first semester of law school, I met Bill, a single Jewish man who was willing to befriend me as
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on December 19, 2018 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: I expected a book that is primarily focused on social injustice and the plight of the poor in contrast to church giving. What I read certainly discussed those elements, but also h
Author: Patrick Blair Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. -Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) In my book Faith & Finances , I discuss the importance of getting financial advice from knowledgeable people. We often make an effort t
Author: Patrick Blair Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on November 16, 2018 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The title portends an in-depth, long-term strategic analysis of how to shelter your wealth from taxes. That’s exactly what the book is! The Book in a Word: Taxes.
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on November 5, 2018 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: The title promised an insightful, in-depth study into debt and wealth. Instead, the book is a shallow, reactionary proof text about how to ignore the meaning of Scriptures about mo
Book Reviewed by Patrick Blair on November 3, 2018 First Impression Versus Lasting Impression: When first hearing the title, I envisioned a book filled with facts and figures that proved why the U.S. populous is struggling financially. The subtitle made me cringe, because it
Author: Patrick Blair The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. – Proverbs 22:3-4 (NIV) In my book Faith & Finances , I paint an unstable and treacherous pictur
Author: Patrick Blair Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. – Proverbs 13:11 (NIV) Who likes extreme discipline? Certainly not me and I’m guessing you don’t either. Let’s leave tha
Author: Patrick Blair This article is adapted from Chapter 8 of Faith & Finances – “Riches and Righteousness.” The prosperity gospel (a.k.a. the health and wealth gospel) “is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are a