Class is Over

Its hard to believe but thirteen weeks have passed of the Financial Peace Class at Calvary Chapel and now we are on our own to see if we implement Dave's suggestions or go back to our same behaviors. We were blessed with a great table group, David & Terri, Gregg & Yvette, and Alan, which help share and encourage each other through the 13 weeks.

As we ended the class, we talked about this blog and the possibility of each member of our group to post their monetary successes / failures ( not really failure but learning opportunities from God), and any financial secrets that can be shared, best deals, websites, and other sources.

With Dave's system, you are suppose to be out debt and on your way to real financial security, but the best part about Dave's system to me is the ability to give generously, to the Church, Charities, and to others. I can not wait to get that point.

I have started the Morning Star educational series and passed my 100 level in the Mutual Funds series. Its really cool to start understanding what I did not know before.

Money has always seemed to elude me somehow and I am hoping now with a help from God I can be better at providing, saving, and giving.
God Bless,
John

Investing Tips

Frustrated by all of your investment options? Don’t get down. If you’re ready to invest, take Dave’s advice to heart and begin the process of financially securing your family’s future.

Class Notes
Investing options may seem overwhelming. Whether it’s stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, annuities, or money markets, there’s so much to choose from. But if you’ve progressed to Baby Step 4, keep Dave’s valuable advice in mind and you’ll navigate through these important decisions.

Remember, it’s never too late to start investing, especially with today's life expectancy climbing. The best way to invest is to be out of debt first. Make sure you diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, and only work with investment advisors who have the heart of a teacher.

Helpful Tools
The MRC is loaded with great information about investing: You’ll find Dave's personal tips, information about our investment seminars, links to find an ELP in your area, the Millionaire Calculator, and a lot more.

Since investing laws change often, Dave may adjust his investing advice as well. Continue to check the MRC for updated statistics and recommendations

Cleaning up your Credit

Creditors keep calling? Wondering what the deal is with the FICO score? Hopefully, you didn’t miss out on this week’s FPU class. Dave discussed how to understand your credit score and keep vicious creditors from having too much influence in your life.

Class Notes
Never place creditors’ demands over your family’s basic needs. Take care of the Four Walls—food, shelter, clothing, and transportation—before you pay anything. Never attempt to dodge a bill, but make sure you prioritize your family over a barking creditor.

A FICO score is an “I love debt” score—simply measuring how well you manage your debt. It is not a measure of your financial success. Don’t worship at the altar of the “Great FICO.”

Helpful Tools
We offer plenty of tools this week to help you identify any credit issues you may have. In the Member Resource Center, you’ll find information about obtaining your annual credit report, checking for inaccuracies, and securing identity theft insurance. And, as always, the MRC is full of many other resources to help you along your journey to Financial Peace.

Stop those annoying telemarketer calls! Use the government's National Do Not Call Registry to protect your number from unsolicited calls. In addition, you can stop all of the pre-approved credit offers that fill your mailbox!

Financial Resources that will Help

Here are some resources with the hyperlinks to the websites. Hopefully this will help you speed up your learning and your ability to find financial peace.

Morning Star >> www.morningstar.com. Provider of independent investments. Their is a FREE online classroom. This is something that is important for all of us to do. < ClassRoom Click Here >

MSN Money >> Independant resources. < Click Here >

They really have a great, eye opening retirement calculator < Click Here >

Vanguard << for smaller investors - mutual funds
T.Rowe Price << Both have tools

Books to Read
The New Master Your Money By Ron Blue
Your Money After the Big 5-0 by Ron Blue and Larry Burkett
The Word on Finances by Larry Burkett
The Money Essentials for the Second Half of Life by Larry Burkett
The Sound Mind Investing Handbook By Austin Pryor
The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

Non-Christian Books
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
The Millionaire Mind
Start Living Like a Real Millionaire

I hope all these resources help you all.
God Bless,
John
swim with the dolphins in Florida