The Christian Broadcasting Network


Personal Finance

Develop an Effective Job Search Plan

As much as 60% of your life will be spent working. Don't waste that time in the wrong job!

 

 

Dave Says

Is Money the Root of All Evil?

 

The love of money becomes the ultimate idolatry. This is why Paul said, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

 

 

Buying a house with 403(b) money

Should I take advantage of a 403(b) withdrawal in order to buy a house?

Making Your First Million

Saving and spending wisely are two keys to gaining wealth. Here are tips on doing both well.

Dave Says: Cancer Insurance

How should I approach sharing some of my inheritance?

Dave Says: Giving from Grandfather's Wealth

How should I approach sharing some of my inheritance?

Whatever God Requires, He Provides

Let us rely on His strength, being mindful and thankful that whatever God requires, He provides.

Coping with the Tough Economy

As stewards of our incomes, homes, and resources, we must examine our fiscal sustainability.

Dave Says: Investing in the Future

Should I cash out an inheritance in stock to pay off debt?

Making Sure Your House Doesn't Own You

Get the housing decision wrong, and your house will own you. Get it right, and your house will truly be a home.

Dave Says: Paying the Church's Mortgage

At my church, there is a $97,000 mortgage at 8.75 percent on the building, and the note was signed only by the pastor. In the event of default, are the members of the congregation liable?

Dave Says: Pride and Debt

Would you agree that pride is our biggest problem when it comes to debt?

Dave Says: Paying a Child's Student Loan

Should we continue to pay our son's student loan bill?

Dave Says: To Lease or Not to Lease

I make big commissions leasing cars, but I'd never lease one myself. Should I quit?

Should I Use a Mortgage Accelerator?

Dear Dave, How do you feel about mortgage accelerator plans? Can you please explain them?

Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?

For older homeowners needing income, it can look tempting. But gather all the facts, and be aware of the costs — both financial and emotional — before signing on the dotted line.

Dave Says: Getting Out of a Car Lease

I leased a car about two years ago, and I'm just now beginning to realize that it was big mistake. Is there any way to get out of a car lease?

Upgrade Your Quality of Life

So helpful is the ability to delay gratification that psychologists call it the Master's Principle. They say it is the single most essential psychological skill for effective living.

Dave Says: Dating on a Dime

Things aren't cheap today, so aside from not dating, how do you handle this area of your life when you're trying to get your finances in order?

Dave Says: Resenting the Family Loan

Do I need to repay the $30,000 I borrowed from an aunt?

Finances and Expanding Your Family

My wife and I are trying to pay down our debt. We've also started thinking that we'd like to have another child. Do you think we should wait until we're out of debt, or until we have most of it paid off?

No More Excuses for a Bad Habit

Now is the time to get your financial house in order. Here are the steps you need to take back control of your spending habits.

Develop an Effective Job Search Plan

An effective job search involves organization and planning to stay ahead. There are many great resources for staying organized and planning for a career, not just a job.

Am I Ready to Buy a House?

I graduated from college in May, and I already have a job in my field. It was a part-time position that went full time, so I already have $15,000 in an IRA and about $23,000 in savings. I'm also debt-free, because scholarships paid for my education. Am I ready to buy a house?

Time On Your Side

You should invest at the lowest level of stock exposure consistent with achieving your growth and income goals.

Boost Your Savings While Getting Healthy

What if you could boost your savings by getting healthier? That might just be the catalyst you need to make some lifestyle changes. Here are four ways to get started.

Real Estate Agent vs. For Sale By Owner

Dear Dave, What are the advantages of using a real estate agent versus going the for-sale-by-owner route when it comes to selling a home?

The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Kids and Aging Parents

These are the modern-day adults who are being squeezed from both sides: Dealing with children and aging parents.

Taking Your Household Budget Online - Part 2

Manage you cash flow anywhere from a computer or mobile app.

Taking Your Household Budget Online - Part 1

Manage you cash flow anywhere from a computer or mobile app.

Dave Says: Fixing an Old Car

I have $2,400 in transmission repair work that needs to be made on my old truck, and I don't have the money to pay for it. I tried to get a loan, but was turned down. I'm single and make $26,000 a year. Do you have any ideas?

Fame and Money

Dear Dave Ramsey, Our son is 21, and he's embarking on a career as a professional soccer player, how we can help him manage this money and not get caught up in the idea that he has to live a glamorous lifestyle.

Dave Says: Should a stay-at-home mom go back to work?

I'm a stay-at-home mom now, and my husband brings home $2,600 a month. We're trying to get out of debt, but we need more money coming in.

Getting Started in Real Estate

Dear Dave Ramsey, I'm not sure I'm enough of a handyman to fix up houses to sell, but I've never thought of myself as a landlord, either. What advice can you give me?

Dave Says: Paying for Your Wedding

Our parents are contributing financially to the wedding. I know in the end it's our call, but traditionally do parents have some kind of say if they contribute money to help pay for the wedding?

Dave Says: Identity Theft Between Spouses

If a wife takes out a credit card in her husband's name without his knowledge, and they get divorced, can the husband claim identity theft?

Dave Says: Should I Use Credit Counseling Services?

Dear Dave Ramsey, I have a friend with $30,000 in credit card debt, an $80,000 second mortgage, and a car loan. She is considering using a credit counseling service to help. What are your feelings about this?

Keep Your Friends, Keep Your Money

Singles, here are ways you can enjoy time with your friends without busting your budget.

Dave Says: Starting Over After Divorce

My divorce will be final soon, and I'll have some money, but I'll be unemployed. Do you have any suggestions?

Understanding Asset Allocation

Done properly, asset allocation enables an investor to build a portfolio that balances risk and reward, typically based primarily on the investor's age.

The Money Meltdown: A Biblical Perspective

What has happened? Who's at fault? What does this mean for my family's future?

A Dollar Here ... a Dollar There

A clear grasp of God and His scriptures will lead us to understand the importance of preserving the gifts we have been given.

Dave Says: When to Use an Emergency Fund

Is there ever a time you should dip into emergency fund savings in order to pay off your home early?

Dave Says: When to Tell Children to Leave the Nest

When should I support a college student?

Dave Says: Creating a Family Trust

When should a couple think about creating a family trust?

Don't Gamble With Your Future

There are no shortcuts to making money or starting a business. It all goes back to hard work and thinking smart.

Dave Says: Managing Money for Minors

My daughter is 14, and she was recently offered a steady weekend modeling job. Do you have any advice on how to handle the money she earns?

Dave Says: Fixing Bad Credit

I have some bad marks on my credit report. What's the best way to handle them?

Buying Memberships at Wholesale Clubs

What is your opinion on wholesale club memberships?

Something to Salvage

I want to buy an inexpensive car, and I was wondering what you think about salvage titles.

Downsizing Your Home

Let's re-brand ourselves as money-smart and get on a more sustainable and enjoyable path toward financial success.

What's Wrong With Frugality?

Let's re-brand ourselves as money-smart and get on a more sustainable and enjoyable path toward financial success.

Dave Says: Is Rent-to-Own a Wise Compromise?

What do you think about rent-to-own housing? I'm not sure we're financially ready to buy yet, but we don't like giving money to landlords. Is rent-to-own a wise compromise?

Dave Says: Helping Parents Prepare for Retirement

My parents are close to retirement and very heavily leveraged. Do you have any advice on how I can help motivate them to succeed financially?

Dave Says: Will the HARP Program Help Me Refinance My Home?

What do you think about the HARP program, and what exactly is it?

Dave Says: Should I Move in with the In-laws to Pay Off Debt?

My wife's parents have offered to let us move in with them so we can get out of debt faster. Do you think this is a good idea?

Dave Says: Doing Business with Friends

A friend of mine wants to be my renter, but I'm worried that this could jeopardize our friendship. What do you think?

Dave Says: Should I Pay Off a Car Loan Right Now?

My wife and I make $140,000 a year, and we're working on our debt snowball. We're almost out of debt, but we still have two small car payments and some credit card debt. She wants to get rid of the credit card debt but doesn't mind us having car payments. Can you help me understand this?

Dave Says: Family Credit Card Addictions?

My mother-in-law has a serious credit card problem. My wife and I, and her sister, want to address this issue, but where do we start?

Dave Says: Canceling Whole Life Insurance

Should I formally close out the old policy, or just stop paying the premiums?

Fight Fair in Love and Spending

The insights you gain from learning to fight fair could go a long way toward making money work really well in your relationship.

Breaking the Cycle of Financing Vehicles

A better approach to buying cars is to build long-term relationships with our vehicles and send our vehicles' loan officers packing.

Dave Says: Determining Term Life Insurance

Should I base the amount of insurance coverage on what I'm making now or what I'll make when I've finished my degree?

Who Needs the Stock Market?

While many people might prefer to avoid the volatility of stocks, most can't afford to choose all bond-type investments. If they did, they'd miss out on the gains necessary to outpace inflation and taxes.

The Single Most Personal Finance Tool

If you had access to a tool that would give you a strong sense of control over your finances and help keep your financial stress low, wouldn't you use it?

Fixing Bad Credit

What's the best way to handle bad marks on a credit report?

How Much Should I Spend on a House?

Housing is most people's biggest expense. That's why, of all of the expenses we each have, it's essential to get our housing costs right

Estate Planning: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You and Your Family

Estate planning is an area where change is so frequent — and so confusing — it's an extraordinary challenge to stay up-to-date.

Dave Says: Life Beyond College

Dear Dave Ramsey, I'm in college with a full scholarship. I work part time and should be able to graduate with no debt. What can I do now to best utilize the money I make?

6 Keys to Controlling Your Spending

For several years during the late 1980s, my wife Susie and I applied a rather rigorous approach to control our spending, and it worked pretty well. I didn't keep a diary at the time, but looking back on it now, these are the "keys to success" that come to mind.

Dave Says: Are Online Banks Reliable?

Dear Dave Ramsey, How do you feel about using an online bank for your emergency fund?

Estate Planning: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You and Your Family

Estate planning is an area where change is so frequent — and so confusing — it's an extraordinary challenge to stay up-to-date.

Make Your Investment Decisions from the Inside-Out

Outside-in thinking will never tell you whether it's a "good" time to sell stocks because no one knows what the market wills. Here's a checklist an inside-out investor might run through in deciding the "Is it a good time to sell?" question.

Handling the Master's Money

Investing that glorifies God is motivated solely by a desire to see His kingdom grow. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, then you know that ...

4 Common Investing Mistakes to Avoid

A key maxim of successful investing is this: Avoid making major mistakes. We're all bound to make some mistakes, but hopefully they're not terribly costly ones.

The Absolute Greatest Spending Decision We Ever Made

When it comes to spending, spend with goals in mind. Practice the #1 way to save money on nearly every purchase and focus on what you can control by not letting the availability of money be the driving principle for your spending decisions.

Generosity as the Antidote to Envy

My wife and I were recently discussing and planning our monthly budget. Inspired by our July, 2011 article, Building Generosity into Your Monthly Budget. I suggested that we begin to include a line item for generosity. Here's what happened.

The Best Days of the Month to Invest

Research shows that there are optimal days to invest and pull money in stocks and investments.

Handling the Master's Money

Investing that glorifies God is motivated solely by a desire to see His kingdom grow. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, then you know that ...

Spending Strategies to Help You Live Within Your Budget

Here are a few ideas our family has used to allocate our resources efficiently and accomplish our financial priorities.

How to Use Cash Instead of Credit and Debit Cards

I posed thisquestion on Facebook: Best advice for someone transitioning to the cash/envelope budgeting system? Here are the responses I got ...

8 Key Factors that Determine Long-Term Investing Results

The amount of wealth that you and I can accumulate through investing is determined by a great many factors.

The Difference Between Saving and Hoarding

The Bible twice mentions the work ethic of the lowly ant (Proverbs 6:6-8 and Proverbs 30:25) — how it prepares for the future, storing up provisions for a later time. Preparing for the future is a good thing.

Cutting the Cost of Digital Services

A little over a year ago, I did a post regarding my family's progress in cutting the costs of digital services. Now, 12 months later, I thought I'd let you know how things have gone.

Which Retirement Assets Should You Withdraw First?

Once you reach retirement and begin drawing from the storehouse of wealth you've worked so hard to accumulate, two questions arise.

The Wisdom to Show Restraint

Regular investors can easily fall into the same trap of blowing right past restraint en route to imagined future riches as high profile victims. Here are a few tips to help check that impulse.

Investing: We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us

When it comes to investing, learning what you're supposed to do is relatively easy. It ain't rocket science. But doing what you're supposed to do, well, that's surprisingly hard. We're our own worst enemies.

 

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