We have rebuilt our main website www.rklfinancial.comand incorporated a blog section for posts and comments. Due to this we will be discontinuing updating posts and comments on www.prosperwithmoney.com. To stay up to date with the latest posts and comments please go to www.RKLFinancial.com.

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Last night my wife and I were reading our devotionals together and the topic was forgiveness. While both of us have a lot to learn in this area, I wanted to take a few minutes and discuss what forgiveness means when it comes to financial infidelity. Financial infidelity seems to growing as my counselors and I are dealing more and more with one spouse hiding money or debt from the other spouse. As I have been studying financial infidelity, it have become clear that it is not a male or female dominate problem, but seems to happen to either sex just as often.

Let me first give you the typically case that I work with. One spouse is the keeper of the household books and the other spouse just is not involved in any financial decisions. One or both of the household income becomes reduced (layoff, pay cut, no bonus, commissions are down) and the other spouse who handles the household finances feels to ashamed to cut life style or feels that they have been left on their own to deal with the problem. When this happens, it usually leads to credit card debt or hiding of money for a “rainy day”. Something comes up (usually an emergency) and when there is no money to pay for something the spouse who has been hiding the debt has to come clean.

I know that once both spouses have found out about the problem, most if the time they are ready to tackle to problem head on but there is always some hurt due to not having a spouse helping together with the money, or one spouse racking up credit card debt and the other spouse not having clue.

Just like with any other issue that you would deal with in marriage communication is the key. Financial infidelity is almost always caused by lack of communication and could have been avoided completely is both spouse were on the same page. Do not be afraid to talk to you spouse about money, if they will not listen than at least you have done all that you can. Remember, in the first 7 years of marriage the number one cause of divorce is money fights and money problems. Do not let financial infidelity take your marriage. As hard is it to admit that both spouses are at fault, forgiveness needs to happen from both spouses. Talk to your spouse today about your finances so that you can take control of your finances and work together as a team!

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What keeps you motivated to get out of bed every morning? What keeps you motivated to work like no one else at your job? What keeps you motivated to love your wife and children unselfishly? Lately, I have been looking at these three questions in my life.  I find that the easy answer for me is God but as I look deeper at my motivations, God is certainly the biggest motivating factor, there are other things in my life that push me to be and do better things. The first is the love of my wife. My wife Kristyn, is awesome. She is kind, loving and always looking out for the best for our marriage. We have our disagreements just like everyone else but day in and day out she is my rock and will always be my rock. The next motivation for me is my kids. Seeing the three of them gets me into work some days when it is sunny and 80 degrees. Knowing that there is work to be done to put food on the table so that they can grow up without and needs (notice I said need, they will always have wants).  The last motivating factor is the “I” factor. If I want to succeed, then work needs to completed. If I want more business then work needs to be completed. If I want to take my family on vacation the I have work do. I do not depend on the government or other agencies to provide for me and my family. My family and I work hard for what we have and if we are going to succeed materially in this word we will continue to work hard and not depend on anyone else to do the work for us. So, after my little speech what is your motivation?

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Expert Advice, Reliable Service
You’ll be amazed by the level of advice and customer service our Endorsed Providers (EPs) provide to our clients. But don’t take our word for it, give them a call and find out for your self.

Safe, Secure and Trusted
Your information is protected and is never sold to anyone outside the EP program. Every person who uses an EP can grade their EP’s performance. Each EP goes through a quarterly performance review.

Educate Yourself
Ryan’s and RKL Financial’s endorsement is never bought—it’s earned. To find the answers to all your questions about the program give Ryan a call at 877-58-PEACE or send him an email at RLoos@RKLFinancial.com.
Why Use an EP?
We’ve made sure our EPs really do have the heart of a teacher and provide top-notch customer service. Our Ep’s are background checked, reference checked (professionally, personally and with current and former clients), we also talk to their pastors and family to make sure that they are actively involved in their church. Also, they must believe and practice the same biblical based finance that we teach and that aligns with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Program.

We have EP’s for the following categories:

• Investing – Invest the Dave Ramsey way with the best tax savings!
• Real Estate – Buy or Sell your home faster and save money on the commission!
• Life Insurance – Get a fair price on good term life insurance.
• Home, Auto and Commercial Insurance – Be prepared for the unexpected
• Accounting & Tax Preparation – Help your business prosper and get as much back from the government as you can!
• Attorney – Everyone needs a great attorney.
• Payroll Processing – Save money and work with a great payroll company.
• Mortgage Broker – get the best rates and the best mortgage for your situation.
• Merchant Services – We Don’t Like Credit Cards but we know that most business take’em, at least get the best deal!

Become an EP
We’re always looking for the best people who think like Ryan to help severe our clients. If you are interested in becoming a part of our EP program please send us an email with your questions and contact information.

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One of my brother’s is competing in the St.Croix Half Ironman this Sunday. I am amazed at his dedication to train for this event, knowing he needs to place first in order to qualify for the Full Iron Man competition, which is his ultimate goal.  In I Corinthians 9:24-25a we read: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training…”.

I am inspired by my brother and these passages, not only to get off my backside and take better care of my body, but  also to keep pressing on in my relationship with Christ. We have one chance to run this race called life, and despite the heavy training that we sometimes undergo, we will find blessing at the end of the race if we persevere. We can run it half-heartedly or we can make the choice to give it everything we’ve got and, Lord willing, on that final day hear His Words of praise:  ”Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).

Striving to live for Jesus is not easy. There are days when I want to throw in the towel with everything, from trying to avoid sin and even to standing firm in practicing the financial principles that I teach to others. But you know what? It’s not worth it to just give up. Hebrews 12 challenges us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and [encourages us to] run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1b) In other words, don’t give up the good fight!

Rather, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3).  Jesus didn’t give up on me. I don’t want to give up on Him! When we grasp the magnitude of what He did for us on the cross and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, not only can we persevere out love for Him, but we also find strength to press on by the power we have received through His Holy Spirit! 

So, in the matter of our heavenly race, may the Holy Spirit strengthen us to persevere through trials, that our Heavenly Trainer may fit us for His Kingdom!

…And Scott, we are so proud of you! Fix your eyes on the prize and may the Lord protect you and be the wind that carries you across the finish line! Go get it!

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Ok, I know that I have been on a quote frenzy lately but here is another great one!

“The greatest calamity which could be fall us would be submission to a government of unlimited powers”

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President

Seems like we have come into submission to a government of unlimited powers, especially when it comes to spending money that they do not have.

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I came across this quote the other day in one of the books that I am reading. I thought that it was perfect with everything that is going on around us, from tax tea parties, new health care legislation, and losses of personal liberties due to court rulings.

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master” – George Washington

I thought that this was fitting coming from a Founding Father.

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I would like to say thank you to all of our clients, friends and family that supported me over this tax season. After taking the last 2 tax seasons off to have more time with my family, I was not sure what the response would be this year as far as client turn out. Thank you so much as this year exceeded all of my expectations! I still have a few days left until April 15th but we are 98% of the way there! Thanks again, and I look forward to serving your tax preparation needs again next year!

All my best and encouragement,

Ryan T. Loos

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In today’s economy, how can we as Christians experience true financial peace? Many of us have lost homes, jobs, retirement funds, while others may be hounded daily by creditors. In this time of economic crisis, it is crucial for us as Christians to remember that through Christ we have hope, not only eternally, but also in knowing that He is willing to help us even in our present circumstance.

In the book of 2 Peter, Peter emphasizes the importance of gaining knowledge in Christ for the purpose of  detecting the lies of the false teachers. Unfortunately, we are bombarded with media influences that can easily sway us from the Truths that God has made plain about managing our finances through His Holy Scripture.

The Bible says that “The devil is like a roaring lion waiting to devour…The salesmen, financial planners, and creditors in secular America today are trained to entice and convince the public that they are in desperate need of their so-called life & money-saving antics.

The captions in the media promise guilt–free purchasing, by offering zero percent financing, with no money down, and no interest for six months. The creditors promise lower interest rates and great rewards for purchases made on their company’s credit card. And let’s not forget the all too familiar golden corporate ladder that promises years of financial prosperity for those who are willing to forgo family, friends and Sundays (in no particular order) for the cause of the company.

I will be the first to admit that I have fallen for these “too good to be true offers”, only to end up with more heartache and financial responsibility than I originally intended. For us, it was a water purification system. All my wife and I wanted was the free dinner out for welcoming one of their sales reps into our home. What we ended up with was a dinner voucher we never used, and a three thousand dollar water filtration system that we paid on for years, even after we moved out of our home and no longer used the system.

For years I thought that I could use a credit card, reap the user rewards, and pay-off the amount each month. While we were able to pay-off the amount each month we calculated that we were spending approximately $300 more than we needed to simply because it was easier to swipe a card than hand out cash. Not too mention that stress that came with worrying that we would have enough to pay off the bill each month and that someone might steal our identity.

Furthermore, years ago, I was that accountant, earnestly seeking to climb the corporate ladder and make my millions. I traveled and worked countless hours to prove that I was deserving of promotions and special perks, but unfortunately, at the expense of my family.  My wife and I felt so distant from each other and I missed months with my first child, who needed a father’s influence at the time just as much as she needed her mother.

What God challenged me to do, and I encourage you to do, as well, is to dive daily into the Word of God. The more we allow God’s Word to take root in our hearts, the more wisdom we gain as far as how to structure our life goals and manage our finances. Statistic about money references in the Bible.

I believe wholeheartedly that the foundation for experiencing true financial peace begins with the understanding that everything we have, including our income, is from the Lord. The Bible says “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1       When we allow God to plant this truth in our hearts He begins to transform our lives in such a way that we no longer spend for ourselves, but we begin to realize the importance of tithing, meeting our families basic needs and saving for our family’s future.

True financial peace comes when we know we are giving, saving and spending as Christ would have us do.

As Peter writes in 2 Peter chapter one verses 5b-6a, “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control…”.

The word “add” means that this is something we need to do. In his devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers expounds on this concept of “adding to our faith”. He writes, “We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits , He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in.”

I encourage you to go against the grain! Make the decision today to give your finances over to the Lord! Change your spending habits and find someone to help hold you accountable. Husbands and wives, work at managing your finances together, so there are no surprises. Continue to seek God in all things and He will give you peace, financial or not, beyond all measure!

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It’s that time again.  Over 2,700 athletes from over 70 countries are in Vancouver to compete against each other for Olympic glory.  Some teams will be big, like over 200 athletes from the US and Canada; and others tiny, like the lone Jamaican and Ethiopian athletes.  Some are favored to win, others are just happy to make the trip.  Obviously some athletes have advantages.  Aside from the obvious (coming from a country with some snow probably helps) some of the athletes have Olympian parents, corporate sponsorships, or the best possible equipment.

All of them will try their best, but in the end there will only be 258 total medals and only a third of them will be gold.   When it comes to our personal finances though, all of us can win. To me, winning with money doesn’t mean having the most toys or accumulating the biggest pile of cash.  It means being in control of your finances and knowing your future is secure, rather than living pay-to-pay and letting your money just happen to you.  Yes, some people have higher incomes or come from wealthy families.  But with hard work all of us can become debt-free, save for emergencies and build wealth for our future.

This brings us to another fact about the Olympians in Vancouver right now.  All of the athletes, certainly the ones who do well, have committed themselves to hard work.  They have been willing to sacrifice many things to achieve.  Are you committed to working hard and sacrificing to win with money?  In addition, top athletes have coaches to motivate and spur them on to their best performance.  For you, this might mean finding the right books to learn from, attending a Financial Peace University course near you, or the services of a trained Financial Coach.  Depending on your circumstances, one or more of these could be ideal to help you move to the financial winner’s podium!

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First, let me say that I understand that the government wants our money back from TARP. What they should have done is never have given TARP out in the first place. Listen, even if the government does set in place extra taxes on the 50 largest financial institutions that took TARP, who do you thing is going to end up paying the additional taxes that Obama is proposing. I can answer that question for you you. We will, we will end up with increased fees and less services at these financial institutions. We have to remember that these financial institutions are public companies and not non-profits. They will make a profit and the consumer will continue to pay more in fees to cover the additional taxes. Keep your check books balance to reduce overdrafts and make sure you know what banks are in your ATM network. If you are with one of the 50 largest financial institutions, I recommend you switch to a small local bank or a credit union. Look for a bank or credit union that is active in your community that and that you would not have a problem recommending to someone else.

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I am often asked in late December and early January, what can I do to be better prepared to have my taxes complete. Here are my top 5 answers:

1. Get a folder and label it Taxes 2009. Everything that comes in the mail related to your 2009 tax return goes in the folder. Even if you are not sure if the item relates to your tax return, put it in the folder and let you tax preparer sort through it. When I am preparing taxes one of the most frustrating things (for me and my client) is when we are missing an item and can not complete the tax return until we have the item.
2. Get your charitable giving in order (church contribution statements, Goodwill/Salvation Army receipts, and any out of pocket giving). This will help cut down on time when you and your tax preparer are going over your tax return.
3. Review your tax return from last year and make sure you have all the documents that you had last year.
4. Get your appointment to have your taxes prepared scheduled early this year. As we have all felt the economic slow down over the last year, I believe that a rush could happen (more than usual rush) to get your taxes prepared (to get your refund faster) from January 15^th – February 15th.
5. If you are not sure about a Federal or State tax rebate or tax reduction program, call your local tax preparer, the IRS or your state’s taxing authority. Having all of your documentation and receipts in order will help to make this a smooth process.

Overall, if you are organized and follow the tips above, getting your tax return prepared should not be a process to cause you any concern. The concern at tax perpetration time should be how much money we are giving our Federal and State governments!

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I am ready for all of the after Christmas sales. How about you? It seems that even just a few days after Christmas most retailers have even better sales then they did before Christmas. Last year my wife and I went to Kohl’s and bought a ton of clothes for at least 70% off. I am looking forward to finding some great deals this time as well! Where have you seen great deals? Anything that you purchased at a great price? Let us know so that we can spread the word when it comes to saving money!

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Shaun Somers our Canadian counselor recently received an email from a concerned member of a local church about the debt that they were preparing to enter into. See below to Shaun’s response and as it describes both Shaun and my feelings on debt in the Kingdom of God.

“”….some have argued…. lack faith if God wants to give us the best, we should not be afraid to trust God.” Here’s the thing, I 100% agree with the quote above – we need to trust God.  But I think trusting God means just that, looking at His word and His principles about how to handle money.  To me, trusting God would mean setting a goal of a property worth $2.5M (or whatever) and resolving to get it WITHOUT DEBT.  But “we’ll have to wait too long” some people will say.  Well, who’s to say how long God will have you wait?  And if that is His will, so be it. Perhaps you should have had a target like this 10 years ago, perhaps not.  But taking a debt shortcut now is not the answer, in my opinion. Proverbs 22:7 says “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (NASB) Does your church wish to be slave to the bank? Debt changes relationships, and not for the better from my experience. So again, my suggestion would be to avoid debt altogether.  Failing that, taking a very small mortgage would be best.  Taking on a huge debt with a congregation as small as yours seems quite “reckless”, as you say.  Any suggestion that individual congregants take on debt to then loan to the church would be in my opinion beyond reckless to the point of foolhardiness.  I don’t aim to offend here, because I know that those who brought up that idea are trying to help, but I cannot stress strongly enough that that is not a good plan. This matter of moving up in church size is no small thing, and will require much deliberation and prayer on the part of your church leaders and congregation.  I encourage you to continue to express your concerns about any plan that requires debt as a part of the solution. “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his
neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 May God richly bless you and your church.”

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