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FAQs for Christian Financial Advisors
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What exactly does a Christian Financial Planner do?Christian Financial planning is the process of assessing your current financial situation and creating a plan to reach your financial goals. Many investors think that investing and financial planning are synonymous but they are not. An investment manager is only interested in managing your investment portfolio. Christian Financial planners are interested in helping you manage your many aspects of your financial life. Topics covered may include but not limited to: Debt-management, Savings, Taxes, Insurance, Estate Planning, Investments, College Planning, and Wealth Transfers. Luke 14: 28- For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
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What topics are included in the Christian Financial Plan?Every financial plan is unique to the individual and their stage in life. Considerations can include: age, career status, income, expenses, goals, debt, marital status, and tax obligation. Some of the most popular topics include: Faith and Family Financial Goals Retirement Plans Insurance Coverage Estate Plans Debt-Management Budgeting and Cash Flow Emergency Funds
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I have investments all over the place, do you help combine them together?Yes. We will help you consolidate your accounts to the least amount of accounts necessary. Some accounts may be able to consolidate and some can not be consolidated. For example: If you and your spouse both have an IRA account. Those accounts can not be combined. But if you, as the investor, has two separate IRA accounts at different banks. We will be able to consolidate those into one IRA account, if it makes sense for the plan. Also, we will help you call, walk you through paperwork, and guide you to its completion during the transition. Proverbs 19:20-Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
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What's the difference between the One-Time Christian Financial Plan and hiring a Certified Private Wealth Advisor®️ Professional?Sometimes people just need some help getting organized. Our younger working professionals may not have the complex financial situation as some of our more seasoned investors. So receiving a one-time Christian Financial plan could get them pointed in the right direction. One-Time Christian Financial plans come with unlimited updates for a year and access to a 24/7 client portal so they can update the information to reflect any changes that may occur after the plan is delivered. A Certified Private Wealth Advisor®️ Professional not only creates the plans, they will partner with you to prepare and implement the strategies in the plan. They work with you to consolidate accounts, roll over retirement funds, add beneficiaries, speak with customer service, and work with your Certified Public Accountants, and Estate Attorneys, to make sure your financial decisions are legal, tax effective, and executed properly.
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What is the difference between a Christian Financial plan and a Traditional Financial plan?In our Christian Financial Plans we integrate biblical principles with financial management. That involves aligning your money decisions with your faith. This can include budgeting based on biblical stewardship, investing ethically, tithing and prioritizing generosity and stewardship in your financial planning. Throughout the process, we reference Bible scriptures and make sure our financial decisions and goals align with the Word of God. And we believe that charity starts at home. 1 Timothy 5:8- Anyone who doesn't provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than a nonbeliever.
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Do you have to have a lot of money to work with a Christian Financial Advisor?No. You don't need any money to work with a Christian Financial Advisor. Financial planning is a service, therefore, prices are based on need. Those who may be in financial need and can't afford our services may look into 'Pro-Bono' financial planning services. Pro-Bono is short for "pro bono publico" which means in Latin "For the Good of the public. The Financial Planning Association has a pro-bono service that you may apply for and see if you qualify. Other alternatives would be to find a financial advisor on XY Planning Network. They have a database of financial advisors that have different pricing models, including hourly rates and project-based pricing.
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Who will have my money and can I get it anytime?Investment Advisors are required to arrange for a custodian bank to hold assets that they manage for their clients. The custodian bank is used to minimize the risk of theft or loss. A.B. Ridgeway Wealth Management has arranged for Charles Schwab to be our custodian bank because it is a name our client's know and trust. And yes. During the onboarding process we will help you open an account so you can always maintain 24/7 control and access to your funds.
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How do you get paid? Fee-Only or Commission?We are a Fee-Only Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm. We get paid directly by you for the services we provide. We do not receive a commission from a third-party for suggesting, selling, or investing in a certain product. We act in the fiduciary capacity and have no incentive to offer a specific financial planning strategy except that it is in your best interest. As far as payments: One-time payments can be paid by credit or debit card. On-going services can be streamlined and billed quarterly through your investment account. We like to work with investors who understands that as Christians, God has commanded us to pay a fair wage for great service. 1 Corinthians 9:7-10: Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.”
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One of your service plan's price says "% of Assets Under Management", what does AUM mean?Assets under management (AUM) is the total market value of the investments that we manage on your behalf. The amount will fluctuate to reflect the movement of money in and out of the account, and price performance of the asset. Our firm charges a percentage of those assets to manage them as part of our service. Therefore, we share in the ups and downs with you. When the market value goes down, so does our fee. And it only increases back up, when your market value goes back up.
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