Christian Credit Counselors Blog

By Chuck Bentley Most of the financial principles I live by I learned because I was doing it all wrong. For the majority of my young adult life, and well into my marriage, I was focused on all the wrong things. Being a success in the eyes of the world was the most important thing to me. I had grown … Read More

By Kristin Dohn The holidays can put a financial burden even on the savviest of shoppers and savers. But like most things, taking time to plan can help you avoid the stress that comes with overspending. Before you hit the mall or shop for holiday deals, keep reading to learn how to make a holiday spending plan that works for you. … Read More

By Jim Garnett “Impulse buying” has become a contributing factor to why many people fail in their attempts to maintain a semblance of a budget. And what is impulse buying? It is “the buying of goods or services without planning to do so in advance, as a result of a sudden whim or impulse.” A recent study reveals: 90% of … Read More

  By Chuck Bentley Dear Chuck, The commercialization of Christmas feels like a big financial trap! My husband and I want to show love to our kids and family but the pressure to spend and borrow just to put a bunch of packages under the tree seems ridiculous. Any advice for stressed out parents like us? Bah Humbug! Dear Ebenezer’s Kin, Just kidding about … Read More

By CFPB When bills are piling up, it’s important to remember that you’re still in control. While you are ultimately responsible for paying all of your bills on time, there are things you can do if you fall short one month and don’t have enough money to cover everything. Follow our 3 easy tips that can help you plan and … Read More

By Chuck Bentley Have you been waiting to make a budget until you make just a little more money? Maybe you have good intentions to start saving for retirement, but it just hasn’t happened. Debt has a way of accumulating quickly while we work to develop a plan to pay it off. Can you identify with any of these? When it comes … Read More

By Holly Perez, consumer money expert at Intuit and Mint spokeswoman Ghosts, goblins, and monsters under the bed scared us as children. As adults, we tend to be more frightened by our finances. So instead of pulling the covers over your head this Halloween, why not face a few of those money fears head on. We’ve dusted the cobwebs off our book of spells … Read More

See How You Score on Our Credit Savvy Test! By Jim Garnett, Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE) Using credit can create the illusion that you are living within your means even if you are presently spending more than you make. T or F Late payments are no big deal because the average lender allows two late payments per year before … Read More

5 Lessons to Raise Money-Genius Kids By: Crown Financial Ministries Dear Chuck, I was raised in a home in which my parents talked very little about money, and my husband’s family didn’t say much about it either. For our parents, money was a private matter. I feel like that led to some financial mistakes when I got out on my … Read More

  By Jim Garnett, Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE) I have been given the honor many times of addressing graduating seniors who soon will exit the sheltered walls of home and school to enter the real world before them. To help prepare them for the myriad of financial situations they will soon encounter, I want to share three simple … Read More