Finances

Maintaining your savings accounts

Maintaining your savings accounts Looking ahead to the future is an important, especially when it comes to your finances. The best way to prepare for the future and give yourself financial margin is to establish healthy savings accounts. That helps ensure you have cash to cover expenses, stay out of debt, reach your goals, and

Setting up an emergency savings account

An emergency savings account is a primary element of a financial plan. Having money set aside and always available for the unexpected expenses eliminates a lot of financial stress and the need to rely on credit cards or other forms of short-term debt.  How Much Do You Need?  An emergency savings account is a source

Materialism: What It Is & How to Escape It

Materialism: What It Is & How to Escape It One of the greatest threats to our walk with God is the trap of materialism. We have to work at not being lured away from Him when we spend our money to meet our own desires. Why? Because affluence tends to blind us to the needs

Merging Christmas traditions

What Christmas traditions do you hold dear? Maybe you always give a certain gift, bake a special dessert, or buy a specific kind of tree. For many of us, these rituals are what make the Christmas season special, and it’s hard to feel festive without them. But for many of us, merging Christmas traditions can

Is it wise to top up the mortgage on your home?

Many people take out top up mortgage loans on their home. Common reasons are to pay for house renovations, repairs and maintenance, installing insulation and solar panels, buying a car or paying off credit card debt. Understanding top up mortgages If you paid $400,000 for your home ten years ago and borrowed $320,000, your equity

Six money myths you need to stop believing

There are many misconceptions and myths about money. Many are completely untrue, but some need to be seen through the lens of a faithful, biblical steward. Here are the top six money myths and a biblical perspective. Myth 1 – Investing is the same as gambling, so as a Christian I shouldn’t invest. Investing is

The opportunity of generosity

Giving is sometimes described as a two-sided coin. Side one is the obligation for Christians to be generous. This obligation of generosity flows out of God’s ownership of all things. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and

Financial advice for life-long singles

The Census by Statistics New Zealand in 2023 identified that 23% of households in New Zealand consisted of one-person. People aged 65 years and over accounted for nearly half of all single person households. The proportion of one-person households has been stable over the past five years, while the proportion of two-family households has been

Six steps to prepare for the days ahead

Six steps to prepare for the days ahead The Global Financial Crisis in 2009 uncovered an even deeper problem that we all face—it’s a crisis of the heart. Anyone can see that our society is quickly shifting away from any semblance of a biblical worldview. Instead of seeking God for direction and help, it seems