What Does the Bible Say About Saving and Investing

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What Does The Bible Say About Saving And Investing?

The bible actually has quite a bit to say about investing forthe future, but I just want to loo at one !ain e"a!#le andthen give a few verses as well$ %et&s tae a loo at the'(arable of the Talents) to see what *od has to say aboutinvesting+

14For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, whocalled his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.15To one he gave ve talents, to another, two, and toanother, one, each according to his own ability! and he wenton his journey. 1"#mmediately the one who had receivedthe fve talents went and traded with them, and

gained fve more talents. 1$#n the same manner theone who had received the two talents gained twomore.

1%&ut he who received the one talent went away, anddug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money.1'(ow a)ter a long time the master o) those slaves cameand settled accounts with them. *+The one who hadreceived the ve talents came up and brought ve moretalents, saying, -aster, you entrusted ve talents to me.See, I have gained fve more talents. *1/is mastersaid to him, Well done, good and aithul slave Youwere aithul with a ew things, I will put you incharge o many things; enter into the joy o yourmaster.

**0lso the one who had received the two talents came upand said, Master, you entrusted two talents to meSee, I have gained two more talents. */is master

said to him, Well done, good and aithul slave Youwere aithul with a ew things, I will put you incharge o many things; enter into the joy o yourmaster. *40nd the one also who had received the onetalent came up and said, -aster, # knew you to be a hardman, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where

you scattered no seed. *50nd I was araid, and went

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away and hid your talent in the ground See, you havewhat is yours.

*"&ut his master answered and said to him, 2ou wicked,la3y slave, you knew that # reap where # did not sow andgather where # scattered no seed. *$Then you ought tohave put my money in the bank, and on my arrival # wouldhave received my money back with interest. *%There)oretake away the talent )rom him, and give it to the one whohas the ten talents.

*'For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he willhave an abundance! but )rom the one who does not have,even what he does have shall be taken away. +Throw out

the worthless slave into the outer darkness! in that placethere will be weeping and gnashing o) teeth. Matthew25:14-30

I believe this to be the clearest #icture of investing what *odhas given us in order to bear fruit for -is ingdo!$ The factthat .esus actually uses !oney to illustrate this #oint, shouldbe a clear indication that *od has no #roble! with /hristianswho tae the !oney that *od has given us res#onsibilityover, and wisely invests it0 In fact, he e"#ects it0

To be clear, this #assage goes way beyond !oney and #ointsto whatever talents and s#iritual gifts we have$ The #oint isthat *od e"#ects us to use what -e gives us, and it istherefore a sin to bury the! in the ground and fail to use it$Because of our econo!ic syste!, !oney is the thing that weuse in order to sustain us$ In ti!es of sur#lus, we are to giveabundantly andinvest and save for the future, so that inti!es of lac, we will have #rovision stored u# for us0

This was true in 1gy#t when *od led .ose#h to #lan to save234 of the harvest for 5 years in #re#aration of thedevastating fa!ine 6Genesis 41:33-367$ We can also see itin the rebue of the la8y !an in Proverbs 6:6-11+

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" o to the ant, sluggard, bserve her ways and be wise,$ 6hich, having no chie), o7cer or ruler, % 8repares her )oodin the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. '/ow long will you lie down, sluggard9 6hen will you arise

)rom your sleep9 1+ :0 little sleep, a little slumber, 0 little)olding o) the hands to rest;< 11 2our poverty will come inlike a vagabond, and your need like an armed man.

-ere are a few !ore verses about saving and #lanning 9investing for the future+

(roverbs :3+; < -e who gathers in su!!er is a son who actswisely, but he who slee#s in harvest is a son who actssha!efully$

(roverbs 2:+; < The #lans of the diligent lead surely toadvantage, but everyone who is hasty co!es surely to#overty$

(roverbs 2=+25 < (re#are your wor outside and !ae itready for yourself in the >eld Afterwards, then, build yourhouse$

%ue :=+2@3 < Cor which one of you, when he has laid a

foundation and is not able to >nish, all who observe it beginto ridicule hi!, saying, This !an began to build and was notable to >nish$&

: /hronicles 22+; < David said, 'Ey son Solo!on is youngand ine"#erienced, and the house that is to be built for the%ord shall be e"ceedingly !agni>cent, fa!ous and gloriousthroughout all lands$ Therefore now I will !ae #re#arationfor it$) So David !ade a!#le #re#arations before his death$

As you can see, *od has a lot to say about #lanning andinvesting for the future$

Biblical Investing Princiles: ! "i#eless $eso%rce

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The idea of Biblical investing often brings u# an array of!i"ed e!otions and !isunderstandings in /hristians andnon/hristians, alie$ -owever, these !isunderstandingsusually ste! fro! a !isunderstanding of the intention of

such invest!ents$ Investing, in the biblical sense, is notabout hoarding !oney for the sole #ur#ose of watching itgrow$ Investing is about being good caretaers of theblessings that we have been given in order to further *od&swor in the world$

The Bible has nu!erous e"a!#les of those who have both#ros#ered and lived lives that are #leasing to *od throughthe #ro#er !anage!ent and use of their riches$ But not onlyare there anecdotal e"a!#les throughout Scri#ture, there

are also s#eci>c tidbits of wisdo! and advice, !ostly fro!Fing Solo!on, to hel# /hristians invest wisely and !aintainan ethical and s#iritual standard that follows the core beliefsof /hristianity$

Gow you !ight be wondering what the Bible could #ossiblysay about !odern invest!ent theories, and that is a greatquestion$ Hf course Scri#ture does not directly relate to thestoc !aret or the 'tech bubble,) but the funda!ental

#rinci#les of being #ro#er stewards of what *od has given ushave not changed$

We can learn a great deal about the (IG/I(%1S of investingBiblically by closely e"a!ining the wisdo! of Fing Solo!on,who was nown a!ongst his #eers as an individual for who!anything he touched #ros#ered$

%et&s brieJy touch on two of Solo!on&s !ost wellnown#rinci#les of investing$

1&'cclesiastes 5:10( )*e who loves #one+ will not besatis,ed with #one+(

This #rinci#le is e!#hasi8ed throughout Scri#ture and is afunda!ental tenant of investing ethically$ /hristians do notinvest to a!ass fortunes$ We invest because we want to be

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good stewards and we want to grow our resources to betterserve as caretaers of the world$ Go !atter how !uch yourinvest!ent grows, it will not satisfy you or !ae you ha##yby itself$ Fing Solo!on rightly identi>es that !aing !oney

si!#ly for the sae of being rich is a !is#laced !otivation$2&'cclesiastes 11:2( ).ivide +o%r ortion to seven/ oreven to eight/ or +o% do not now what #isort%ne#a+ occ%r on the earth(

This is the !ost frequently referenced advice of FingSolo!on and the !eaning for !odern investors is clear$Diversi>cation is absolutely essential to weathering the u#sand downs of the !aret$ It greatly reduces the riss that are

often associated with !any invest!ents$ This is es#eciallyi!#ortant in an econo!y that is tentative at best, as is thecurrent econo!y of the Knited States$ e!e!ber, the goal islong ter! stewardshi#, not overnight wealth$ To that end,diversi>cation, as suggested by Fing Solo!on is a ti!elessinvest!ent strategy$

Collowing Fing Solo!on&s #rinci#les of investing will bothensure an ethic focus on *od and hel# with best #ractices$

tewardshi G%ides hristian Investing

What !aes /hristian investing diLerent fro! investing ingeneral? %ie !any other investors of diLerent faiths < ornone at all < /hristian investors buy stocs, bonds, #recious!etals and real estate$ But even though these investingventures all wor the sa!e way, they&re driven by verydiLerent #ers#ectives$ Knlie their secular counter#arts,

/hristian investors are guided by the understanding that inall things they are stewards of *od&s wealth, not their own$$

'-ave con>dence in the %ord with all thy heart, and lean notin thy own #rudence,) Fing Solo!on tells us in (roverbs +;M$ 'In all ways thin on hi!, and he will direct thy ste#s$) Cor/hristian investors, investing decisions aren&t driven by a

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wish to build wealth for wealth&s own sae < but for the gloryof *od$ And that o#ens doors to !any blessings, includingwealth$

God wns and $%les !ll

/hristian investors recogni8e that *od owns everything$ As(sal!s 2=+: #uts it, 'The 1arth is the %ord&s and everythingin it$) That !eans that even though we can s#ea of '!y!oney,) '!y house,& or '!y car,) that&s only a convention ofs#eech$ All those things, and everything else in our lives aswell, co!e fro! *od$ They&re on loan for our bene>t$

So it is with investing$ When /hristians !ae investing

decisions, it&s not for their own bene>t, but for the best useof *od&s #ro#erty$ But that&s not all$ Along with owningeverything in the world, *od is also sovereign over it es goals and theste#s needed to achieve the!$ ecogni8ing your obligationas *od&s steward in investing leads you to invest for thehighest good$

/hristian investors now that in order to bee good stewards

of *od&s resources, they need to align other as#ects of lifewith that #ur#ose$ Eanaging !oney #rudently, getting good>nancial advice and cleaning u# any >nancial !isste#s areall ways to be a better steward by getting >nancially >t$

Invest or "oda+ and or 'ternit+

/hristian investors !ae their decisions with a sense ofurgency as well as ti!elessness$ Because no one nowswhat the future holds, it&s i!#ortant to act now, rather than

#ut things oL$ (rocrastination isn&t in the job descri#tion of*od&s stewards$ That&s eloquently stated in .ohn N+=+ 'Aslong as it is day, we !ust do the wor of hi! who sent !e$Gight is co!ing, when no one can wor$)

Eanaging invest!ents as a steward of *od !eans initiatingaction, rather than waiting for so!eone else to tae care ofthings, or la8ily #utting decisions oL till to!orrow$ Things!ay be very diLerent then$

That sense of urgency !eans !aing your decisions fro!the #ers#ective of 'never #ut oL till to!orrow what you cando today,) not ju!#ing at #ro!ises of quic riches thatrequire you to tae action without a chance to thin, or lea#at a once in a lifeti!e 'o##ortunity) that turns out to be asca!$ Being a good steward of *od&s resources calls for

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#rudence, not reclessness$ And investing fro! that#ers#ective hel#s the /hristian investor see through thosee!#ty #ro!ises and iLy #ro#ositions$

eali8ing how i!#ortant it is to act #ro!#tly is #art of anoutloo that also includes a very long view indeed$ Theinvestor who wors hard to be a good steward for *od&s#ossessions is also looing very far ahead < to eternal life inheaven$ And that !eans a reconing with *od about thehandling of that earthly stewardshi#$ /hristian investors!ae decisions today for the glory of *od forever < and thatee#s investing decisions focused and !orally sound$

What about building wealth < the reason !any #eo#le

e!bar on an investing career in the >rst #lace? Cor the/hristian investor, wealth is the gift of *od and not an end initself$ And with faith that generous sowing !eans generousrea#ing, the /hristian investor trusts that good decisions!ade with the guidance of the %ord will yield rewards not

just here on earth but in heaven$

Cor /hristian investors, the tools of investors everywheretae on a higher !eaning$ As .ason -art!ansays, beco!ingeducated and staying in control of the whole investing#rocess creates a foundation for building wealth$ And taingthese and other ste#s for investing success as a steward of*od builds the foundation for #ros#erity now and in thefuture

olo#on7s Path to Proserit+ is or Investors "oo

Fing Solo!on, one of the Bible&s bestnown sages, ruled for

forty years, #lenty of ti!e to a!ass a wealth of wisdo! fro!e"#erience$ -is sayings collected in the Boo of (roverbsreveal the qualities that lead to a #ros#erous life$ And thosevirtues can for! the foundation of a successful investing lifeas well, reJected in .ason -art!an&s reco!!endationsforcreating wealth through inco!e #ro#erty$ As Solo!on says,

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nowledge, wisdo!, #rudence and justice are thewatchwords for #ros#erity < and #ros#erous investing$

In (roverbs :3+:=, Solo!on tells us, 'Wise !an lay u#nowledge, but the !outh of the fool is ne"t to confusion$)Fnowledge is the foundation of wisdo! and #rudence, and itleads the way in #re#aring for a successful investing career,too$ %earning about current !aret conditions, researchings#eci>c #ro#erties and >nding out who has sound advice tooLer can hel# a new investor to avoid costly !istaes$/urrent technology !aes it #ossible to view #ro#ertiesthousands of !iles away and to tal with >nancial advisorsfro! anywhere in the world in real ti!e, so there&s no reasonnot to beco!e nowledgeable about investing$

/o!#aring lenders, rates and conditions is only a clic away,and you don&t have to be a real estate e"#ert to get theessential nowledge you need to evaluate the advice you getfro! those who clai! they are$ And gathering all availableinfor!ation about a #ro#erty and its local !aret, ratherthan relying on other #eo#les& reco!!endations, can hel# anew investor avoid costly !istaes$

Wisdo! was the !ost #ri8ed of virtues for Solo!on, andwisdo! arises fro! using nowledge gained to !ae gooddecisions$ In (roverbs :+;, the !onarch writes, 'A wise !anshall hear, and shall be wiser, and he that understandethshall #ossess govern!ents$) Cor investors, wisdo! co!esfro! collecting infor!ation, listening to sound advice andobserving trends and !ove!ent in the larger conte"t of thehousing !aret and the econo!y as a whole$ The wiseinvestor weighs o#tions against available resources andconsiders the big #icture of investing goals as well as the

i!!ediate issue of #urchasing an individual #ro#erty$

(rudence, too, is the investor&s friend$ Cor Solo!on,#rudence and wisdo! go hand in hand to create #ros#erity$ $'/all for wisdo!, and incline thy heart to #rudence,) saysSolo!on in (roverbs 2+$ While wisdo! involves acquiringand weighing nowledge to !ae the best decision,

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#rudence relates to looing ahead, envisioning and avoiding#itfalls as !uch as #ossible$ The wise investor gathers all theinfor!ation #ossible and evaluates the o#tions the #rudentone will also consider riss and #otential #roble!s with an

eye to avoiding losses down the line$'The e"#ectation of the just is joy, ' says the Fing in(roverbs 23+2@$ But how does justice relate to real estate?Cor Solo!on, one who is just < who deals fairly with othersand builds a re#utation as an honorable and fair individual nances res#onsibly, dealing#ro!#tly and honestly with tenant issues, and !aintaining

#ro#erties safely and co!fortably$

1verything old is new again$ And Solo!on&s ancient wordsabout the #ath to #ros#erity tae on new relevance in the!odern world of inco!e #ro#erty investing$

et Investing Goals olo#on7s 8a+

The Boo of Fings tells us that Fing Solo!on was one of thewisest 6and richest7 #eo#le ever to have lived$ That&s why his

ti!eless words fro! the boos of 1cclesiastes and (roverbscontinues to guide the !oney !anage!ent and investingdecisions of thousands even today$ The great Fing&sreco!!endations can hel# new investors !aster the basicsof investing success+ clarify goals, create #lans and taeaction$

lari+ Intentions and Goals

It&s hard to !ove #lans forward without a clear idea about

the end result$ But that&s what la8y investors do < they followthe trends of the day, chase quic results or turn the whole#rocess over to >nancial !anagers with their own agendasand goals$ But Fing Solo!on re!inds us that clear goalsins#ired by the right guidance is the real #ath to wealth$

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'Cear *od and ee# -is co!!and!ents, for this is the wholeduty of !an, ' says 1cclesiastes :3+:2, a verse widelyattributed to Fing Solo!on hi!self$ Those words re!ind usthat a solid foundation for clarifying intentions and setting

goals co!es fro! following the co!!and!ents of *od$Fee#ing those co!!and!ents in !ind can hel# to eli!inateavenues that !ay loo good but are actually !orallyquestionable or downright dishonest$ And using theco!!and!ents of *od to !ae investing choices will createthe right conditions for !aing #rogress toward those goals$

reate a 8orable Plan

Wisdo! is nowledge, and as Solo!on tells us again andagain in the Boo of (roverbs, it&s far !ore valuable thangold or other riches$ Wisdo! leads to #rudence < wisedecision !aing based on reason and caution$ Those twoqualities go hand in hand for building wealth and #ros#erity$

'A si!#le !an believes anything, ' Solo!on tells us in(roverbs :=+:;, ' but a #rudent !an gives thought to hisste#s$) If your goals are clear < aligned with theco!!and!ents of *od and intended for the best and

highest outco!es < then it&s ti!e to #lan the ste#s that leadto those goals$ And while it&s easy to be suced into thelatest get rich quic sche!e, or go s#ringing after every newtrend that co!es along just because it sounds good, the#rudent investor thins things through and considers howone ste# leads to the ne"t$

The 'si!#le !an who believes everything, ' as Solo!onsays, is the target of an array of real estate sca!s and

hoa"es, fro! the tearjerer stories #osted on the internet tothe sca!!er #osing as a quali>ed invest!ent counselor$ Butthe #rudent investor taes ti!e to evaluate the clai!s and#ro!ises, and to reject the! if they aren&t in line with thebigger #lan$

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And a ey factor in the growth of wisdo! that leads to#rudent action is infor!ation$ As.ason -art!ansays,getting educated is the >rst ste#$ The !ore you now, the!ore control you have over the investing #rocess$ And that&s

the route to real >nancial freedo!$'Without counsel #ur#oses are disa##ointed, but in the!ultitude of counselors they are established,) says the Fingin (roverbs :;+22$ A #art of learning is >nding out what youdon&t now, too, and that&s when a #rudent investor o#ts toget #rofessional advice$ But thans to getting educated andinfor!ed about your invest!ents, you won&t be the si!#leone who believes everything, and you&ll be able to weed outthe bad advice fro! the good$

"ae $ight !ction

'-e who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regardsthe clouds will not rea#,) Solo!on observes in 1cclesiastes::+=$ *oal setting and #lanning don&t !ean !uch if youdon&t tae action$ If you&ve clari>ed your goals anddevelo#ed a #lan with awareness and all the infor!ation youcan >nd, then it&s ti!e to !ove forward$

Success in inco!e #ro#erty investing, as in so !any othersituations, can get stalled by feeling overwhel!ed by whatyou don&t now, what you still need to learn, and a fear ofthe future$ It&s far too easy to ee# learning without everfeeling ready to #ut #lans into action$

But as Solo!on warns, waiting for just the right ti!e,watching conditions evolve, leads to nothing tangible$ The#rudent investor acts on the best infor!ation and advice

available right now, acce#ting that the future is uncertainbut trusting that the best #re#aration will yield the bestoutco!e$

'/ast your bread u#on the waters,) the Fing tells us in thosefa!ous lines fro! 1cclesiastes ::+:, 'for you will >nd it after!any days$) Acce#ting that the future is uncertain, but

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trusting that your investing bread will not be lost, is a ey to!oving forward$

So!e investing avenues are risier than others$ But realestate, in the for! of rental inco!e #ro#erty, is a stableinvest!ent that never goes out of style$ (eo#le always needa #lace to live, and unless there&s a landslide or !assiveJood, land doesn&t go anywhere$ (rudent investors who wantto !ini!i8e ris and !a"i!i8e returns loo to the land < andthe structures on it < for long ter! investing success$ Andthousands of years later, the ti!eless words of Fing Solo!onabout setting goals and tang action lay a solid foundationfor buiding wealth fro! inco!e #ro#erty

9ing olo#on7s 5 irt%es or Investors

Across the !illennia, Fing Solo!on&s words of wisdo! aboutliving a godly life still s#ea to us, with truths that guide!oney !anage!ent to this day$ Throughout his boo of(roverbs, the Fing has !uch to say about whatcharacteristics can hel# an investor < and anyone O !aesound >nancial decisions$ And, interestingly enough, they&re

echoed by .ason -art!an&s advice for successful investingas well$

8isdo#Wisdo! is the bedroc of a #ros#erous life$ 'If wisdo! enterinto thy heart, and nowledge #lease thy soul, counsel shallee# thee ad #rudence shall #reserve thee,) he says in(roverbs 2+:3::P Cor Solo!on, wisdo! includes awillingness to learn and the ability to recogni8e wiced and

!isguided #aths$ In investing, too, being infor!ed and ableto se#arate the legiti!ate fro! the sca! can lead tosuccess$

Pr%denceAs the #revious quote #oints out, #rudence < the ability to!ae decisions with caution and foresightOgoes hand in

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hand with wisdo!, #reventing risy decisions andforestalling #roble!s fro! ill considered or illadvisedinvesting advice$ The #rudent investor is wiling to tae rissbut also considers alternatives and loos forward, in order to

s#ot #otential #itfalls$8illingness to ee o%nselAs .ason -art!an #oints out, s!art investors also recogni8ewhat they don&t now, and tae the a##ro#riate ste#s to getthe advice and infor!ation they need$ Cor Solo!on, too, thewise !an 'shall understand a #arable, and theinter#retation, the words of the wise, and their !ysterioussayings$) 6(roverbs :+M7$

;%stice and '

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5 8ords o Investing 8isdo# ro# 9ing olo#on

Cor Fing Solo!on, wisdo! was !ore #recious than richesand the ey to living a #ros#erous life beloved by *od$ Intoday&s >nancial world, the wise Fing&s advice still rings true,oLering guidance for investing s!art in a constantlychanging !aret$

Beco#e inor#ed abo%t investing('Blessed is the !an that >ndeth wisdo!, and is rich in#rudence,) says the Fing in Q(roverbs +:$ That&s a #ointechoed by .ason -art!an in his :3 /o!!and!ents forInvestors, too < beco!ing wise about the world of investing

leads to better decisions and the ability to weed out badadvice and s#ot sca!s$

-eed the advice o

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says Fing Solo!on, wisdo! is also the #ath of justices andequity$ 'A wise !an feareth, and declineth fro! evil,) he tellsus in (roverbs :=+:M$ The way of wisdo! leads to longter!#ros#erity$

Invest or the long ter#/ not or

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downturn and even une"#ected #roble!s with individual#ro#erties$

!ssess =o%r Invest#ent !bilities *onestl+'I have seen a grievous evil under the sun,) says Solo!on in1cclesiastes ;+::=$ 'Wealth hoarded to the har! of itsowner, or wealth lost to so!e !isfortune$) Bothoveresti!ating and underesti!ating resources, or taingriss with e"#ensive consequences in an eLort to get richquic can ruin a new investor&s career$ It&s i!#ortant toe"a!ine your assets, e"#erienced and ability to tae rissbefore launching new invest!ent$

Plan Pr%dentl+ and !void *ast+ .ecisions

(rudence is the watchword for !uch of the Fing&s !oney!anage!ent advice$ 'The #lans of the diligent lead to #ro>tas surely as haste leads to #overty,) he tells us in (roverbs2:+;$ Slow steady growth creates longter! wealth < a eyreason for the desirability of inco!e #ro#erty as a wealthbuilding invest!ent strategy$ -asty decisions, orinvest!ents #ro!ising a quic, high yield, can in fact lead to#overty < or at least the loss of signi>cant investing funds$

ee the !dvice o "r%sted '>ertsSolo!on s#eas frequently of wisdo!, and the need tore!ain hu!ble and to see instruction fro! wiser counselorsin order to #ros#er+ '-ear counsel, and receive instruction,that thou !ayst be wise in thy latter end$) 6(roverbs :N+237Successful investors wor with e"#erts in the >eld, try tolearn all they can, and heed the advice of those with !oree"#erience$

!l+ 8isdo# and Pr%dencein Investing .ecisions

'By wisdo! the house shall be built,) says the Fing in(roverbs 2=+$ 'And by #rudence it shall be strengthened$) In!any of Solo!on&s sayings, a house re#resents stability and#ros#erity, and his advice to a##roach all as#ects ofinvesting with wisdo! < learning and seeing advice < and#rudence < weighing choices and avoiding hasty actions cation < as eys tobuilding long ter! invest!ent wealth$

8isdo# and Pr%dence: 9e+s to ?ong "er# %ccess

According to Biblical accounts, the =3 year reign of FingSolo!on saw un#aralleled #ros#erity for the ingdo! ofIsrael < due, !any believe, to the Fing&s great wisdo! and

judg!ent in the !anage!ent of his real!$ 'Blessed is the!an who >ndeth wisdo! and is rich in #rudence,) he says in(roverbs +$ And in investing as well as in running aingdo!, #rudent #lanning yields #ro>table outco!es$

That&s the !essage in the fourth of .ason -art!an&s :3/o!!and!ents for Successful Investing+ 'Thou shalt use#rudent >nancial #lanning techniques$) Though the notion of#rudence !ay see! a relic of Fing Solo!on&s day, that

co!bination of nowledge and caution creates a solidfra!ewor for success in real estate investing$

(rudent >nancial #lanning, in real estate as in other areas,establishes a road !a# for a long journey, not a quic jaunt$It begins with nowledge < of yourself, your current situation,and your goals$ Fnowing your own #ersonality creates thefoundation for any ind of #lan$ Where do you fall on thes#ectru! of instant versus delayed grati>cation? -ow longare you willing to wait for outco!es?

Another consideration is tolerance of ris and need forsecurity$ -ow !uch are you willing to ga!ble on theoutco!e of your invest!ent? (lanning your invest!ents alsoincludes outlining goals for your investing activities < so!einco!e to su##le!ent a #ension in retire!ent, freedo! fro!the woring world, a!assing wealth? These things are

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essential for getting the !ost out of woring with a quali>ed>nancial counselor < another as#ect of '#rudential >nancial#lanning$)

(rudent #lanning also involves understanding yourself andyour style of dealing with the world in general$ Are you risaverse or ristolerant? Do you need instant grati>cation, orcan you acce#t the longter! co!!it!ent involved in#ro>ting fro! rental real estate? As .ason -art!an #ointsout, so!e risy invest!entscan yield quic cash but haveno staying #ower for longter! wealth building$

Invest!ents in rental real estate oLer returns over ti!e, andstability fro! an asset that everybody needs+ a #lace to live$

Taing .ason -art!an&s #rudent a##roach to investing in#ro#erty is based on nowledge < of yourself, your goals, andthe available o#tions < co!bined with a long ter! vision andthe hel# of a #rofessional who can hel# you !ae thosegoals a reality$ Fing Solo!on&s wealth arose fro! the Fing&swillingness to e"ercise wisdo! and #rudence$ And for!odern investors, those conce#ts still hold the ey to longter! investing success

Mae ?evel Paths: Prearing or Investing %ccess

3

If you&re considering getting started in investing, the #rocesscan be daunting$ Cro! understanding investing ter!inologyto weighing o#tions to >nd the best invest!ent strategies foryou, it&s easy to feel confused and overwhel!ed by choices$Although it&s essential to follow the invest!ent strategies of

an e"#ert in the >eld lie .ason -art!an, you can boost thesuccess of your investing careerby taing a cue fro! theBiblical Fing Solo!on, whose advice on life and wealth stillring true today$

Son of Fing David, Solo!on inherited the throne of Israel$ecogni8ing his ine"#erience, he #rayed for wisdo! to rule

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his ingdo! well$ -is #rayer was answered < the ingdo!#ros#ered, and the Fing hi!self established a re#utation forclear thining and wise decisions that re!ains to this day$-is #rag!atic observations continue to be relevant for life lled with all #recious and #leasant riches$Proverbs 24:3-4Wealth gotten by vanity shall be di!inished+ but he thatgathereth by labour shall increase$Proverbs 13:11

Tae heed, and beware of covetousness+ for a !anRs lifeconsisteth not in the abundance of the things which he

#ossesseth$?%e 12:15est in the %HD, and wait #atiently for hi!+ fret notthyself because of hi! who #ros#ereth in his way$Psal#s 3@:@%abour not to be rich+ cease fro! thine own wisdo!$ Wiltthou set thine eyes u#on that which is not? for richescertainly !ae the!selves wings they Jy away as an

eagle toward heaven$Proverbs 23:4-5

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun,na!ely, riches e#t for the owners thereof to their hurt$

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But those riches #erish by evil travail+ and he begetteth ason, and there is nothing in his hand$'cclesiastes 5:13-14

A #rudent !an foreseeth the evil, and hideth hi!self butthe si!#le #ass on, and are #unished$Proverbs 2@:12-e that hath #ity u#on the #oor lendeth unto the %HDand that which he hath given will he #ay hi! again$Proverbs 1A:1@

%ay not u# for yourselves treasures u#on earth, where!oth and rust doth corru#t, and where thieves brea

through and steal+ But lay u# for yourselves treasures inheaven, where neither !oth nor rust doth corru#t, andwhere thieves do not brea through nor steal+ Cor whereyour treasure is, there will your heart be also$Matthew 6:1A-21

The (arable of the TalentsMatthew 25:14-30

Then .esus beholding hi! loved hi!, and said unto hi!,Hne thing thou lacest+ go thy way, sell whatsoever thouhast, and give to the #oor, and thou shalt have treasure inheaven+ and co!e, tae u# the cross, and follow !e$Mar 10:21And .esus answered and said, erily I say unto you, There isno !an that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, orfather, or !other, or wife, or children, or lands, for !ysae, and the gos#elRs, But he shall receive an hundredfoldnow in this ti!e, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and!others, and children, and lands, with #ersecutions and inthe world to co!e eternal life$ But !any that are >rst shallbe last and the last >rst$Mar 10:2A-31

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Sell that ye have, and give al!s #rovide yourselves bagswhich wa" not old, a treasure in the heavens that failethnot, where no thief a##roacheth, neither !oth corru#teth$?%e 12:33

(arable of the Knjust Steward?%e 16:1-13/harge the! that are rich in this world, that they be nothigh!inded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living*od, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy That they dogood, that they be rich in good wors, ready to distribute,willing to co!!unicate %aying u# in store for the!selves agood foundation against the ti!e to co!e, that they !ay

lay hold on eternal life$1 "i#oth+ 6:1@-1A