Steven Pybrum, author of Money and Marriage: Making it Work Together, promotes the sale of his book on a website by saying, "The majority of marriages end today because of financial reasons." (Http://www.silcom.com/~ricky/1pybrum.htm) During Senate debate, on Nov 4, 1999, Senator Jeff Sessons from Alabama said, "One of the main reasons for divorce in America today is financial difficulty. That is a known fact. As a matter of fact, it is the main reason." (http://www.abiworld.org/legis/bills/s625/11-4-99sessionss625.html) And in an article for Marriage Partnership, a publication of Christianity Today, Int., Annette LaPlaca wrote, "Research indicates that it's more common for spouses to fight about money that about sex or in-laws." (http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/8m2/8m2028.html) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

All three of these citations have something in common, they all state a common perception that money is a major source of discord and divorce in marriages, and none of them have a specific study to back up the generalization.

Over a ten-year span from 1988 to 1997, according to the National Statistical Office, the highest percentage of couples that divorced because of economic problems was 4.2% (http://healthguide.kihasa.re.kr/eng/statistics/sts020205.html)

In their study, Towards understanding the reasons for divorce, Ilene Wolcott and Jody Hughes wrote: "Only 5 per cent of respondents claimed financial problems were the main cause of their marriage ending." (Http://www.aifs.org.au/institute/pubs/WP20.html)

USA Today reports that the ten largest US banks make their profit from people who don’t keep track. Their biggest money maker is to pay checks presented to them drawn on accounts that have insufficient funds to cover. Then they charge the customer a large fee, some as large as $50.00 for overdrawing their account.

They use every opportunity to get your money. They pay checks before entering deposits. They pay largest checks first, thus bouncing more of the smaller checks, collecting a fee for each check. America’s banks are making their living off the sloppy bookkeeping of the American people. They hire consultants to help them increase the penalty fees they collect.

The easiest way to avoid the fees is to heed the wisdom of the Bible that encourages us to keep track of our business. Know the state of your finances. Pay attention to them and keep a close eye. It does you more than just spiritual good.

--USA Today, July 9, 2009 p. A1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 27:23 (NASB95) “Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;”

Six years ago, English teenager Callie Rogers won $3 million in the lottery. After spending through it, she says she has about $32,000 left; she sums up the last three years. “In the past six years I’ve sunk into a black hole, a black hole that at one point I thought I could never crawl out of. Winning the lottery has ruined my life.”

The amount of money one has is not the best predictor of a happy life. The Bible clearly states that real wealth comes from our attitude as much or more than from our possessions.

World, September 26, 2009. P. 18. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

When asked what they would do with a sudden financial windfall, 83% of Americans indicated that they would either pay off debt or add to savings.

--Readers Digest, January 2009, p. 31 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

This could be seen as either good or bad news. It is bad news because it indicates the level of debt many Americans have accumulated. It is good news if it signals a drop in the materialistic attitudes we have lived with for years. In the same survey over 50% of respondents in France and
Italy indicated they would splurge on a luxury item or a new car.

The really good news would be if we could learn to substitute a desire for godliness in place of our desire for riches.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NASB77) But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.

Many of us struggle to make ends meet. Our thinking is, “If we could just get a better paying job or at least a raise in my current job, I would have it made.” What if you had a salary of $300,000 per year? Could you make it then?

The problem is not that we make so little money. The problem is that we spend too much money. The average salary for NFL players is 2 Million per year; the minimum salary is $300,000. Because of unsuccessful labor negotiations, many NFL players are getting high percentage loans to make it until their next paycheck. Despite their high salaries, they don’t have enough in reserve to live on. It is not because they do not make enough; it is because they spend too much.

The end of the negotiations will not be the end of their difficulties. By the time they are out of the game for two years, 78 percent of NFL players are bankrupt or financially distressed.

--http://phillysportsdaily.com/eagles/2011/02/28/with-lockout-looming-are-nfl-players-prepared/) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

1 Timothy 6:6 (NASB77) But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.

The end of the negotiations will not be the end of their difficulties. By the time they are out of the game for two years, 78 percent of NFL players are bankrupt or financially distressed.

--http://phillysportsdaily.com/eagles/2011/02/28/with-lockout-looming-are-nfl-players-prepared/ Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

The New York Times gives three tips for talking with a spouse about money. First you schedule regular meetings. Second, you talk about the big topics. These are the common causes of disagreements. Third, you set individual spending thresholds. That is the amount one spouse may spend without consulting the other.

--Quoted in The Week, June 1, 2012 p. 29 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Finances and communication are two important aspects of every marriage. Not only will these tips get couples talking together, it should help them know the state of their finances and help keep them in order. That is also a tip from wise old Solomon.

Proverbs 27:23 (ESV) “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,”

Stacey Vanek Smith, writing in the New York Times, states that before you get married one of the most important conversations you can have is about finances. Some people even go so far, she says, as to run a credit score on potential partners.

Financial compatibility or at least financial understanding is a key element on whether or not a marriage will last. The ones that do not, many times leave one partner paying for the financial irresponsibility of the other. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Ephesians 4:25 (ESV) Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

As baby boomers begin to reach retirement age their prolific spending patterns are sending many of them into retirement still in debt. “The number of Americans 60 and over in debt is alarming,” according to a report by the AARP’s Public Policy Institute.

The study shows that Americans over age 50 carry an average balance of $8,278 on their credit cards. Just paying the minimum payment on a debt that high averages 7.1% of income.

God calls us to be generous and giving. It is tough to be obedient to that call when we are still making payments on things we have already spent.--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Romans 13:8 (ESV) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Outstanding credit card debt in the United States is expected to climb to more than $900 billion. That will bring the average household credit card balance to $7,813. Most Americans underestimate what they actually owe. In one survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, respondents underestimated their debt by an average of 37 percent.

Debt is a thief. It takes away our security and in place leaves us a slave to the one who holds our debt. The wisdom of Proverbs is clear and worth repeating. “The borrower is a slave to the lender.” —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Proverbs 22:7 (HCSB) The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

There are many reasons to keep our financial lives healthy. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Board have revealed another. “Couples with low credit scores are more likely to break up than those with higher scores.” If you let your debt get out of hand, your marriage will suffer.

The researchers have determined a reason for this. “Credit scores reveal information about general trustworthiness.” As we work to build strong marriages we need always remember that our finances speak volumes about who we are as persons. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (HCSB) The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth ?is? never ?satisfied? with income. This too is futile.

NFL wide receiver Ryan Broyles is making big money. The 27-year-old lives a simple, middle-class life. He is living on a $60,000 budget despite a salary of over one million dollars per year. Broyles is aware that roughly one in six NFL players files for bankruptcy within 12 years of retirement. Broyles, on the other hand, will save over $2 million of his rookie contract. “Broyles and his wife, Mary Beth, are evangelical Christians, more deeply committed since summer 2011. Broyles’ visit to destitute yet joyful Christians in Haiti left him saying, ‘I want that.’”—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Hebrews 13:5 (HCSB) Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.

One of the keys of good stewardship is to spend less than you make creating a surplus. The surplus allows you the ability to help others or to give to a good cause. Unfortunately, 60% of Americans say they spent more than they earned last year. A survey of more than 27,000 people by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation showed that Just two out of five Americans say they spent less than what they earned.

Not only does spending more that we earn keep us from having a surplus, it also drives us to borrow money and increase our debt. Part of discipleship is learning to live within your means. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/07/12/more-americans-have-rainy-day-funds-but-savings-remain-skimpy/

Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB)“The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.”

Trulia, a real estate listing site conducted a survey of home owners. They discovered that 44 percent of Americans have regrets about buying their current homes. The most common source of regret was not choosing the right home size.

A wise person will research and think very long about a financial decision the size of buying a home. Regrets about finances are hard to live with. Proverbs tells us to learn from the ant and be wise with our purchases. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell