Resources & Tools for Financial Stewards

People regularly ask me for recommendations on books, tools, and resources available for those journeying on the path as financial stewards.

As a result, I am putting together a list of resources that I have personally used.

I will be adding to the list as I come across new books, tools, and resources that I recommend.

Recommended Books

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

I have read this book over a dozen times and listened to the audiobook another dozen times.  This book got me started in my stewardship journey, especially by giving me some basic financial literacy that I desperately needed.  This is the book I have been gifting for the past 10 years, especially during the Christmas season.  If you are broke and living paycheck to paycheck, which will be 78% of us Americans, or if you have just made more financial mistakes than you would like to admit, this is the book to help to get started.  If see this book as the ER financial literacy book for those of us who are bleeding.  

Money, Possessions, and Eternity and Managing God's Money: A Biblical Guide by Randy Alcorn

So if Dave Ramsey is the practical help, Randy Alcorn is the theological help for getting started in thinking bibically about money, possessions, and eternity.  I must have read and listened to these books a little less than a dozen time, and I regularly go back to these books after reading too many practical financial how-to books to ground myself to think bibically and with an eternal perspective.  Randy Alcorn isn't too theological but he indeed challenges us to think and live bibically, which is really lacking even within today's Christian stewardship circle.

Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

I have read this book over a dozen times, and this is perhaps my #1 or #2 book I have recommended to people in the past 15 years of doing ministry, gifting or lending this book more than I can count.  If you know me, at some point, I have recommended this book to you.  This is a must read to all of us who are trying to learn to love better the people God has placed in our lives, just in general as disciples of Jesus Christ or specifically in the areas of personal finances.   Learn about biblical boundaries in relationships so that you can say 'yes' and 'no' to love yourself and your neighbors better for God's glory. 

Rock Retirement by Roger Whitney

I have listened to over 200 episodes of Roger Whitney’s Retirement Answer Man Podcast, and learned a lot about retirement planning from this guy. Bought his book on Kindle and thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend his podcast, free resources online as well as his book to anyone thinking or planning their retirement.

Recommended Tools

Audible for listening to audiobooks

I have been listening to audible since July 2010, and have been an avid listener for the past few years, paying my annual membership of $149.50 to listen to any and every audiobook I can get my hands on.  I listen to audiobooks when I do my morning runs, when I do dishes or cut the lawn, or when I drive my car.  With my annual membership, I get to purchase and keep 12 audiobooks.  For the most part, I would listen and return most of the purchased books to get the credit back for more audio listening.  For $149.50 per year, I listen to about 2 audiobooks per week and I typically listen 2.5X speed, listening about 100 books per year.  It's perhaps the best investment I have been making in myself to continue to learn and grow, and not experience road rage when I get stuck in traffic because I'm enjoying my audiobook of choice.  $1.50 per book isn't too bad at all.    

Tools for Virtual Coaching

Some of you have been asking me about my virtual coaching setup. Here is what I have been using for my green screen, webcam and microphone, all for less than $200. All you need to do it just set this up with your computer and you are ready to go. I use canva.com to design a simple background with my logo, using an license-free image from unsplash.com.