The Financial Decalogue

Chapter 1: An Awkward Pair

Mixing faith and finance … a tale of three churches

Chapter 2: Money Matters

The answer to everything … a gateway issue … fulfilling your purpose

Chapter 3: Layering

The key to understanding … prosperity producers … poverty producers

Chapter 4: Vision

What vision is not … vision and goal setting … aim high

Chapter 5: From Dreaming to Doing

Measuring cash flow … where it all goes … taking control … where to find the money

Chapter 6: Counting Sheep

Calculating your worth … implications for decision-making

Chapter 7: Fit in the Field

Health and money … education and money … protecting your power to earn … creating an
emergency fund … insurance … asset protection

Chapter 8: The Yoke of Bondage

Debt diagnosis … how debts accumulate … avoiding mistakes on your way out of the hole … what to pay off first … cars without car payments … yes, you can

Chapter 9: Confluence

The new longevity … pension problems … live long and prosper

Chapter 10: Investments 101

Types of risk … investing vs. gambling … stocks … bonds … diversified mutual funds … ETFs … municipal bonds

Chapter 11: Investments 201

Real diversification … alternative investments … oil and natural gas … equipment leasing programs … commercial real estate … precious metals … variable annuities with living benefits … less risk, more reward

Chapter 12: Retirement Plans

What retirement costs … avoid 401(k) mistakes … rollovers … Traditional and Roth IRAs … SIMPLE … SEP … planning issues

Chapter 13: You Can Take it With You

A major theme … a Schindler moment …for the very wealthy … for the very poor … your own social safety net

Chapter 14: The Great Debate

An impassioned debate … the enlightened tithe … money and motives … lessons from the OJ trial

Chapter 15: The Power of Gold

Another piece of the puzzle … the deceitfulness of riches … a self-test

Chapter 16: A Letter to the Churches

Church budgets … church debt … endowment … socially- and morally-screened investments

Chapter 17: Dream Team

The accountant … the attorney … the financial planner … the financial planning process

Chapter 18: Bringing in the Sheaves

The value of truth … beating the law of averages … what never changes … the big picture