P
Pete2
Guest
St. Francis’s generosity contributed to his financial problems as well. Except that he didn’t see it as a problem, and it sounds like your aunt didn’t either!
God bless your late aunt’s soul.
Pete
- Status
God bless your late aunt’s soul.
Pete
C
cossack
Guest
As a devoted Catholic I could never say that one should not tithe. However, no one specifically addressed my main points. In this age we are all living longer and the idea of retirement is relatively new. I say we are living longer, but for many “living” means being hooked up to an expensive machine receiving constant medical care. In the old days no one retired. They just worked till they either died or were no longer physically able. Things are different now. People often live in to their eighties and nineties. In ordeer to support a reasonably good quality of life you MUST have a sufficient nest egg.
“St. Francis’s generosity contributed to his financial problems as well. Except that he didn’t see it as a problem, and it sounds like your aunt didn’t either!”
"I firmly believe that the number of people who will actually see retirement before death is actually very small. It’s a fantasy and not a reachable reality for most in our society.
We have decided to spend what money and time we have to the things that matter to us most. Our family and our church. "
“Although I can see what you are trying to say, be careful with who you call irresponsible.
Some are actually called to leave all their goods, and live in poverty, and this is not irresponsibility, in fact it is generosity.”
I am troubled by the implications of the above quotes. In this country we have safety nets so that those in need will not die of starvation, lack of shelter, etc. This means that one could “piously” lead a life of poverty while being supported by working taxpayers like me. Does that seem fair?
My aunt’s generosity means that the credit card company is going to have to write off her debt and they will in turn pass that cost on to other living consumers. Does that seem fair?
In order to give her an adequate church funeral my mother had to pay a fairly large sum of money for just the basics. Does that seem fair?
The facts are that many of us in the baby boom generation will live to a ripe old age and we will need enough money to cover living expenses. This debt responsibility will be passed on to our kids and grandkids. Does that seem fair?
I think many who responded in this forum are not thinking about the implications of their pious intentions. Just something to think about.
“St. Francis’s generosity contributed to his financial problems as well. Except that he didn’t see it as a problem, and it sounds like your aunt didn’t either!”
"I firmly believe that the number of people who will actually see retirement before death is actually very small. It’s a fantasy and not a reachable reality for most in our society.
We have decided to spend what money and time we have to the things that matter to us most. Our family and our church. "
“Although I can see what you are trying to say, be careful with who you call irresponsible.
Some are actually called to leave all their goods, and live in poverty, and this is not irresponsibility, in fact it is generosity.”
I am troubled by the implications of the above quotes. In this country we have safety nets so that those in need will not die of starvation, lack of shelter, etc. This means that one could “piously” lead a life of poverty while being supported by working taxpayers like me. Does that seem fair?
My aunt’s generosity means that the credit card company is going to have to write off her debt and they will in turn pass that cost on to other living consumers. Does that seem fair?
In order to give her an adequate church funeral my mother had to pay a fairly large sum of money for just the basics. Does that seem fair?
The facts are that many of us in the baby boom generation will live to a ripe old age and we will need enough money to cover living expenses. This debt responsibility will be passed on to our kids and grandkids. Does that seem fair?
I think many who responded in this forum are not thinking about the implications of their pious intentions. Just something to think about.
M
Maranatha
Guest
This is what Proverbs 6:1-10 has to say on debt:
The bottom line is, do not sleep until you have paid off your debts.
C
CarolAnnSFO
Guest
I’m not really weighing in on either side here, just pointing out that St. Francis didn’t live into his nineties; he died at about the age of 44. When he and his followers couldn’t get work as laborers, they supported themselves by begging, but it’s hard to support oneself that way in most American towns, especially if you have children.
**Crazy Internet Junkies Society
**Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
L
lifeisbeautiful
Guest
Well, I’m troubled by the fact that you are troubled by my quote
:(“Although I can see what you are trying to say, be careful with who you call irresponsible.
Some are actually called to leave all their goods, and live in poverty, and this is not irresponsibility, in fact it is generosity.”)
If you read it carefully you will see that what I was saying was directed to another post, which I quoted as part of mine.
I’m just saying we cannot make a generalization on this topic, that would be very unfair.
I was never suggesting living a Robin Hood life (rob from the rich to give to the poor type). I don’t agree with maxing out credit cards to give to charities. But I just think we can’t judge other people’s intentions from the outside. Are people with debt allowed to donate to charity? If so, how much? How much debt can they have? What are their possibilities of paying off their debt before dying? We are in no position to tell others the answers to these questions.
These are questions that each person has to reflect upon on their own, honestly listening to their consciences, keeping in mind things like: to Caeser what is of Caeser, and our riches are not what we accumulate on Earth, but what we accumulate in Heaven . We cannot judge from the outside.
C
cossack
Guest
"What are their possibilities of paying off their debt before dying? We are in no position to tell others the answers to these questions. "
Are you saying that debt paying is a moral relativism? I think it is clear that one is always expected to pay off his debts. One main lesson I learned from my Macroeconomics class is that there are no free lunches. If you don’t pay your debt either another tax payer or another consumer will have to do it. Recently bankruptcy law has been severely tightened because so many people are irresponsibly abusing the system.
Are you saying that debt paying is a moral relativism? I think it is clear that one is always expected to pay off his debts. One main lesson I learned from my Macroeconomics class is that there are no free lunches. If you don’t pay your debt either another tax payer or another consumer will have to do it. Recently bankruptcy law has been severely tightened because so many people are irresponsibly abusing the system.
L
lifeisbeautiful
Guest
cossack said:
Nope, that is not what I was saying.
I am saying someone might incur in a debt with all the intentions of paying it back, and having planned how they will pay it back. Maybe they were informed they are going to get a big bonus for Christmas, or maybe they have a salary and are planning on paying it over time. How do they know they won’t die before they pay it off? No one does. What if something happens that the money that they were supposed to get for sure never comes? And even if some loans leave a house or a car to pay off at least part of the debt if the person dies, other debts may not leave anything to pay them off. We cannot say they are being irresponsible for taking out that loan, if that were the case, then most people couldn’t even get a loan for a house, car, or anything else without being considered “irresponsible”.
I am just saying that, in general, we cannot judge without knowing the full/complete situation (why the loan, did they have a plan to repay, why didn’t they, etc), in other words, we can only judge ourselves.
Also, my original quote wasn’t even directed towards your original post, just towards another reply.
C
Courtneyjo
Guest
Back to O’Reilly–I saw him make those statements, and it struck me as a bit arrogant of him. A good job and education will not save me if a nighttime earthquake collapses the house on me while I sleep. This is but one example. Ultimately all is the mercy of God. The essence of O’Reilly’s statements is that you shouldn’t depend on the government to save you; you should be in a position to at least try to help yourself.
Starting a second job or a business in order to save for retirement is commendable as long as it does not interfere with previous commitments ( eg. time for your family) and conforms to God’s will. This is why discernment is so important.
As for the aunt who gave generously to charities but died owing the credit card company…perhaps she truly didn’t understand the financial impact that decision would have on society, with the debt being not just written off by the creditors but paid for by other credit card holders. Because of her choice, her estate was not available to her heirs.
Why not write down everything you spend during a month (the cost and the item), then see what you can cut out in order to save or charitably give. For some of us its the lattes, or cable, and little things that add up. If you feel like you need more money, a good place to start the search is spending habits.
Starting a second job or a business in order to save for retirement is commendable as long as it does not interfere with previous commitments ( eg. time for your family) and conforms to God’s will. This is why discernment is so important.
As for the aunt who gave generously to charities but died owing the credit card company…perhaps she truly didn’t understand the financial impact that decision would have on society, with the debt being not just written off by the creditors but paid for by other credit card holders. Because of her choice, her estate was not available to her heirs.
Why not write down everything you spend during a month (the cost and the item), then see what you can cut out in order to save or charitably give. For some of us its the lattes, or cable, and little things that add up. If you feel like you need more money, a good place to start the search is spending habits.
R
Rob_s_Wife
Guest
J
jman507
Guest
Money is not bad, but one must keep his or her intentions good with it. When a person starts to become greedy, gluttonus, prideful, lazy, and the such is when it starts to become not good. One should try to be prudent, but also keep in mind that anything can happen. One shouldn’t become so attacted to the money, that to keep it becomes more important than to do what is right. One shouldn’t waste the money just to get rid of it. Money is what money does and it can help do good things.
Saving isn’t a bad thing, until one hordes it to try to let harm happen to others but not himself, like the thinking there is only so much so I need to get more to keep myself safe. But as one saves say in stocks or bonds, your putting your money into others hands for public and private uses for jobs and other public goods. The next thing is not to waste the money on material things one does not need, and when it comes to wants keep some restraint on those.
Always keep in mind that the economy is for man, not man for the economy. Our job isn’t to build as many things as we can, but to build the things we need to live out all of our lives. Also it is probably a good thing to have neither poverty or riches.
As for you Rob’s wife. If you cannot money save thats ok, that doesn’t tell the whole story for you have invested a lot, quite a lot more from the sounds of it than others have. It’s ok to accept help from others. It sounds like you and your spouse have worked very hard.
As far as leaving more debt than one can pay off on credit cards, its no good to rob Peter to pay Paul, even if Paul is much more sympathic. (I don’t want to come down on the aunt, since I don’t know the whole situation) Besides if a lot of people leave unpaid debt, eventuall those people who put up the money for the credit cards will either, lose their money, or more likely increase the interst rate on the card & try to change bankruptcy laws. Those effect everyone.
Saving isn’t a bad thing, until one hordes it to try to let harm happen to others but not himself, like the thinking there is only so much so I need to get more to keep myself safe. But as one saves say in stocks or bonds, your putting your money into others hands for public and private uses for jobs and other public goods. The next thing is not to waste the money on material things one does not need, and when it comes to wants keep some restraint on those.
Always keep in mind that the economy is for man, not man for the economy. Our job isn’t to build as many things as we can, but to build the things we need to live out all of our lives. Also it is probably a good thing to have neither poverty or riches.
As for you Rob’s wife. If you cannot money save thats ok, that doesn’t tell the whole story for you have invested a lot, quite a lot more from the sounds of it than others have. It’s ok to accept help from others. It sounds like you and your spouse have worked very hard.
As far as leaving more debt than one can pay off on credit cards, its no good to rob Peter to pay Paul, even if Paul is much more sympathic. (I don’t want to come down on the aunt, since I don’t know the whole situation) Besides if a lot of people leave unpaid debt, eventuall those people who put up the money for the credit cards will either, lose their money, or more likely increase the interst rate on the card & try to change bankruptcy laws. Those effect everyone.
R
Rob_s_Wife
Guest
Yes, we sure do and have no doubt we will probably continue to do so well into our old age. That’s okay. I hope our health is with us and even if it isn’t, I hope I will have raised our children to care for family as lovingly as they have been cared for.
As far as debt, I’m of the mind that it is the work of the devil. Debt isn’t the same as money. It’s banking on the hope that you will have money at a later date. Jobs are lost, savings are eaten by living needs, health declines, etc… Debt is really saying, “I want this and I don’t want to wait to get it, so I’m going to give a little and promise to pay the rest later.” The promise is sincere in most cases, but giving in to the “wants” is a very easy addiction and the future may make that promise dificult or impossible to keep.
C
cossack
Guest
**"Back to O’Reilly—I saw him make those statements, and it struck me as a bit arrogant of him. A good job and education will not save me if a nighttime earthquake collapses the house on me while I sleep. This is but one example. "
O’Reilly was talking about being FINANCIALY safe. Although one could certainly up the odds of reminding physically safe too if he can afford to live in a secure neighborhood.
**“Those comments were from me, so those are the ones I’m replying to. We have very little money to work with in our home. It is not an option to spend some here and some there. It’s about having $10 and deciding I’d rather spend it on my family or the church basket. $10 a month isn’t going to pay for squat when I grow old.”
****Your attitude and comments concern me the most. You know that in this country we have established safety nets so that you and your family will not be homeless or starve. If you are as poor as your writings indicate your church does not expect you to pay. You have established a revolving door where you give money in the collection basket and then take in money from taxpayers. This is not fair to to taxpayers who have to support you and and it is not fair to your children. Get yourself on your feet and then you can give generously to the church and other charities.
**“Yes, it does. You assume, wrongly, that poverty means they are not working taxpayers like you, but the vast majority are the working poor (which DO pay taxes!)”
**The poor do NOT pay INCOME TAX…
**“hmmm, you’re right I suppose it was very rude of her to die before paying her credit card bill. Even ruder still that no one thought to help her so she didn’t need it. I find it interesting that no one seems bothered by the fact that no one cared about her finances until AFTER she died.”
**You are writing about something of which you have no knowledge, however it goes a long way to exemplify your attitude and philosophy. One must PLAN their financial future. My aunt lived for years just paying the minimum payment on her card without any of us knowing. I think it is the responsibility of everyone who uses currency to learn the basics. As I said above, the main lesson of my macroeconomics class is that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you do not take the responsibility to pay then someone, i.e. consumers, taxpayers etc. will.
**“YES! It was her mother for crying out loud! It seems the very least of what a child should do for a parent!”
**Again, your facts are wrong. It was MY mother who paid for her sister’s funeral. It was not that bad because we only had the basic church and cemetery ceremony. It was not all of what my dear aunt would have wanted, but it was certainly enough.
**
“Much of the technogolgy and medications that will help a person live longer aren’t avialable to those who can’t afford them anyhow. So don’t worry, most of us working poor won’t be around to be bothering you with our funeral expenses when you’re 90.”
**As O’Reilly pointed out : in this country education is free and there are countless scholarships. Imingrents who cant even speak English come to this country and they become far wealthier than citizens who have been hear for years. There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
**
"What do you mean by “invested”? We have never invested any money. If you mean time and energy, then yes, I would certainly agree we invest a good deal of those! "
See above.
**As I have said, I am NOT recommending Catholics stop tithing. That would go against the tenants of the Church. However, I have noticed a general attitude of those who piously give and give and when they need help they are forced to seek desperate measures like welfare and food stamps. If they had been more responsible precautions and exercised common sense in the beginning they could have avoided chaos. Even Catholic religious orders have nice retirement houses for older priest and nuns. These houses were not free. They saved and invested their money through intelligent money management.
O’Reilly was talking about being FINANCIALY safe. Although one could certainly up the odds of reminding physically safe too if he can afford to live in a secure neighborhood.
**“Those comments were from me, so those are the ones I’m replying to. We have very little money to work with in our home. It is not an option to spend some here and some there. It’s about having $10 and deciding I’d rather spend it on my family or the church basket. $10 a month isn’t going to pay for squat when I grow old.”
****Your attitude and comments concern me the most. You know that in this country we have established safety nets so that you and your family will not be homeless or starve. If you are as poor as your writings indicate your church does not expect you to pay. You have established a revolving door where you give money in the collection basket and then take in money from taxpayers. This is not fair to to taxpayers who have to support you and and it is not fair to your children. Get yourself on your feet and then you can give generously to the church and other charities.
**“Yes, it does. You assume, wrongly, that poverty means they are not working taxpayers like you, but the vast majority are the working poor (which DO pay taxes!)”
**The poor do NOT pay INCOME TAX…
**“hmmm, you’re right I suppose it was very rude of her to die before paying her credit card bill. Even ruder still that no one thought to help her so she didn’t need it. I find it interesting that no one seems bothered by the fact that no one cared about her finances until AFTER she died.”
**You are writing about something of which you have no knowledge, however it goes a long way to exemplify your attitude and philosophy. One must PLAN their financial future. My aunt lived for years just paying the minimum payment on her card without any of us knowing. I think it is the responsibility of everyone who uses currency to learn the basics. As I said above, the main lesson of my macroeconomics class is that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you do not take the responsibility to pay then someone, i.e. consumers, taxpayers etc. will.
**“YES! It was her mother for crying out loud! It seems the very least of what a child should do for a parent!”
**Again, your facts are wrong. It was MY mother who paid for her sister’s funeral. It was not that bad because we only had the basic church and cemetery ceremony. It was not all of what my dear aunt would have wanted, but it was certainly enough.
**
“Much of the technogolgy and medications that will help a person live longer aren’t avialable to those who can’t afford them anyhow. So don’t worry, most of us working poor won’t be around to be bothering you with our funeral expenses when you’re 90.”
**As O’Reilly pointed out : in this country education is free and there are countless scholarships. Imingrents who cant even speak English come to this country and they become far wealthier than citizens who have been hear for years. There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
**
"What do you mean by “invested”? We have never invested any money. If you mean time and energy, then yes, I would certainly agree we invest a good deal of those! "
See above.
**As I have said, I am NOT recommending Catholics stop tithing. That would go against the tenants of the Church. However, I have noticed a general attitude of those who piously give and give and when they need help they are forced to seek desperate measures like welfare and food stamps. If they had been more responsible precautions and exercised common sense in the beginning they could have avoided chaos. Even Catholic religious orders have nice retirement houses for older priest and nuns. These houses were not free. They saved and invested their money through intelligent money management.
J
jman507
Guest
Cossack,
You do have some good points, and some points worth considering, but economics is not the end all. I should say it does concern me a bit that better choices have could have been made, on the other hand when it comes to raising a family some put too much emphasis on the economics and not enough on the being there with the family. Personally I’d perfer parents who raise up their children with lots of proper attention, than one who lets them run wild while securing their future. More likely society will have to pay for those problems as adults. I’m also glad that Rob’s wife hasn’t sound to be taken with materialism either.
I think you really have a point about the pastor. One should understand that people working make it so all those in the world have what they need to live. The problems don’t come so much from money, but from materialism. If your vocation is to be married and raise a family, you should be able to take care of them. If you want to go on a mission to Africa, it might be a good thing, to not quit your job, but to go on a mission establish a connection, and try to help out from home. But in those situations I think its good to have a spiritual director. I don’t really want to judge any particular situation cause I cannot understand the whole thing, but those seems like some prudent ideas.
You do have some good points, and some points worth considering, but economics is not the end all. I should say it does concern me a bit that better choices have could have been made, on the other hand when it comes to raising a family some put too much emphasis on the economics and not enough on the being there with the family. Personally I’d perfer parents who raise up their children with lots of proper attention, than one who lets them run wild while securing their future. More likely society will have to pay for those problems as adults. I’m also glad that Rob’s wife hasn’t sound to be taken with materialism either.
I think you really have a point about the pastor. One should understand that people working make it so all those in the world have what they need to live. The problems don’t come so much from money, but from materialism. If your vocation is to be married and raise a family, you should be able to take care of them. If you want to go on a mission to Africa, it might be a good thing, to not quit your job, but to go on a mission establish a connection, and try to help out from home. But in those situations I think its good to have a spiritual director. I don’t really want to judge any particular situation cause I cannot understand the whole thing, but those seems like some prudent ideas.
M
mschoir01
Guest
**As O’Reilly pointed out : in this country education is free and there are countless scholarships. **
Wrong. O’Reilly is in a dream world here. Anyone who has been through our illustrious system of higher education has had to find a way to pay for it. Scholarships exist, but countless? No. Free education? Through high school, baby, that’s all she wrote. If you think higher education is free, then please PM me. I have some land to sell you in Louisiana.
Imingrents who cant even speak English come to this country and they become far wealthier than citizens who have been hear for years. There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
Immigrants come in all varieties and not all are living the American dream. For many, the work is grinding, monotonous, and poorly paid.
Here’s a fact: Jesus said that the man who stores up his treasures on earth is a fool.
Here’s another: Matthew 25 tells us that we will be held accountable for how we treat the least among us.
It is well and good to take care of yourself and your family. It is required for heaven’s sake, but to place money first is a step towards misery.
Your Aunt was probably seduced by those aggressive Credit card companies. They prey on populations least likely to have the tools to use credit wisely. I shred at least five promotions per week, week in and week out. There’s no telling how much pain they cause.
Also, I think Bill O’Reilly is an arrogant clown.
Wrong. O’Reilly is in a dream world here. Anyone who has been through our illustrious system of higher education has had to find a way to pay for it. Scholarships exist, but countless? No. Free education? Through high school, baby, that’s all she wrote. If you think higher education is free, then please PM me. I have some land to sell you in Louisiana.
Imingrents who cant even speak English come to this country and they become far wealthier than citizens who have been hear for years. There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
Immigrants come in all varieties and not all are living the American dream. For many, the work is grinding, monotonous, and poorly paid.
Here’s a fact: Jesus said that the man who stores up his treasures on earth is a fool.
Here’s another: Matthew 25 tells us that we will be held accountable for how we treat the least among us.
It is well and good to take care of yourself and your family. It is required for heaven’s sake, but to place money first is a step towards misery.
Your Aunt was probably seduced by those aggressive Credit card companies. They prey on populations least likely to have the tools to use credit wisely. I shred at least five promotions per week, week in and week out. There’s no telling how much pain they cause.
Also, I think Bill O’Reilly is an arrogant clown.
J
jman507
Guest
How will you take care of the least of us, if you cannot take care of yourself? How can you take care of anyone, if no one works on producing what we need?
Money is really much. A dollar bill is only a piece of paper. The importance of money is that it works as an exchange. The problem isn’t goods and servises. It becomes a problems when that stuff becomes an end of itself. Which I think is the point that Cossack has when he says the Deacon shouldn’t be preaching against money, but against the materialism.
Yes the aunt may have been saduced. One should be vigalent and try not to become saduced. I do have some understanding and mercy for that, but regardless it still creates problems. As I’ve said the more people defualt, the more the creditors raise the intrest rates, the less money available for credit, and the risk of bankrupcty laws becoming harder on those in bankruptcy.
Money is really much. A dollar bill is only a piece of paper. The importance of money is that it works as an exchange. The problem isn’t goods and servises. It becomes a problems when that stuff becomes an end of itself. Which I think is the point that Cossack has when he says the Deacon shouldn’t be preaching against money, but against the materialism.
Yes the aunt may have been saduced. One should be vigalent and try not to become saduced. I do have some understanding and mercy for that, but regardless it still creates problems. As I’ve said the more people defualt, the more the creditors raise the intrest rates, the less money available for credit, and the risk of bankrupcty laws becoming harder on those in bankruptcy.
O
OutinChgoburbs
Guest
Let’s try something simple (although I think the legal advice about not taking what Auntie left you is wrong. Auntie’s estate gets settled by paying her just debts first, then the leftovers divided if there are any. The trustees and executors- certainly not the benefactors- are in no way responsible for her debt, other than to pay out what was owed. If she was insolvent, well, then the creditors get what they get, and there’s not a whole lot left).
How about you think what you want to do in ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and so on, down the road? Write it down. Spare no detail.
Now, what equipment/ education/ housing are you going to need? How are you going to pay for that? THEN consider if perhaps your plans need some alteration.
Some of us want the retirements we see on TV: It’s either the beautiful sunset on the beach at the beach house, or the top-notch trip around the world, dancing all the way with our spouse, who looks a lot like an actor (because in reality, he and she ARE actors). This might not be realistic.
My husband and I have no plans to retire. We like working. We might make career changes. We are middle-aged, our parents are still alive, and our grandparents lived to ripe old ages. We have savings (and no, not a savings account. Real equity and diversified investments over time). It may or may not be enough to sit on the front porch and whittle. Things might pop up. Disasters happen. We do what we can, are responsible with our money to the best of our ability, and trust God to handle the little details.
As far as giving goes, our diocese has a formula it encourages, but does not mandate: Try to build up to giving 5% to your parish (net or gross, money or time or talent or a combination of the three), and 1% to the diocese. If you feel inclined to give more, or to give another 5% someplace else, that’s your choice. Pray about it first. Feel at peace with the result.
Bill O’Reilly spouts off to make people watch him. Period. And it works. He might move to the left, right or sideways on an issue, but people are generally drawn in to watch. He is certainly not a financial expert. He is an editorialist, an opinion giver. A person is free to agree or disagree with him.
You might like Humberto Cruz better, if you are looking for solid financial advice.
sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/sfla-business-cruz,0,2620643.columnist
I will never forget his article on a cruise he took with his wife, and how her little $3 tennis shoes were the best investment they made. Mr. Cruz is not of the opinion that each boomer needs a nest egg of $1,000,000+ to surivive into old age. There are some things we don’t need in retirement, that are a staple of the work world. And it seems getting old cuts down on some expenses.
So, before you stop contributing in the basket, and start counting the squares of toilet paper to ensure your retirement fund- give Huberto a good read.
How about you think what you want to do in ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and so on, down the road? Write it down. Spare no detail.
Now, what equipment/ education/ housing are you going to need? How are you going to pay for that? THEN consider if perhaps your plans need some alteration.
Some of us want the retirements we see on TV: It’s either the beautiful sunset on the beach at the beach house, or the top-notch trip around the world, dancing all the way with our spouse, who looks a lot like an actor (because in reality, he and she ARE actors). This might not be realistic.
My husband and I have no plans to retire. We like working. We might make career changes. We are middle-aged, our parents are still alive, and our grandparents lived to ripe old ages. We have savings (and no, not a savings account. Real equity and diversified investments over time). It may or may not be enough to sit on the front porch and whittle. Things might pop up. Disasters happen. We do what we can, are responsible with our money to the best of our ability, and trust God to handle the little details.
As far as giving goes, our diocese has a formula it encourages, but does not mandate: Try to build up to giving 5% to your parish (net or gross, money or time or talent or a combination of the three), and 1% to the diocese. If you feel inclined to give more, or to give another 5% someplace else, that’s your choice. Pray about it first. Feel at peace with the result.
Bill O’Reilly spouts off to make people watch him. Period. And it works. He might move to the left, right or sideways on an issue, but people are generally drawn in to watch. He is certainly not a financial expert. He is an editorialist, an opinion giver. A person is free to agree or disagree with him.
You might like Humberto Cruz better, if you are looking for solid financial advice.
sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/sfla-business-cruz,0,2620643.columnist
I will never forget his article on a cruise he took with his wife, and how her little $3 tennis shoes were the best investment they made. Mr. Cruz is not of the opinion that each boomer needs a nest egg of $1,000,000+ to surivive into old age. There are some things we don’t need in retirement, that are a staple of the work world. And it seems getting old cuts down on some expenses.
So, before you stop contributing in the basket, and start counting the squares of toilet paper to ensure your retirement fund- give Huberto a good read.
C
Courtneyjo
Guest
O’Reilly was talking about the perils of being poor when natural disasters strike; that was the main “time of crisis” to which he was referring. His “talking point” was his reaction to a natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina. People who were poor had more chance of being physically in danger. But financial safety will not save you if you are in a situation such as a middle-of-the-night earthquake. God is your first line of defense. Money won’t save you if a terrorist causes massive damage and loss of life in your city. Using money as a security blanket only goes so far. I’ve known many people who lost all their money in the Great Depression when the banks failed.
That’s not to say that it is wrong to have a nest egg. But discerning priorities is essential.
C
Courtneyjo
Guest
Three deaths in my family within twenty-three months and the estates were settled just as you describe.
R
Rob_s_Wife
Guest
cossack said:
R
Rob_s_Wife
Guest
continuing…
You are writing about something of which you have no knowledge,
Actually, I’m writing about things I’ve had to deal with on a fairly regular basis for most of my life.
One must PLAN their financial future.
They should as best they can.
I think it is the responsibility of everyone who uses currency to learn the basics.
Credit cards are not currency - the fact people use it as though it is, is a major problem in this country. Credit is the hope that currency will be available later that is not available at that moment. Credit = debt/loss. It is never in the profit margin.
…there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you do not take the responsibility to pay then someone, i.e. consumers, taxpayers etc. will.
Or the family that loves them and should want to take care of them does so. That, or they just do without.
There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
**I would think working hard and smart together would be the goal. **
As I have said, I am NOT recommending Catholics stop tithing.
Actually, that is exactly what you wrote to me. See above.
…I have noticed a general attitude of those who piously give and give and when they need help they are forced to seek desperate measures like welfare and food stamps. If they had been more responsible precautions and exercised common sense in the beginning they could have avoided chaos.
As it ever occurred to you that those people gave and gave when they thought they had made arrangements for their future? They just didn’t plan on daddy dying in a car wreck at 35, or mom getting cancer, or the 2nd baby to be born needing monumental medical care for the next 15 + years? They never imagined that they would one day be hand out in need.
Even Catholic religious orders have nice retirement houses for older priest and nuns. These houses were not free. They saved and invested their money through intelligent money management.
Actually, the Church saved and invested the money of hundreds (or much more) of people put in the basket for the retirement needs of the relgious. The religious are part of our Catholic family, and therefore we are all called to help take care of them when they need us./QUOTE]
You are writing about something of which you have no knowledge,
Actually, I’m writing about things I’ve had to deal with on a fairly regular basis for most of my life.
One must PLAN their financial future.
They should as best they can.
I think it is the responsibility of everyone who uses currency to learn the basics.
Credit cards are not currency - the fact people use it as though it is, is a major problem in this country. Credit is the hope that currency will be available later that is not available at that moment. Credit = debt/loss. It is never in the profit margin.
…there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you do not take the responsibility to pay then someone, i.e. consumers, taxpayers etc. will.
Or the family that loves them and should want to take care of them does so. That, or they just do without.
There is a difference between working hard and working smart.
**I would think working hard and smart together would be the goal. **
As I have said, I am NOT recommending Catholics stop tithing.
Actually, that is exactly what you wrote to me. See above.
…I have noticed a general attitude of those who piously give and give and when they need help they are forced to seek desperate measures like welfare and food stamps. If they had been more responsible precautions and exercised common sense in the beginning they could have avoided chaos.
As it ever occurred to you that those people gave and gave when they thought they had made arrangements for their future? They just didn’t plan on daddy dying in a car wreck at 35, or mom getting cancer, or the 2nd baby to be born needing monumental medical care for the next 15 + years? They never imagined that they would one day be hand out in need.
Even Catholic religious orders have nice retirement houses for older priest and nuns. These houses were not free. They saved and invested their money through intelligent money management.
Actually, the Church saved and invested the money of hundreds (or much more) of people put in the basket for the retirement needs of the relgious. The religious are part of our Catholic family, and therefore we are all called to help take care of them when they need us./QUOTE]
- Status