Comments on: When You Invest – Character Counts! http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/ Christian Personal Finance - Financial help blog, debt help and other financial resources Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:22:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jayperoni@yahoo.com http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9833 jayperoni@yahoo.com Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:30:18 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9833 Mick, Now you're asking the right question: where do you draw the line. I believe each individual can draw a line. Product purchases may be extremely difficult. For example microsoft produces thousands of computer products so should we avoid buying computers? No...that's no the answer. Product boycotts work only when you can isolate and know every product a company offers. Stock boycotts are much easier if you take effort. You determine your hot buttons (ie abortion, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, etc,etc). Then you use mutual funds that creen for your issues or use stock research that evaluates the morality of each publicly traded company. www.moralmoney.com, www.iwfinancial.com, and www.briinstitute,com are three leading researchers that uncover what each company is involved in. Less than 10% of all publically traded companies fail the screens leaving thousands of companies still to choose from. It's more of a question of what God puts on your heart. Do you think God would want you profiting from companies that willfully oppose His Word. if you could choose otherwise (yes it may cost you something - time, money, success), but isn't this life really about glorifying Him and being the best steward with the resources he provides to us. Think about this: pornography is profitable. Is it morally corecet to run a porn shop and then tithe on the profits to the church? How is it different when you invest in companies that clearly operate in opposition to God's principles? As a shareholder you are an owner of the company (even if it is in small percentages). Personally I seek to be as pure as I can in this area. There are millions of investors applying screens to their portfolios. is it all in vain? I personally believe God is honored by the faith-based investing movement. Jay Peroni, CFP Mick,
Now you’re asking the right question: where do you draw the line. I believe each individual can draw a line. Product purchases may be extremely difficult. For example microsoft produces thousands of computer products so should we avoid buying computers? No…that’s no the answer. Product boycotts work only when you can isolate and know every product a company offers. Stock boycotts are much easier if you take effort. You determine your hot buttons (ie abortion, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, etc,etc). Then you use mutual funds that creen for your issues or use stock research that evaluates the morality of each publicly traded company. http://www.moralmoney.com, http://www.iwfinancial.com, and http://www.briinstitute,com are three leading researchers that uncover what each company is involved in. Less than 10% of all publically traded companies fail the screens leaving thousands of companies still to choose from. It’s more of a question of what God puts on your heart. Do you think God would want you profiting from companies that willfully oppose His Word. if you could choose otherwise (yes it may cost you something – time, money, success), but isn’t this life really about glorifying Him and being the best steward with the resources he provides to us.

Think about this: pornography is profitable. Is it morally corecet to run a porn shop and then tithe on the profits to the church? How is it different when you invest in companies that clearly operate in opposition to God’s principles? As a shareholder you are an owner of the company (even if it is in small percentages). Personally I seek to be as pure as I can in this area. There are millions of investors applying screens to their portfolios. is it all in vain? I personally believe God is honored by the faith-based investing movement.

Jay Peroni, CFP

]]> By: Mick http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9832 Mick Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:42:59 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9832 Question, where do you draw the line with companies and how you rate them from a moral perspective? As a consumer, should I stop drinking Coca-Cola, eating at McDonald's, using a specific RX prescription recommended by my doctor from a company that doesn't match my morals? Again, your heart may be in the right place, but in reality it doesn't work in a global economy. Question, where do you draw the line with companies and how you rate them from a moral perspective? As a consumer, should I stop drinking Coca-Cola, eating at McDonald’s, using a specific RX prescription recommended by my doctor from a company that doesn’t match my morals? Again, your heart may be in the right place, but in reality it doesn’t work in a global economy.

]]> By: Jay Peroni http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9828 Jay Peroni Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:57:33 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9828 Bob V. I agree no company is perfect nor will they mirror your values, but there are 3 types of companies: 1) those companies blatenly supporting things that God is opposed to: abortion, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, homosexuality 2) Those companies remaining neutral in the culture battle. They make products and provide services that add value to society. 3) Companies that pro-actively follow Christian/Judeo values, have Christians in upper management, and look to preserve the American value sof faith, hope, and love. There are thousands of companies that fall into categories 2 & 3 if you as a Christian investor proactively determine you want to honor God with your investing and screen out companies that clearly violate His principles. It is a personal choice - between you and God. Where is He leading you in the process? Millions of like-minded Christians have started a movement (biblically responsible investing, faith-based investing, values based investing, moral responsible investing). Call it what you like, it is a movement not a fad. Just like liberal minded individuals started social responsible investing over 50 years ago, conservative Christian investors have been implementing faith-based screening now for well over a decade. I illustrate much of this in The Faith-Based Millionaire, which is still available for free download for a few more weeks at www.jayperoni.com. Hope that helps.... Bob V. I agree no company is perfect nor will they mirror your values, but there are 3 types of companies:

1) those companies blatenly supporting things that God is opposed to: abortion, pornography, embryonic stem cell research, homosexuality

2) Those companies remaining neutral in the culture battle. They make products and provide services that add value to society.

3) Companies that pro-actively follow Christian/Judeo values, have Christians in upper management, and look to preserve the American value sof faith, hope, and love.

There are thousands of companies that fall into categories 2 & 3 if you as a Christian investor proactively determine you want to honor God with your investing and screen out companies that clearly violate His principles.

It is a personal choice – between you and God. Where is He leading you in the process?

Millions of like-minded Christians have started a movement (biblically responsible investing, faith-based investing, values based investing, moral responsible investing). Call it what you like, it is a movement not a fad. Just like liberal minded individuals started social responsible investing over 50 years ago, conservative Christian investors have been implementing faith-based screening now for well over a decade. I illustrate much of this in The Faith-Based Millionaire, which is still available for free download for a few more weeks at http://www.jayperoni.com.

Hope that helps….

]]> By: Bob V http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9824 Bob V Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:10:19 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9824 We were having this discussion earlier this week. I noticed an article in a Christian publication that was talking about how churches were boycotting GoDaddy.com because of the racy ads they ran during the Super Bowl. I am certainly not a fan of those ads but it will be pretty tough in today's environment to find companies whose values and ethics are in complete agreement with biblical principles. Investing in mutual funds makes it even more of a challenge. I suspect the investment opportunities would be pretty slim. If I boycotted every company whose views were different to mine, I probably wouldn't survive. That doesn't mean I have lowered my values or ethics.... I try to do the best with what God has entrusted to me. I will say though that in my younger days, I purchased 100 shares of Philip Morris because I was playing with covered calls (in my stock gambling days). I owned the shares for less then 24 hours when the guilt got to me and I quickly sold them. We were having this discussion earlier this week. I noticed an article in a Christian publication that was talking about how churches were boycotting GoDaddy.com because of the racy ads they ran during the Super Bowl. I am certainly not a fan of those ads but it will be pretty tough in today’s environment to find companies whose values and ethics are in complete agreement with biblical principles. Investing in mutual funds makes it even more of a challenge. I suspect the investment opportunities would be pretty slim. If I boycotted every company whose views were different to mine, I probably wouldn’t survive. That doesn’t mean I have lowered my values or ethics…. I try to do the best with what God has entrusted to me.

I will say though that in my younger days, I purchased 100 shares of Philip Morris because I was playing with covered calls (in my stock gambling days). I owned the shares for less then 24 hours when the guilt got to me and I quickly sold them.

]]> By: Jay Peroni http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9820 Jay Peroni Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:57:11 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9820 Mick, A question for you: Do you think God cares more about the amount of profit or the source of profit? Faith-Based Investing is about finding investment opportunities that do not blatenly violate God's priniples. Whether you agree or not, there is a moral responsibility when you invest. How is helping someone incorporate their faith into their financial plan taking advantage of Christians? That doesn't make sense logically. Jay Peroni, CFP Mick,
A question for you: Do you think God cares more about the amount of profit or the source of profit? Faith-Based Investing is about finding investment opportunities that do not blatenly violate God’s priniples. Whether you agree or not, there is a moral responsibility when you invest.

How is helping someone incorporate their faith into their financial plan taking advantage of Christians? That doesn’t make sense logically.

Jay Peroni, CFP

]]> By: Mick http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-9818 Mick Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:06:25 +0000 http://christianpf.com/when-you-invest-character-counts/#comment-9818 There is no such thing as a "faith based" investment company. Companies are designed to make a profit for their shareholders without meeting a subjective moral criteria. Commissioned salesman have found another niche to take advantage of the Christians by using the cross to trust them. There is no such thing as a “faith based” investment company. Companies are designed to make a profit for their shareholders without meeting a subjective moral criteria. Commissioned salesman have found another niche to take advantage of the Christians by using the cross to trust them.

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