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Thank You Tom for all you do. I hope you know you are breaking chains and setting people free because that is exactly what you are faithfully doing. Back to Testimonials Thank You Tom for all you do. I can see in the Spirit that Jesus will be Present and He is holding rewards in His both hands for He rewards those who diligently seek him, as you and your team do on a daily basis. Jesus declares that there will be no lack. He will abundantly supply all that is needed. Thank You Tom for all you do. I hope you know you are breaking chains and setting people free because that is exactly what you are faithfully doing. W.P. Shawville Quebec, Canada Previous Next

Several years ago, I counselled an individual who had accumulated significant debt on his credit cards. To lower his interest costs and to be able to make appropriate repayments, it made sense to restructure his debt. Back to Financial Deceptions Debt Restructuring Will Solve Your Financial Problems By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 Several years ago, I counselled an individual who had accumulated significant debt on his credit cards. To lower his interest costs and to be able to make appropriate repayments, it made sense to restructure his debt. He obtained a line of credit from his bank at a much lower interest rate and used those funds to pay off his credit cards. At the same time, I emphasized to him that restructuring his debt was treating the symptom and not the problem. The real problem was that he and his wife were spending more than they were earning, and they had been doing this for a couple of years. I strongly recommended that they develop and implement a budget with the objective of ensuring that they spend less than they earn on a monthly basis so that they can use the surplus to pay down debt. Unfortunately, they did not do so, and within three years they had accumulated new credit card debts. Since his bank line of credit had been fully utilized, it was necessary to take out a second mortgage on his home to pay off the new debt. Again, I emphasized the importance of spending less than their income. About four years later, he came to me again with the same problem. With all sources of credit maximized, it was necessary to withdraw money from the couple’s RRSPs to pay off the high-interest credit card debt and satisfy the credit card companies. This resulted in two new problems: first, a tax liability because of the RRSP withdrawals and second, a significant concern that they would not have sufficient funds for retirement. At this point, you may well think that this individual cannot be very astute financially. Actually, the reverse is true. He is a chartered accountant who understood and agreed with the advice. However, because he and his wife were not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to reduce their personal spending, today they are reaping the negative consequences. Sometimes the root of financial problems goes beyond the financial sphere and into the spiritual. Some spiritual problems that can give rise to financial problems include covetousness, lack of contentment, greed, selfishness, and pride. These mindsets are clearly contrary to God’s Word. Often it is necessary for a Christian to meditate on God’s Word with regard to finances in order to think differently about money and material things. Romans 12:2 states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In summary, if you are in debt, may I encourage you to do two things: 1. Develop and implement a budget to ensure that you are spending less than you are earning, and use the surplus to pay off your debts. For a free copy of my firm’s Excel-based budgeting template, see the Budgeting page. 2. Study and meditate on God’s Word regularly with regard to finances. Previous Article Next Article More Topics The Joseph Principle Read More Co-Signing/Surety Read More Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More

“By his very nature, God is the God of hope: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with joy by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). Do you have God’s peace and joy in regard to your finances? If not, then you’re probably not in God’s will. Back to Freedom from Financial Anxiety Yes, There is Hope for your Financial Mess! By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 “By his very nature, God is the God of hope: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with joy by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). Do you have God’s peace and joy in regard to your finances? If not, then you’re probably not in God’s will. Regardless of how difficult your financial problems are, God, with his “incomparably great power” (Eph. 1:19), is able to solve any financial mess. It is true that God may not relieve financial pressures quickly, but it is certainly within God’s power to sustain you and carry you through any stresses or anxieties resulting from financial difficulties. If you’re in financial difficulty, then I recommend the following: Pray—There’s no substitute for spending quality time with God. It is through his Holy Spirit and his Word that he will provide you with his direction for your life. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). Meditate on God’s Word—Sixteen of the 24 parables that Jesus gave us to deal with money and material things. God’s Word, the Bible, is filled with God’s wisdom on finances, which is frequently contrary to the world’s wisdom. For example, the emphasis in Scripture is toward minimal debt or no debt as opposed to the emphasis in the world, which is to buy now and pay later or use other people’s money. In our society, getting into debt is very easy, and as a result, many people have overcommitted themselves in their financial obligations. Develop a Plan, That is, a Budget—This will help you ensure that you are spending less than you are earning on a monthly basis. Use the surplus to pay down debt and save for future needs. Planning is biblical. For instance, in his example of building a tower, Jesus said, in substance, that if you don’t plan ahead, then you are foolish (Luke 14:28–30). Don’t Give up!—When someone is in financial difficulty, generally, it takes a few years to really get the financial house in order. However, significant changes can be made in just a few months. Even if finance is not your area of expertise, God has promised that he will provide what we need. Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, NKJV). Previous Article Next Article More Topics Co-Signing/Surety Read More Investing Read More Priorities Read More

The workshop has been very beneficial in giving me practical insights in managing my debts based on Biblical principles. Back to Testimonials The workshop has been very beneficial The workshop has been very beneficial in giving me practical insights in managing my debts based on Biblical principles. I am more mindful now in seeking God's guidance before spending a considerable amount, even in minor purchases. BB Edmonton, Alberta Previous Next

I sincerely thank you (Copland Financial Ministries) for hosting these wonderful sessions on Financial Management God's Way. It really pushed me to pay off my mortgage sooner than later, and I'm forever grateful! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me after our session. I value your insights, along with the tips you gave me. Back to Testimonials It pushed me to pay off my mortgage I sincerely thank you (Copland Financial Ministries) for hosting these wonderful sessions on Financial Management God's Way. It really pushed me to pay off my mortgage sooner than later, and I'm forever grateful! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me after our session. I value your insights, along with the tips you gave me. Praise the Lord for His generous provisions, who enabled me to pay off that mortgage! I'm so glad I'm mortgage-free. What a relief it is! I went to church to thank the Lord for getting me out of mortgage debt. To Him, I give all the glory for what He made happen for me. With your godly counsel, I plan to stay free of debt and hope to build wealth so I can do some philanthropic work. Thank you for agreeing and believing it with me. S.P. Toronto, ON, Canada Previous Next

Just watched your program on Vision TV ….and was so encouraged by your very Christ centred & biblical teaching . Back to Testimonials You truly a servant of God Just watched your program on Vision TV ….and was so encouraged by your very Christ centred & biblical teaching . You a truly a servant of God . I will pray for you as the Lord leads …for His protection , & guidance …in all He leads you to do . The Lord bless you and keep you ! In Christ Jesus our Lord. Janet, St. Catharines Ontario" Janet St. Catharines Ontario Previous Next

Thank you Tom for your faithfulness in teaching through God's word, and many hours on your own time, for our benefit and God's call. It has been great and very much appreciated by me and I am sending a donation for your ministry, by mail today. I will continue to pray for your ministry, too. Thank you again for all you do. Back to Testimonials Thank you Tom for your faithfulness Thank you Tom for your faithfulness in teaching through God's word, and many hours on your own time, for our benefit and God's call. It has been great and very much appreciated by me and I am sending a donation for your ministry, by mail today. I will continue to pray for your ministry, too. Thank you again for all you do. L.M. Stouffville, ON, Canada Previous Next

I have learned how to manage my finance according Biblical Principles . It has been an eye open experience for me. Back to Testimonials Thank you Copland Financial Ministries I would like to Thank Copland Financial Ministries, Tom Copland and Randy Ziegenhagel for this amazing teaching on Financial Management God’s Way for Women. I have learned how to manage my finance according Biblical Principles . It has been an eye open experience for me. R.G. Previous Next

Do you feel burdened and worried about your finances? Do you feel overwhelmed by financial problems? Back to Freedom from Financial Anxiety Are You Overwhelmed by Financial Problems? By: Tom Copland January 4, 2021 Do you feel burdened and worried about your finances? Do you feel overwhelmed by financial problems? Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt, 11: 28–30). Jesus gently encourages us to come to him humbly, first asking for his help and then “yoking” with him—that is, depending on God to carry the heavy part of the load. God has promised that he will sustain us, no matter how difficult the circumstances. "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (Isa. 46:3, 4) In order to relieve some of the financial pressures, as a practical matter, I recommend you consider some of the following suggestions: 1. Track your expenditures for two or three months to determine where your money is going. Most people don’t know where their money is being spent. 2. Develop a budget—my firm has developed an Excel-based budgeting system that is available at no charge. Call us if you would like a copy (905-477-1300). 3. In the process of developing and following a budget, ensure that you are spending less than you are making in order to provide a monthly surplus. 4. Use that surplus to pay down debt with the highest interest cost first, which is generally credit cards. 5. Next, pay down your other debts, and save some money for emergencies. (See Proverbs 21:20.) Be sure to spend quality time with God daily, asking him for specific direction about your finances. God has promised that if we ask him for wisdom, he will give it to us (James 1:5) and if we ask him for his specific direction, then he will provide direction to us (Prov. 3:5, 6). Previous Article Next Article More Topics Co-Signing/Surety Read More Investing Read More Priorities Read More

In my experience, the following are the common elements of a “get-rich-quick investment.” 1. There is a promise of an abnormally high rate of return. If the expected rate of return is unusually high, then the risk associated with that investment is also unusually high. Avoid "Get-Rich-Quick Investments" and Hasty Decisions Back to Investing By: Tom Copland October 19, 2021 In my experience, the following are the common elements of a “get-rich-quick investment.” 1. There is a promise of an abnormally high rate of return. If the expected rate of return is unusually high, then the risk associated with that investment is also unusually high. Hence there is a risk of very significant losses. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. 2. Generally, the investor has a limited understanding of the investment. It is easier for a salesperson to sell you a high-risk investment when it is outside of your expertise. 3. It usually requires a quick decision that will prevent the potential investor from obtaining independent counsel from someone who has a thorough understanding of the investment. 4. Frequently, debt is utilized because debt increases the returns if the investment is successful; but debt also increases the losses if the investment goes sour. 5. Generally, a get-rich-quick investment is not diversified in accordance with Ecclesiastes 11:1, 2 but is focused on one investment or one sector, which increases the return if the promoters are right in their predictions, but it also increases the losses if they are wrong. God clearly warns of the dangers of trying to get rich quick: Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:4–5) The emphasis in Scripture is to save and accumulate a little at a time over a long period of time and not to try to get rich quick. Proverbs 13:11 states, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (emphasis added). As explained in my Financial Moment titled “Investing—Assess Your Tolerance for Risk and Invest Accordingly,” it is biblical to assume some risk within your investment portfolio. However, when investors try to make a lot of money very quickly (i.e., to get rich quick), then generally they assume an excessive amount of risk and debt, and they frequently lose everything. This is not God’s will. Therefore, if someone recommends an investment that promises an abnormally high rate of return, or requires a significant portion of your portfolio, then I recommend the following: 1. Pray and ask God to direct you through his Holy Spirit. A lack of peace can be God’s way of communicating to you or your spouse that it is not God’s will for you to invest. 2. Ask God to reveal to you your motives. Motives are important to God (Proverbs 16:2). Ungodly motives include greed, covetousness, impatience, and pride; the corresponding godly motives would be generosity, contentment, patience, and humility. 3. Take the time that is required to obtain sufficient knowledge and understanding of the investment before you invest (Proverbs 28:19, 20). 4. Use godly counsellors who have the necessary experience and knowledge and will not personally profit if you decide to invest (Psalm 1:1–3). In summary, if you do not have sufficient time to complete the four suggestions above, then do not invest. Some of the best investment decisions ever made are the decisions not to invest. Hasty decisions are usually bad decisions (Proverbs 21:5). And remember, the emphasis in God’s Word is to save and accumulate assets for future needs over a long period of time—not to get rich quickly. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More Priorities Read More Counsel & Wisdom Read More

It is possible for a Christian to be involved in investing with godly motives or worldly motives. Your motives for investing are important to God. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:2) Ensure that your Motives are Godly and not Worldly Back to Investing By: Tom Copland October 19, 2021 It is possible for a Christian to be involved in investing with godly motives or worldly motives. Your motives for investing are important to God. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:2) Godly motives for investing would include the following: 1. Investing in Order to Meet Future Needs—1 Timothy 5:8 states, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Examples of needs that usually require saving and investing would include children’s education, retirement, automobile replacement, and purchase of a home. 2. Giving to God’s Work—If God has blessed you with a surplus and if you have given to God’s work everything that the Lord has laid upon your heart (Proverbs 3:9, 10), then it is possible that God may direct you to invest the surplus with the long-term objective of giving even more. 3. Practicing Good Stewardship—If you have given to God’s work as God directed, then as a good steward, you should invest your surplus as directed in the parable of the talents (Mathew 25:14–30). However, be sensitive to God’s leading; do not invest only to accumulate more. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19, 20). 4. Following God’s Specific Will for Your Life—Sometimes God’s specific will for a believer may be to invest a significant amount in the business that God has called him or her to. Because God discourages debt (Proverbs 22:7), it may be necessary for some people to accumulate significant retained earnings in their company in order to provide the necessary working capital. Worldly or ungodly motives for investing would include the following: 1. Pride—Some people invest with the objective of accumulating significant wealth because it makes them feel more important than others. This attitude is clearly contrary to God’s Word. 1 Peter 5:5 states, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 2. Selfishness—Philippians 2:3, 4 states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” Investing with selfish motives is not God’s will. 3. Greed—God warns about greed. Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). 4. Trust in Wealth Rather Than in God—A good example of this is the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21). This man’s problem was not that he had significant wealth but rather that he hoarded his wealth and he trusted in it rather than in God. God called him a fool. I encourage you to ask God to reveal your motives for investing and then take action to ensure that your motives are godly: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24). Previous Article Next Article More Topics Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More Priorities Read More Counsel & Wisdom Read More

Blessings to you! I've continued to watch you on Financial Moments on YesTV and you always have a wealth of information - I loved the comparison between secular and non-secular ways of managing money it really spoke to me and reminded me of the importance of managing money God's way. Back to Testimonials God willing will have the mortgage paid off in September Blessings to you! I've continued to watch you on Financial Moments on YesTV and you always have a wealth of information - I loved the comparison between secular and non-secular ways of managing money it really spoke to me and reminded me of the importance of managing money God's way. I'm writing to ask for your prayers in that, although I hope to continue to make ends meet (God willing will have the mortgage paid off in September), our new Burlington mayor has been increasing taxes dramatically (about an extra $730 or so for me in two years). I ask that you may have me in your prayers as I'm nervous about whether I will be able to retire under such circumstances. Thanks and God bless! Jennifer Jennifer Burlington Ontario Previous Next