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Money Stories: Introducing the Newest Member of the Compass Catholic Team -Jenny Ibarra

Join us in welcoming Jenny Ibarra to our Compass Catholic Team! Jenny just joined us as our new office manager and we're thrilled to have her. At Compass Catholic, we believe personal finance is more than just dollars and cents. How we spend our money is a reflection of our values. Jenny shares her personal money story about how a decision she and her husband made four years ago enabled her to join our team. To learn more about Compass Catholic, please visit https://compasscatholic.org To find o...

How to avoid financial infidelity

Money Stories: Catholic Bloggers and a Bible Study Part 2

In last week's episode, we spoke to two Catholic bloggers (and their spouses) who participated in a Faith & Money Matters Bible Study. In this week's episode, we're speaking to the two other bloggers who participated in the same study. Amanda Costello (thesistersonfire.com) and Carrie Soukup (gracefinders.com and author of Collections of Grace) join us to talk about their experiences and how Faith & Money Matters affected their perspective of money. To sign up for an upcoming Faith &...

Dealing With a Mountain of Debt

Playing with debt is like playing with matches. You think you’ll be able to blow the match out when the flame gets too close to your fingers. But how many times have you burned yourself? If you get a sick sinking feeling when you think about the amount of debt you have, you may be worried that you’ll never be able to dig your way out. And unless you get serious about paying it off, you’re right. Tune and be sure to check out the Compass Catholic blog for more ideas on motivating yourself to get ...

Money Stories: Catholic Bloggers and a Bible Study

What happens when you put a small group of Catholic bloggers together and have them talk about money? You'll find out in this week's episode of Money Stories! Katie and Cullen Sheppard facilitated a Faith & Money Matters Bible Study for a group of pre-selected Catholic bloggers and their spouses. Victoria and Jason Sechrist (ConsumerCatholic.com) and Katie and Joel Cassidy (Unexpectedhoney.com) discuss their experience with Faith & Money Matters and how their small group bonded over the ...

Learning to be Content

We aren’t born being content and it seems that our culture tries to make us more and more discontent as we grow older. How many commercials are disguised as TV shows and movies targeting the youngsters in our life to get the stuff they are selling? And keeping up with the neighbors can be a lifetime pursuit for some adults. Learning the secret of contentment can free you from all the pressure to spend money in an effort to acquire more and more stuff. Being content is a conscious learned habit! ...

The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Vocations Part 5 with Sister Ignatia Henneberry

Sister Ignatia Henneberry, with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, had student loan debt when she started discerning religious life. She had faith that her debt would not be a barrier. Due to the generosity of others, including her grandmother and the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations, Sister Ignatia was right. Sister Ignatia recently took over the role of Vocations Director with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. She's new to her role but she's not naive as to h...

8 Steps to Get Out of Debt

Getting out of debt can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to start or what to do first. Get started by using our tips for eight steps to get out of debt. It can be a long-term goal and it is not easy, but the effort and time is well worth the blessing that comes from being debt free. The Compass Catholic blog has more ideas about taking the first step in freeing yourself from the bondage of debt....

Money Stories: The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Vocations Part 4 with Father Brent Bowen

Father Brent Bowen finished his undergraduate studies and promptly started his master's degree. It was at that time that he realized his calling to become a priest. At that point, he had six figure student loan debt. His story shows how he combination of grit, faith, and generosity could overcome the seemingly impossible. We want to thank Father Brent for sharing his story and the message that God cannot be outdone in generosity! Information about the debt snowball method: https://compasscatholi...

I'm Retiring - WHAT NOW?

Differences of opinion in a marriage are healthy if you can find a compromise that works for both of you. Being on the same page is important in all areas, especially as you plan for retirement. Maybe one of you wants to move closer to the grandkids and the other wants to move to a deserted tropical island. Where you’ll live and what you plan to do is a conversation that needs to start long before that last day at work. The Compass Catholic blog has more ideas about planning for a happy, product...

The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Vocations, Part 3, with John Flanagan from The Laboure Society

In this week’s episode, Diana and Caitlyn speak with John Flanagan from the Laboure Society. John is the executive director of the Laboure Society which is a nonprofit organization that aims to help aspirants tackle their student debt load so they can discern their potential calling. John talks about the method Laboure has implemented that is Canon Law and IRS compliant. The Laboure method was also designed to grow a community of stewardship and ownership of our calling as laity to support vocat...

Cut Your Monthly Bills but do the Math First!

The internet will give you millions of ideas about how to cut your monthly bills. Some of them may be good, others may not be. The only way to determine if these ideas will benefit you is to do the math and compare what you are currently spending versus what you’ll spend by making changes. The Compass Catholic blog has more ideas about cutting monthly bills.

The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Vocations Part 2 with Anne Folan

In the last episode of Money Stories, Anne Folan spoke about the toll student loan debt is taking on vocations. In this episode, Anne is back to discuss what the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations is doing to help this problem. The Fund for Vocations process is intricately designed with a purpose. Not only is the Fund for Vocations IRS compliant, it has to be Canon law compliant as well. To recap from last week's episode, 45 million Americans owe student loan debt, collectively owing more than $...

Time for a Financial Health Checkup

We are midway through a tumultuous financial year and it’s time to revisit your current financial situation and define what’s going to change or remain the same in 2020. This year, more than ever it’s imperative to stay on top of your financial situation. The Compass Money Map is a great place to start and the Compass blog has more about a financial health checkup....

Money Stories: The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Vocations

In this week's episode of Money Stories, Anne Folan discusses the toll student loan debt is taking on vocations. Anne is a member of the board of directors of the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations, a nonprofit Catholic organization that makes grants for student loan debt relief for young men and women with vocations to religious life. 45 million Americans owe student loan debt, collectively owing more than $1.5 trillion dollars. Two out of every three college graduates will graduate with a stud...

There's Nothing Wrong With Being Frugal

We talk about all kinds of things with our friends, but the conversations rarely focus on money and how much we earn, spend, save and give. One money area that’s a little less than personal is ideas for being frugal. Frugal means being careful with how you manage all the blessings God has given you, including your finances. Being frugal is being a good steward. The Compass Catholic blog has more about why being frugal is so important to your financial health....

Cybersecurity and Faith with Aaron Munoz

Aaron Munoz is the creator and author of DollarsandSaints.com. He's also in the field of cybersecurity. In this episode of Money Stories, Aaron not only gives our listeners tips to protect their finances, but he also shares how he found how his career can be used to build the kingdom of God. "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts ...

Prepare For Your First Post-Pandemic Christmas

The reason so many people get into debt for Christmas is simple—they haven’t planned ahead. They haven’t saved or given thought to how they may be able to creatively reduce the cost of Christmas. This year with the financial implications of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to make this the Christmas you’ll stay out of debt. The Compass Catholic blog has more about why and how to plan financially for Christmas....

Money Stories: Dealing With Infertility with Whitney Allen

Whitney Allen is the founder of Healing Hopeful Hearts (H3), a ministry for men and women to walk with each other in healing and prayer as they navigate the challenges of infertility. Once of those challenges may be financial. 1 in 6 families will struggle with infertility and of those, 59% say finances are barrier to proceeding with treatment. Whitney talks about how couples can navigate the challenges of infertility, particularly from a financial perspective. For more information about Compass...

Stay on Top of Your Credit Report

Staying informed about your credit report and your credit score is a great way to monitor financial progress. A low credit score or errors on your credit report can mean thousands of dollars wasted on paying higher interest rates. The Compass Catholic blog has more about staying on top of your credit report.

Money Stories: Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is with Matt and Jenny Brady

Matt and Jenny Brady were a young couple with successful careers. After participating in a Bible study regarding the link between their financial behavior and their finances, Matt and Jenny made the decision to change their financial habits. By following the Compass Catholic Money Map, they paid their large student loan debt and were better equipped to live their current vocation as parents to three young children. For more information about Compass Catholic Ministries, please visit www.CompassC...

Raise Money Smart Kids

Raising money smart kids starts even before you get pregnant. Talking about all aspects of money when you are engaged includes discussions about how well you were trained by your parents to be fiscally responsible. What did your parents teach you that was valuable to you as an adult? What do you wish they had taught you? These questions lead to deep discussions between you and your future spouse on how you want to teach your children about handling money. The Compass Catholic blog has more about...

Money Stories: Building a Faith Forward Business with Scott Williams

Scott Williams is the co-founder of Sock Religious ( www.sockreligious.com ), a company that sells fun socks that celebrate the lives of the saints. In this week's episode of Money Stories, Scott talks about how Sock Religious is growing while maintaining its Catholic identity, and while navigating the current economic environment. For more information about Compass Catholic Ministries, please visit www.CompassCatholic.org. Happy by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons...

The Spiritual Cost of Debt

Financial challenges due to debt can be a hidden monster in many families and marriages. We can tackle and tame the debt monster by learning that every area of our life, including how we handle money, has a spiritual impact. The Compass Catholic blog has more about the spiritual cost of debt.

Money Stories: The Making of The Compass Catholic Money Coach Training Program

The Compass Catholic Money Coach Training Program just launched this week. In this episode of Money Stories, Caitlyn Kano talks about her personal money story and how the new Money Coach Training Program came to be. If you are interested in the Money Coach Training Program, please visit www.CompassCatholic.org . Happy by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/happy-musicbyaden Mus...

I"m Going Back to Work, Now What?

Finally, we are beginning to recover from all the shutdowns that began in February and got worse in March and April and people are going back to work. When you get back to your job, it’s also the time to get back to your new financial normal. Create a budget, and use that to create a crisis budget. Build up your emergency fund and start digging out of any debt you incurred. It will be a long hard road, but starting now will put you in a better position if there is another emergency around the co...

Money Stories: Money and Multiples with Lauren Faul

Lauren and her husband have been blessed with five children including triplet boys. With five children under four years of age, Lauren learned many lessons about prioritizing and the logistics involved with having a large family. She shares those lessons and explains how she and her husband decided to make a career change to benefit their large family. For more information about Compass Catholic, please visit www.CompassCatholic.org .

Retiring During a Recession

Planning retirement while there is a recession can be tricky. Start by looking at your current monthly expenses. Exclude expenses related to work and include new expenses related to retirement. Subtract the monthly expenses from your monthly retirement income. If your expenses are more than your income, how much do you need to withdraw from savings each month and how long will your savings last? Doing these calculations before you retire will either bring you peace of mind or the realization tha...

Money Stories: Faith and Finances with Allison Gingras

Allison Gingras shares the story about her financial journey. Allison realized the extent of her debt when the bank refused to extend her any more credit. Around the same time, she met the co-founders of Compass Catholic Ministries, Jon and Evelyn Bean. They presented her with the opportunity to participate in a Compass Catholic Bible study, which she now credits for her much of her family's financial wellness. It hasn't always been easy but now Allison can use her family's financial journey to ...