Think about these scenarios:
- Both of your parents are killed in an airplane crash and you are suddenly rich because of the insurance settlement you receive. Will you be comfortable investing that money or spending it on big ticket items since you have it only because of the tragedy that took your loved ones’ lives?
- Your spouse dies and you inherit a vast sum of money. Do you feel obligated to leave it to your children, or would you prefer to use the majority of it to fund charities you believe are doing a good job providing health care services, improving educational opportunities, housing the homeless, or in some other way(s) changing the lives of the disadvantaged at home and abroad?
- It’s your lucky day: your lottery ticket holds the winning numbers, making you an instant millionaire. Will you fritter away your fortune like some winners do, or will you use it wisely to permanently improve your own financial picture and also make a difference in the world?
It’s easy to imagine that you wouldn’t have any problem dealing with unexpected riches, but guilt, grief, and naiveté can create a dramatically different reality than what you envision. Not surprisingly, carrying the weight of those emotions on your shoulders makes it very hard to decide what to do with that money.
The Faith and Money Network’s Money Mentoring program was designed to help you explore money-related questions. We do not offer therapy, financial advice or answers. What we do provide is experienced, knowledgeable, faith-grounded money mentoring as you work through your own questions and plans. With a Money Mentor you can explore:
- How money affects relationships;
- Translating a global perspective into our lives at home;
- Parenting (and grand-parenting) to teach the value of an economy with enough for everyone;
- Spiritually handling a financial windfall.
Unexpected riches can be a blessing if used wisely, but they can also be a heavy burden if they come to you because of a tragedy, if greed ruptures family relationships, or if you do not have the help needed to examine your own feelings about money and to make financial decisions based on well thought out and researched priorities.
For additional information on our Money Mentoring Program, scroll to the top of this website and click on “What We Offer,” and then scroll down to “Money Mentoring,” or call Mike Little, Faith and Money Network’s Executive Director at (202) 469-8512.
Judy Osgood
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