Surviving Financial Meltdown: Confident Decisions in an Uncertain World [Paperback]

Ron Blue (Author), Jeremy L. White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2009

In troubled economic circumstances, people are looking for practical help and deeper spiritual perspective. Written in a non-threatening and easy-to-read format, Surviving Financial Meltdown provides a blueprint laid out by financial experts, Ron Blue and Jeremy White, of biblically-based financial principles to implement during both calm and crisis.
Surviving Financial Meltdown provides the key four principles to financial success. It addresses many of the fears that people feel when it comes to finances. And it provides assistance in determining short and long term financial goals.
Surviving Financial Meltdown also addresses specifically what to do and what not to do in challenging economic times. It gives practical advice for everyday financial decisions. Includes an Appendix with over 40 money-saving ideas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414329954
• ISBN-13: 978-1414329956
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Following his graduation from Indiana University with a master of business administration degree, Ron joined the management group of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. and worked with the firm in New York City, Dallas, and San Francisco. In 1970, Ron founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm that has grown to be one of the 50 largest CPA firms in the United States. Leaving the CPA firm in 1977, Ron became administrative vice president of Leadership Dynamics International. While with Leadership Dynamics, he was involved in developing and teaching biblically based leadership and management seminars in the United States and Africa. Convinced that Christians would better handle their personal finances if they were counseled objectively with the highest technical expertise and from a biblical perspective, he founded a financial planning firm in 1979. That firm grew to manage over $2 billion in assets for its more than 5,000 clients nationwide with a staff of over 175 people in 14 regional offices. Ron retired from the financial planning firm in 2003 in order to lead Kingdom Advisors, an international effort to equip and motivate Christian financial professionals to serve the body of Christ by implementing biblical wisdom in their lives and practices, resulting in financial freedom and increased giving by thousands of dollars by thousands of Christians around the world. Ron is the author of 17 books on personal finance from a biblical perspective, including the best seller "Master Your Money," first published in 1986 and now in its thirtieth printing; "Your Money After the Big 5-0," coauthored with Larry Burkett; "Splitting Heirs"; and his most recent books, "Faith-Based Family Finances" and "Surviving Financial Meltdown." He is featured in the popular six-part Master Your Money video series, produced by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries and used in over 5,500 churches across the country. Ron has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including "Focus on the Family," "Family News in Focus," "The 700 Club," "Prime Time America," and Moody Radio's "Open Line." He is a regular contributor to several national Christian magazines. Ron currently serves on the board of directors of Campus Crusade for Christ, Crown Financial Ministries, and the National Christian Foundation. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Maclellan Foundation and the Sandra and William B. Johnson Foundation, Inc. He formerly served on the board of directors of Family Research Council, Promise Keepers, Insight for Living, the Medical Institute, and Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. In 2002, Ron received the Honors Award from the Georgia chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In 2003, he received the honored designation of Distinguished Entrepreneur from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, his alma mater. Ron and his wife, Judy, live in Atlanta. They have five children and eleven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging Financial Hope, February 9, 2009

By 

Nora A. Stlaurent "TBCN Founder" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surviving Financial Meltdown: Confident Decisions in an Uncertain World (Paperback)

This small book is user-friendly and filled with beneficialinformation. It is set up so you can keep referring to the parts most useful to you over and over again. This book left me with so many practical tips and it was easy to understand, which gives me hope in these uncertain times.

This book is 127 pages of very practical, encouraging and helpful tips on how to weather the financial storms of life, no matter what they maybe. Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble". He did promise to be with us in the storm. We have a choice to believe that and seek His comfort or go it alone. Our attitude will affect how we go through any storm. We choose our attitude, approach and response to these storms. It will affect the outcome. I loved how they explained this in the book.

If we buy into the fear the media feeds us, we can overreact to any situation. Ron Blue says "You don't have to react to your changing financial climate. You can thrive during economic uncertainty. How we respond to unexpected events of life will directly and indirectly affect our personal finances." And everything else in our life, for that matter.

Ron Blue and Jeremy White, CPA, agree it's not easy, but being constant and disciplined to meet your goals, will pay off huge in the long run.

This book was easy to read and I found the instructional help I needed. I loved the 'Information' boxes used throughout this book. These boxes made it easy to go back to facts as I needed them to generate new financial habits.

Some of the Topics are:

4 Things to do if you've heard your bank may fail

6 incredible promises from God to Remember in tough times

7 Websites to visit for helpful personal finance resources

8 Things not to skimp on during tough economic times

5 Places to find Extra Cash to Build your emergency fund

(Several more boxes are through out the book - very useful and encouraging)

There is a large chapter on investments and investing. It shows you how to deal with the situation you have and what to do with investments in the future.

There's a great chapter at the end of the book on 40 money-saving tips that you'll be referring to often. There are great money tips that are easy to apply to your life and save right away. I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by this book and you will be too. There is

something for everyone.

Finding Hope Through Fictiona and Beyond

[...]

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy, thought-filled help for today's economic times, February 6, 2009

By 

Deena Peterson "The Deena" (Marysville, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surviving Financial Meltdown: Confident Decisions in an Uncertain World (Paperback)

Ron Blue and Jeremy White have written THE book for today's economic times! With the job market getting worse day by day, the stock market on a yo-yo string and a stimilus package that no one is certain about, we need hands on, easy to apply help.

There's no such thing. It took time to get into this financial quagmire--it will take time to get out.

BUT, there IS hope, and it's found in the pages of Scripture and in the pages of "Surviving Financial Meltdown". Within the first few pages, Ron and Jeremy sum up the main points of the book's four financial principles.

They make TOTAL sense!

Throughout the rest of the book, the two authors go into more detail with each principle, sharing personal stories, anecdotes, and lots and lots of Scripture.

Sidebars and inserted boxes of helpful advice and websites are scattered throughout the book, some addressing layoffs, some for financial counseling and some on how to save your home.

In such a bleak financial time, "Surviving Financial Meltdown" may be the most encouraging book you read--IF you apply what the authors advise. And that is truly the keep to surviving this financial meltdown we are in. I highly recommmend this book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm Melting, I'm Melting, March 22, 2009

By 

Eric Whitlow Crescenta Foursquare "Director o... (La Crescenta, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surviving Financial Meltdown: Confident Decisions in an Uncertain World (Paperback)

Like the Wicked Witch of the West, there is something bad in our land that needs to be vanquished - the fear that this is the end and there is nothing we can do about turning it around. This book is a practical look at how serious our current economy is, and what each of us can do to prepare for ongoing instability in the US and Worldwide economy. This isn't the worst it's been since the Great Depression (read to see why) but even if it gets that bad, there are things you and I can do to minimize the impact on our finances. Blue and White lay it out well in this quick read.