A financial planner who was once bad with money? Yep, Jason Topp has come a long way since signing up for credit cards in college to enhance his wardrobe with free t-shirts. Every Tuesday we profile a Twitter-user who is tweeting about money and this week Jason is in the spotlight. He’s a Chicago based financial advisor. Jason’s been married for six years to his wife Jen and he has two children. His blog, Redeeming Riches, covers a wide range of financial topics from budgeting to greed. He provides a look at money through the lens of Scripture. Follow @JasonTopp to read his tweets about these topics and keep reading to learn more about Jason.
OODC: How did you get started blogging?
@JasonTopp: I have always enjoyed writing, but never really had a good forum to do so. I thought about blogging for a while and finally decided to start one a few months ago. I’ve been having a blast.
OODC: You’re a financial planner. Does that mean you’ve always been good with money?
@JasonTopp: Far from it! In fact, I feel my past history of abusing money helps me give good advice to clients because I’ve been there before. I remember one of the first days of college I signed up for a credit card because they were giving away a free t-shirt. I managed to rack up a lot of debt when I was in college, but once I got married, my wife and I worked hard to reduce expenses and knock out our debt pretty aggressively. By the way, I have no idea where that t-shirt is today, but I still have that credit card – thankfully with a zero balance!
OODC: What are some of the most common mistakes you see people making with their finances?
@JasonTopp: I’ve met with a lot of people from all different backgrounds and professions and it really doesn’t matter what they do or how much money they make, the biggest mistake I see people making is spending more than they earn.
The other mistake is just simply being unaware of their financial situation. Many folks have no idea how much they spend or save, how they have their 401k allocated or where their money is invested or even what their net worth is. These things are very simple, but it seems very easy for people to downplay the basics of financial planning.
OODC: Do you think it’s important for Christians to seek out Christian financial planners?
@JasonTopp: That’s a great question! It’s important to be wise and discerning when seeking advice on your finances. The biggest things to look for in a planner, whether Christian or not, is someone you can trust, who has your best interests in mind and is passionate about helping you get ahead financially.
I am sure you can find some really inept Christian financial planners out there. I think we have to be careful not to just go to someone because they are a Christian. On the other hand, if you can find someone who loves the Lord, has a good handle on Scripture and understands the wisdom that is found in the Bible on money and stewardship then I think it would be very wise and invaluable to use that person.
OODC: What do you hope people get out of your Tweets and blog posts?
@JasonTopp: I hope to get people thinking a little bit when it comes to the Biblical view of money. I really hope that somehow God would use these to challenge others to become better stewards of their money and possessions and ultimately bring more glory to Him.
OODC: Who are some of your favorite Twitter users?
@JasonTopp: I really like following @MattJabs, @MH4Christians, @MoneyMatters and of course @ChristianDebt!
Interested in being considered for an upcoming Twitter Tuesday Profile here on Out of Debt Christian? Just tweet me!