WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.700 --> 00:00:27.500 Hello and welcome to Word and Work an Intersection. 2 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:31.900 I'm your host Dale Meyer. This hour we will talk with Keith Duesenberg 3 00:00:31.900 --> 00:00:35.600 who is a financial educator at Concordia Plans. 4 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:41.200 He works with our students, faculty and staff as well as with our 5 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:43.800 sister seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 6 00:00:43.800 --> 00:00:45.300 Welcome Keith 7 00:00:45.300 --> 00:00:46.100 I'm glad you're here 8 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:50.800 Thanks for the time together. Duesenberg, 9 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:55.300 we have a seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana and just up the road is the 10 00:00:55.300 --> 00:00:57.400 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. 11 00:00:57.400 --> 00:01:01.400 Are you into that big big Duesenberg money? 12 00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:04.500 I mean is that? I wouldn't be here today 13 00:01:04.500 --> 00:01:12.600 If I was. Thank you for having me on, Dale. There is supposedly some distant relation there with the 14 00:01:12.600 --> 00:01:14.800 Duesenberg car family if that's what you're getting at. 15 00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:16.700 Absolutely. The story 16 00:01:16.700 --> 00:01:20.900 I was always told by my grandparents was I think it was my great-great 17 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:22.500 grandfather's cousins 18 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:25.800 I believe that's where those people behind that wonderful Duesenberg 19 00:01:25.800 --> 00:01:26.100 car. 20 00:01:26.100 --> 00:01:26.900 Wonderful. 21 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:32.900 It's a doozy. That's right. That's where the expression comes from. It's a doozy. I went to that 22 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:35.200 museum one time and it it's awesome. 23 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:35.700 Not me now. 24 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:36.600 I'm not a Gearhead. 25 00:01:36.600 --> 00:01:42.000 I don't understand mechanics, but those are beautiful cars. 26 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.300 They are I wish I had one right now 27 00:01:44.300 --> 00:01:47.200 I tell you I could do some things right, but I can sell to Jay Leno 28 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:47.700 possibly. 29 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:50.900 I hear he has quite a number of them. You know, I was expecting a big 30 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:51.600 donation to 31 00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:55.400 Concordia Seminary from Mister Duesenberg, but I guess that's not 32 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:55.800 going to happen. 33 00:01:55.800 --> 00:01:56.200 Huh? 34 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:58.000 Well, I'm here with the students right. 35 00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:58.300 I'm here working on, working that off 36 00:01:58.300 --> 00:02:05.000 so to speak, let's say. And we want to learn about what you do with the students and also 37 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:10.000 faculty and staff. But first tell us about the real history of Keith 38 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:15.900 Duesenberg, silliness aside? That's a good question. Well I am a St. 39 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:18.200 Louisian born and raised here in St. 40 00:02:18.200 --> 00:02:24.900 Louis and I was lucky enough to attend our Lutheran School System here 41 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:25.300 in St. 42 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:29.000 Louis. The LCMS is great on a lot of levels, but I think one of 43 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.600 our greatest assets is our school system. Our LCMS school 44 00:02:32.600 --> 00:02:36.300 system and I went through Christ Community Lutheran School here in St. 45 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:39.900 Louis and went on to Lutheran South here in St. 46 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:43.800 Louis and then attended Valparaiso University in Indiana. 47 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.600 So that was a great experience for me as well. 48 00:02:46.600 --> 00:02:48.900 Then I came back to St. 49 00:02:48.900 --> 00:02:51.400 Louis to look for work right at the end of 50 00:02:51.700 --> 00:02:57.100 2000 when I graduated the the working world wasn't as robust as they 51 00:02:57.100 --> 00:02:59.900 say and I came back home or looking for employment. 52 00:02:59.900 --> 00:03:02.000 Where did you find employment? 53 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:07.600 Well at the time it was with a a company called Worker Benefit Plans 54 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:11.900 that is our Concordia Plans, but it was under a different name back 55 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:15.200 then. Not a real interesting story necessarily 56 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:18.800 I know you're applying to different places and looking to find that 57 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:24.600 first job and I was lucky to land that with a Worker Benefit Plans the 58 00:03:24.600 --> 00:03:28.600 name of the time, in the kind of our retirement processing area. 59 00:03:28.600 --> 00:03:34.600 And in that work, I got to know more about the plans and what that 60 00:03:34.600 --> 00:03:41.500 mission and Ministry was and I was very excited for the reason that 61 00:03:41.500 --> 00:03:45.900 the plans exist. And that is my humble opinion serving those in his 62 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:49.500 service and that is really what has kept me with the plans for 63 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.400 all of 18 years now. 64 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:55.100 I mean if you would have asked me back then as a guy first out of 65 00:03:55.100 --> 00:03:55.500 college 66 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:57.800 would you be working here an 18 years? 67 00:03:57.800 --> 00:04:02.900 I probably would have said no probably not but I've had a number of 68 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:04.800 roles are at the plans over the years. 69 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:10.700 But what is really been humbling is being able to serve those that are 70 00:04:10.700 --> 00:04:14.700 working inside of our LCMS church. When you went to Valparaiso did you 71 00:04:14.700 --> 00:04:17.300 major in business, finance, accounting? 72 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:21.800 Yeah, yeah I was in the business department. I majored in finance. 73 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:26.100 So I do have that passion, you know, people always talk about finding 74 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:26.900 your passion in life. 75 00:04:26.900 --> 00:04:32.700 And for me, I really do think that is this crazy world of finance and 76 00:04:32.700 --> 00:04:39.300 investing. It's something that I guess I grew up around as a child my father 77 00:04:39.300 --> 00:04:44.100 as we were talking about the off camera was in the investing world. 78 00:04:44.100 --> 00:04:47.400 He worked at the old AG Edwards that was headquartered here in St. 79 00:04:47.400 --> 00:04:47.500 Louis. 80 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:50.300 My grandfather was actually a stock 81 00:04:50.400 --> 00:04:52.600 broker back when I had that was more of a job. 82 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:55.900 I guess when that was your girl just to sell stocks and do that kind 83 00:04:55.900 --> 00:04:56.000 of thing. 84 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.500 Now you know with the internet that's kind of changed a little bit. And 85 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:01.800 some of my earlier memories of him 86 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:05.800 honestly were you know, even though we be in there and visiting 87 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.500 them in Texas and he'd be off of work. 88 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:11.900 He'd still be back in his kind of sitting room and he'd have the all 89 00:05:11.900 --> 00:05:15.300 the ticker up on the television will be watching the stocks, you know, 90 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:19.100 sitting with his amaretto and I thought that was fascinating. 91 00:05:19.100 --> 00:05:22.200 So I would talk to him about you know, the world of investing and 92 00:05:22.200 --> 00:05:26.500 really, you know, that was what started I think that passion in my 93 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:32.900 life. And I can remember back to a example hear a story and it's funny 94 00:05:32.900 --> 00:05:36.300 I was thinking of this recently with my wife cuz we have three kids 95 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:40.200 and one of them is now in middle school and something that my 96 00:05:40.200 --> 00:05:44.900 grandfather did with my grandma when we me and my brother and I were 97 00:05:44.900 --> 00:05:45.700 Middle School age. 98 00:05:45.700 --> 00:05:48.000 They gave us a Christmas present. 99 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 I think it was maybe at the time maybe 50 or 100 100 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:53.500 bucks, but for you know a 12 year old that's a ton of money 101 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:57.600 especially back then. And there were some strings attached to that 102 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:57.800 though. 103 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:02.200 My grandfather said, you know will here's this money Keith, 104 00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:07.300 but you need to invest that in something and you know what the time 105 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:08.400 there was no internet. 106 00:06:08.400 --> 00:06:11.500 So it's will what it how do you find something to invest in? 107 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:15.300 So, you know, we had the daily newspaper you are you kind of flip through. Plastic. Plastics. That right yeah. I didn't get any fun tips like that one. But he did say to me, I remember, 108 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:30.300 well look for something that brings meaning into the world. Look for a 109 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:33.900 company that that fulfills our service or brings something to the 110 00:06:33.900 --> 00:06:38.900 marketplace, you know something that you can understand. So in my area 111 00:06:38.900 --> 00:06:40.200 Middle School mind, okay 112 00:06:40.200 --> 00:06:43.700 I'm looking around at things and what what is there and I'll never 113 00:06:43.700 --> 00:06:47.900 forget this there was a new thing in stores called cold-eeze. 114 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:51.300 And I think it's still around today and people can use that 115 00:06:51.300 --> 00:06:53.100 it's like a lozenge things like that. 116 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:56.700 That is supposedly they tout that it can shorten the common cold. 117 00:06:56.700 --> 00:06:59.300 And as your middle schooler all that's a big deal 118 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:02.000 you know people are getting sick you see your friends out of school. 119 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.500 So I remember seeing her this cold-eeze thing 120 00:07:04.500 --> 00:07:09.000 what is that who makes this? And you working and researching looking 121 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:12.200 that up and the ways that you could back then. And it was a a company 122 00:07:12.200 --> 00:07:13.100 I still remember the name. 123 00:07:13.100 --> 00:07:14.700 It was Quigley Pharmaceuticals. 124 00:07:14.700 --> 00:07:16.700 And that was the company than that 125 00:07:16.700 --> 00:07:21.500 I invested my my gift in. And it was fascinating to watch that than to 126 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:25.500 follow it in the paper to see what that did on a daily or weekly basis 127 00:07:25.500 --> 00:07:29.100 and that's kind of what I think ignited that passion in me for this 128 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:29.900 world of finance. 129 00:07:29.900 --> 00:07:33.600 So this isn't your DNA which is great because it's benefiting the 130 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:35.600 church in in ways were going to get into. 131 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:38.100 You graduated from Valpo. 132 00:07:38.100 --> 00:07:41.700 And you said you went to work for Worker plan Benefit Plans, which is now 133 00:07:41.700 --> 00:07:42.900 Concordia Plans. 134 00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:54.000 Could you take the time to unpack what Concordia Plans is because I 135 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.800 think a lot of us have this vague thing down in St. 136 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.200 Louis is Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. 137 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:07.100 And there's different entities within the Lutheran Church-Missouri 138 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:09.500 Synod and not all specifically 139 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:14.200 under the direct governance of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. 140 00:08:14.200 --> 00:08:18.800 So what is Concordia Plans? 141 00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:23.600 Well, you know if I had to say it very simply high-level. 142 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.600 We are the benefit provider for the LCMS and it's Church workers. 143 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.800 That is the only audience that we can cater to so it's very 144 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.700 different than other Lutheran entities that you've mentioned that 145 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:40.000 could provide services or benefits or bank accounts for the LCMS 146 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:41.200 population. 147 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:46.300 So some of those entities are Lutheran Church Extension Fund which is 148 00:08:46.300 --> 00:08:49.900 like a banking service and I'm sure there are people will say no, 149 00:08:49.900 --> 00:08:54.400 no, we're not quite that. But but for us lay people at Lutheran Church 150 00:08:54.400 --> 00:08:58.800 Extension Fund. Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Foundation, which 151 00:08:58.800 --> 00:09:04.200 manages endowments and and watches the ticker all the time on behalf 152 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:07.700 of the the many people who entrust their money to the foundation. 153 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:15.100 We have the auxiliaries a Lutheran Laymen's League, Lutheran Hour 154 00:09:15.100 --> 00:09:15.900 Ministries. 155 00:09:15.900 --> 00:09:20.800 We have the Lutheran Women's Missionary League whose headquarters here 156 00:09:20.800 --> 00:09:22.700 are here on the campus of Concordia Seminary. 157 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:26.000 So there's all these entities within the Lutheran Church-Missouri 158 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:27.200 Synod family. 159 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:31.300 Concordia plans is like our insurance company, right? 160 00:09:31.300 --> 00:09:36.900 Yeah, for lack of a better explanation, yes, we we provide health 161 00:09:36.900 --> 00:09:40.600 insurance benefits for LCMS congregations and schools. 162 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:45.500 Okay, so that that's one big division of Concordia Plans is the health 163 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:49.500 benefits and and I want to tell you it's good. 164 00:09:49.500 --> 00:09:50.700 It's really good. 165 00:09:50.700 --> 00:09:53.200 What are the other divisions? 166 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:58.000 Well, we provide disability and group term life insurance. 167 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.000 So that would be another trust inside the Concordia Plans and then our 168 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:08.400 largest would be our Concordia Retirement Plan a pension. And that 169 00:10:08.400 --> 00:10:09.000 trust 170 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:15.600 supports that pension plan for all of our active LCMS School workers, 171 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:21.400 Church workers and those retirees that maybe you're familiar with a 172 00:10:21.400 --> 00:10:22.400 little bit now, right? 173 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.600 Yeah, let me tell you the story. 174 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:30.100 I'm in my fifth month of retirement. 175 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:32.500 And a couple years ago 176 00:10:32.500 --> 00:10:36.500 I sat down with your predecessor. 177 00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:41.300 And I said, you know, what's it's going to be. 178 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:48.700 And he laid out my benefits after retirement benefits and he brought 179 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:55.700 tears to my eyes because ministers most of us aren't too financially 180 00:10:55.700 --> 00:10:56.900 minded. 181 00:10:58.400 --> 00:11:02.200 The church has taken very good care of its retirees. 182 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:05.100 The church can be a tough place to work for I get that. 183 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:13.900 But Concordia Plans you guys have been wonderful, wonderful. A second 184 00:11:13.900 --> 00:11:17.200 thought that I have is why this is so important what you do for 185 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:22.800 retirees, like moi, is that the Lutheran Laymen's League started because 186 00:11:22.800 --> 00:11:25.900 there wasn't a pension way back when and 187 00:11:27.400 --> 00:11:33.400 if your minister husband died you were often in a bad way. Or if your a 188 00:11:33.400 --> 00:11:38.300 minister and you retired there wasn't this pension and so the LLL got 189 00:11:38.300 --> 00:11:42.400 started by trying to address that need and its blossomed now, so I just 190 00:11:42.400 --> 00:11:47.600 have the highest regard for Concordia Plans. Now tell us about your 191 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:50.100 specific job moving on. 192 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:57.300 What is an educator for Concordia Plans? You know you teach us how to 193 00:11:57.300 --> 00:11:57.700 count? 194 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:04.000 What do you do? That's an interesting question. The benefit world is a complicated world. 195 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:04.200 Right? 196 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:07.400 I mean, these are a lot of important things, you know health insurance, 197 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:12.500 disability insurance, retirement solutions, and we want to be there to 198 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:17.200 help LCMS population navigate that world. To be a resource 199 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:21.100 for them for lack of a better word that they don't feel like they're 200 00:12:21.100 --> 00:12:24.900 alone and trying to understand that landscape. We want them to be 201 00:12:24.900 --> 00:12:28.700 able to reach out to myself and the other Financial Educators 202 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:29.900 at Concordia Plans. 203 00:12:29.900 --> 00:12:33.800 And if they do have questions concerns be able to send us that email 204 00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:38.600 send us a call or give me a pick up the phone and give us a call to 205 00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:40.100 help them navigate that world. 206 00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:45.400 So in this role specifically I work with are LCMS Church workers 207 00:12:45.400 --> 00:12:50.500 around the country. We go to different District events. Different 208 00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:55.200 employers to meet with their populations where they are. And in doing 209 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:57.100 that number years ago 210 00:12:57.100 --> 00:13:01.100 we thought you know, it'd be a good idea if we had someone may be at 211 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:06.600 our two seminaries not only for their faculties and staff but to talk 212 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:10.100 to those future Church workers, so. Let me stop you there. 213 00:13:12.300 --> 00:13:13.700 In the transition to retirement 214 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:18.200 you've helped me and I said, what about this? 215 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:19.300 What about that? 216 00:13:19.300 --> 00:13:23.600 So I send you an e-mail you check it out and and you write me back so 217 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:29.000 that you do this for the workers of the church. But specifically 218 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:34.700 you do this for Seminary students at both of our Seminaries. Correct. 219 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:35.100 Okay. 220 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:36.300 So keep talking about that. Yeah, so 221 00:13:36.300 --> 00:13:43.000 you mentioned my my predecessor about a year-and-a-half ago or so 222 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.600 he retired writing was able to to do that. 223 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:49.900 So we said, yeah, let's let's continue in this practice. 224 00:13:49.900 --> 00:13:51.800 And so I'm here at the St. 225 00:13:51.800 --> 00:13:54.700 Louis Seminary more frequently being that I live in St. 226 00:13:54.700 --> 00:13:58.500 Louis, but I also travel to Fort Wayne and and talk to the students 227 00:13:58.500 --> 00:13:59.800 and faculty there as well. 228 00:13:59.800 --> 00:14:05.800 And I want to try to help them understand a little bit more fully 229 00:14:05.800 --> 00:14:10.400 what are these benefits. You know a lot of. The Seminaries are interesting 230 00:14:10.400 --> 00:14:14.100 thing right now right that we have people that are right out of 231 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:17.900 college and have maybe never had to make any of these kind of 232 00:14:17.900 --> 00:14:20.600 decisions before. They still may be on even their parents health 233 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.900 insurance plan while they're attending the Seminary. And it's helping 234 00:14:24.900 --> 00:14:28.700 them understand what are those benefits and what will they be when 235 00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:30.500 they receive that first 236 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:35.500 Call but also helping them navigate the world while they're here. 237 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:37.800 You know, they've got living expenses. 238 00:14:37.800 --> 00:14:41.800 They maybe never budgeted before. They may have debt when they attend 239 00:14:41.800 --> 00:14:45.500 the Seminary and helping them understand what the ramifications of those 240 00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:49.700 financial decisions are while they're here and when they get that 241 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:52.600 first Ministry position I get that first call. 242 00:14:53.900 --> 00:14:58.000 We're going to take a break and I want to continue the discussion and 243 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:00.500 I will ask you hey. I'm Dale 244 00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:01.600 I'm a new student. 245 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:07.300 What what what exactly is is this all what does this mean specifically 246 00:15:07.300 --> 00:15:12.400 and what are you going to do do for me? So stay with us a short 247 00:15:12.400 --> 00:15:14.800 break and we'll continue our discussion with Mr. 248 00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:15.500 Duesenberg. 249 00:15:16.750 --> 00:15:18.250 Concordia Seminary St. 250 00:15:18.250 --> 00:15:23.050 Louis provides continuing education resources for pastors and lay 251 00:15:23.050 --> 00:15:28.150 people to discover all the Concordia Seminary has for you visit us on 252 00:15:28.150 --> 00:15:30.650 the web at CSL. 253 00:15:30.650 --> 00:15:31.450 EDU. 254 00:15:34.050 --> 00:15:37.050 Welcome back to Work and Work an Intersection. 255 00:15:37.050 --> 00:15:39.750 I'm your host Dale Meyer. Today 256 00:15:39.750 --> 00:15:43.950 our guest is Keith Duesenberg who is financial educator at Concordia 257 00:15:43.950 --> 00:15:44.450 Plan. 258 00:15:44.450 --> 00:15:49.650 He works with our students, faculty and staff as well as with students 259 00:15:49.650 --> 00:15:53.350 faculty and staff at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. 260 00:15:53.350 --> 00:15:54.450 Okay Keith. 261 00:15:54.450 --> 00:16:01.450 I'm Dale I'm a new student here and I'm supposed to meet with you. 262 00:16:01.450 --> 00:16:08.550 Why? What are you going to do for me who has been taken care of by my 263 00:16:08.550 --> 00:16:09.550 parents all my life. 264 00:16:09.550 --> 00:16:11.450 That's a good question. 265 00:16:11.450 --> 00:16:16.050 Well, you know in a normal year in this is certainly been an abnormal 266 00:16:16.050 --> 00:16:16.450 year. 267 00:16:16.450 --> 00:16:20.450 I like to get to know all the new students and meet with them 268 00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:23.750 one-on-one and I'm hoping to still have the opportunity to do that 269 00:16:23.750 --> 00:16:26.350 with our first year students here at the St. 270 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:27.050 Louis Seminary. 271 00:16:27.050 --> 00:16:32.750 So like this year we have and thank you so much Lord, and those of you 272 00:16:32.750 --> 00:16:33.850 who promoted 273 00:16:34.050 --> 00:16:39.550 enrollment 65 about 65 first-year students that's a significant 274 00:16:39.550 --> 00:16:40.150 increased. 275 00:16:40.150 --> 00:16:42.850 So you try to meet with all of them, right? 276 00:16:42.850 --> 00:16:43.250 Yeah. 277 00:16:43.250 --> 00:16:48.150 I try to set up a one-on-one time with them to be able to sit down get 278 00:16:48.150 --> 00:16:50.850 to know them a little better, you know them to get to know me a little 279 00:16:50.850 --> 00:16:51.450 better. Like that 280 00:16:51.450 --> 00:16:56.650 maybe can with this session today talking to you. Because so much of 281 00:16:56.650 --> 00:16:59.850 this is a personal relationship right to be able to get to know 282 00:16:59.850 --> 00:17:03.850 someone their background because again, the Seminary population is 283 00:17:03.850 --> 00:17:07.150 very diverse at least from an age perspective. To your point 284 00:17:07.150 --> 00:17:09.950 you know, there are people that are right out of college and maybe 285 00:17:09.950 --> 00:17:13.550 haven't had to navigate this world of personal finance before and an 286 00:17:13.550 --> 00:17:16.850 employee benefits. And there are some that have been in the work 287 00:17:16.850 --> 00:17:20.450 world for multiple decades and they've decided to come to the 288 00:17:20.450 --> 00:17:24.250 Seminary. Some but I don't know what the numbers are this year, but most of 289 00:17:24.250 --> 00:17:28.550 the time during my tenure the average age was about 26-27 for entering 290 00:17:28.550 --> 00:17:28.950 students. 291 00:17:28.950 --> 00:17:29.850 So they tend to be younger. Right. Right. So I want to sit sown with them get to know a little about 292 00:17:33.950 --> 00:17:37.250 their situation you know. Are they coming to the Seminary do they have 293 00:17:37.250 --> 00:17:44.650 student loan debt currently. Talk about that. Talk about that. Just to help them fully grasp what that means 294 00:17:44.650 --> 00:17:49.150 for them and what that might mean for their future financial position, 295 00:17:49.150 --> 00:17:49.350 right? 296 00:17:49.350 --> 00:17:52.750 Where did they get that debt? Well a lot of them get it from their undergrad 297 00:17:52.750 --> 00:17:55.750 education while they're at one of the colleges. 298 00:17:55.750 --> 00:18:01.750 Maybe a Concordia college or or another State University and that 299 00:18:01.750 --> 00:18:05.150 debt you need to be repaid, right. And it's kind of out of sight out of 300 00:18:05.150 --> 00:18:08.150 mind for a lot of them now and they don't really understand the 301 00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:14.150 ramifications of having 30-40, $50.000 in student loan debt. And what 302 00:18:14.150 --> 00:18:18.350 that might stop them from being able to do when they receive that 303 00:18:18.350 --> 00:18:22.150 first call. That they might have to delay, you know, maybe saving more 304 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:25.850 towards their eventual retirement or financial Independence or. So I'm 305 00:18:25.850 --> 00:18:29.450 meeting with you and I tell you that I got say a $30.000 debt from 306 00:18:29.450 --> 00:18:33.850 going to Concordia College wherever and you talk that 307 00:18:33.950 --> 00:18:34.550 through with me. 308 00:18:34.550 --> 00:18:38.250 Yeah, I hope you understand and look at that and say alright what 309 00:18:38.250 --> 00:18:41.350 are the different kinds of debt there, even. Because student loan 310 00:18:41.350 --> 00:18:44.550 debts a very complicated world in itself to to understand the 311 00:18:44.550 --> 00:18:48.150 differences between subsidized and unsubsidized student loan debt and 312 00:18:48.150 --> 00:18:50.250 the different lenders that are out there. 313 00:18:50.250 --> 00:18:54.850 So we kind of have that conversation and try to understand what that 314 00:18:54.850 --> 00:18:59.750 looks like for you as a student. And then also like to go through you 315 00:18:59.750 --> 00:19:02.850 know because you need to have health insurance here at the Seminary. 316 00:19:02.850 --> 00:19:08.050 So what are you doing to fulfill that and what if you're in the 317 00:19:08.050 --> 00:19:11.150 Concordia Health Plan, which a lot of our students luckily have that 318 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:11.550 as an option. 319 00:19:11.550 --> 00:19:12.850 What does that mean? 320 00:19:12.850 --> 00:19:15.750 And what does that mean and what does those plans look like and how do I take 321 00:19:15.750 --> 00:19:17.950 advantage of it. You see I'm going to interrupt you. 322 00:19:17.950 --> 00:19:18.250 Sure, 323 00:19:18.250 --> 00:19:21.550 please do. And this is one of the things that's that. 324 00:19:21.550 --> 00:19:22.650 I think it's just wonderful. 325 00:19:23.950 --> 00:19:29.250 15 years ago Concordia Health Plans did not include our students. 326 00:19:29.250 --> 00:19:34.650 Correct. But after a lot of discussions our students now can be in 327 00:19:34.650 --> 00:19:39.250 Concordia Plans, health plans. And was wonderful about that 328 00:19:39.250 --> 00:19:44.550 is it that starts tracking them where they're going to be during their 329 00:19:44.550 --> 00:19:45.750 career in the ministry. 330 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:52.150 So I guess I've just got to tip my hat to Concordia Plan Services 331 00:19:52.150 --> 00:19:57.950 because with health plans with retirement, you've you've come into the 332 00:19:57.950 --> 00:20:02.850 Seminary, in both seminaries, and you're really getting students used to 333 00:20:02.850 --> 00:20:06.750 what it's like to be in the church as far as as these necessary plans 334 00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:08.250 for our well-being go. 335 00:20:08.250 --> 00:20:10.250 So that's great. 336 00:20:10.250 --> 00:20:12.750 So I interrupted, you. No, that is perfectly fine. And you bring up a good point. 337 00:20:12.750 --> 00:20:19.250 And that is true that for those that are in the Concordia Health Plan 338 00:20:19.250 --> 00:20:23.350 it's good to get them used to what that will look like cuz 339 00:20:23.350 --> 00:20:26.550 hopefully in their Ministry, they'll have that Concordia Health Plan 340 00:20:26.550 --> 00:20:33.450 at that congregation. And you know, I see this role to be frank is kind 341 00:20:33.450 --> 00:20:38.250 of a helpful way on board them to their future benefits because a lot 342 00:20:38.250 --> 00:20:42.650 of our congregations are smaller and they probably don't have a 343 00:20:42.650 --> 00:20:45.650 full-time business manager or treasure at that location. 344 00:20:45.650 --> 00:20:46.550 It's maybe a 345 00:20:46.650 --> 00:20:53.350 helpful volunteer but not someone that was well-versed in all this 346 00:20:53.350 --> 00:20:57.050 benefit world. And they maybe got a box of material right when they 347 00:20:57.050 --> 00:20:58.950 were on the board or however else and said 348 00:20:58.950 --> 00:21:00.750 hey, you're now the treasurer there Dale. 349 00:21:00.750 --> 00:21:02.350 Good luck 350 00:21:02.350 --> 00:21:09.150 right. And they may be like what? A good-hearted people. I have seen this many a time 351 00:21:09.150 --> 00:21:15.050 good hearted people do their best, but you all do this 24/7 365. Right. 352 00:21:15.050 --> 00:21:19.450 And and that's why we feel it's so vitally important to be at our 353 00:21:19.450 --> 00:21:23.350 seminaries to help these individuals once they especial receive that 354 00:21:23.350 --> 00:21:27.650 first call. You know, I will sit down with them and will look through that 355 00:21:27.650 --> 00:21:29.650 call document and say, alright 356 00:21:29.650 --> 00:21:33.550 well here is what your future congregation it is providing you when it 357 00:21:33.550 --> 00:21:34.850 comes to a health benefit. 358 00:21:34.850 --> 00:21:37.950 I mean there is when I started at the plans it's hard to believe it at 359 00:21:37.950 --> 00:21:41.950 18 years ago and you I'm sure remember this there was one Health 360 00:21:41.950 --> 00:21:46.550 Plan, right. Everyone inside the LCMS had this one Health Plan, so 361 00:21:46.550 --> 00:21:46.650 there 362 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:51.050 wasn't a lot of complexity around that. You know now we've got over 10 363 00:21:51.050 --> 00:21:53.950 different health plans and even more depending on what regions of the 364 00:21:53.950 --> 00:21:56.050 country your call is too. You know in California 365 00:21:56.050 --> 00:22:00.350 we have HMO's now and things of that nature so there is a lot more 366 00:22:00.350 --> 00:22:03.050 complexity in this world of employee benefits. 367 00:22:03.050 --> 00:22:07.350 So I'm here to hopefully help them navigate that be a resource for 368 00:22:07.350 --> 00:22:11.150 them know when I get that call look at what that plan is give them the 369 00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:15.550 tools to know what that is and help him start even navigate that world 370 00:22:15.550 --> 00:22:19.550 of retirement planning right to say, you know, there is are we have 371 00:22:19.550 --> 00:22:23.450 our great pension plan that you mentioned and testament to that 372 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:24.650 the exist and is there, 373 00:22:24.650 --> 00:22:28.850 we have that. You know that our workers aren't needing to do much in 374 00:22:28.850 --> 00:22:30.250 the way of that Pension Plan. 375 00:22:30.250 --> 00:22:32.950 It's something that their employer is helping fund on their behalf. 376 00:22:32.950 --> 00:22:37.450 But for a lot of people especially in today's society, that's not 377 00:22:37.450 --> 00:22:37.950 enough. 378 00:22:37.950 --> 00:22:42.150 There's a need for personal savings and that's where number years ago. 379 00:22:42.150 --> 00:22:46.550 I believe in 2006 we put in place our Concordia Retirement Savings Plan. 380 00:22:46.650 --> 00:22:52.750 This is a 403b for those in the not-for-profit world kind of like a 381 00:22:52.750 --> 00:22:56.550 401k for those you don't work in the public sector, but it's helping 382 00:22:56.550 --> 00:23:01.350 our our members understand that I know what is this 403b and how does 383 00:23:01.350 --> 00:23:02.250 it work for me? 384 00:23:02.250 --> 00:23:04.950 And what are the tax ramifications around it? 385 00:23:04.950 --> 00:23:09.150 Right because our our pastors and our tour deaconesses and our rostered 386 00:23:09.150 --> 00:23:13.350 school teachers are in a very unique world when it comes to taxes. 387 00:23:13.350 --> 00:23:18.750 I have to confess that it as a young and middle-aged person 388 00:23:18.750 --> 00:23:25.350 also Pastor I wasn't good with finance just wasn't. I've learned a 389 00:23:25.350 --> 00:23:28.850 whale of a lot but one of the things I did early on was I started 390 00:23:28.850 --> 00:23:29.750 saving some money 391 00:23:29.750 --> 00:23:34.350 maybe not much. Now here in my 70s 392 00:23:35.050 --> 00:23:40.250 wow, that was good and the Concordia Retirement Savings Plan is an 393 00:23:40.250 --> 00:23:43.850 example of that put it away out of sight out of mind. 394 00:23:43.850 --> 00:23:46.250 But later on you'll appreciate it. 395 00:23:46.250 --> 00:23:51.350 I would guess Keith that meeting with a first-year student named Dale 396 00:23:51.350 --> 00:23:58.240 and then the fourth-year seminarian, Dale, who is now confident and going to 397 00:23:58.240 --> 00:23:59.240 charge out into the world. 398 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:04.750 I bet you there's a big difference between maturation level of a 399 00:24:04.750 --> 00:24:11.550 first-year and 4th year financially. Is that true? I mean it is from a confidence 400 00:24:11.550 --> 00:24:15.050 standpoint maybe and what they're going out to do. But let's be honest 401 00:24:15.050 --> 00:24:18.650 I mean while they're at the Seminary those are some lean years right. 402 00:24:18.650 --> 00:24:18.850 There 403 00:24:18.850 --> 00:24:23.850 There's not a lot of income probably coming in during that time period 404 00:24:23.850 --> 00:24:27.950 so they they really can't address a lot of things in their life. 405 00:24:27.950 --> 00:24:32.550 Whether it's existing debt maybe debt they've had to take on during 406 00:24:32.550 --> 00:24:34.950 their Seminary years because of you 407 00:24:35.050 --> 00:24:37.950 know they are not working full-time or they don't have a spouse that they 408 00:24:37.950 --> 00:24:41.750 able to work full-time or is is at home with the young children like I 409 00:24:41.750 --> 00:24:46.150 have in my life and it's helping them your work through that scenario 410 00:24:46.150 --> 00:24:48.350 and say. Here's. What about the Seminary? 411 00:24:48.350 --> 00:24:48.950 Sure. 412 00:24:48.950 --> 00:24:50.950 That's interesting. 413 00:24:50.950 --> 00:24:53.450 Yeah, so we will be able to touch base. 414 00:24:53.450 --> 00:24:56.150 And then again, I'm here as a resource for them. 415 00:24:56.150 --> 00:24:58.350 I don't always know what that means. 416 00:24:58.350 --> 00:24:58.450 Right? 417 00:24:58.450 --> 00:25:01.550 I'm sure some of them don't know how they would utilize me quite yet, 418 00:25:01.550 --> 00:25:04.550 but I want to make sure they know that I'm here for them. 419 00:25:04.550 --> 00:25:09.050 That's the only reason I get up every morning is to serve those in his 420 00:25:09.050 --> 00:25:12.950 service and I truly do mean that. And I don't know where that 421 00:25:12.950 --> 00:25:16.850 conversation may take us, you know, kind of like us today, you know, 422 00:25:16.850 --> 00:25:19.650 but you got to have that conversation, right? 423 00:25:19.650 --> 00:25:23.950 I really want to be there to meet with him get to know them a little 424 00:25:23.950 --> 00:25:27.250 bit better than to get to know me as a resource for them. 425 00:25:27.250 --> 00:25:30.650 Not only during their time at the Seminary, but once they receive that 426 00:25:30.650 --> 00:25:35.050 first call and are active out in the ministry field working at 427 00:25:34.950 --> 00:25:37.950 that congregation or wherever that that is taking them. 428 00:25:37.950 --> 00:25:41.150 Well let me tell you it from my perspective or my past 429 00:25:41.150 --> 00:25:42.650 perspective as President. 430 00:25:42.650 --> 00:25:50.850 It is making a significant difference. In 2013 the Concordia Seminary 431 00:25:50.850 --> 00:25:51.750 magazine 432 00:25:53.750 --> 00:25:56.350 was about the challenge of student debt. 433 00:25:58.150 --> 00:26:04.250 When that distract pastors, congregation suffer and almost that whole 434 00:26:04.250 --> 00:26:09.550 issue 2013 was about student debt because we had become aware of the 435 00:26:09.550 --> 00:26:15.550 tremendous burden this puts on a graduate's heart to have this debt. 436 00:26:15.550 --> 00:26:21.750 And the spouse and the children may even pick up a pick up on all 437 00:26:21.750 --> 00:26:21.950 that. 438 00:26:21.950 --> 00:26:27.550 I once talked wit a pastor. No I heard of a pastor who had a $400.000 439 00:26:27.550 --> 00:26:27.950 debt. 440 00:26:29.650 --> 00:26:31.150 Wow. Wow. 441 00:26:32.350 --> 00:26:34.050 So then Concordia Seminary St. 442 00:26:34.050 --> 00:26:38.250 Louis started to work on this.Doctor Daniel Preus now our 443 00:26:38.250 --> 00:26:38.950 interim president. 444 00:26:40.150 --> 00:26:44.150 And I remember he was on the Board of Regents at the time and and we 445 00:26:44.150 --> 00:26:49.450 put a lot of work in the board, the staff and came up with documents 446 00:26:49.450 --> 00:26:55.250 this thick over an inch thick and the upshot of this whole thing was a 447 00:26:55.250 --> 00:26:59.050 lot of things came together tuition is now guaranteed cuz the Seminary 448 00:26:59.050 --> 00:27:03.350 has no debt. We guarantee tuition it's not free donors make it happen. 449 00:27:03.350 --> 00:27:07.550 And we addressed the challenge of student debt. 450 00:27:07.550 --> 00:27:12.750 One of the things that has helped so much and and as president I saw 451 00:27:12.750 --> 00:27:13.750 these numbers all the time. 452 00:27:13.750 --> 00:27:15.350 Is that your presents 453 00:27:16.350 --> 00:27:23.250 significantly reduced student debt. It reduced the number of federal 454 00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:25.350 student loans that were taken out. 455 00:27:25.350 --> 00:27:32.150 So I know as a past administrator and not past all that much anymore. 456 00:27:32.150 --> 00:27:36.550 This is a huge huge blessing to the church. 457 00:27:36.550 --> 00:27:37.950 Thanks to you. 458 00:27:37.950 --> 00:27:40.650 Thank the Concordia Plans and the vision that you have. 459 00:27:40.650 --> 00:27:44.250 So it's another testimonial I'm giving a lot of testimonials in 460 00:27:44.250 --> 00:27:47.950 today's Word and Work but the intersection here of word and work. 461 00:27:47.950 --> 00:27:49.750 It's a delightful one. 462 00:27:49.750 --> 00:27:52.950 Well I appreciate you saying that that really means a lot to me to know 463 00:27:52.950 --> 00:27:57.250 that hopefully I'm I'm helping in some way and I don't know exactly 464 00:27:57.250 --> 00:28:01.450 always what that way is with with a certain individuals, but I like to 465 00:28:01.450 --> 00:28:02.850 have that conversation with them. 466 00:28:02.850 --> 00:28:06.350 So they don't have. Students have their tuition guaranteed. 467 00:28:06.350 --> 00:28:09.250 There are certain things that they're supposed to do like write 468 00:28:09.250 --> 00:28:10.950 Thank you letters to their donors, 469 00:28:11.650 --> 00:28:14.650 number of other things. But 470 00:28:15.650 --> 00:28:17.250 not every case is 471 00:28:18.550 --> 00:28:22.250 their tuition is guaranteed their tuition is guaranteed, but they still 472 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:23.450 have living expenses. 473 00:28:23.450 --> 00:28:26.450 Now, sometimes the donors help with with living expenses too. 474 00:28:27.850 --> 00:28:29.050 Living expenses 475 00:28:29.050 --> 00:28:33.350 they can go to the federal government through the proper channels and 476 00:28:33.350 --> 00:28:33.950 get a loan. 477 00:28:34.850 --> 00:28:38.050 Do you work with them on the budget? 478 00:28:38.050 --> 00:28:41.550 I mean, I remember hearing a story years ago about a student loan who wanted to 479 00:28:41.550 --> 00:28:45.050 buy a new car and he was going to take out a $20.000 loan. And our 480 00:28:45.050 --> 00:28:45.950 people said hey, 481 00:28:45.950 --> 00:28:51.650 this may not be wise. Right. But when a student wants a Federal Loan we 482 00:28:51.650 --> 00:28:53.450 can't say no, it has we has to be facilitated. 483 00:28:53.450 --> 00:28:55.450 So do you help them with budgeting? 484 00:28:55.450 --> 00:28:56.550 Certainly. 485 00:28:56.550 --> 00:28:58.750 Yeah, I mean it and that's why we can we have to have that 486 00:28:58.750 --> 00:28:59.550 conversation. 487 00:28:59.550 --> 00:29:03.950 We have to meet personally and talk through these things and help them 488 00:29:03.950 --> 00:29:07.750 understand the ramifications of these financial decisions because they 489 00:29:07.750 --> 00:29:10.750 may not see the full picture right now, right? 490 00:29:10.750 --> 00:29:13.250 They may say we all can do this and don't worry 491 00:29:13.250 --> 00:29:16.350 I can pay it off later or it's a matter of sitting down with him and 492 00:29:16.350 --> 00:29:20.750 saying yes, but what is that going to mean for you down the road? 493 00:29:20.750 --> 00:29:23.950 And what is that going to mean for those other things that you may 494 00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:27.550 want to do in life, whether it's you know getting that first home or 495 00:29:27.550 --> 00:29:31.950 again saving for retirement. And we got a lot of resources at the 496 00:29:31.950 --> 00:29:34.750 plans that we can look at and go through with 497 00:29:34.850 --> 00:29:38.350 those students and those Church workers when they're actually out in 498 00:29:38.350 --> 00:29:42.250 their Ministry. So do students sometimes contact you after they've graduated and are 499 00:29:42.250 --> 00:29:43.850 out in the field? Oh certainly. I encourage that and really hope they do. 500 00:29:43.850 --> 00:29:48.550 I'd love to have that conversation. 501 00:29:48.550 --> 00:29:52.550 So once they have graduated some have called me back up and 502 00:29:52.550 --> 00:29:56.750 said, hey self employment tax what it was that you talk to me about or 503 00:29:56.750 --> 00:29:59.650 how does that housing allowance work again? 504 00:29:59.650 --> 00:30:00.850 And where you at? 505 00:30:00.850 --> 00:30:02.050 And I'd love to have that conversation. 506 00:30:02.050 --> 00:30:05.750 I love to direct them to those other resources, whether it's with the 507 00:30:05.750 --> 00:30:11.350 all the fun organization the IRS or whatever else so. To your point everyone 508 00:30:11.350 --> 00:30:15.650 has different gifts, right, a given to us by God and some don't have 509 00:30:15.650 --> 00:30:18.050 that when it comes to finance and investing. 510 00:30:18.050 --> 00:30:20.150 So that's why I exist. 511 00:30:20.150 --> 00:30:23.650 That's why Concordia Plans exist to try to be a resource for those church workers. 512 00:30:23.650 --> 00:30:25.650 I know what I got into the ministry 513 00:30:26.750 --> 00:30:30.350 Social Security and housing allowance. 514 00:30:31.350 --> 00:30:34.350 What's this all about? I wasn't prepared 515 00:30:34.350 --> 00:30:38.350 and I don't know that we had anybody institutionally to whom I could 516 00:30:38.350 --> 00:30:39.950 go to find out the answers. 517 00:30:39.950 --> 00:30:45.350 If a person wants to get more information Church worker can obviously 518 00:30:45.350 --> 00:30:47.150 contact Concordia Plans. 519 00:30:47.150 --> 00:30:50.450 I assume treasurer's can contact Concordia Plans. 520 00:30:50.450 --> 00:30:53.650 But do you have a website that are there resources available from 521 00:30:53.650 --> 00:30:54.750 Concordia Plans? 522 00:30:54.750 --> 00:30:55.650 That's a great question. 523 00:30:55.650 --> 00:30:58.650 I would suggest that our members. 524 00:30:58.650 --> 00:31:01.050 They can always contact me. 525 00:31:01.050 --> 00:31:03.550 You know, if you're at the Seminary right now, if you're you're here 526 00:31:03.550 --> 00:31:03.850 at St. 527 00:31:03.850 --> 00:31:07.050 Louis Seminary if you're at the Fort Wayne Seminary give me a call 528 00:31:07.050 --> 00:31:10.750 or shoot me an email. But once you even out continue that 529 00:31:10.750 --> 00:31:13.650 relationship, I love to talk to you, but I would always direct people 530 00:31:13.650 --> 00:31:15.450 back to Concordia Plans. 531 00:31:15.450 --> 00:31:17.250 Org. That has all of our information 532 00:31:17.250 --> 00:31:21.550 there and more specifically your personal member portal. 533 00:31:21.550 --> 00:31:24.850 If you're not aware of that that all of our members 534 00:31:24.850 --> 00:31:29.950 yeah have a website now that is tailored for them specifically. So they 535 00:31:29.950 --> 00:31:30.550 can go out 536 00:31:30.550 --> 00:31:30.550 there. 537 00:31:30.550 --> 00:31:31.250 They make a user 538 00:31:31.250 --> 00:31:34.550 name and password you can find it on our website and it brings in 539 00:31:34.550 --> 00:31:38.450 all of their benefit information. There specific Health Plan at their 540 00:31:38.450 --> 00:31:43.150 employer. Their retirement benefits they can sit there and calculate 541 00:31:43.150 --> 00:31:46.150 that out to know there's a basic modeling tool called retirement 542 00:31:46.150 --> 00:31:49.250 connection where they can put in some dates so I can say, you know, 543 00:31:49.250 --> 00:31:52.750 I'd like to retire at let's say 65 that magical date, you know that 544 00:31:52.750 --> 00:31:53.950 still out there for Medicare, 545 00:31:53.950 --> 00:31:58.250 maybe. Or their Social Security retirement age, you know that they can 546 00:31:58.250 --> 00:31:59.450 put that in there and can't say 547 00:31:59.450 --> 00:31:59.650 alright. 548 00:31:59.650 --> 00:32:02.950 well, this is maybe I can expect in a pension benefit. Wow, that's fascinating. 549 00:32:02.950 --> 00:32:08.550 So sitting have been just sitting on the front porch now in retirement waiting for the 550 00:32:08.550 --> 00:32:11.450 pension check to come in you're saying there's a lot more information 551 00:32:11.450 --> 00:32:19.450 that I can take advantage of. So our members all have that personal member portal, while they are an active worker to be able to go on and look that up 552 00:32:19.450 --> 00:32:20.250 and find that information. 553 00:32:20.250 --> 00:32:22.650 But again, they can always contact our office. 554 00:32:22.650 --> 00:32:27.540 We have an email address specifically for these financial related 555 00:32:27.540 --> 00:32:31.250 questions is called Money Matters, Money Matters @ 556 00:32:31.250 --> 00:32:35.350 Concordia Plans.org (moneymatters@concordiaplans.org). They can send that email in and and one of our 557 00:32:35.350 --> 00:32:39.250 financial educators will respond to them and maybe set up a time to 558 00:32:39.250 --> 00:32:42.950 talk to them whether it's by phone or as the over the last year we've all 559 00:32:42.950 --> 00:32:46.250 gotten so used to this new thing called Zoom right so we can set up 560 00:32:46.250 --> 00:32:50.950 that online face-to-face meeting and and kind of go through what their 561 00:32:50.950 --> 00:32:54.450 personal situation looks like. This is this is great I hope this has 562 00:32:54.450 --> 00:33:00.350 been encouraging to you the church does take good care of us Church 563 00:33:00.350 --> 00:33:05.350 workers and those of you who are in leadership in the congregation 564 00:33:05.350 --> 00:33:09.150 pay attention to Concordia Plans all of their resources. Keith I want 565 00:33:09.150 --> 00:33:13.350 to thank you for being with us today and talking about the work you do 566 00:33:13.350 --> 00:33:16.950 especially close to home Concordia Seminary St. 567 00:33:16.950 --> 00:33:20.550 Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. And thanks to 568 00:33:20.550 --> 00:33:24.650 you our audience for joining us. May the intersection of Word and Work 569 00:33:24.650 --> 00:33:27.750 be busy and blessed on your corner.