Book summary “Fixing the money thing”: summary

Introduction

You work hard every day, yet your paycheck vanishes before the month ends, leaving you trapped beneath mountains of consumer debt. Cultural pressures push you toward endless consumption, while creditors and high-interest loans pull you deeper into financial bondage. You feel like a modern slave to the world's economic system, unable to break the cycle.

Gary Keesee argues in Fixing the money thing that true financial deliverance comes from abandoning the world's debt system and applying God's Kingdom principles to eliminate debt and build sustainable provision. You can escape this struggle by learning how to operate under spiritual laws, restructure your finances, and uncover hidden wealth in the marketplace.

You will find answers to the following questions throughout the chapters:

• How does the world's economic system keep you enslaved?
• What are the core rules of financial freedom under God's Kingdom?
• How can you systematically eliminate debt and build cash reserves?
• Where can you find hidden money through smart marketplace strategies?

1. The Problem of Debt and Cultural Consumerism

Consumer debt traps modern workers in a state of slavery while cultural pressures push families toward financial ruin.

Gary and Drenda Keesee maxed out 10 credit cards, held three finance company loans at 28 percent APR, owed over $13,000 in back taxes, owed relatives more than $26,000, and faced lawsuits and repossessed cars that literally caught fire after a breakdown. Financial ruin often stems from a lifestyle of living hand-to-mouth and constantly relying on debt to cover monthly shortfalls. Without proper financial principles, small deficits snowball into maxed-out credit cards, high-APR finance loans, back taxes, and legal judgments.

The Trap of Modern Slavery

Heavy consumer debt reduces modern workers to a state of modern slavery, trapping them in endless gridlock and constant financial pressure. Applying Proverbs 22:7, the author argues that the typical American lifestyle of working long hours to pay for unaffordable homes, cars, and lifestyle items mirrors historical slavery. People are trapped in a cycle of commuting and working solely to service debt.

Gary explains to his children during a rush-hour traffic gridlock in Columbus, Ohio, that the bumper-to-bumper traffic represents trapped people who have no options and are living as slaves to debt. Debt allows people to fund a false identity and mask insecurities, trading true peace of mind for temporary material status symbols. Believers and non-believers alike fall into the trap of using leased luxury cars or oversized mansions to portray a successful image they cannot actually afford, clouding their authentic identity in Christ.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

Endlessly trying to match neighbors in consumption leads families into financial ruin, as bankruptcy courts are filled with people chasing unachievable status. Consumerism drives people to buy homes, cars, and gadgets they cannot afford to project an image of success. This pursuit creates deep emotional stress, damages health, and is a primary driver of marital discord and divorce.

National consumer debt and savings rates reflect a systemic cultural crisis where average households spend more than they earn and lack basic emergency reserves. Studies indicate that nearly half of American families cannot cover a single month of living expenses if they lose their income, and average household indebtedness has marched past 140 percent of disposable income.

True financial deliverance begins only when individuals stop trusting the world's debt system and commit to learning and applying God's Kingdom principles. After reaching rock bottom with a pending lawsuit and a blown car engine, Gary realized that his reliance on borrowing while praying for eventual repayment was misplaced. Upon repenting and deciding to completely abandon debt, they experienced rapid debt elimination and provision.

Gary and Drenda committed to never using debt again. Within two and a half years they paid off all their debt, saved $100,000 in three years, paid cash for a car, and paid cash for 55 acres of land and half of a 7,700-square-foot home.

You must take these steps to exit the world's financial system:

• Repent for relying on debt and the world's financial system instead of God's Word
• Stop using debt entirely
• Commit to finding out how God's Kingdom operates and apply His Word

2. Credit Cards, Predators, and Economic Threats

Retailers and major stores push branded credit cards because they often make more profit from interest than from selling actual merchandise. Department stores lure customers with a one-time discount of 10 to 20 percent on initial purchases. Lenders borrow money at low rates of 5 to 7 percent and loan it back via credit cards at 20 to 36 percent.

Retail credit cards, high-interest alternative lenders, and macroeconomic decline create severe financial dangers for unaware consumers.

Michael Abramowitz of Bankrate.com notes that stores like Macy's, Sears, and JC Penney lure customers in for a big catch with harmless department store credit cards. Gary Keesee calls these operators modern-day money changers.

The Rule of 72 allows lenders to calculate how quickly their money doubles, trapping consumers through high interest and hidden fees. Dividing 72 by the loan interest rate shows how long it takes for the principal to double. Additionally, credit card companies collect billions in extra revenue through obscure fees for late payments, over-limit balances, and inactivity.

A client of the author found an old life insurance policy where $1.72 was paid monthly for 70 years, which at 14 percent interest would have grown to nearly $3 million, though the policy only had a cash value of $500. In 2006, fees brought in $34 billion in additional revenue.

Predatory Lenders and Macroeconomic Decline

Alternative lending options like finance companies, payday loans, car title loans, and pawn shops function as loan sharks and trap desperate borrowers. Payday loans carry annual interest rates exceeding 500 percent and trap working families in long-term debt cycles. Car title loans put essential vehicles at risk for small amounts, while pawn shops charge 200 to 300 percent interest. The payday lending industry is sized at $28 billion.

Walter Cavanaugh of Santa Clara, California holds the record with 1,497 active credit cards and a $1.7 million line of credit, storing them in a 38-pound wallet and a safety deposit box. There are 1.5 billion credit cards in use in the United States, accepted by 24 million merchants worldwide.

To break free from credit card debt, you must follow specific actions:

• Stop charging immediately and go cold turkey
• Cut the credit cards to bits and pieces
• Use only a Visa debit card until finances are secure
• Keep track of expenses and pay off any future credit card debt each month

Gary and Drenda leaned heavily on debt early in their marriage and used finance companies and pawn shops, losing valuable items like jewelry and guns before learning to live debt-free.

America is facing severe economic threats due to soaring national debt, massive outsourcing of jobs, and staggering trade deficits. Millions of manufacturing and service jobs have been outsourced to countries like China and India, creating massive trade deficits. Unfunded liabilities and government borrowing have pushed the U.S. national debt to $13 trillion.

An architectural job bid by an American firm at $140,000 was bid by a firm in India at $12,000, representing a 91 percent savings. In 2007, the trade deficit reached $856 billion, while Americans lost 1.7 million homes and 8 million jobs.

3. Operating by Kingdom Laws

Unlocking supernatural provision requires understanding spiritual inheritance, applying the five-step Kingdom sequence, and following the core rules of financial freedom.

Becoming a child of God grants access to an unending estate and provision that goes far beyond earthly family ties and worldly survival mechanisms. You have access to an eternal spiritual inheritance through God as your Heavenly Father, lifting you out of the limitations of poverty and the earth-curse system.

The Five-Step Kingdom Provision

Unlocking financial provision through the Kingdom of God requires a specific five-step sequence: identifying need, releasing a seed with words, following Holy Spirit guidance, acting quickly, and gathering the fragments. The author breaks down the mechanism of supernatural provision using the feeding of the 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish, scaling to roughly 20,000 people, as a model. You must transfer what you have into God's jurisdiction, listen for a practical strategy from the Holy Spirit, execute that plan immediately before interference occurs, and collect 12 basketfuls of pieces picked up as fragments.

Don prayed for a blue marlin in Hawaii during an unseasonable time, booked a boat, and successfully reeled in a massive blue marlin after six hours. Johnny released his last $160 as seed, believed for $12,000, and ended up generating $17,000 in thirty days.

To walk in complete overflow, you can apply these concrete actions:

• Identify what you have need of and sow it into the Kingdom as a seed.
• Bring what you need under the dominion of the Kingdom through prayer and speaking words over your gift.
• Be sensitive to the plan and direction of the Holy Spirit to find where your provision is located.
• Act quickly on the revelation and direction provided by the Holy Spirit without procrastinating.
• Gather the fragments by noticing small, overlooked details and leftovers to walk in complete overflow.

Five Get-Out-Of-Debt Rules

Rule Number One of getting out of debt is to seek God's Kingdom first and aggressively renew your mind to its operating principles. Just like learning the operational system of a foreign nation or understanding physical laws like lift and gravity, you must study and master the unchanging laws of God's Kingdom to replace fear with confidence.

You can follow these practices to master the first rule:

• Diligently seek knowledge and understanding through God's Word.
• Renew your mind daily to reject the worldly culture and its thought processes.

Rule Number Two requires making a firm decision to stop using debt, live below your income level, and eliminate financial backup plans. Carrying credit cards or relying on credit as an emergency fallback reveals where you truly place your trust, such as relying on a $200 down payment compared to a $60,000 purchase price illustrating the psychological ease of debt. True freedom requires turning your back entirely on the debt system.

You can maintain this rule with these steps:

• Live strictly below your income level by tracking your budget and spending.
• Set concrete financial and savings goals for major purchases like cars and housing.
• Wait to buy items until you have saved the cash rather than making impulsive purchases.

Rule Number Three is to cut off all debt options by physically destroying credit cards to prevent falling back into bondage during a crisis. Because everyone experiences a Red Sea experience of pressure and temptation to return to the familiar bondage of debt, you must protect yourself from your own lack of self-discipline by eliminating credit lines entirely.

You can secure your financial departure through these actions:

• Perform plastic surgery on your finances by cutting up your credit cards.
• Cancel all available credit lines to ensure you have no room for error or temptation.

Rule Number Four establishes tithing and giving as the vital mechanism that opens windows of blessing, acts as a protective fence against the devourer, and invites financial increase. Jerry, a retired pastor contemplating suicide with only $30 left in his pocket before sowing his seed, wrote down a need for $2,000 and sowed a seed. Exactly one week later, an acquaintance visited and handed him a check for $2,000 supplied at the exact matched hour.

You can fulfill this rule by implementing these guidelines:

• Give 10 percent of your gross income as the tithe to sanctify the rest of your earnings.
• Sow financial offerings above the tithe to produce increase and harvest.

Rule Number Five mandates developing a concrete, written get-out-of-debt plan to stay focused and navigate life's financial pressures without distraction. A written roadmap gives you a reliable reference point to maintain confidence, track progress, and ensure you do not deviate from your goal of achieving absolute financial freedom.

You can maintain your trajectory using these practices:

• Develop a written plan outlining your path out of debt.
• Frequently refer back to your written plan to maintain focus and avoid life's temptations.

4. Rebuilding Your Financial Structure

A successful debt elimination plan requires creating a realistic budget, establishing cash reserves, accelerating debt payoff, and optimizing insurance and taxes.

Getting Started and Accelerated Payoff

To begin financial freedom, you must make a complete, independent list of every debt you owe without hiding anything. The author instructs readers to pull out all bills from their neglected drawers and list student loans, back taxes, and debts owed to individuals or family members. Regular monthly living expenses should be excluded from this specific debt inventory.

• Get a piece of paper and list your debts independently.
• Include student loans, back taxes, and every person or entity you owe.
• Include debts owed to family members.
• Do not include recurring monthly expenses.
• Lay your hands on the stack of bills with your spouse if married, and ask the Lord for wisdom and the money to pay them off.

A true budget must reflect actual past spending rather than future aspirations, and it should be paired with a minimum $2,000 cash reserve. Families meeting with the author over the last 25 years often initially claim to have positive budgets with money left over, only to discover negative cash flows upon analyzing past spending.

• Go back three months and analyze what you actually spent using the present budget sheet.
• Set the budget aside after writing it, regardless of whether it is positive or negative.
• Establish a minimum cash reserve of $2,000 to handle major expenses.

Do not let sentimental attachment to material possessions hinder your debt elimination goals because items you sell can always be repurchased later. During a consultation, a husband refused to sell his paid-for classic car valued at $10,000 to help pay off crushing family debt, leaving his wife in tears and demonstrating misplaced priorities.

Accelerate debt payoff by targeting very small debts first, then rolling payments into high-interest accounts until everything is cleared.

• Pay off very small debts as soon as possible to free up cash quickly.
• Pay off remaining debts in order of highest interest rates first.
• Redirect the normal payment of a paid-off debt straight to the next outstanding debt.

Insurance, Mortgages, and Tax Strategies

Refinancing a mortgage into a 15-year term and lowering the interest rate dramatically reduces total interest and shortens payoff time. Crown Financial Ministries notes that on a typical 30-year mortgage, it takes nearly 24 years to reduce the balance to half, and 91 percent of payments go to interest during the first seven years. On a $150,000 loan, a 30-year note at 6.5 percent totals $341,318, whereas a 15-year note at 6.375 percent totals $233,347, saving $107,971.

• List every debt with its creditor, amount owed, and current interest rate.
• Maximize options on your primary home mortgage first.
• Shop around for the best interest rates and closing fees.
• Determine your break-even point based on monthly savings versus closing costs.

Do not borrow money from friends or family because it damages relationships and fails to address underlying lifestyle habits.

• Never lend money to friends or family; if you want to help, give it as a gift instead.
• Work out your own money problems and leave friends and family out of it.

Lower insurance premiums by setting high deductibles, paying annually, and purchasing term life insurance instead of cash value policies. A cash value life insurance policy for a 52-year-old male costs $3,224.64 annually for a $250,000 death benefit, whereas a 10-year term policy with the same $250,000 death benefit costs only $498.08 annually, representing an annual difference of $2,755.56 for the exact same payout.

• Set high deductibles on all home, health, and auto policies.
• Pay insurance premiums on an annual basis rather than monthly or quarterly.
• Shop around for coverage using state insurance department comparison sheets and online tools.
• Dump whole life, universal, or variable life policies and replace them with term insurance once the new policy is secured.

Tax professionals frequently make major errors resulting in overpaid taxes, and tax refunds represent interest-free loans given to the government. Money magazine's study sending a single financial profile to 50 seasoned tax professionals resulted in calculated tax obligations ranging widely from $6,807 to $73,247.

• Get a second opinion or professional review for your tax returns covering the past three years.
• File an amended return on Form 1040X within three years if you discover an error.
• Increase allowances on your W-4 forms to reduce payroll withholding and avoid overpaying taxes.
• File Form 843 to request an abatement refund of penalties and interest after paying off back taxes.

5. Marketplace Strategies and Hidden Money

Believers can uncover hidden funds through business audits, cost segregation, property tax challenges, unclaimed property, and smart debt settlements.

Money is located on earth and in the marketplace. You must actively engage in business using ideas and direction rather than waiting passively for God to deliver funds. God provides creative direction and multiplies existing resources, much like Elisha multiplying the widow's oil so she could start a business and pay debts.

In Second Kings 4:1-7, a prophet's widow saved her sons from slavery by borrowing empty jars and selling multiplied oil.

Business Strategies and Overhead Audits

Business owners should delegate low-value administrative tasks and focus strictly on activities that directly generate income. Spending time on routine office work, payroll, or errands wastes valuable hours that could be spent meeting clients. You lose money doing tasks below your skill level when comparing your hourly worth to cheap labor.

Gary Keesee calculated his own client-meeting time to be worth $150 to $200 per hour, making it a loss to do $10-per-hour office work.

• Hire an assistant for office tasks.
• Hire a payroll processing company.
• Use a courier or order supplies online to avoid errand running.

Hiring independent specialists to conduct specialized audits on business overhead can uncover thousands of dollars in hidden overpayments. Corporate expenses like workers' compensation, telecommunications, utility bills, and waste management frequently contain billing errors or unoptimized risk classifications. Independent auditing firms can review these bills for free and split the recovered refunds.

State employees in Ohio accidentally left two unused phone lines open for six years, resulting in $290,000 in overpayments.

• Conduct a Workers' Compensation Audit.
• Conduct a Telecom, Utility, and Waste Management Audit.
• Conduct a Property and Casualty Insurance Audit.

Commercial property owners can use engineering studies to reclassify building assets into shorter depreciation schedules and save substantial tax dollars. Standard commercial real estate is depreciated over 39 years, but a cost segregation study separates personal property components into accelerated 5, 7, or 15-year schedules, yielding major tax deductions.

A taxpayer who purchased a commercial building for $12,135,000 used a cost segregation study and achieved $133,563 in tax savings assuming a 35 percent tax rate.

• Verify if the building cost excluding land is at least $1 million.
• Check if property was constructed or renovated in the last 12 years.
• Confirm plans to keep the property over the next few years.
• Verify net income that is currently taxed.
• Get a preliminary free report from an engineering consultant.

Hidden Money Sources and Recovery

Homeowners frequently overpay property taxes due to inflated municipal assessments and can successfully lower their bills by challenging valuations. Comparing home square footage and neighborhood comparables allows owners to contest valuations successfully.

Money magazine reported that 60 percent of US homes were paying too much property tax following declines in home values, yet only 2 percent contested their valuations.

• Check local tax assessor office data for square footage and property changes.
• Compare home value against at least three comparable neighborhood properties.
• Contact local assessor to initiate a challenge if home value is significantly higher.

Billions of dollars in forgotten accounts, payroll checks, and utility deposits remain unclaimed with state governments and can be recovered through online searches. Financial institutions and corporations are legally required to turn abandoned funds over to state governments for safekeeping when owners cannot be located.

Gary Keesee found unclaimed money belonging to both of his deceased grandparents after checking state registry websites.

• Search MissingMoney.com database.
• Check state web sites under Unclaimed Funds links.
• Check Unclaimed-Funds.org databases.

Older individuals or those with serious illnesses can sell their life insurance policies for cash while still alive through life settlements. Policyholders can sell them to investors who take over premium payments and collect the payout upon death instead of letting policies lapse for nominal cash values.

A 70-year-old female sold a $750,000 policy with a cash value of $67,000 for $288,000 in cash.

• Evaluate whether giving up the policy death benefit aligns with estate goals.
• Search online for companies handling life settlements or check ForwardFinancialGroup.com.

Low and moderate-income families miss out on billions in government assistance due to complex paperwork, but specialized online programs streamline access. Free web-based software applications help citizens apply for child care subsidies, rent rebates, medical aid, food stamps, energy assistance, and tax refunds.

In Ohio alone, low and moderate-income families missed out on $1.5 billion a year in government benefits because of confusing terminology and long lines.

• Visit TheBenefitBank.com.
• Use free software to apply for government benefits and file tax returns online.

Individuals in deep financial distress can legitimately negotiate with collection agencies to settle old debts for a fraction of the original balance if paid in full immediately. Creditors are often anxious to remove old bad debts from their books and will accept 60 to 70 percent or less of the original balance. You should avoid premeditated default strategies where users intentionally stop paying cards to accumulate cash settlements.

Clients finding old unpaid debts in collection successfully negotiated reduced lump-sum settlements directly with creditors.

• Have cash immediately available for lump-sum settlement.
• Negotiate with collection agencies to settle for 60 to 70 percent or less of the original amount.
• Avoid outfits that advise intentionally quitting credit card payments to build settlement funds.

Conclusion

True financial deliverance comes from abandoning the world's debt system and applying God's Kingdom principles to eliminate debt and build sustainable provision.

You now hold the spiritual and practical blueprint required to shift from a consumer lifestyle of bondage to a life of abundance. The path forward demands a firm break from worldly financial patterns and a complete alignment with divine laws. You must combine aggressive mathematical debt reduction with spiritual obedience and stewardship.

1. Stop using credit cards and cut ties with the traditional debt system immediately.
2. Build an emergency cash reserve to protect against unexpected financial shocks.
3. Establish a realistic working budget and track every dollar of income and expense.
4. Apply the debt snowball method to eliminate balances systematically from smallest to largest.
5. Seek hidden financial resources through audits, tax strategies, and smart settlements.
6. Give tithes and offerings faithfully to activate the supernatural provision of the Kingdom.

10 Key Ideas

1. Heavy consumer debt reduces modern workers to a state of modern slavery, trapping them in endless gridlock and constant financial pressure.
2. Department stores lure customers with a one-time discount of 10 to 20 percent on initial purchases while making immense profit from high interest rates.
3. Unlocking financial provision through the Kingdom of God requires a specific five-step sequence: identifying need, releasing a seed with words, following Holy Spirit guidance, acting quickly, and gathering the fragments.
4. Rule Number One of getting out of debt is to seek God's Kingdom first and aggressively renew your mind to its operating principles.
5. A true budget must reflect actual past spending rather than future aspirations, and it should be paired with a minimum $2,000 cash reserve.
6. You can accelerate debt payoff by targeting very small debts first, then rolling payments into high-interest accounts until everything is cleared.
7. Lower insurance premiums by setting high deductibles, paying annually, and purchasing term life insurance instead of cash value policies.
8. Hiring independent specialists to conduct specialized audits on business overhead can uncover thousands of dollars in hidden overpayments.
9. Billions of dollars in forgotten accounts, payroll checks, and utility deposits remain unclaimed with state governments and can be recovered through online searches.
10. True financial deliverance comes from abandoning the world's debt system and applying God's Kingdom principles to eliminate debt and build sustainable provision.