In God We Trust

Experts share faith-based tips and principles for money management

New York, N.Y. (PRWEB) April 3, 2008 -- Throughout the Torah, Bible, and Koran, God has much to share about how we ought to handle our finances. From charitable giving to investment strategies, God provides a road map to financial planning. Ecclesiates 11:12 says, Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Simply speaking, this is financial diversification.

Studies show that fifty-five percent of Americans worry about money. In these difficult economic times, millions of people of faith are facing an uphill battle with their financial planning. More than ever, the faithful are seeking sound financial advice that is consistent with their religious beliefs and practices.

Can faith-based financial planning provide answers and strategies to navigate the rocky economic road ahead in a manner compliant with religious beliefs and practices? Fawad Butt, chief executive officer of Zeus Capital Partners, believes so.

"Everyday, many of the seven million Muslims living in the United States are faced with the decision to choose between their religious beliefs and the prevalent consumer culture. Shariah-compliant financial products, from home financing to investment vehicles, are critical to helping these individuals bridge the gap," says Butt.

Butt, along with financial experts Dena Shapiro Frenkel, CRPC, host of the Cents-Able Finance radio show - and Hakeem J. Webb, MSFS, CEO and co-founder of National Christian Financial Advisors, Inc. - will participate in a free online forum hosted by ONE: The Digital Dialog, a website that offers a side-by-side comparison of the three major Western religions. The forum - Money, God, and You - will explore the financial principles outlined in the sacred texts, and explain how people can implement these teachings as they relate to personal finance.

"Topics such as taxes, tithing, philanthropy, debt, and loans are just a few of the issues that will be addressed in this forum," says Fran Kane, Co-Founder of ONE: The Digital Dialog. "The forum will also provide people with the tools they need to achieve their financial objectives in a manner that is consistent with their religious beliefs and practices."

ONE: The Digital Dialog's free Money, God, and You forum takes place on Thursday, April 10, 2008, from 4 PM to 8 PM EST, at www.onedialog.com, and is open to anyone interested in learning more about money management and financial planning from a faith-based perspective.

About Fawad Butt

Fawad Butt is the chief executive officer of Zeus Capital Advisers (ZCA), a company he founded to help create and manage businesses by offering Shariah-compliant alternatives to traditional investment vehicles. ZCA is currently developing the first national retail banking institution to focus on the needs of the more than seven million Muslims living in the United States. Prior to founding ZCA, Butt was chief operating officer at Chicago-based Sunrise Equities. There, he created strategic alliances with regional financial institutions including MB Financial, Cole Taylor Bank, Broadway Bank, and Mutual Bank to facilitate more than $100 million in transactions using Shariah-compliant financial products. Butt holds a postgraduate diploma in Islamic Finance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance, London.

About Dena Shapiro Frenkel, CRPC

Dena Shapiro Frenkel has been an integrated member of the Orthodox Jewish Community in Baltimore MD - one of the largest Orthodox communities in the United States - since 1984. Frenkel's financial planning practice works with clients to help them save for the future while at the same time increasing their awareness about the way in which they relate to money. Frenkel has published columns on financial planning topics for The Daily Record for nearly ten years. For the last two years, she has hosted a weekly radio show, Cents-Able Finance, broadcast out of Loyola College. Frenkel has written articles on money management for Binah Magazine, a publication geared toward the Orthodox Jewish Community. She was also featured in the Baltimore Jewish Times and on the Executive Women's Network radio show discussing the issue of finding a balance between one's faith and working as a financial planner.

About Hakeem J. Webb, MSFS

As CEO and co-founder of National Christian Financial Advisors, Inc, and author of HELP! I TITHE BUT I'M STILL BROKE! , Hakeem J. Webb has more than fifteen years of wealth management experience. Webb has dedicated his talents to helping Christians create, preserve, and distribute wealth for their families by applying Biblical investment and financial principles to everyday money matters. His core philosophy regarding finances centers on excellence, faith, and integrity in order to deliver Bible-based investment consulting services and successful wealth management solutions. Webb holds a MS degree in Financial Services as well as several industry leading professional designations such as Certified Fund Specialist, Board Certified in Mutual Funds, Certified Senior Consultant, Certified Annuity Specialist, and Retirement Income Specialist. He is a much-sought-after conference speaker. Webb is a lifetime member of Full Gospel Businessmen International.

About ONE: The Digital Dialog

Created by K&K Publishing and Media, LLC, ONE: The Digital Dialog is a website that offers information from scriptures and commentaries - in the form of bi-weekly Dialogs - that address contemporary issues as seen from the perspectives of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. ONE's online community helps to promote religious understanding and learning; it teaches, rather than preaches, the wisdom of each faith, and explains the differences between the three while celebrating the similarities. For more information about ONE: The Digital Dialog, visit www.onedialog.com.

Media Contact:

Liane Worthington

Assistant Director of PR

The Wakeman Agency

212-500-5953 ext 118

lworthington(at)thewakemanagency.com

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