CTP (20260603 S4EJuneSpecial1) Frank Clement Mondern Financial Concerns BTS/SP Video

Joseph M. Lenard

CTP (20260603 S4EJuneSpecial1)  Frank Clement Mondern Financial Concerns BTS/SP Video CTP (S4EJunSpecial1) Your Deposits Fund Something So Choose Wisely Exploring more of the fascinating intersection of Activism, Community Engagement, Faith / Religion, Human Nature, Politics, Social Issues, and beyond - all in Biblical perspective We talk with Frank Clement from America’s Christian Credit Union about how credit unions work and why member ownership changes the incentives behind your checking account, savings, and loans. We also get practical about deposit insurance, debanking risk, and what it means to choose a financial institution that aligns with your values. • Credit unions as member-owned financial cooperatives and what that means day to day • Shared branching networks and how credit unions compete with big banks • Why rates can be better when there are no outside shareholders • Fractional reserve lending and the real lesson behind It’s a Wonderful Life • Values-based banking and the question of what your deposits help fund • Debanking and why ministries and businesses should plan ahead • NCUA insurance vs FDIC plus added private insurance for some accounts • How church and ministry lending works including DSCR and governance factors SEND US FEEDBACK: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2210487/fan_mail/new  https://tinyurl.com/SubscribeToCTP   CTP Audios: https://tinyurl.com/CTPonBuzzsprout  CTP Videos: https://tinyurl.com/CTPonBITCHUTE  https://tinyurl.com/CTPgear   https://tinyurl.com/JLenardDetroitGear   AI images/videos/audio CTP uses: https://tinyurl.com/GalaxyMagicaAI     https://tinyurl.com/BookPromotionViaFiverr

Transcript

00:00Hello, welcome to another episode of Perstitutionalist Podcast.

00:06I am your host, Joseph M. Leonard.

00:09That's L-E-N-A-R-D.

00:12It looks French.

00:13It's not.

00:14It's Leonard without an O.

00:17Thank you for tuning in, as Graham Norton used to say, on his show.

00:24Let's get on with the show!

00:25Hello!

00:27Warning, this episode contains some audio and or video glitches.

00:35It is not your equipment.

00:38Joining me today is Frank Clement, and that is C-L-E-M-E-N-T, yes?

00:46That's right.

00:47And as my audience knows, I can't pass on the lame pun, so rather than me tell one,

00:54insert your own inclement weather joke here, right?

01:00But I'm bummed.

01:02Well, you know, I usually tell people it's like cement with an L, and then they get confused

01:07because it's a soft C instead of a hard, you know, it doesn't work.

01:10But I like how you always have to tell people that your last name's not French, because I've

01:14actually met some people who asked if it was pronounced Clément, and I'm like, nope.

01:20Or cement with an L, oh, so C-L-E-N-T, C-L-E-N-T.

01:26We're getting farther and farther away.

01:28This is bad.

01:30But no, that makes sense.

01:31I never really thought that could be pronounced French.

01:34But yeah, you're right.

01:35My name, Leonard, looks French.

01:39Leonard without an O.

01:40So yeah, I never really thought about that.

01:43I'm glad I made the joke.

01:45It led to that very human interaction there.

01:50So anyway, all right.

01:52Thanks for joining, Frank.

01:53Bye-bye.

01:55So we covered it.

01:56We're done.

01:57We're good.

01:59Frank is joining because he's on to discuss financial options today, which is good because

02:07full disclosure, I belong to both a bank and a credit union.

02:12I used to belong primarily only to credit unions, but then, you know, operating a business.

02:19And even with some credit unions now, you can operate a social proprietorship or LLC out

02:25of them.

02:26We'll get into them.

02:27But so I have still a bank.

02:30I stayed loyal to as well as a credit union.

02:33But anyway, the proverbial Christian show, so the joke goes, the proverbial first question,

02:41right, has to be where were you born and raised?

02:45Where are you now?

02:46Significant places.

02:48You can see the Italian in me with the hands, right?

02:52You mentioned French.

02:54I'm German, Italian, and Polish, but the hands are definitely Italian.

03:00Anyway, I got way off.

03:02So where were you born and raised?

03:04Significant places you've been in between, maybe even Italy?

03:08I don't know.

03:08God.

03:10I visited once, but not terribly significant to me.

03:16So I grew up in Maryland.

03:17I was actually born in Virginia, but then grew up in Maryland.

03:21And then I now live in California.

03:23So I've been in California for the last 10 years.

03:26And if I may, can I just tell a quick, funny story?

03:29So I don't feel a whole lot of, you know, connection to California.

03:33I mean, I live here and I love the weather, but I was with some co-workers who were all

03:37California natives.

03:38And we were at a Christian event, a Christian conference in Indianapolis.

03:42And every time somebody came up and said, where are you from?

03:46I would say, we're from California.

03:48I'm sorry.

03:49They would laugh.

03:50Condolences.

03:50Yes.

03:51Yeah.

03:52And so all my colleagues, they said, you know, Frank, you don't need to apologize for being

03:56from California.

03:57And I said, no, you don't understand.

03:58If I don't do it, they will.

04:00Watch.

04:00So the next guy comes up.

04:01I said, we're from California.

04:03And I didn't say anything.

04:04And he goes, I'm sorry.

04:06Yeah, exactly.

04:07And I said, see, either they say it or we beat them to the punch.

04:12But, you know, it's just one of those funny things.

04:14We're incredibly blessed.

04:16My wife's family is all out here.

04:17We've got five kids.

04:18So we got a lot of help with child care.

04:21And so even though California is ridiculously expensive and crazy in a lot of ways, the Lord

04:27has blessed us here.

04:29I live in a city called Pomona.

04:31And then our office, the credit union office is in Glendora, which I'd say the closest city

04:36that people would recognize is Pasadena, which is about 20 minutes away.

04:40I had been through there.

04:42I used, full disclosure, used to work for Kmart HQ, which, of course, now gone.

04:48But we have a distribution center out in Ontario, California.

04:53Oh, yeah.

04:53Right next door.

04:55Yeah, been in and all around all those places.

04:59So, oh, Rancho Cucamonga.

05:01Oh, my God.

05:02Rancho Cucamonga.

05:03That's right.

05:04I love it.

05:05Upside the mountain there.

05:07Most people will be saying, what is he talking about?

05:09You know, they're not going to.

05:10Google Earth that.

05:12Oh, my.

05:13Rancho Cucamonga is so beautiful.

05:16You drive up, but you're driving among horses.

05:19They mostly ride horses up there.

05:21But, of course, there are roads for the cars.

05:24Anyway, I've got us way off track again.

05:26And I also forgot I wanted to say I'm wearing my military shirt, which is more appropriate for Veterans or

05:35Armed Forces Day than Memorial Day, because we are recording on Tuesday, March.

05:42No, not March.

05:44Oh, it just always happens.

05:46I hit record in the mouth and the brain to want to cooperate.

05:49Tuesday, May the 26th, the day after Memorial Day.

05:53So, as an excuse, also, I'm going to hold up my American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. meme.

06:00And I'll put the meme in post so it's more legible.

06:04That makes the distinction.

06:06Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday of each May, honors the serving.

06:11Memorial Day, the last Monday of May, those who died while serving, although I think most people extend the courtesy

06:20to anyone who died of wounds in battle, even if they happened after because of the wounds.

06:28And then, of course, Veterans Day, the 11th day of each November, 11, 11, 11, 11 a.m. officially the

06:37time.

06:37Anyway, but you're not here to talk about that.

06:41You're here to talk financial stuff.

06:44And I already, full disclosure, say bank and credit union.

06:49I won't say which one.

06:51It's not his, though.

06:53I'm sorry.

06:54Not yet.

06:55Not yet.

06:56Not yet.

06:58Do you have branches in Michigan, I guess, is a good question then.

07:04Indirectly, yes.

07:05We are part of a shared branch network that most credit unions participate in.

07:10So there are about 5,000 participating credit union branches all over the country.

07:14And this is our way of banding together so that we can take on the big banks.

07:17And I would say that's very indicative of the credit union ethos, which is all about community and banding together.

07:24Credit unions are financial cooperatives.

07:27And so even among credit unions, different credit unions, you know, you think of us maybe as competitors, but in

07:32a lot of ways, we like to band together knowing that, you know, we've got 5,000 branches.

07:37Now you can actually give, let's say, Bank of America or Wells Fargo a run for its money because we've

07:42got locations in so many spots.

07:44This is an important thing, so I'm glad I went there and thing to remember.

07:50And you said a co-op.

07:52This is often a political show.

07:55I talk all the time about biblical community.

07:59It's far different than worldly communism.

08:02I've talked about the Bradford Colony and the Mayflower Commie Compact that failed.

08:08They almost all starved to death.

08:10So he then instituted private property, personal individual rights and freedoms, blah, blah, blah.

08:17The rest is history.

08:19That's what America was founded on, not communism.

08:23And so you mentioned co-op in this case.

08:27It is voluntary.

08:29There's nothing wrong with commune, community, or even the word commune if you join it willingly and you're not forced

08:42either into it or once you're into it like a cult, forced in the iron fences and held at gunpoint

08:51against your will.

08:53But again, I've gone way off the beaten path.

08:55Just to be clear, there are no iron fences.

08:57There are no guns.

08:59Our credit unions are very nice.

09:04So I think we've already addressed one of the key distinctions why a credit union.

09:12And another obvious one is usually better rates, lower interest rates on credit cards or loans, as well as lower

09:23ones.

09:25There are higher ones on interest for your savings and money markets and CDs or checking accounts even.

09:35The one I'm with, I'm getting interest on the checking as well as the savings and the CDs.

09:43That would have been better than the bank.

09:47If I may, I think it's worth taking a step back, talking about what we mean by co-ops, specifically

09:53a financial cooperative, because everything that you're talking about, they're sort of the fruits of a more foundational aspect of

10:03credit unions, which is that credit unions, as you know, are owned by their members.

10:07And so that's really the crucial difference, is that credit unions are owned by the people that they serve.

10:13And so if you think of a Venn diagram, it's a perfect circle who owns it and who it serves.

10:17But then you think about banks, especially these big banks that are publicly listed.

10:21So you might own 10 shares of some big bank stock, right?

10:25So you're technically a part owner of that bank.

10:27You don't necessarily have to be a customer there, though.

10:30And so then every quarter, these banks have to report to their shareholders and say, look how much money we

10:35made.

10:35Look how much profit we made for you, the owners.

10:38And we kind of did it at the expense of our customers, right?

10:41So in some ways, I'm not – I mean, sometimes it's predatory, but at the very least, there's a sort

10:48of a split – there's a split loyalty.

10:50Well, it certainly is when they buy up each other and close the other bank down.

10:54That's true.

10:55It can get a little ugly, for sure.

10:57But when you understand that your for-profit bank is seeking to profit off of you, the customer, to benefit

11:05the owners, whether it's publicly traded on the stock exchanges or even if it's just privately owned, there's sort of

11:11– it's like I understand that you're going to take care of me just enough to keep me as a

11:15customer, but you're not really interested in my welfare.

11:18You're more interested in the welfare of the owner.

11:19So then in a credit union, because we're owned by our members, everybody who joins – you could join today

11:25and you would become a part owner of the credit union as well as being a member.

11:28So you're being served, but we're beholden to you.

11:31So then we are – we act – we, the staff, are more like stewards at that point.

11:35And so that then, Joseph, back to your point, because we're not trying to skim off some profits to pay

11:42to our owners over here, there's more left to benefit the members.

11:46And so that typically means then that we can lend money at a lower rate and then we can pay

11:51a higher rate on our deposits because we just need enough margin between what we're lending at and what we're

11:57paying on deposits to pay the staff.

11:59That's basically it.

12:00We just have to pay our employees to keep the operation running.

12:02Well, the buildings, the lights on.

12:04Well, yes.

12:05Yeah, that's right.

12:05That's right.

12:06Yeah, exactly.

12:07All that stuff still holds true.

12:09You're not a completely virtual operation.

12:12So, well, even with that, then you've got websites to maintain and all that.

12:18You do have a website, yes?

12:20Let's go ahead and give that out right now.

12:22Usually I'll wait to the end.

12:24Go ahead and give it out.

12:25Let me write it down.

12:26Yes.

12:26Check us out at americaschristiancu.com.

12:31American – what was that again?

12:33America's.

12:34Possess it.

12:35America's.

12:37America'schristiancu.com.

12:38Because we belong to the American Christians.

12:41We are America's Christian Credit Union.

12:44CU.com.

12:47That's right.

12:48Okay.

12:48I got that written down now and obviously no apostrophe in Christians because the internet

12:55would flake out.

12:57Yeah.

12:57That's right.

12:58I wrote down two notes because back to – I already forgot this note.

13:04That's why I have to write it down.

13:06I'm keeping – 63 in the brain is just – you know, the memory just isn't as good

13:11as it used to be.

13:12We were joking about commie-phornia.

13:14People need to check out, and I will tack on to the end of the episode, my States of

13:21Confusion kind of tongue-in-cheek song, and it talks about commie-phornia in it.

13:26So, I'll tack that on to the end.

13:29So, you'll need to listen back later to hear that one.

13:32And I wrote down, it's a wonderful life.

13:35Well, why?

13:37Obviously, right?

13:38The SNL, right?

13:40Today's credit unions are what the SNL in It's a Wonderful Life is.

13:47Yes?

13:48Do I have to do the George Banks impression now?

13:51Is that –

13:51Oh, if you like.

13:53Go ahead.

13:54I don't have your money.

13:56Your money's in his house.

13:59Exactly.

14:02Bingo.

14:03You can't just keep enough on hand for usual expected daily operation.

14:09Well, banks generally do that too, but go ahead.

14:12And that's exactly – I mean, Joseph, that is perhaps the most important thing we're going

14:16to talk about today, unless you have something else up your sleeve.

14:18Oh, and insurance.

14:19We'll get to the insurance coverage.

14:21Yeah, insurance, of course, is a big one.

14:24But all financial institutions, banks and credit unions, are lending out about 90% of

14:29your deposits.

14:30And so that – yeah, the old scene from It's a Wonderful Life when there's that run on

14:34the bank and George is explaining why they don't have the cash.

14:36It's because we took your deposits to make a home loan to your neighbor so that they could

14:41buy a house, right?

14:43And so this is, to me, this is why –

14:45Or you cover your credit card purchases.

14:47That's right.

14:48Yep.

14:49All of those things.

14:50But this is why it's so important who you bank with because if you really think about

14:56the broad array of things that a financial institution could choose to lend your money

15:00for, to essentially invest your money for, right?

15:02You know that there are places in your community that you wish weren't there, right?

15:06There are – and I don't know exactly the flavor of your listenership, but maybe you

15:11know that there is a medical clinic that is performing abortions, and you're like, I

15:16wish they weren't performing abortions.

15:17Well, a Christian show, so most of them are going to be pro-life.

15:20Most.

15:21I would hope so.

15:22Certainly not all.

15:22Yeah.

15:22I certainly hope secular people listen to the show because there is a lot of good information

15:29here outside of the Christian biblical-based thing, blah, blah, blah.

15:34Right.

15:35Disclaimer closed.

15:35And this point holds for everybody, but I will give it a Christian spin here.

15:41So if you are dismayed to know that there is a medical clinic that's performing abortions

15:46right there in your own town or city, well, guess what?

15:49When the people who built that medical clinic were pulling together the funding for the construction

15:54of that building, they probably got a loan.

15:56So they probably went to a bank, at which point they were getting that bank's customer's

16:01money, right, as a loan to be able to do the construction.

16:04And so then, you know, if you were able to trace those breadcrumbs and then realize,

16:08wait a minute, I'm a customer of that bank that made the loan to that group that built

16:13the medical facility where they're performing abortions.

16:15Yeah.

16:16Well, guess what?

16:17That means then that your money indirectly helped fund that thing.

16:20Yeah.

16:20That also holds true for gun confiscation firms who want to confiscate your guns.

16:27We're big on the whole Christitutionalist, constitutionalist, constitution, our rights, protecting our rights.

16:37To make it more generic, you're in tune with upholding our rights and morals as a Judeo-Christian

16:45foundation nation.

16:46And you don't have to be a Christian or a Jew to understand that.

16:51Pen of pen and teller, I often tell the tale, it's no problem with Moses and the Ten Commandments

16:58on the SCOTUS building because, of course, whether you get to these morals through God or just,

17:06hey, it's just being a good fellow human.

17:09And so it holds for secularists too at times.

17:14Our current polarized moment, you look at some of the things that these big banks are funding

17:18and there's a lot of people cheering and they're saying, I love it.

17:21That's so great.

17:22You know, you fund that parade in June or you make that donation to Planned Parenthood.

17:27I love it.

17:28Okay, great.

17:28Then you found your home.

17:30Your money is sitting exactly where you want it to be.

17:32But there are a lot of people who are like, oh, I hate going to the bank branch in June

17:37because they've got rainbow flags all over the place.

17:39I just, I hate it.

17:40I just, you know, that's when I only use my mobile banking because I hate that they're pushing that on

17:44me.

17:44So with America's Christian Credit Union, you have an option for banking where you're getting full service banking,

17:49but you know that your money is being used for things like building new churches.

17:54We've done over 3,000 adoption loans.

17:56So we help families afford the legal costs of an adoption, which is like $30,000 to $50,000.

18:01Amen.

18:02And you're not donating, right?

18:04You're right.

18:05This is, you know, you're not writing attention to anybody.

18:07That's a side and on top of what you may be donating to these causes you appreciate, yes.

18:13So you're having a financial impact on growing the kingdom of God, but you're doing it without making a donation.

18:20You're just choosing to make your money available to like-minded people so that then the staff at America's Christian

18:25Credit Union

18:25can invest your money on your behalf in the kinds of causes that you already care about and would want

18:31to support.

18:31The sort of things that you want to see more of in your town rather than the things that you

18:35want to see less of.

18:36I've got a question, which is also in the form of a suggestion, if it isn't the right answer.

18:42It's like why there are places like Mammoth Nation that have started up that various things.

18:51I'm full disclosure.

18:53I'm part of it.

18:54My Terror Strikes book is advertised there as a conservative, constitutionalist book.

19:01And it's, I hate it, I mean Republican in the sense of the Republic, not the party.

19:15So small are Republican.

19:17Yes, exactly.

19:18Does your credit union belong to Mammoth Nation or would you consider potentially reaching out as a partner there for

19:27financial services?

19:29Yeah, we don't yet, but I would love to learn more.

19:35Sounds good.

19:36We are constantly looking for like-minded people.

19:39Bank of America is 3,000 times bigger than we are.

19:42So there's a lot of people who haven't heard of us.

19:44You know, there are a lot of times where we go to conferences and we say, we are a Christian

19:48financial institution.

19:49We have 150,000 members all across the country.

19:52We are helping build churches, Christian schools, helping families grow through adoption, doing all these wonderful things.

19:57And people say, oh my gosh, I've never heard of you.

20:00You know, and that's, I mean, part of why I'm here is we're trying to fix that.

20:04We're constantly looking for partners, sort of these fellow, you know, people on the same journey, right?

20:09Walking the same path and saying, well, you're working on this really important thing and we're handling the financial side

20:15of things.

20:15And if only you and the people that you represent knew about us, there are probably a lot of people

20:20who, again, it really bothers them when they hear things about their bank.

20:24And they say, you know, I opened it 30 years ago.

20:27You know, 30 years ago is a completely different world.

20:29Or I opened it because they have a branch right across from my office and it's really easy to pop

20:33over at lunchtime.

20:34May not be there anymore because all the big banks have closed down a lot of branches and consolidated.

20:41So they may not be as convenient as they once were either.

20:44The calculations are changing because people are realizing all these things that I complain about, all these things that I

20:50write my members of Congress about, my bank is actually funding with my money.

20:54Well, okay, the first step would be at least help starve the capital for those sorts of things and redirect

21:01it somewhere where it's supporting the kingdom work that might actually turn our nation around.

21:08And so that's a really exciting thing.

21:09And then the other thing, and let me show my T-shirt.

21:12It's a little bit too chilly to wear, just the T-shirt, but debank yourself.

21:15We've talked a lot about this idea of debanking yourself because debanking.

21:19Before they do it to you.

21:21Before they do it to you, exactly.

21:22Because that is, it's been on the rise.

21:24We're in a moment of calm, but I think it's more like the eye of the storm, honestly, because, you

21:30know, before the current administration, we were seeing a lot of Christian ministries get debanked.

21:36I mean, we had literally dozens of Christian ministries come to us and they said, we got a letter in

21:41the mail and a cashier's check with all of our deposits.

21:44And we were told, you are no longer a customer of this bank.

21:46And the details are always very vague.

21:48It's just, you are no longer a customer of the bank.

21:50You know, this is, you know, you being a constitutionalist, I think there's a lot to be said for free

21:55association.

21:57So if a bank says, you're not our flavor, you're not really our jam, a capitalist in me says, well,

22:04so be it.

22:05I mean, we have these rights to be able to associate with the people that we want to associate.

22:09Freedom to associate also means freedom to not associate.

22:13Correct.

22:13Exactly.

22:14And so if a bank says, gosh, like, hey, pastor, your recent sermon on XYZ social topic went viral on

22:23the Internet and people are starting to connect the dots and realize that you bank with us.

22:26And that's not a good look for us.

22:28That introduces some reputational risk for us.

22:30So we're going to cut ties with you and go our separate ways.

22:34As someone who respects the Constitution, I'm like, you know what, that's honestly fine.

22:39But for the pastor who's like, well, I have a staff working my church and payrolls coming up on Friday

22:44and we no longer have a checking account to be able to send their paychecks out.

22:49Also, we don't have a way to receive donations anymore because, you know, we don't have a bank account.

22:52That just introduces very serious operational challenges to these ministries.

22:56And that's where people knowing that places like America's Christian Credit Union exists is so important because before they debank

23:03you, debank yourself.

23:05And you're most likely to get debanked when you're at your most vulnerable, right?

23:10So when you're already, let's say, again, you know, you preached about something or maybe your Christian school has drawn

23:15a line on something that the state is trying to push in K-12 schools.

23:19And now you've got media and you've got activists outside protesting and you just lost your bank account.

23:24The worst time to be shopping for a bank is when you're also dealing with, you know, those sorts of

23:29challenges.

23:29And so I just encourage people, be proactive.

23:32And yes, I mean, I think probably for the next two years, we're not going to see too many debankings

23:36because most financial institutions are trying to be on their best behavior.

23:40But if things change in Washington and we go back to a different flavor of administration.

23:47And they're controlled by left-wing boards.

23:49Yes.

23:50Again.

23:51Uh-oh, you froze.

23:53Hello.

23:55Uh-oh.

23:57Maybe even a great time to go shopping for a bank.

23:59You know, the best time.

24:00Uh-oh, you're freezing.

24:02You froze again.

24:06Well, I don't know what to say or do here.

24:09Well, okay, Frank, you're cutting in and out now.

24:12I don't know what happened.

24:13I think we're back.

24:14Yeah, I think so.

24:15I don't know what we lost.

24:16So let's move on.

24:17Two things to finish up your point.

24:20Left-wing controlled boards wants a left-wing administration's back in.

24:25And, yes, they'll start up with the games again, attacking people on the right or even just in the middle

24:32because they've gone so far left.

24:35So even if there's any question.

24:37But anyway, onward.

24:38Mammoth Nation, Align Us app.

24:41You may have heard of them.

24:43Those are two things, too, that are for more center or right-of-center people to come together.

24:51And I definitely encourage you to look into Mammoth Nation and the Align Us app.

24:58I wrote down a note, circled it.

25:00But you're not covered.

25:02We're not protected by the FDIC.

25:05Go.

25:09So we are federally insured to the same level that banks are.

25:13We just do it through a different mechanism.

25:15So they have the FDIC.

25:16We have what's called the NCUA, which is the National Credit Union Administration.

25:20And they cover deposits up to $250,000.

25:25And because we care so much about our members, we go a step further.

25:28We actually pay for private insurance for $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the kind of account you have.

25:35And so some of our members are enjoying up to $450,000 in insurance on their deposits.

25:41So there's a lot of peace of mind knowing that even if –

25:43I sure wish I could afford that much to have in your credit union, but on my disability budget, sadly,

25:51no.

25:53Yep, yep.

25:54Well, and Joseph, I want to go back to something that you said earlier because this is – it's sort

25:59of relevant.

26:00We serve ministries, and we also serve businesses.

26:05And in fact, about – our portfolio dollar-wise is about 50-50 between individuals and families and businesses and

26:13faith-based nonprofits.

26:14And so where that added level of insurance really kicks in is for some of these organizations where they have

26:21a good chunk of change sitting there.

26:23No should matter.

26:25I've got a couple shows.

26:26I've got another one coming soon, or I recently dropped.

26:30I don't remember.

26:31Rising tide lifts most boats.

26:35Likewise, sinking boats can drag other boats down would be the converse.

26:42You let those other people lose a couple hundred thousand dollars.

26:47To say that doesn't – it's like naval chamberlism before World War II also.

26:56The libertine concept of, oh, the oceans protect us.

27:00No, they don't.

27:01You heard these things called intercontinental missiles and bombers and all that.

27:08The oceans don't protect us anymore, and someone else's wealth being destroyed, yes, does affect us too.

27:17It hurts the overall economy.

27:20If you're drilling holes in boats in the harbor, that harms you too.

27:29Well, not to get too political, but we're here in California, and already we've had several notable billionaires leave because

27:38of taxes.

27:38And so what was the response?

27:40The response was, hey, let's pass a billionaire tax.

27:42It's like they're already leaving.

27:44Are they not going fast enough?

27:48You struck the right chord, believe me.

27:51Yeah.

27:52I mean, even old traditional Democrats.

27:55That's why I coined Christitutionalists.

27:58Are you a Christian if you can't be a commie-crat anymore?

28:05This isn't the day and age of JFK.

28:08And we don't know what all he might have done in a second term had he lived to be able

28:16to do one with all the other lefties around him trying to drag him down because he was a Democrat,

28:23but a somewhat conservative Catholic Democrat.

28:28But, I mean, look what happened once LBJ came in, the civil rights thing aside.

28:34He signed the Republican bills, the civil rights bills that came after the 14th Amendment, which is relevant now with

28:45the birthright citizenship, which was based on what?

28:50Republican Civil Rights Act.

28:52Prior to that, it's not like LBJ had his own Civil Rights Act.

28:57He just told the Democrats in the Senate to stop filibustering it so that it could come for a vote.

29:05You don't have to vote for it.

29:07And, in fact, indeed, most of the Democrats didn't.

29:10And like all the civil rights acts before and the 14th Amendment passed by, created by Republican majority of votes.

29:21So, but, again, that's a bit off the beaten path and off topic.

29:26But what it does show, though, is the realignments that can happen politically and how quickly they can happen.

29:36I mean I think we're seeing bizarre realignments just in the last 10 years that nobody could have foreseen.

29:43And it's a reminder that this is why we as believers – I mean, yes, we should be politically engaged,

29:49but we certainly shouldn't put all of our hope in the government.

29:51You know, no matter who the politician is, we – and this is where believers banding together with believers is

29:56so important.

29:57And like you said earlier, I love it, that Christian practices and what – you know, especially the sort of

30:03that first century Christianity that we read about in the book of Acts sounds a lot like communism.

30:07But because it's fully voluntary, right?

30:10Out of context.

30:10People choose to come.

30:11Right.

30:12Out of context.

30:13Right.

30:13The context is voluntarily.

30:16It's voluntary.

30:17That's right.

30:19And if you don't pull your own weight, you actually get kicked out.

30:22Remember when Paul says, if you won't work, you will not eat.

30:25Bingo.

30:26Which is different than also where we are to want to be our brothers and sisters keeper and take care

30:34of widows and orphans.

30:35That is voluntary.

30:37We are to want to do that as Christians.

30:40And the Bible also says the distinction between those who are unable – I am on disability – those who

30:48are unable versus those who just say,

30:51ah, I want to climb in the cart and you pull me even though I'm capable of pulling the cart.

30:57And why Jesus said the poor will always be among you.

31:00That's a human nature laziness statement, not a monetary or economic or governance statement.

31:10Yes.

31:10And I want to – I forgot to say this.

31:13This is bonus because when I first saw you – podmatch is where we met.

31:20The audience knows I use that service.

31:22I saw financial services and all that.

31:27I didn't notice the Christian part.

31:30So this is kind of fortuitous bonus in a way.

31:36Yeah.

31:37Well, and a lot of people will say, what is Christian banking?

31:40What actually makes you different?

31:42Is this just branding?

31:43Is it just virtue signaling?

31:44And I think one of the most important examples that I can point to is the way that we work

31:50with Christian ministries.

31:51So churches, schools, other types of ministries out there.

31:56And like with churches, we've been lending money to churches for construction projects.

32:03Sometimes you'll have like a church plant that's been renting from another church, and they're finally ready to go and

32:08buy their own property.

32:09And the thing about ministries is that they run very lean.

32:13They do not have a lot of buffer.

32:16And so most –

32:18Charities in general too, yeah.

32:20Charities in general, yeah, that's right.

32:21There's a difference.

32:22Christians – like I would not recommend giving stuff to Goodwill or – Salvation Army takes a lot off the

32:32top.

32:32Red Cross is a big example of how much money goes off the top of your donation and doesn't get

32:39– versus a Samaritan's Purse.

32:43Mm-hmm.

32:44Mm-hmm.

32:44That's a great point.

32:46But let's say there's a church that is looking – maybe they finally found a property for sale that they

32:52want to buy so they can have their own home for worship.

32:55And most commercial lenders are looking for a 1.25 debt service coverage ratio or DSCR.

33:02So essentially what they say is for every dollar that you owe in loan payment, you need to be bringing

33:09in at least $1.25.

33:11And for a lot of these ministries, they're like, huh?

33:15No.

33:15It doesn't – no, no.

33:17We're not going to have that because we get our tithes and offerings and we spend all of it.

33:23So we're going to be closer to 1 to 1 rather than 1 to 1.25.

33:27And so because our staff has been working with churches for decades, we all go to church, like we understand

33:34that world, we've actually had to educate our regulators.

33:37Because in order for us to get that $250,000 in federal insurance, they want to look at how we're

33:43operating so they know that we're not giving them a huge risk to their insurance.

33:48You're still regulated to qualify for the coverage, yes.

33:53That's the other thing I didn't think to bring up, yes.

33:56Because you have NCUA, you adhere to the regulations, but they are slightly looser than a bank has.

34:09I think our compliance people would not like the word looser, but I'll certainly say different.

34:13And so to finish that example from a moment ago because I think it gets to your point, Joseph, so

34:21we actually educated our regulators because they work with all kinds of credit unions.

34:25They come in every month – every year to 18 months to look at everything and make sure things are

34:30going well.

34:31And we've had to say to them, look, when we make a loan to a church, we're going to flex

34:36a little bit on that DSCR.

34:38We're not going to hold to a hard and fast 1.25 or higher.

34:41If they're telling us that the income is only going to be like $1.10 for every dollar that they

34:49owe in loan payment, we might still move forward as long as we see that they have steady or growing

34:55attendance at church.

34:56That not only do they have a strong pastor, but they have strong governance, right, that there are elders who

35:01are keeping an eye on the pastor, that they have a succession plan because everything's about the one pastor, which

35:06means if that pastor gets hit by a bus, that church now is going to be in a bad way.

35:10But when we look at all those factors as we determine whether or not to make the loan, we might

35:15flex on the debt service coverage ratio because we've worked with so many churches that we know that this is

35:22not as risky as it might look to somebody who's not used to working with nonprofits.

35:25And in fact, our default rate on loans, so the church loans that end up going bad, is way below

35:32the national average for commercial lending.

35:34So an apartment building or a strip mall is way more likely to default on a loan than a church.

35:39We've been able to show the numbers to our regulators and say, I know we're going a little bit outside

35:44the typical lending box, but we're doing it for a good reason and we can show you why.

35:48And our regulators have actually been won over and they said, OK, we see that you know what you're doing.

35:52Obviously, continue to be careful. Keep us posted. But if that's what it takes to be able to serve your

35:57membership, like you said earlier, in terms of the regulations being different, our regulators know that we exist to serve

36:02a specific community.

36:03Just like Navy Federal exists to serve people in the Navy and retirees in the Navy.

36:08Good point.

36:08You've got, you know, Boeing Credit Union that serves people associated with Boeing.

36:12So every credit union and some are geographic where they just serve people in a certain county.

36:16I belong to one of those. Yep.

36:18Yep. Yep. Yep. And so they understand that every every community is going to look a little bit different and

36:24every community is going to have slightly different needs.

36:26And so the credit union exists to meet those needs. And so if we say we can't fit this cookie

36:31cutter box, but here's how we continue to mitigate risk.

36:34Even as we reach out to meet our members needs, they'll say, OK, great.

36:37As long as you're doing it thoughtfully, you know, have at it.

36:40Yeah. Well, the time has flown. So we're going to. And I did. I broke one of my rules.

36:46I like to say the name over and over. Frank Clement of AmericasChristianCU.com is where you can find the

36:55website.

36:57American America. I did it again. America's not American.

37:03America's Christian Credit Union. America's Christian CU.com.

37:09Frank Clement, again, in Clement weather, if you want to insert a joke.

37:15But you set me up. I got to end with a final joke.

37:20OK. You were talking about showing consistency.

37:24I don't get why you'd want a place with a past store.

37:28I would want one with one that's been there and is staying.

37:32They're a present tour. But I'm bum. Right.

37:36I don't want a past store. I want a corn tour or a present tour.

37:42You could feel free to lift that joke and tell the clients.

37:49If they tell me, here, here's our pastor.

37:53Oh, well, say then say, when's the new one starting?

37:58Right. Well, he's a pastor.

38:00Or who's the present tour?

38:04Anyway, thank you, Frank Clement.

38:08Terrible. Terrible.

38:09Hey, king of the bad jokes.

38:11King of the dad jokes.

38:12The lame puns.

38:13I used to co-host on Savage Unfiltered.

38:16And I was known as Jokester Joe there.

38:19Yeah.

38:19King of the lame puns.

38:21So, thank you, Frank Clement, for coming out.

38:24Thank you, Jason.

38:24I appreciate it.

38:26Thank you so much.

38:27Take care. God bless.

38:28Love you all.

38:29Hold on. Hold on.

38:31Don't tune out just yet.

38:32Now, you've often seen shows doing ads.

38:38I've had some mid-show ads that have run or at the end, often at the end, it would be

38:49an ad for my own book.

38:51So, does that really count?

38:54But, you know, podcast sponsorships.

38:58You've seen them.

39:00Bunch of podcast people, Hawken products.

39:03They probably have nothing to do with.

39:05Well, that's not the case with me.

39:08I've got a couple partnership sponsorship irons in the fire.

39:13These aren't paid that I'm giving you here.

39:17I am just giving you recommendations of a couple irons I have in the fire.

39:23A free shout-out to, for one, Duncan.

39:29I'm going to hold up my how to write a book and get it published because I don't have a

39:35physical copy of my latest book,

39:38Roll the Coasters, the Lifetime, because it is out on Amazon eKindle exclusive for only $1.99.

39:47Because it's a short story so I can keep your price down or audio book for $1.99.

39:53Inexpensive.

39:54So, there it is.

39:56Kindle e-book cover.

39:59And I mention America Runs on Duncan.

40:03The slogan.

40:05They're a place I actually go to.

40:07I love the chocolate cream-filled donuts and a bit of a critique.

40:12Like, you need to start making more of them or make sure all the places actually have them.

40:19Most of the Duncans around me don't have them.

40:22I often have to settle for the vanilla cream-filled.

40:27But, you know, that's okay, too, at times.

40:30So, I recommend Dunkin' Donuts.

40:33I do.

40:34I really do.

40:35There's something.

40:36I mean, look at this.

40:38If you're looking behind-the-scenes video, you can see I'm not starving.

40:42I've got some extra weight on me.

40:44Dunkin' Donuts calories might be part of the reasons why.

40:49Everything in moderation.

40:51Just don't pig out on donuts all the time.

40:56Morning, noon, and night.

40:58I don't know if Dunkin's going to like me saying that or not.

41:01They want to sell as many donuts as possible.

41:04And, of course, they sell coffee.

41:06But, hey, that's the point.

41:08You're going to get real sponsorship reads from me.

41:13Not fake phony frauds that don't even use a product.

41:17Oh, let me read the following.

41:20And the next one I'm going to mention is Galaxy AI, which actually is now Magica.

41:28M-A-G-I-C-A-A-I.

41:33And I use them.

41:35I've created a couple music videos of late.

41:39If you check on the video channels, they're not on all of them.

41:43YouTube and BitChute.

41:45My channels there have most of my music videos or most of my Suno songs.

41:52Not all.

41:53You can check out the one I just did for Memorial Day 2026 for America 250.

42:01I wrote Memorial Day America 250 that I released on Memorial Day.

42:08And you can see that music video on my video platforms created by Magical AI, as well as another music

42:20video that I did for my terrorist.

42:24Based on my Terror Strikes Coming Soon to Home City Near You book, I wrote a wake, not paranoid song.

42:33And there is a music video for that at BitChute and YouTube.

42:40It may be at my other platforms.

42:42I don't remember offhand.

42:45I didn't look it up before hitting record.

42:47My apologies.

42:49You can reach out to the AI via TinyURL.

42:54You know I love to use TinyURL services to shorten links.

43:01TinyURL.com slash GalaxyMagicaAI.

43:07All one word, of course, running together.

43:11TinyURL.com slash GalaxyMagicaAI.

43:16That'll take you to them.

43:18And the last one I'm going to mention is Blipboards.

43:21You can rent a static billboard for your advertising needs, but those are expensive and they're static.

43:32Blipboards, for the same budget of one, you can advertise at 10 or more locations, whatever product and service you're

43:43trying to offer.

43:44So I recommend Blipboards.

43:47Again, they're not paying me to say this.

43:49I'm saying this as a customer.

43:52I haven't even reached out to them to be a sponsor on the show next.

43:57Guess what I'll be doing next?

43:59Writing them a letter.

44:03Anyway, TinyURL.com slash Blipboards.

44:08B-L-I-P boards.

44:10Blipboards.

44:11TinyURL.com slash Blipboards to check them out.

44:17Tell them I sent you.

44:20Take care.

44:21God bless.

44:22Love you.

44:32More real day, not a celebration.

44:38A somber remembrance, we all say.

44:42For those who gave it all, to save our freedom, they answered the call.

44:50For them we now must also stand tall.

44:58Memorial Day, not a celebration.

45:03A remembrance waits, we carry in our hands.

45:08We speak their names, we speak their names down rows of white stone.

45:14And every flag feels heavy in the wind.

45:20For those who gave it all, we bow our heads.

45:26For freedom's breath, we remember them.

45:30Stand tall today, show the youth the way.

45:37For the ones who answer the call.

45:43Stand tall today, memory not gone away.

45:48We keep their lives, we keep their lives in the hall.

45:56No loud parade can tell the whole story.

46:01Of boots in dust and letters warm thin.

46:07A mother's prayer, a folded flag.

46:12A final promise, a final promise, still living in us.

46:18For those who gave it all, we bow our heads.

46:24For freedom's breath, we remember them.

46:30Stand tall today, show the youth the way.

46:36For the ones who answer the call.

46:41Stand tall today, memory not gone away.

46:46We keep their lives in the hall.

46:53Let the silence speak, let the names stay near.

46:59Let the tears fall slow, for the ones not here.

47:05And when we rise, we rise with care.

47:10Carrying their courage everywhere.

47:15Stand tall today, show the youth the way.

47:20For the ones who answer the call.

47:26Stand tall today, memory not gone away.

47:31We keep their lives in the hall.

47:44Memorial Day, not a celebration.

47:50A somber remembrance, we all say.

47:55For those who gave it all, to save our freedom.

48:00They answered the call, for them we now must also stand tall.

48:24Welcome to the states of confusion.

48:29U.S. of A.

48:32United, we said, we're ones we used to stand.

48:38We're playing different tunes, no longer the same band.

48:51Woke up in Massachusetts, land of the free and the tax.

48:55Harvard elites sipping lattes, telling us how we should act.

48:58From Boston to Cambridge, it's all mass hysteria.

49:01Protests in the streets, while they're counting their hysteria.

49:04Yelling about tolerance.

49:05But cancel you quick if you disagree.

49:09Welcome to the people's republic of doers, I say.

49:14Not as we, we're living in the states of confusion.

49:18Coast to coast, it's the same.

49:22Red states, blue states, everybody playing the blame game.

49:28From sea to shine, see, it's one big comedy.

49:32States of confusion, Lord have mercy on me.

49:40Drive through Missouri, show me state, turn state of misery.

49:43Gateway arc standing tall over myth labs and barbecue misery.

49:47Kansas City steaks, but the heartland's feeling the squeeze.

49:52Fly over country getting forgotten.

49:55While the coats do as they please.

49:58Show me the money, show me the job, show me where the hope went.

50:02Cause right now, Missouri's just one long state.

50:06A misery lament.

50:10Then there's California, sorry, I mean, coming for you a dream.

50:14Where the stars all glitter and the taxes make you scream.

50:17Silicon Valley billionaires preaching save the planet from their jets.

50:20While homeless tens line the sidewalks and the middle class just forgets.

50:24Legal weed in the morning, illegal everything by night.

50:29California, where the sun shines bright.

50:33But the future ain't right.

50:37Now back to my own backyard, the great Michigan.

50:41Once mowed a city muscle, now rust and regret on the brain.

50:44Detroit went bankrupt, but the taxes still keep on rising.

50:47Politicians promise jobs while the factories keep on closing.

50:51Great Lakes to blisten, but the economy's in the tank.

50:56It's like a match again.

50:57Yeah, we're trying real hard, but we just keep falling back.

51:02And don't get me started on Illinois.

51:04The state of Illinois.

51:06Chicago corruption running deep like that deep dish void.

51:09Politicians grinning while the taxes keep on rising high.

51:12Windy city blowing smoke making honest folks wanna cry.

51:15Springfield to the suburbs.

51:18Everybody's getting fleece.

51:21Illinois is hell.

51:23Yeah.

51:24This state's a straight up beast.

51:27Now we hit Texas.

51:28Lone Star.

51:28State of Texas.

51:29Pride.

51:30Oil barons riding high.

51:31While the grid fries nationwide.

51:33Austin weirdos dancing with cowboys in the heat.

51:36Border talking ballots can't keep the chaos off repeat.

51:39Big trucks, bigger hats, and politics that bite.

51:42Texas.

51:43Yee-haw!

51:44Freedom.

51:45But the power's out tonight.

51:48We're living in the states of confusion.

51:50From mass hysteria to California.

51:54State of misery in the middle.

51:56Make a gain in Illinois.

51:58Forever more.

52:00Red, blue, purple.

52:02We're all confused as can be.

52:05The states of confusion.

52:07But it's still the land.

52:11Of the free.

52:14Lord have mercy.

52:16State of confusion.

52:19Yeah that's now status of.

52:22The people we.

52:29Eyes open wide.

52:32Not living in fear.

52:36Just knowing the signs.

52:39When danger draws near.

52:44Just knowing the signs.

53:10They call it paranoia when you pay attention.

53:14But there's a difference between fear and comprehension.

53:17Crime doesn't clock in.

53:18Terrorism has no zip code.

53:20Anytime, any place you better know which road.

53:23You are not an ostrich with your head buried in sand.

53:26You're a thinker with awareness.

53:28And a reason you still stand.

53:34When the world erupts around you.

53:37Don't let panic be your guide.

53:40Three options in the crisis moments.

53:42Only one keeps you alive.

53:46Awake.

53:47Not paranoid.

53:49Situationally aware.

53:51Not consumed by all the fear porn.

53:54But prepared to face what's there.

53:57Fight.

53:58Flight.

53:58Or maybe fade.

54:00Know the difference.

54:01Make the call.

54:03A thinking mind won't be the sheep all trampled when the panic falls.

54:09Awake.

54:12Not paranoid.

54:14Awake.

54:15Remember when the music stopped and panic filled the air.

54:18The stampede was the danger, not what triggered the scare.

54:21Fry and pan to fire when you run without a thought.

54:24The threat that really kills you is the panic that you caught.

54:27My armor bearer ostrich, which one are you gonna be?

54:29Assess the situation, is that danger close to me?

54:32Is it in my orbit?

54:34Is it coming for my space?

54:35Or do I fade to safety, live to fight another day?

54:38When the world erupts around you, don't let panic be your guide.

54:44Free options in the crisis moment.

54:46Only one keeps you alive.

54:50Awake.

54:51Not paranoid.

54:53Situationally aware.

54:55Not consumed by all the fear porn.

54:58But prepared to face what's there.

55:01Fight.

55:02Flight.

55:02Or maybe fade.

55:04Know the difference.

55:05Make the call.

55:06A thinking mind won't be the sheep all trampled when the panic falls.

55:13Awake.

55:15Not paranoid.

55:17Awake.

55:19Life over death.

55:20Hope over fear.

55:21Faith over despair.

55:23Keep your wits clear.

55:24Love over hate.

55:25Good over evil.

55:27Freedom over tyranny.

55:28Rise above the sheep all.

55:30Awake.

55:31They said burn out, don't fade away.

55:33But I say fade and live to see another day.

55:36Unless it's in your orbit.

55:37Unless there's no escape.

55:39Then you stand and fight.

55:40That's the choice that heroes make.

55:42Awake means you are watching.

55:44Not wrapped in paranoia's chains.

55:47You carry situational awareness.

55:49Like an umbrella when it rains.

55:52Not selling fear.

55:54Not peddling doom.

55:55Just asking you to think.

55:58Before the panic swallows reason.

56:01And you're swept across the brain.

56:05Awake.

56:06Not paranoid.

56:08Situationally aware.

56:10Not consumed by all the fear porn.

56:13But prepared to face what's there.

56:16Fight.

56:17Flight.

56:17Or maybe fade.

56:19Know the difference.

56:20Make the call.

56:21A thinking mind won't be the sheep.

56:24Or trampled when the panic falls.

56:28Awake.

56:29Not paranoid.

56:32Awake.

56:34Think.

56:35Don't panic assess.

56:38Don't assume.

56:42Fade.

56:44When you can fight.

56:46When you must awake.

56:50When you must awake.

56:51Not paranoid.

56:53Just awake.

56:57Like and subscribe to Christitutionalist Politics Podcast and share episodes.

57:05We need your help.

57:07Thank you for having tuned into another Christitutionalist Podcast show.

57:14I really appreciate that you stopped by.

57:18Again, please like, share, subscribe.

57:21We need you to help spread the Christitutionalist Movement.

57:27Thank you again.

57:29Take care.

57:30God bless.

57:31Love you all.

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