Wealth for the Righteous Resource Center (WFTR-RC) is a financial education organization that provides consumers with the ‘know-how’ they need to make informed decisions and avoid pitfalls in the marketplace. The Center’s educational resources – publications, website, workshops and public service announcements – seek to improve citizens’ financial literacy in the areas of consumer and family finance, saving and investing, retirement planning, and employee benefits.
Through its affiliations and network of ethical financial professionals Wealth for the Righteous Resource Center provides timely, unbiased and practical information that can empower consumers to take control of their financial destiny.
Mary Craft is the director of Wealth for the Righteous Resource Center (WFTR-RC) and editor of its quarterly newsletter, WEALTH for the RIGHTEOUS. She worked in the financial services industry twelve years before leaving employment in 2005 to establish WFTR-RC.
Mary Craft was employed as a registered representative (FINRA Securities Series 6 and 63 licenses) with several investment companies and as an insurance agent with a national company. Having counseled participants in public and private-sector retirement plans, she has considerable expertise in retirement planning.
As a result of working in the financial services industry, Mary discovered that lack of knowledge was a major reason consumers make unwise financial decisions. Realizing that many consumers do not have access to information that is vital for their financial well-being, Mary became passionate about helping others understand the financial systems in which they routinely operate.
Early in her career Mary gained experience in personal financial management through preparing financial needs analyses for families. She is now educating consumers on the fundamentals of personal finance through Wealth for the Righteous Resource Center. The Center follows the standards and best practices for financial literacy education set by the Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL).
God gave Mary the vision of utilizing the knowledge she has attained through employment in the financial services industry to help others understand the financial products and services they need for their financial well-being.
As a Christian, Mary knew that the current financial state of believers is inconsistent with the Bible which states that wealth and prosperity are rewards for obedience to the Word of God. Rather than being ‘light’ in financial darkness many Christians are stressed-out because of the burden of debt. Ultimately, they are not able to provide a financial legacy for their heirs and community or finance the work of the Great Commission. [See Statement of Values for scriptural references.]
Initially, Mary assumed that financial knowledge would reconcile the discrepancy, but later the Holy Spirit revealed to her that the root cause of the dismal financial state of Christians is a lack of knowledge of God’s Word. This revelation inspired Mary to provide Biblical teachings online — Wealth Notes — to encourage Christians to study scriptures pertaining to wealth and prosperity. As faith comes by hearing, believers need to know what the Bible says about wealth and prosperity and personal financial management. Mary believes that an understanding of God’s plan and purpose for wealth will motivate Christians to become good stewards (managers) of the financial resources God has entrusted to them.
Scripture affirms the need for believers to study God’s Word, have faith in God’s Word, and activate their faith by attaining knowledge and understanding in the area of personal finances. In the Old Testament God instructed the prophet Hosea to tell the Israelites that He was displeased because there was no knowledge about Him in the land and that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:1, 6). In the New Testament Jesus told his disciples that the children of the world (non-believers) are wiser than the children of light (Luke 16:8).
Although WFTR-RC is a faith-based organization, its mission is to improve the financial literacy of all consumers. The Center’s resources are available to the public.
Wealth for the Righteous Resource Center is a partner of the American Savings Education Council (ASEC.org). ASEC is a national coalition of public- and private-sector institutions committed to making saving and retirement planning a priority for all Americans. ASEC’s hallmark educational effort is its Choose to Save® public service campaign (www.choosetosave.org), which runs in all 50 states on television and/or radio stations.
Mary is a member of several professional and civic organizations. Her volunteer work has included counseling at a local crisis pregnancy center and serving on the outreach ministry team at her church. Mary and her spouse, Anthony, reside and worship in Prince George's County, Maryland.