Tip: Watch out for the 6 P’s!
I have a friend who has been in the banking business for many, many years. One day as we were having lunch together, we discussed bank loans. I asked him if it was difficult to get a bank loan. He said it was not if a person had a strong financial statement and the proper credentials. He informed me, however, that there were 6 P’s to whom those in the banking business were always careful about loaning money because they were not very good about paying back their loans.
Of course, I couldn’t help but ask if he would mind sharing with me who the 6 P’s were. He smiled and said that they are: politicians, plumbers, painters, policemen, preachers, and prostitutes. I nearly fell out of my chair! I could hardly believe such a list existed. Yet, I could tell by the way he spoke to me about it that it was no joke with him. He was quick to tell me that it did not include everyone in all of those groups because there are always exceptions, but in general, those are the people who often do not pay their bills and the ones that bankers are hesitant to loan money.
I certainly don’t want this Tip to be offensive to anyone! And, since preaching is part of my life, I know that I, potentially, would be included in this group of 6 P’s. I just thought this Tip might help us learn why some people have difficulty handling finances and what they can do about it.
First let’s consider politicians. Every campaign season, we hear politicians making promises that we know are likely not going to be kept. From what we have seen take place, it would seem that power inflates a politician’s view of themselves and their abilities. Perhaps it is that mindset that causes their mismanagement of money.
Plumbers and painters are in the construction business. I think one of the challenges with construction workers is that many of them tend to live from paycheck to paycheck. Naturally, this does not include all of them, but who of us has not heard of the difficulty of dealing with people who are in the construction industry? Often, as soon as they have a paycheck, they spend it on whatever hobby or toy is of interest to them at the moment. That short-sighted view of finances frequently gets them in trouble. It would be much wiser to invest some of that money and use it to build a successful life.
The next two P’s on the list were somewhat surprising to me. Policemen and preachers are people that we should be able to look up to in our culture and society. Both policemen and preachers are in the service industry and help people learn how to have a better life. As a child, I was taught that a police officer was my friend and was someone who could help and protect me. I was also taught that preachers were people who represented God to others and therefore, it was always important to show them respect.
I want to be clear; I think the vast majority of police officers and preachers are wonderful people, but I also know that there are some bad ones as well. And, the bad ones are the ones who tarnish the reputation of them all.
I have wondered, since my banker friend told me about this list, if the common link between all of these people is the fact that regardless of their occupation or vocation, they need to learn how to handle money in a better manner. The financial aspect of life is certainly important and it bears a direct link to our personal responsibility in every area of life! “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).
The last P is for prostitutes and that is a subject that I am not even willing to mention in this Tip. I will leave that one to your imagination. But, I certainly know that “prostitute” is not what you would want to put in the blank space marked “occupation” on a bank loan application. That would not be looked upon very favorably!
The Tip of the Week is designed to help you learn and grow in your own personal life. Although it was many years ago that my friend, John, shared this information with me, it has caused me to want to do everything I can to help people be more responsible in their financial dealings. It is very important to pay our bills on time and do what we say when it comes to personal financial responsibility. Show me a person who is irresponsible with their money and I will show you a person who is headed for trouble!
My father used to say, “When bills come in the door, love goes out the window.” It is important to handle our financial life so that our love life, our family life and our personal life will all be healthy.
I hope this Tip caused you to smile and also caused you to think about the way you handle your own personal finances. Believe me; you do not want to fall into this category of people! However, if you do fall into one of the 6 P’s, like I did, you can always do better and choose to be a special exception to the rule!
Tip: Watch out for the 6 P’s!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
