(The following are very useful recommendations from the Finance Office. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Finance Director, Brian Garrison, or his Administrative Assistant, Wendi Page.)

DON’T GET YOUR WIRES CROSSED

• When requesting wires, include the last four digits of your account number or attach a saved document with the account information to your e-mail.  This will save on confusion and error.
• Send wire requests prior to noon for same day wires. Any requests after noon will be sent the following day.
• Expecting a wire to the Mission Office? Please inform the Finance Office, in advance, of the amount and donor information, so it can be properly applied to your account upon arrival.
• As a reminder…for each wire we send for/to you, Commerce Bank will deduct $8.00 from your account, and the Intermediary Bank will deduct $30.00 from the wire amount.  This does not include potential charges from your receiving bank.
• Wire requests should be directed to: wendi@bbfimissions.com

BE BETTER AT BANKING

• Every missionary should have a checking and personal bank account with Commerce Bank. This will assist with organization of your funds. Contact the Finance Office to set up a new account.
• Send early deposit requests (by email or phone) prior to 2:30 pm CST M-Th and by 1:00 pm CST on Friday for same day early deposits.  Please keep in mind that we do not make early deposits of regular support, only those designated as “specials”.
• Requests or inquiries to Commerce Bank are best made with an e-mail though the Finance office, and NOT directly to Commerce Bank.
• Foreign Banking Rules.  Know what is expected of you regarding your bank accounts on the field.  In January of each year, we send you a reminder regarding this issue.  You can further educate yourself here: Form 114 and Form 8938.

DON’T FAIL TO PLAN…OR YOU’LL PLAN TO FAIL

• Save for retirement.  We partner with GuideStone to help you reach your goals of a comfortable retirement.  Reach out to us for their contact information.
• Conduct a periodic review of your Personal Compensation Worksheet to maximize your personal income.  Contact Wendi for this.
• Plan/prepare for your Social Security/Medicare benefits.  For those who are still enrolled in Social Security, here is your one-stop source for information: https://www.ssa.gov/
• The Tax Man Cometh…while the fact that we have to pay/file our taxes each year does not change, it is a fact that the rules seem to change each year.  It is always a good idea to discuss your situation each year with your Tax Preparer.  Do not have a Tax Preparer? Let us know and we can recommend a professional to you.  Meanwhile here is a helpful piece on Tax Deductions and Benefits for Self-Employed filers: Investopedia

A POA IS A “POWER”FUL TOOL

• With an updated Power of Attorney (POA) on hand, the Finance Office can act on your behalf in many practical and helpful ways, to make life easier for you while you are on the field.  These include ALL banking transactions within your Commerce Bank accounts (including wires), endorsing checks, signing grant forms for MKs, employment verifications for loans and mortgages, to name just a few.  However, if your POA is not current, we are ONLY able to make deposits into your Commerce Bank account.  To check on your POA status you can reach out to Wendi: wendi@bbfimissions.com
• Notarize.com is an accepted resource for obtaining a virtual notary on your BBFI Power of Attorney.  Ask Wendi for details.

GET CLICKING

• mybbfi.com is your go to site for most things informational.  Here, your End of Month Statement can be viewed at any time; Closing Dates for transactions/contributions can be viewed on the Missionary Connection calendar; you can access the BBFI Contact Directory, review the Medical Plan, get IT help, and much more!
• bbfimissions.com is the home page for the BBFI Mission Office.  Check out the recent update to the page…it looks great!
• store. bbfimissions.com is where you can find some cool apparel and merchandise to help promote the BBFI brand.
• worldinitiativenetwork.org takes you to our newest Sending Platform, the World Initiative Network (WIN).  Check out the new program and contact the WIN office if you could benefit from partnering with a WIN missionary in your respective ministry.