Browsing Category Retirement

Paul McWilliams is a pastor’s kid turned financial advisor specializing in helping pastors and churches make wise financial decisions that align with their mission. On April 30, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order creating TrumpIRA.gov, a new federal platform set to launch January 1, 2027. The headline is genuinely good news for a lot of American workers: a streamlined way to compare low-cost IRAs, plus up to $1,000 per year in federal Saver's Match contributions for eligible lower- and middle-income ...

Paul McWilliams is a pastor’s kid turned financial advisor specializing in helping pastors and churches make wise financial decisions that align with their mission.Many pastors spend the early years of ministry pouring everything into their calling—often at great personal sacrifice. They plant churches, lead with limited or no salary, and make do without retirement benefits because the church simply isn’t in a position to offer them. Fast-forward 20 or 30 years, and those same pastors are heading toward retirement with little ...

This is a guest post by Nate Skelly, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and founder of Financial Pathway. He is passionate about providing financial education from a biblical worldview. Nate lives in the Tampa, FL, area with his wife, Charity, and their three kids: Jaden, Judah, and Juliet.You know what they say about things that sound too good to be... they usually are! But let me assure you, if you're a licensed, ordained, or commissioned minister, this article is worth 10 ...

Because I specialize in working with pastors, I’m always on a quest to get inside pastors’ heads. In order to serve you effectively, I need to understand your world, your needs, your wants, and your struggles. I do this in many ways, such as discussions with my financial planning clients, emails I receive from my readers, and the comments in our Pastor’s Wallet Online Community. I have noticed a common theme among the struggles that pastors face and the regrets that ...

Whether or not you ever want to stop working, it is important to plan and prepare for retirement just in case your health or your spouse force you to slow down at some point. A lot of people say that their retirement plan is to simply not retire, but real life has shown us that that isn’t always an option. Knowing that, it is irresponsible not to plan for being unable to work someday. The biggest part of a retirement plan ...

Pastors who save into their church’s retirement plan are eligible to withdraw some of that money as a tax-free housing allowance in retirement. It’s a great benefit to have. Unfortunately, a lot of church retirement plans have investments with higher fees than are available in IRAs. Because of this, I have been asked multiple times if it is worth it. Does the ability to claim a housing allowance outweigh the cost of the higher fees? As with everything in financial planning, ...

People over 50 are eligible to make extra contributions to their 403(b) plans. However, some plans even let younger people make extra contributions. Here is everything you need to know regarding eligibility, limits, etc. for making extra contributions to your 403(b). View post

The following is an excerpt from my book, The Pastor’s Wallet Complete Guide to the Clergy Housing Allowance: The IRS says it’s still possible to claim a housing allowance even after you retire and stop receiving a paycheck. Unfortunately, there is no clear law or hard and fast rules about this. There is little guidance and not a lot of certainty, so what we do know is cobbled together from various Revenue Rulings issued by the IRS.  Even in retirement, the rules ...

https://youtu.be/9VV0m-JA9HE There is only one time when a gift to a pastor can be tax-free, and that is at retirement IF certain IRS criteria are met.

https://youtu.be/HS-v_wlFMVY Can money in a 403(b) be claimed as a housing allowance in retirement for someone living in a life care facility where the cost includes meals and medical care? How should that situation be handled?