Browsing Category Social Security

We recently went over Form 4361, the IRS document used by pastors to receive an exemption from self-employment taxes. If you’re not familiar with it, you should go back and read about it here. One thing we didn’t discuss in that article, though, was the timing. That’s because I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. So, today we are discussing the timing involved and I will give you multiple examples to make things as clear as possible. It ...

If you’re new to the ministry, you may have heard about Form 4361 from someone. Likely another pastor has mentioned it and told you that it will save you a lot of money. What is this mysterious money-saving piece of paper? What Is Form 4361? Form 4361 is an IRS document that is used by ministers to opt out of public insurance programs. You can view the form itself here. Its official name is Application for Exemption From Self-Employment Tax for Use ...

As you probably know if you read this blog (or can find out here), pastors have to pay both the employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes as if they were self-employed. Those Social Security and Medicare taxes are also called SECA taxes, which is a lot faster to type so that’s what I’m going to call them from here on out.  What Is A SECA Offset? Some churches feel kind of bad that their pastors have to pay ...

Yes. There you have it, shortest blog post ever. But in all seriousness, this is an important matter that can make a huge difference during your retirement. If you didn’t take saving for retirement seriously during your early years, even just receiving a little help from the Social Security Administration could make a big impact your monthly income in retirement. Sounds great. So how does it work? Well, there are two ways: View post

Here at Pastor’s Wallet, we talk a lot about the clergy housing allowance because it’s such a unique benefit for pastors. In fact, I even wrote a book on the topic, as you can see from the above graphic. Today, we are going to talk about how the housing allowance affects Social Security benefits.  You see, your housing allowance is considered compensation for your ministerial services. However, there are a lot of different programs that use compensation numbers and only about ...

You’ve been paying in year after year. After year. After year. And paying double on top of that. Over fifteen percent of your income has been going towards Social Security since you entered the ministry. When does it all pay off? When do you start receiving the benefits? You can file for and begin receiving your Social Security retirement benefits any time between ages 62 and 70. However, what you receive at age 62 is vastly different than what you would ...

https://youtu.be/lBWDamiGLxo Today's video looks at how opting out of Social Security affects Medicare benefits and what happens when pastors already have 40 Social Security credits before opting out.

This is a guest post by Chris Cagle, author of RetirementStewardship.com and The Minister's Retirement book. I recently published a book review on his book and it got such a good reception that I asked him to write something specifically for you. In my book, The Minister’s Retirement, I address many of the fundamental questions that pastors have about planning for, and living in, retirement. Wise planning involves making decisions consistent with biblical stewardship principles and implemented using wisdom and practical ...

Many pastors don't have a solid understanding of how Social Security works and don't think they need to because they have opted out. However, there are some things everyone should understand about Social Security, even pastors. View post

As soon as they are licensed, many pastors jump at the chance to opt out of Social Security. Social Security taxes total about 15.3% of a pastor’s salary, so opting out represents significant savings. However, there are certain benefits that Social Security provides that must be replaced if you opt out. View post