I recently announced that I have obtained the Certified Financial Planner™ designation. As a result, I got a number of responses asking what kind of services I offer as a financial planner. One generous reader even wisely told me, “a more ‘aggressive’ tooting of your own horn would be appropriate.”

I hear you. Today I’m going to tell you about what I do beyond this blog, in case you want to be a part of it. 

Financial Planning Services

I offer financial planning services through Guide Financial Planning. This is a different company than Pastor’s Wallet and I do not own it. Financial planning and investment management is a very highly regulated industry so it requires a different business entity than the educational content I provide through Pastor’s Wallet.

I was originally planning on starting my own financial planning firm in order to have complete control over my schedule, who I serve, and how I serve them. I wanted a flexible schedule where I could put my family first and I didn’t just want to work with wealthy people‒I wanted to provide comprehensive financial planning for pastors and the middle class. 

Then I found Guide Financial Planning. 

At Guide, I have flexibility and get to do everything I want to do without having to go through the trouble and regulatory burden of starting my own financial planning firm. On top of that, I get to work with a wonderful team of people that have my back when I’m sick and help me out with my work and are also a joy to be around. Guide was serving pastors even before I showed up‒I consider it a match made in heaven.

Comprehensive Financial Plan

Through Guide Financial Planning, I offer three services; two of which are one-time engagements and one is ongoing. Our core initial offering is a comprehensive financial plan. This is a comprehensive overview of every area of your financial life, including cash flow and budgeting, retirement planning, investments, taxes, housing allowance, Social Security, estate planning, debt, and any other topic that is relevant to your situation. You can read a more in-depth description and see sample financial plans here.   

Quick Start Session

For those who are not ready for a comprehensive financial plan or just have a few key questions, I do something called a Quick Start Session. This is just a 1 ½ hour video call where I address your most pressing issues. Examples of that would be looking at retirement projections to see how long your money may last, analyzing what to do with an inheritance or how best to pay off debt, or even just a starter session for a new pastor where I can explain all of the uniqueness of clergy finance and help you figure out how it applies to your life. 

Ongoing Financial Planning

Those are the two one-time services that I provide. For those who do a comprehensive financial plan, they have the option of continuing with ongoing financial planning services. This is perfect for people who don’t like managing their finances on their own, need accountability in order to be a good steward, or want to make sure their spouse will be able to take things over as easily as possible if something happens to them. 

With this service, I will walk with you through life. We will meet twice a year and connect as often as you need in order to have confidence that you are on top of things and headed in the right direction. I can also manage investments for my ongoing clients, though that is not a requirement to work together. You can read more about ongoing financial planning here. 

If you are interested in any of the three financial planning services I just discussed, you can schedule a free introductory call to learn more and tell me about your situation here. Please only schedule a call with that link if you are actually interested in financial planning. For all other things, such as questions about how clergy finances work, please email me at amy@pastorswallet.com. 

Speaking Engagements

In addition to the financial planning services that I offer through Guide Financial Planning, I also do speaking engagements through Pastor’s Wallet. I love doing webinars for churches, denominations, and other groups. The fee for a 60-75 minute webinar that includes Q&A is currently $500. I do a very limited number of in-person speaking engagements for conferences and retreats, which you can email me about if you’re interested. 

People often ask me how I make money from Pastor’s Wallet since there are no ads. The truth is, I don’t really. The bulk of my income comes from financial planning through Guide FP. As far as Pastor’s Wallet is concerned, I only make money from speaking engagements and book royalties, which is enough to cover the costs of the website plus a little. I could probably make a lot more if I put advertisements on the blog, but I just find those so annoying that I don’t have the heart to do that to you. 

How Do You Know If You Need Financial Planning?

Let me end with a quick story. I grew up in Southern California. Once when I was a teenager, my friends and I stayed at the beach late and before we left a thick fog had rolled in from the ocean. By the time we got to our car, the fog was so thick that we could not see which way to go to get out of the parking lot. 

I ended up having to get out of the car and walk in front of it staring at the ground while my friend slowly rolled along behind me with the headlights on. We inched along for quite awhile until I found a curb and was able to follow it to the parking lot’s exit. Even now, decades later, I remember the emotions I experienced that night. It was incredibly unnerving not to be able to see where we were or what way we needed to go to get out of there. 

If that’s how you feel with your financial life, then you need a financial plan. A financial plan won’t change anything about your current situation. What it will do is lift the fog and give you a clear picture of where you currently are and what steps you need to take in order to go where you want to go in life. 

Here are some other articles you might find helpful:

What is Financial Planning?

What is Financial Planning for Pastors?

What Does the Bible Say About Financial Planning?