As a pastor, one of your greatest earthly rewards is the clergy housing allowance. Though it’s nothing compared to the rewards you’re piling up in heaven, it is definitely something that should not be overlooked.   Here are some things to remember as you prepare your 2018 clergy housing allowance request: View post

Christmas is almost here! And that means that grandparents and fun aunts and uncles are going to be scouring the stores (or just Amazon) for the biggest, loudest, most annoying toys to give your children.   Aren’t you excited?   If you don’t want a life-sized Batman taking over your hallway or Giggle Wiggle singing to you every day, be proactive! Open a 529 college savings account for each of your kids so your family and friends can put their money somewhere that it will really benefit your child- and not drive you crazy. (And if you do want Giggle Wiggle, let me know, I have one that I’d be happy to part with.) View post

Two weeks ago I introduced you to your new generation. No longer are we Millennials, Gen Xers or Baby Boomers. We are now united in our responsibilities towards both our parents and kids at the same time. We are the Sandwich Generation. And being a part of this generation can be pretty rough.   It can be financially, emotionally, and physically draining to have your kids and parents both depending on you. Luckily, there are some things that you can do to ease the burden. Last week, we saw how understanding your options, setting clear expectations and boundaries, and making a plan can look when it comes to college-bound kids. Now let’s see how those same principles apply to your parents: View post

Last week, we discussed what it means to be a member of the Sandwich Generation, those adults who are responsible for bringing up their own children and for the care of their aging parents. We discussed how hard it can be to navigate caring for two very different generations without risking your relationships, finances, or sanity.   Today, we are going to talk about the younger generation, the bottom bread in the sandwich. While strollers and soccer clubs can be pretty spendy, for most parents their greatest financial burden comes when it’s time for their kids to go to college. This is where many parents really mess up their finances and put their own futures at risk. View post

November is National Caregiver Appreciation Month, so we are going to be discussing the Sandwich Generation and how you can prepare for it financially, mentally, and emotionally. View post

December 20, 2017 Update: A final version of the tax reform bill has been passed by Congress. Find out how it will affect you here. View post

Last week I introduced you to a little-known alternative to health insurance, medical sharing plans. Depending on your situation, they could be an affordable alternative to traditional health insurance.   There is no set standard for how these ministries work, each is unique in its rules and structure. Here are the details on the top four programs: View post

Affordable Care Act mandates, growing deductibles, and skyrocketing insurance premiums have left many independent pastors scrambling for an answer to their family's health care needs. Luckily, there is a more affordable alternative to health insurance: medical cost sharing plans. View post

  December 20, 2017 Update: A final version of the tax reform bill has been passed by Congress. Find out how it will affect you here. View post

It’s Life Insurance Awareness Month! I’ll be you weren’t aware of that. It’s ok, neither was I until this morning.   In honor of Life Insurance Awareness Month, I am going to finish off the month talking about…   Yep, you guessed it! Life Insurance!   Common Rule Of Thumb If you’re reading this blog, you probably already understand the value of life insurance. You want your family taken care of if anything happens to you. You already know the why. Your big question is probably more along the lines of how much. How much life insurance do I need? View post