Pastors, Pensions, and Planning Ahead

Pastors, Pensions, and Planning Ahead

From Practical(ly) Pastoring by Practically Pastoring

April 6, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of retirement planning for pastors, covering various financial topics and personal experiences.

This week on Practically Pastoring, the guys dive into a conversation a lot of pastors know they need to have, but would rather keep punting down the road: retirement. Sparked by a question from a pastor in his early 40s who is realizing he may be late to the conversation, the episode tackles what it looks like to start getting serious about retirement planning, especially if no one ever helped you think about it in the first place. The conversation covers denominational pensions, 403(b)s, Social Security, Medicare eligibility, life insurance, debt payoff, and why simply figuring out where you stand right now is a huge first step. The guys share their own situations honestly, from denominational safety nets to trying to build a plan after leaving one, and from paying off a house to making sure a family is protected if the unexpected happens. A big part of the episode focuses on the practical reality that many pastors who opted out of Social Security may still need to understand their Medicare eligibility and their quarter history. It is one of those classic ministry moments where nobody told you this stuff when you were 22, and now you are trying to piece it together without…

Topics covered

  • retirement planning
  • pensions
  • financial security
  • pastoral care
  • life insurance
  • debt management

Keywords

  • retirement
  • pensions
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • financial planning
  • debt payoff
  • life insurance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Social Security, Medicare, 403(b), denominational pensions

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