This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship. On a recent Sunday morning, one of our lay-elders-in-training (we call them pastoral interns) gave his personal testimony and shared from Joshua 1:1-9, a text that had greatly influenced him. He said that God spoke to him through these verses at an early age, … Read more
I am very excited to announce that my new book, The Minister’s Retirement, has been released and is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. The following is from the introductory material in the book: “This is a book about planning for retirement targeted specifically at ministers. Granted, most ministers I know would … Read more
This article is part of the Retirement Financial Life Equation (RFLE) series. It was initially published on August 13, 2020, and was updated in January 2026. The original article focused primarily on the purchase of a retirement home. However, it has been updated within the RFLE to include rental real estate as Tier 2 income. … Read more
We’re in the middle of what is, without a doubt, going to be one of strangest years in my almost-68-year lifetime. Six months ago, I didn’t think anyone would’ve believed everything that has transpired if you told them. A coronavirus pandemic, quarantines, shutdowns, record unemployment, stock market crashes, and extreme social unrest—all happening during a … Read more
With the COVID-19 pandemic came unprecedented levels of federal spending. As a result, the national debt has reached $26 trillion, and the Congressional Budget Office predicts that the federal deficit for 2020 will hit $3.7 trillion. The government has been borrowing money from the taxpayers for various purposes related to the economic crisis precipitated by the national … Read more
For older workers starting to think about retiring, or already in retirement, the economic turmoil the coronavirus pandemic triggered caused reactions similar to what many felt just over a decade ago at the start of the “Great Recession.” In 2008, the stock markets lost nearly 40 percent, accompanied by steep declines in real estate. The … Read more
Financial crises have a way of revealing the weaknesses, and sometimes failures, of our stewardship practices. As renowned investor Warren Buffet humorously once said, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who has been swimming naked.” The 2008-2009 recession showed American’s overdependence on debt, especially real estate mortgages. Many were house rich and … Read more
This article is the fourth and final one in a series about long-term care (LTC). In the last article, I alluded to long-term care insurance (LTCI) as one of the ways to fund long-term care. In this article, we’ll look at LTCI in more detail—what it covers, what it costs, and whether you should buy … Read more
The potential need for an extended time in long-term care (LTC) is a crucial retirement stewardship concern because of its significant financial implications. We have looked at the types of care, how Medicare and Medicaid, and some other programs fit, and in this third article in a 4-part series, we will look at LTC costs … Read more
