Your church board suggests reducing your salary to save on taxes. It sounds brilliant—lower salary means lower SECA taxes, right? Wrong.

In this episode, we expose why voluntary salary reduction arrangements violate IRS constructive receipt rules and could trigger audits, penalties, and financial chaos. Learn what the tax authorities actually say, and discover legitimate alternatives that provide better tax savings without the risk.

If you've ever wondered about creative compensation arrangements with your church, this episode could save you thousands in penalties and protect your ministry's financial integrity.

🔗 FULL ARTICLE: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/blog/the-salary-reduction-tithe-trap

RESOURCES MENTIONED:🏠 FREE HOUSING ALLOWANCE TOOL: shepherdswallet.com/housing-allowance-tool

📊 Pastor Tax Review: https://shepherdswallet.com/taxreview

💬 Join Sacred Capital Community https://shepherdswallet.com/join

📖 Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances" (35% discount) https://shepherdswallet.com/book

This content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized tax or legal advice. Tax laws are complex and individual situations vary. Please consult with qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

If you signed Form 4361 and opted out of Social Security, you can't undo that decision. But you CAN build real financial security with the right plan.

This episode walks opted-out pastors through four essential steps to replace the benefits you gave up:

1. Qualifying for Medicare through secular work,
2. Saving and investing aggressively,
3. Getting disability insurance, and
4. Building a healthcare savings strategy.

No guilt, no relitigating past decisions—just practical action steps you can implement today. Whether you opted out decades ago or recently, this is your roadmap to financial peace.

• Join the Sacred Capital Community: https://shepherdswallet.com/join
• Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances" (35% off): https://shepherdswallet.com/book
• $95 Tax Review: https://shepherdswallet.com/taxes
• Free Coaching Consultation: https://shepherdswallet.com/coaching
• Book Seth for church board training: https://shepherdswallet.com/speaking

Are you accidentally paying your bank thousands in interest just to save a few hundred in taxes?

In this live Q&A excerpt, I walk through my mortgage refinance calculator designed specifically for pastors and show you exactly how to compare three scenarios:✅ Keep your existing mortgage✅ Refinance to new terms✅ Pay off aggressively

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Keeping your mortgage only saves money under VERY specific conditions (22%+ tax bracket, sub-5% interest rate, under 10 years remaining)
• Refinancing often costs pastors MORE despite lower rates because of extended loan terms
• You need to factor in your housing allowance benefits when making ANY mortgage decision
• The peace of knowing your numbers is worth more than the "perfect" mathematical answer

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

📊 Free Mortgage Refinance Calculator:

https://shepherdswallet.com/refinance-calculator

Join the Sacred Capital Community (FREE)https://shepherdswallet.com/join

📖 Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances" (35% discount)https://shepherdswallet.com/book

💬 Schedule Free Coaching Consultationhttps://shepherdswallet.com/coaching

📝 Read the Full Blog Posthttps://www.shepherdswallet.com/blog/should-you-refinance-your-mortgage-as-a-pastor

🎯 Tax Review ($95 for peace of mind)https://shepherdswallet.com/taxes⁠📚 Tax Mastery Training (file your own taxes with confidence)https://shepherdswallet.com/taxes

Professional tax prep costs $500+ and many CPAs still get minister taxes wrong. Filing yourself? I've never seen a self-prepared pastor return without major errors. There has to be a better way.

In this video, I break down the 5 most costly mistakes I see in both professional AND self-filed pastor returns - from church payroll disasters to housing allowance confusion to SECA tax miscalculations.

Resources Mentioned:📋 Comprehensive Tax Review ($95): shepherdswallet.com/taxes🎓 Self-File Training Program ($225): shepherdswallet.com/taxes📖 Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances" (35% off): shepherdswallet.com/book👥 Join Sacred Capital Community (FREE): shepherdswallet.com/join🗣️ Church Board Training: shepherdswallet.com/speaking

The IRS allows you to amend returns for up to 3 years - if you've been making these mistakes, you could potentially recover thousands in overpaid taxes.

This content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized tax or legal advice. Tax laws are complex and individual situations vary. Please consult with qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

Ever preached about stewardship then came home worried about your own financial reality? You're not alone. The #1 thing keeping pastors from financial security isn't lack of money—it's guilt.

In this episode, I address the toxic theology that makes pastors feel guilty about pursuing financial wisdom, and introduce the 5-10-15 Rule—a simple framework designed specifically for pastoral finances.

THE 5-10-15 RULE:

• 5 months of essential expenses in emergency savings
• 10x income in life insurance (minimum $150k-$250k per adult)
• 15% of total compensation saved for retirement

RESOURCES MENTIONED:📖 Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances" (35% off): https://shepherdswallet.com/book

👥 Join Sacred Capital Community (FREE): https://shepherdswallet.com/join
💬 Free Coaching Consultation: https://shepherdswallet.com/coaching

🎤 Speaking Inquiries: https://shepherdswallet.com/speaking

Missing thousands in housing allowance benefits? You're not alone.In this live demonstration, I walk through my housing allowance optimization tool using real pastor scenarios. Watch as we uncover hidden qualifying expenses most pastors miss and see exactly how proper housing allowance planning can save $2,000-$5,000+ annually.🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✅ Step-by-step housing allowance calculation walkthrough✅ Common mistakes that cost pastors thousands✅ Strategic planning for maximum tax benefits✅ Fair rental value vs. actual expense comparisons🔗 DOWNLOAD THE TOOL: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/housing-allowance-tool📖 BOOK PRE-ORDER: "Shepherding Your Finances" launches Spring 2026https://www.shepherdingyourfinances.com/💬 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:For ongoing support and exclusive content: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/join📅 COACHING PROGRAMS:- Quick Start Session: $550- Intensive Coaching: $2,750 (6 sessions)Details: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/coachingThis content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized tax or legal advice. Tax laws are complex and individual situations vary. Please consult with qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: This video mentions strategic 1099 arrangements with the pastor’s church for non-ministerial duties as a potential way to access expense deduction capabilities from church income. However, this strategy is NOT recommended as it puts pastors at increased audit risk and could lead to potential reclassification, back taxes, and/or penalties. Schedule C deductions can be used for independent ministerial work such as weddings and funerals.🔥 PASTORS: Are you overpaying on taxes? 🔥Most ministers don't realize they're paying 15.3% SECA tax on ALL their income—including housing allowance. That's $9,180 in taxes on a $60K salary! 😳But here's what 40% of churches get WRONG: They set up 401(k) plans instead of 403(b)s, costing their pastors THOUSANDS in potential savings every year.The good news? There are 3 proven strategies that can save ministers $1,500-4,000+ annually in self-employment taxes:✅ Strategic 403(b) contributions (exclusive benefit secular employees can't get!)✅ Business expense deductions on Schedule C income✅ Self-employment tax deductions (automatic but limited)💡 DOWNLOAD THE TAX PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW GUIDE: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/tax-interview-guide🔗 FULL ARTICLE: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/blog/minister-seca-tax-reduction-guide📖 BOOK PRE-ORDER: "Shepherding Your Finances" launches Spring 2026https://www.shepherdingyourfinances.com/💬 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:For ongoing support and exclusive content: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/join📅 COACHING PROGRAMS:- Quick Start Session: $550- Intensive Coaching: $2,750 (6 sessions)Details: https://www.shepherdswallet.com/coachingThis content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized tax or legal advice. Tax laws are complex and individual situations vary. Please consult with qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

Pastor Appreciation Day is October 12th, and this year I want to do more than just say "thank you." I'm giving away up to three Pastor Spotlight Scholarships - and YOU get to nominate your pastor.Each winner receives:✅ 90-minute Financial Quick Start session✅ Advance copy of "Shepherding Your Finances"✅ 3 months free community membership✅ Featured podcast interviewKnow a pastor who deserves some financial peace of mind? Tell me why in 200 words:

https://www.shepherdswallet.com/pastor-appreciation-daySubmissions close October 5th. Let's show our shepherds some real appreciation!#PastorAppreciation #MinistryFinances #PastorCare

Most expense tracking systems fail because they're too complicated for busy ministry life. The Sharpie Strategy changes that.

In this episode, you'll discover a dead-simple method busy pastors can use to track their housing allowance expenses - a system that takes 15 minutes to set up and runs on autopilot.

You'll learn:

• The hidden dangers of poor record-keeping
• The Sharpie Strategy (it's not what you think)
• The peace that comes from employing automated systems that make margin for ministry

Resources mentioned:

• Join our community: www.shepherdswallet.com/join
• Pre-order "Shepherding Your Finances": www.shepherdingyourfinances.com

Got questions? Email [email protected]