Church Retirement Planning

Why should you save your retirement dollars with Servant Solutions?

• Ministers receiving retirement income from the Servant Solutions Retirement Plan are not taxed on the portion designated to be their housing allowance. That is a huge benefit! Ministers can contribute to the Plan with pretax dollars, and then they can receive distributions in retirement without paying tax, too. The dollars go in and come out tax free!

• We provide exceptional value to our members at a very low cost. For more information on our low fees, check out our investment costs.

• Our investment lineup is diversified. It offers investment solutions for both novice and sophisticated investors.

• Finally, we support our members by answering their questions quickly and personally. In addition, we provide free financial planning guidance to all our members.

  Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

What Type of Plan Is It?

A 403(b)(9) Church Plan is a defined contribution plan specifically designed for the unique needs of churches, Christian colleges and universities, and ministry organizations.

Who can participate?

Employees from all ministry organizations listed above are eligible to participate, unless the employer specifically excludes them.

What type of investments?

1. Lifefunds – Age based mutual funds designed with appropriate level of risk

2. Mutual Funds – For those who watch the market closely, you may pick and choose individual mutual funds

3. Fixed Income Option – Out of market option with a stated rate of return.

Types of Contributions?

• Employees can elect to have their employer withhold money from their paycheck that can be contributed as a pre-tax or after-tax contribution. We also offer a Roth feature for after-tax contributions.

• Employers can make a tax-sheltered contribution on behalf of their employees.

Advantages?

• Church can begin offering our plan to staff at no charge

• No minimum contribution required for employees to open account

• No minimum contribution amount required monthly

• Excellent service – including FREE financial education and opportunities for consultation with a Financial Planning professional

• Wide-range of investment choices

• Retired ministers may have retirement benefits designated as a tax-free housing allowance, within legal limits.

• Employer contributions are not subject to Social Security tax and income tax at the time of contribution.

• Pre-tax participant contributions by ministers are not subject to Social Security tax.

• Rollovers from other eligible retirement plans or Traditional IRAs are possible without tax consequence.

• Contributions, earnings on all contributions and rollovers are tax-deferred.

• Flexible distribution options

• Required distributions at age 73 can be delayed if you are still working.

• Employees have the opportunity to save for retirement with pre-tax, after-tax, and/or Roth contributions.

How to enroll

Ready to enroll your church, college, or ministry? Start here to begin the process and access the enrollment checklist. 

If your employer is already enrolled with Servant Solutions and you’re ready to start a retirement account with us, you can access those details and next steps right here.

Questions?

Need help? Email anytime or call us at (800) 844-8983 with any questions!

At Servant Solutions our mission is “Serving Those Who Serve." Since 1949 we have been helping pastors, churches, universities, and other ministry organizations successfully navigate the complexities of a ministry retirement plan. The Servant Solutions Retirement Plan is a 403(b)(9) church plan. Why is our 403(b)(9) church retirement plan unique? Because our plan allows ministers, pastors, and church staff to take advantage of tax saving strategies not available through other retirement plans. Do you have any ministers on staff at your church or organization? You should keep reading!

Servant Solutions is a nonprofit endorsed agency of the Church of God (Anderson, IN). Are you clergy, a missionary, a self-employed minister, or a lay worker (teacher, administrative assistant, etc.) who is receiving compensation? Is your employer a Church of God congregation, agency, organization, or institution? Then you are eligible to participate in the Servant Solutions Retirement Plan.

If your employer is not affiliated with the Church of God, you might still be eligible to participate. How? If your employer is a church or a non-profit organization that shares common religious bonds and convictions with the Church of God, we would love to serve you, too. We currently serve six other denominations, including the Church of God by Faith and the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. We also serve many Youth for Christ chapters and Independent Christian Churches. Please contact us to see if your employer is eligible to participate!