Interview Guides: Vet Your Financial Team
Most CPAs and financial advisors are good at what they do — for a general client. Clergy finances aren't general. Dual tax status, housing allowance, SECA, 403(b)(9) mechanics, and the Form 4361 election create planning traps that even experienced professionals routinely miss, often without realizing it.
These two guides give you the exact questions to ask, and the answers to listen for.
Tax Professional Interview Guide
Most tax preparers don't know that ministers are always self-employed for SECA purposes, or how housing allowance documentation actually works. This guide surfaces the gaps before they cost you a filing — with the specific questions, red-flag answers, and a scorecard to evaluate anyone preparing your return.
Download the Tax Professional Interview Guide
Financial Advisor Interview Guide
An advisor who doesn't ask about your Form 4361 status or understand how housing allowance interacts with retirement distributions isn't building your plan on solid ground. This guide walks through the questions that reveal whether an advisor truly understands clergy-specific planning — or is applying generic advice to a situation that isn't generic.