Retirement Plans for the Great Commission Collective
When a church and its elders consider offering a retirement plan for employees, they ask themselves the question: do we have the time, talent, and treasure to do so? Offering a retirement plan can be complicated, and particularly for a small church, starting a new plan can be expensive. That is why we offer the Great Commission Collective (GCC) retirement plan, a 403(b)(9) retirement plan available to our member churches. As a Multiple Employer Plan (MEP), the GCC Plan makes this decision easier since it is designed to minimize your administrative burdens, has built-in professional support, and offers a cost-effective solution.
Working together to help you achieve your mission
The GCC Plan provides access to the professional support you need to provide a retirement savings vehicle for your employees.
- Retirement Savings Education and Guidance. Korhorn Financial Group (KFG) is a multi-disciplinary financial services firm that has served pastors and churches for over 25 years. The KFG team will provide your employees with the retirement education and guidance they need to prepare for retirement.
- Professional Plan Administration. ADMIN Partners is a retirement plan administrator specializing in non-profit and church retirement plans. The ADMIN Partners and KFG teams will assist you in structuring a plan design that meets your needs. ADMIN Partners also provides ongoing retirement plan compliance and administrative support to the church and your employees so you can focus on your mission.
- Investments and Financial Recordkeeping. Newport, an ASCENSUS Company, provides the investments and acts as the financial record keeper for the Great Commission Collective retirement plan. The Newport portfolio offers active and passively managed investment options to meet your employees’ varying goals and objectives.
If you have any questions or are interested in joining the plan, contact Korhorn Financial Group today. Call 574-247-5898 or email retirementplans@korhorn.com.
FAQ
Does the plan permit Housing Allowance distributions for retired pastors? Who can we speak to if we have questions about plan features?
Yes. One of the benefits for ordained ministers is that you can make distributions from your 403(b) in retirement, which will be tax-free to offset housing expenses. This very technical aspect of the 403(b), as well as the other planning strategies, is why Korhorn Financial Group has been selected as the advisor on the plan. KFG will walk ordained clergy and other employees of your church through the decision-making process in the context of how this plan can maximize the benefits of their financial plan.
Can our church choose the plan features we want for our plan?
No. With a Multiple Employer plan design, there is a master plan document that governs the plan provisions for each participating church. However, the master document is written flexibly, so each church determines who is eligible for the plan and who receives an employer contribution.
How do employees enroll in the plan?
Once the plan is set up – Korhorn Financial Group will meet with the employees in person or via web call to discuss investment strategies, contribution amounts, and beneficiary designations.
What are the next steps?
If you have any questions about joining the plan, contact the Retirement Plans Department at Korhorn Financial Group. KFG will set up a virtual meeting with your team to answer any questions you may have and help walk you through the process of getting the administrative part of the plan initiated.
Once the plan has been set up, the next step is to educate eligible employees on the importance of saving for retirement, discuss investment options, and enroll in the plan.
At the same time, the plan administrator will work with designated church staff to put in place procedures for submitting plan contributions and other operational functions.
