Lutheran Church Extension Fund
Lutheran Church Extension Fund
Investments
LCMS Members and Businesses
Retirement - IRA

Loan Rates

New Mission Starts4.125%
Congregational4.500%
Specialized Ministries2.500%
RCW Mortgage APR3.590%
 

Investment Rates

StewardAccount®0.375% - 1.000%
Family Emergency1.125%
5-Year Term Note1.625%

LCEF offers IRA options as you plan for your future. Whether you're preparing for retirement or a family member's education, an IRA may be the perfect investment vehicle for you.

Retirement - IRA

By investing your retirement funds with LCEF, you know exactly where your money is and how it's being used. Your investments work for churches, schools and other LCMS ministries before it goes to work for you in retirement or for education expenses.

The IRA choices LCEF offers include:

  • Traditional IRA: Contributions are made pre-tax. Unlike some retirement plans that require you to work a certain number of years before the funds are yours, an LCEF IRA is 100% yours from the beginning and you may make withdrawals at any time (withdrawals before age 59½ are currently subject to a 10% IRS penalty however). Read the Traditional IRA brochure.
  • Roth IRA: The investment grows tax-free and under certain situations distributions are tax free after five years. There are contribution limits, depending on income and other IRA investments made during the year. Minimum distributions are not required at age 70½. Read the Roth IRA brochure.
  • Coverdell Education Savings Account: Distributions from this IRA are tax-free for qualified elementary, secondary or higher education costs, which can include tuition, computer equipment, room and board, etc., including those for Lutheran schools. Read the Coverdell Education Savings Account brochure.

Resources

  • Unsure about whether to open a traditional or a Roth IRA? This brochure may help.
  • Considering transferring an IRA to LCEF from another institution (often called rollovers)? Read our brochure on transfers and rollovers. For details and required forms, call 1-800-843-5233.

IRA Forms

Find the forms you need to open or maintain your IRA accounts with LCEF at our IRA Service Center.

Consult Your Tax Advisor

Neither LCEF nor its representatives give legal, accounting, or tax advice. We always suggest that you consult with your tax advisor as to the applicability of this information to your own situation.

For assistance in completing the necessary forms or have any questions, please call 1-800-843-5233.

Build Connections Through Childcare

"We feel very blessed to have been able to work with LCEF to fund this project," said Rev. Lawrence Mitchell of Faith Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Ind. An LCEF loan allowed the congregation to build an addition that supports its growing child-care ministry. Mitchell says "many families have become involved or re-involved with the church" through the center. Let LCEF help fund your childcare outreach.

Continue Tradition of LCMS Support

Educate those you love as to what is truly important about how you’ve invested. In your life’s journey, you may have invested to buy a house, send your children to college or for unexpected expenses. Maybe you’ve used it for retirement. Explain to your loved ones how your LCEF investment has helped create places for sharing the Gospel and supported ministries seeking to help their communities.

LCEF is a nonprofit religious organization; therefore, LCEF investments are not FDIC-insured bank deposit accounts. This is not an offer to sell investments, nor a solicitation to buy. LCEF will offer and sell its securities only in states where authorized. The offer is made solely by LCEF's Offering Circular. Investors should carefully read the Offering Circular, which more fully describes associated risks.
©2011 Lutheran Church Extension Fund. All rights reserved.