updated 12:42 p.m. ET June 6, 2010
CHICAGO - Clergy(牧师，教士) seem an unlikely group to be facing a retirement security crisis.
They generally are looked up to by their parishioners(教区居民) as wise and frugal(节俭的). Their pay, although modest, is enough to get by on(靠……过活). And they typically are provided with housing during their careers.
Yet many find themselves in a financial quandary(窘困) as they approach(接近) or reach retirement, squeezed(挤压) by challenges that sometimes exceed those of other professionals(职业者). Often lacking home equity(房屋净值) and a pension, some are struggling to get by and others are staying on the job longer.
The root of the problem is not just limited pay or retirement compensation(退休抚恤), according to the Rev. Dr. Bert White, a retired Methodist(卫理公会教徒) clergyman and lecturer at Boston University. It's a lack of financial literacy(金融知识) among people who really need to take control of their personal finances or risk ending up in dire(可怕恐怖的) straits(穷困).