Financial Clarity for Doctors

By Finity GroupBusiness Investing

Financial Clarity for Doctors episodes

May 11The Economy: Data vs Sentiment
Human behavior and feeling is not always driven by numbers and data. This is especially true when we think about consumer sentiment compared to the economy we review in numbers and charts. In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden discuss current economic sentiment, current economic conditions, and why those two things seem to be harder and harder to reconcile.
How are we feeling and what do the numbers show?
A University of Michigan survey earlier this year showed that consumer sentiment is at its lowest point since 1978 (strong employment, but high inflation and a weak dollar).
Reasons include fears of new technology (will AI take our jobs?), interest rates/federal reserve, lingering effects of inflation, geopolitical conflict, and domestic political differences.
BUT:
Unemployment is ~4.3% - low historically, but higher than a couple years ago.
But job addition numbers are low.
S&P 500 is at an all-time high as of mid-April 2026.
Almost two thirds of people are investing in stocks.
Inflation is about 3%. Very close to average, but we are still feeling the lingering effects of the last couple years.
Wages have grown faster than inflation.
Despite the positive economic data, lots of things can make our “sentiment” more negative, especially if it affects us directly. That can include things like:
Feeling like buying a home is no longer affordable.
Being stuck in a job you don’t like, because there are limited job opportunities.
Experiencing more localized effects of things like decreased tax revenue – cuts in schools for example.
As always, these topics are large and nuanced. We have little to no control over larger economic trends. Try to focus on what you can control, whether that’s your own personal finances or the causes you choose to support. Listen to the full episode to learn more.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. Finity Group, LLC is a separate entity from LPL Financial.
52 min
April 27The Challenges of Early Retirement
For a lot of people, the answer to when they would like to retire is “as soon as possible!” For those folks, a lot of resources often need to go toward that goal, because it is challenging! In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden discuss some challenges of early retirement and how to best work toward that goal.
Early Retirement Basics:
What is early?
Social Security Full Retirement Age is now Age 67.
Age 65 is still fairly standard.
Age 60 is early retirement! If you are thinking about retiring even earlier, the challenges compound.
Being prepared to quit work earlier means you will have fewer years to save, fewer years for your money to grow, and more years to support yourself without earned income. This is the challenge!
Every situation is different, but for most people, that means you must save a large percentage of your gross income for retirement.
This reduces the lifestyle you need to maintain in retirement and helps your savings grow faster.
This is a complicated and nuanced topic with lots more to learn! To learn additional early retirement strategies, listen to the full episode. As always, we encourage folks to focus on what they can control – spending, savings, and potentially earnings.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
39 min
April 13Teaching Kids to Save
April is Financial Literacy month, and in this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden talk about some basics of teaching kids to save and manage money responsibly. Getting kids to the point where they are financially independent is a huge milestone, and sometimes it feels like that is harder to achieve than it has ever been.
Strategies and ideas for raising financially literate children:
Model good financial habits and discuss them with your children. This includes:
Tradeoffs – you can buy this, but then won’t have enough money for that.
Delayed gratification – saving for the “big” items.
Retirement – we set aside some of our money, so someday we can quit working.
College – we set aside money for you, so that someday you can go to college, learn schools, and get a good job to be able live on your own.
Taxes – some portion of the money we make goes to the government to pay for schools, roads, and other things.
Start early with the basics and as your children grow, you can incorporate things like savings accounts, investment accounts, and even involving your kids in decision-making with family spending (vacations are a great example!).
There is no perfect way to teach every single kid, but knowledge is key here! You don’t necessarily need to discuss specific numbers like salaries, but involving kids in the household finances at a very basic level is a great way for them to learn.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
35 min
March 30Mutual Funds vs ETFs vs Other Investments
In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden are joined by Zach Kill, CFA® to walk through some of the basics of mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). They are very similar! But there are a few differences and pros/cons to both.
Similarities:
Both are collections of investments purchased with pooled money, usually from many different investors.
There is generally a stated purpose for the fund. For example, an S&P 500 ETF and mutual fund are both designed to track the performance of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S.
Both can be either passively managed (most likely following an index) or actively managed with a management team selecting individual companies to buy and sell.
Differences include:
The timing of trading and pricing.
Mutual funds are generally traded and priced at “Net Asset Value” (NAV) as of the end of the day when the trade was initiated.
ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day, similar to stock trading.
This can affect things like price and tax efficiency.
There are a few other options that we cover in this episode as well. Listen to the full episode to learn more, including why any of this even matters.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
50 min
March 16Realistic Return Expectations
In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden walk through some realistic expectations for investment returns. The biggest thing is to expect a bumpy ride! Then it is harder to be caught off guard.
In this episode we discuss:
Historical returns of different categories of investments over time.
The best and worst decades. The range is huge!
Cumulative returns over time for different markets and time periods.
The value of diversification.
Past returns cannot tell us how markets will perform in the future, but they provide great examples of just how volatile investing can be. One of the best years to be invested in large US companies was 1954 with about a 53% return in the S&P 500; while one of the worst years was 2008 with about a -37% return. That is a wide variety of outcomes that you must be prepared for when investing in the stock market. Having diversification can soften those sharp edges a bit, but it’s still going to be a bumpy ride! Listen to the full episode to hear more.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
32 min
March 02Taxes are the Worst
It’s tax season! In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden dive into the horror and torture of filing your annual tax returns. We may not be accountants, but we can certainly commiserate.
In this episode we discuss:
Some basics of taxation, including where your tax money goes and why it feels so challenging to tackle the filing process.
A few ways to reduce your taxable income AND increase your savings through workplace retirement plans and things like Health Savings Accounts.
Suggestions on how to stay organized to ease the process a bit.
Encouragement to outsource tax planning to professionals if/when you feel overwhelmed.
Often paying your taxes is not too terrible, but the process of completing and filing your return can cause anxiety and fear. Our tax system is complicated, and it is not uncommon to feel like you’ve missed something. It may be worth a little money to offload that worry and concern. Listen to the full episode to hear more.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
39 min
February 16Investing During Scary Markets
Sometimes the world feels scarier than average. In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden, walk through some questions and discussions that have come up with clients who seem to be bracing for something scary to happen that will affect their portfolios.
In this episode we discuss:
Current fears, including the growth of AI companies, geopolitical risk, housing affordability, and political tension.
Past examples of market drawdowns, some short-lived, others that took a long time to recover from!
Covid downturn
Housing crisis
Internet bubble
Great depression
How market cycles and economic/political cycles do not align as well as you may expect.
We cannot guess how the market will react to specific economic or political events.
The market recovered very quickly during Covid even though a lot of people were still struggling.
How diversification can help insulate you from some risk but also help you feel more comfortable with your portfolio.
Trying to time the market could potentially be the biggest risk of all, especially if you sell when the market declines and you feel less comfortable investing. This may mean you’re in the market for the bad days and then miss the good ones! Try to remain consistent. Listen to the full episode to hear more about alternative investments that offer some downside protection.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
38 min
February 02Dollar Cost Averaging vs Investing ASAP
In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden, discuss one of the strategies used by many investors, dollar cost averaging. What is it? How does it work? Is it really better than investing lump sums of money? They may not be able to answer that last one for you, but learn more about it and decide for yourself!

Dollar Cost Averaging Basics:
Investing equal amounts of money at equal intervals over time.
For example: Investing $1,000 on the first of each month.
When share costs are higher, you will purchase fewer shares; when share costs are lower, you will purchase more shares.
Lots of this happens automatically!
When you invest in your retirement plan at work.
When you make your IRA contribution annually.
On the flip side, many folks argue that instead of spreading out contributions, you are investing money as soon as you determine it is appropriate to invest that money. Three out of four years the stock market is up, so why not just invest sooner than later?
Ideally, you are doing both. Investing money immediately on a periodic basis as you have extra funds from your paycheck, etc.

There are lots of considerations when deciding whether or not to dollar cost average. Things like how large a lump sum contribution may be, whether you are reinvesting money that has already been invested, and what your risk tolerance is. Bottom line, do what you need to do to get money into the market and try not to make emotional decisions based on the world and your perception of current stock market values.

For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance

Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
28 min
January 19Life is a Competition
In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden, discuss some of our impulses to measure our financial success by comparing it to others. How do we avoid this trap? Or do we really need to avoid it?
Humans are competitive by nature (or is it nurture?):
If you come across a bear in the woods, you don’t need to be faster than the bear, just faster than the person running with you.
In sports, it’s usually the same! You don’t need to achieve a specific internal goal to “win” you just need to beat your competitors.
This is not always helpful in finances!
Trying to win with finances often focuses on outward signs of wealth and success which do not always line up with your own goals and interests.
This has become worse in the age of social media, where everyone advertises their homes, vacations, and perfect children.
This is one of those things that is easier said than done but try to focus on your personal goals and benchmarks as a measure of success instead of comparing yourself to others. And understand that many folks with external signs of wealth may be struggling financially. Listen to the full episode for more tips!
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 
Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
32 min
January 05SAVE Plan is Dead
Financial Clarity for Doctors tackles some student loan updates with hosts Rachelle Vanderzanden and Corey Janoff. On December 10th, the Department of Education proposed a settlement in the case challenging the SAVE plan and agreeing to dismantle the payment plan (pending court approval, so maybe not officially dead). What does that mean for the seven million borrowers still enrolled in the plan?
Next steps for SAVE plan participants:
Most folks will likely need to apply to move into a new income-driven payment plan or move into a Standard repayment plan.
This means recertifying income and enrolling in one of the remaining plans. Currently, those options are IBR, ICR, or PAYE with the new RAP plan being rolled out this coming summer.
If the goal is to work toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you will likely want to enroll in the plan that equals the lowest payment.
When you reach 120 months of qualifying employment, you can look into the “Buyback” program to see if you can make payments from your time in forbearance.
If the goal is not PSLF, you can explore lots of options, payment plans, and even refinancing. Although move slowly with refinancing! Moving to a private bank has some downsides.
As with everything, your student loan approach should be determined based on your goals and needs. Any strategy (including loan repayment) depends on the specifics of your situation. If needed, consult with a professional to try to find the best strategy for your loans. They were an investment in your future! But we don’t want them hanging over your head forever.
For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!
LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 

Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.
22 min