Money Talk For ER Docs™

If you're an ER doc working in another state from the one you reside in, it's probably for a much better-paying job or opportunity. Then consider what we already know: taxes and finances for ER docs are complex. When you layer on top of that multi-state returns, multi-state taxes, and even multi-locality taxes, among so much more, ER docs quickly get up there as being one of the most complex professions when it comes to taxation.

In this episode, we'll get into why ER docs are similar to athletes in this regard and all the things to be aware of when you venture out of your state to earn an income.

If you've listened to prior episodes, you've likely heard us talk about the benefits of having 1099 income. One benefit, in particular, is often overlooked and really takes the cake as the most special for those with children. An immediate deduction for you, savings for them, all while keeping it in the family? It's too good not to take advantage of and every ER doc with kids should seriously consider earning at least some 1099 if only to just take advantage of this opportunity.

In today's episode, we'll discuss this strategy, go over the tangible real dollar benefits you can reasonably expect, and how to avoid pitfalls when implementing.

What it means to own real estate has changed dramatically, not just in the past three years, but even over the past three months. And who knows what the next three months, let alone three years, will look like. This uncertainty makes the decision to purchase real estate risky, but on the other end of the spectrum, potentially rewarding. And to realize that the average American has 70% of their net worth, or more, tied up in real estate, the implications are more important to discuss than ever.

In today's episode, we'll get into purchasing real estate in modern times. From the first-time home buyer, to the ER doc looking to upgrade, downgrade, or get into short- or long-term investing, we'll discuss every angle from our point of view.

One of the most annoying "to-do list" items has to be setting aside time to prepare for what happens to your wealth after you die. That's what an estate plan is, after all – the instruction manual for your hard-earned life's wealth. Neglecting it, or potentially worse, misdirecting it can be costly to you or those who are set to receive your assets. And that's only on one part of the equation (assets passing to your heirs). Remember that you may be receiving assets that may or may not have been planned for properly.

In today's episode, we highlight an example of what can happen when assets pass between generations incorrectly and get into the important differences between beneficiary designations you may not be aware of.

For decades, emergency medicine was the "cool kid," highly desired medical specialty. Now it seems there may be a trend forming that tells a different story.

In this episode, we'll discuss the 2023 match results, learn what variables may be at play that yielded these results, and, of course, what that could mean for you, especially from a personal finance perspective.

When people think of a bank, they usually think of the ultimate level of security with a seemingly endless supply of money to pull from, fraud protection, insurance… the works. So when the public hears about the 2nd largest bank failure in U.S. history, followed by the 3rd largest, it's understandable to be concerned.

On today's episode, we'll get into what happened, what may soon happen, and ultimately the things you can or should do to help protect yourself moving forward from a personal finance and investment perspective.

Life is all about choices. The more informed you are about a subject matter, the better a decision you'll make. The same thing can be said about job offers.

In EM job offers, the "hourly rate" is the benchmark for comparisons. When stripped down, like in the case of 1099 income, the hourly rate is a very clean and valuable metric. It's when the rate is tampered with, like in the case of W-2 positions adding in benefits and contingencies to arrive at a more appealing visual hourly rate number, that things get… tricky. In this episode, we'll look at a specific job offer that a few clients have sent us and provide general guidance on things to look out for when considering taking your next job opportunity.

We review hundreds of tax returns every year for newly onboarded clients. The majority of the time, we see missed opportunities that would have resulted in larger refunds. In some cases, we can amend to claim refunds. But in other cases, even if we can save the client some money, the workload involved in recreating returns from scratch makes it so it's not worth pursuing. In that sense, it's lost money that could have been avoided had it been prepared properly from the start.

On today's episode, we'll discuss yet another strategy that can exist for 1099 earner ER docs looking to maximize their refund. It's just another example of why diligent and thorough tax planning adds up over time.

Are you aware of private equity's involvement in emergency medicine? You may or may not have directly experienced their involvement, but if any of the following sound familiar, it very well could be the result of PE ownership: lack of flexibility internally to work more shifts; difficulty picking more desirable shifts; and/or less higher paying opportunities available.

The reason for this is similar to inflation. Take a company like Doritos. The way they combat inflation is by not only increasing prices, but by also decreasing the amount of chips per bag by 5%. Although it may seem inconsequential as a consumer, it adds up for the producer. The same thing exists for emergency medicine – things are getting smoothed out, but it can be difficult to notice. We'll discuss that on today's episode.

What does "retirement" really mean? We think it's an overused buzzword that can mean so many things to so many people, but traditionally speaking, it refers to the age at which you stop working. On the surface this is a worthy pursuit; however, making this a focus or long-term goal may be jeopardizing more than you know.

In this episode we'll discuss a risk everyone should be considering when thinking about retiring and hopefully shine light on why getting things together financially means so much more than "when am I going to stop working?"