If you plan to hit your 401K contribution limit for the year, but see that you can still add money through “after-tax contributions,” you may be wondering if that is a Mega Backdoor Roth and, more importantly, if you should do it. Nate Reineke and Kyle Hoelzle break down what exactly a Mega Backdoor Roth is and some cases where physicians should use it. We also discuss how you can still contribute post-tax dollars, plus some alternatives that may save you taxes in the long run. We also answer your colleagues' questions. A Dermatologist in New Jersey asks, “Is VOO enough exposure to the US market right now?” A Double doctor family in Oregon says, “Should we invest in a condo for our daughter who is going to undergrad and medical school at the same college next year?” A Radiologist in Texas wonders, “I just received a $300k inheritance. When is the right time to invest it, and what should I invest in?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

Your parents have supported your goals and dreams your whole life, and now that they are growing older, you want to help care for them. The predicament many physicians face is how to balance giving money to their parents and save enough for retirement. Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones discuss some changes you can make to accomplish this goal and how trade-offs are inevitable. We also answer your colleagues’ questions. Cardiologist in Texas says, “I am a W2 employee but I have $100k of additional 1099 income. Should I open a SEP IRA or a Solo 401k?” Dermatologist In Florida asks, “My spouse makes $500k/year. Is it worth it for me to take a job that makes $80k/year while my children are pre-teen?” A Urologist in New York wonders, “If I am going to be in a high tax bracket in retirement, and I’m in a high tax bracket now, should I put money in a Roth or taxable account instead of making pre-tax contributions?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and love is in the air! If there’s one thing most people love, it’s receiving a great job offer. Even better is when you get more than one. But job offers aren’t always as simple as picking the best salary; you have to look at the whole compensation plan, including retirement benefits. Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones break down the math that could help you decide if a higher salary and a 401K are a better choice than a pension plan. We’ll discuss some non-financial elements that could also factor into the decision, like how leaving the job could leave you without the pension anyway. We also answer your colleagues' questions. A Surgeon and an Oncologist in Oregon both ask, “I want to set aside money for my kids, should I use a Trump account?” An ENT in Florida wonders, “When can I buy a boat?” A Private Practice Sports Medicine Physician in Wisconsin says, “Can I use a 529 account to pay for CME that I would like to attend and can deduct pretax?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

You’ve worked and saved your whole career to have the best retirement possible. Now that you are close to retirement, what actually needs to change? Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones answer questions from physicians like you, breaking down exactly that. A Gastroenterologist in Washington asks, “As I get closer to retirement, I’m realizing that spending down my investments is very different from building them up. What are the most important things to focus on with retirement right around the corner?” A Neurosurgeon in New York says, “If I am at the top marginal tax bracket now and intend on spending enough in retirement that we keep me at the highest tax bracket then, should I still contribute to a pre-tax 401k?” An Anesthesiologist in California wonders, “When should I take Social Security? I have always assumed age 70, but are there benefits of taking it earlier?” A Dermatologist in Texas asks, “What if we put most of our money in stocks but just keep a few years of cash on the side so we don’t have to sell when the market is down? Does that actually make things safer?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

After years of building your private practice, the time has come to sell. The business you have poured your time, energy, and money into is being bought by private equity. Should you take the payout in PE shares or cash? Nate Reineke delves into some key considerations that docs like you should know when faced with this situation. We break down how shares could benefit you in the long run and how cash could help keep you diversified. We also look at how taking some of each could offer the best of both worlds. We also answer your colleagues' questions. A Psychiatrist in New Jersey says, “We are financially independent but still working since we are in our mid 40s. We are considering shifting some money out of stocks and into bonds to get to a 60/40 portfolio. Is that a good idea for us?” An Ophthalmologist in Georgia asks, “We have all the money we need to pay for college. Should I take our money out of the stock market?” A Hand surgeon in Florida wonders, “The surrender period if finished on a variable annuity we purchased a while back. We were told that we are only paying 1% in fees on the account. Should we leave the money in the annuity?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

After years of studying, tests, and residency, you’ve finally moved up and the job offer comes with a forgivable loan they’re calling a signing bonus. Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones look at one case where the numbers are huge, meaning a job change for this physician could cost them huge. We break down why saving these bonuses could save you in the long run and some way’s we’ve seen doctors navigate these loans. We also answer your colleagues questions. A Psychiatrist in Maine asks, “If my kids are likely to have much of their college covered through scholarships and unused GI Bill benefits, how should that change the way I approach college savings?” A Psychiatrist in West Virginia says, “When I did my estate plan, the service that I used suggested that I put age restrictions on distributions. I need more education on why the need to divvy it up, when I assume our children would need access to the funds for support as young adults even prior to the age of 25.” A Psychiatrist in Kentucky wonders, “When it comes to life insurance, my husband and I both have several policies with different terms. If I want my parents to get the payout from one of the policies (with my husband still being contingent if my parents have passed), what is the easiest way to do that? Do I change the beneficiary on the policy itself? Should we change the beneficiary to the trust first and then have instructions for the executor to give my parents the money?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

New year, new interest rates? It’s a strong maybe. That isn’t the most helpful answer, but if you are close to closing on a new house, should you wait to see if they drop or lock in now? Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones discuss some factors to consider when deciding whether to wait or not. We also look at how a change might already be factored into the rate you’re getting. 

We also answer your colleagues' questions. 

A Psychiatrist in Maine says, “My 13-year-old just received a couple hundred bucks at Christmas. He is very interested in investing that money. He doesn’t have any earned income. Is it best to open a UTMA in his name, a 529, or a Roth IRA?”

A Double doctor family in Hawaii asks, “My 18-year-old son just committed to a paid internship for this coming summer and will make enough money to fully fund a Roth IRA. What is the best way to set this up?”

An Oncologist in Oklahoma is wondering, “I looked at our last paycheque for the year 2025. Based on my calculations, it’s likely that we will not meet the safe harbor rules for 2025. I am not sure how this happened, as we are both W2 employees. I know that we will have to pay some penalties, but should I hire a CPA for taxes this year? Generally, I do the taxes myself, but I am not sure if TurboTax can run this analysis.”

Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. 

See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

As we all reflect on 2025 and move into the first week of 2026, we wanted to reflect on some ideas that still hold true to this day. Money won’t buy you happiness. You have all heard this before, and by and large, everyone agrees with this statement, yet for many physicians, your actions say otherwise. Enjoy this re-release of an episode from the early days, where Nate Reineke lays out how working with hundreds of physician families has shaped his thinking on what living an abundant life really means and how you can shift your perspective about money to actually start living one. Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

It’s New Year’s Eve! We hope that you have had a wonderful 2025. As we look ahead to 2026, you may be making resolutions or setting goals for yourself. This is a time we all reflect on what changes we’d like to make. As we ponder these changes, it is important to note that things are changing in the finance world, too, and that there are some changes regarding 401K catch-up contributions. Nate Reineke and Kyle Hoelzle break down what these changes are and how they may impact physicians like you. We also answer your colleagues’ questions. It's New Year's Eve. What contributions do people still have time for? An Infectious Disease Doctor in NY asks, “Does it make more sense for us to have separate HSA-eligible plans or one family plan?” A Surgeon in Illinois says “I have a new HSA, can I just leave the old where it’s currently at?” A Psychiatrist in New York wonders, “My new employer is letting me choose between being a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor. Which should I choose?” A Family Medicine Doc in Minnesota asks “When opening a solo 401(k) as a sole proprietor, should we use our SSN or get an EIN?” Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures

The holiday season brings many fun traditions, like going to see the lights, opening Advent calendars, baking, or shopping for the perfect gift. Since the holidays also signal the end of the year, it can be a time to think about taxes, too. Nate Reineke and Chelsea Jones break down some of the tax breaks doctors like you can try to catch at the last second, like maxing out contributions. We also look at some tax breaks that take a bit more planning, like charitable donations, that you could plan for in 2026. We also answer your colleagues' questions. An Anesthesiologist in Iowa says, “I want to help my son with a home purchase - what is the best way for me to do this?” An Oncologist in Colorado asks, “Do you think a really early retirement is worth pursuing?” A Family Medicine Doc in Texas says, “I’ve heard about this opportunity from a few colleagues to buy into this cash flow business (storage units). The projected return seems really appealing (20-30% over 3 years). What do you think?” Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Are you ready to turn worries about taxes and investing into all the money you need for college and retirement? It’s time to make a plan and get on track. To find out if we’re a match visit physicianfamily.com and click get started or, you can ask a question of your own by emailing [email protected]. See marketing disclosures at physicianfamily.com/disclosures