Physician Finance Minute

Just when you think you’ve been hit with all the advice you can possibly stand, you hear yet another piece when it comes to your student loans. Has anyone ever mentioned the idea of loan consolidation to you? Or have you been researching ways to manage your student loan debt and then were quickly bombarded with offers for consolidation or refinancing? Well, like so much of the information you find on the internet, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to loans.

I know as a physician you have a lot of medical terminology you have to memorize and digest. And when it comes to planning for your retirement, well, there are several terms you should get familiar with too. I’m sure you hear quite a bit about 401(k) plans offered by employers, but many of you actually have a different type of retirement plan option, which is called a 403(b) plan.

Your patients come to you for help solving a medical condition. They trust that you have the education and knowledge to be able to diagnose and treat whatever symptom needs attention. But there are times that as a physician, you need your questions answered, and advice from other professionals. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with finances. A financial advisor can help you through some of life’s biggest moments.

Nothing can wreak havoc on a budget quicker than buying gifts for birthdays and holidays. The amazing thing is, the dates are the same every year and yet somehow they still sneak up on us. Whether you’re a resident on a ramen budget or a physician in the middle of a thriving career, it’s important to make a plan in your budget for purchasing gifts.

For many physicians, retirement is a big number that you feel as if you’re constantly chasing. But there are two main thoughts that I want to share with you when it comes to finding that magical retirement number. If you were to wait just one more year until you started saving for retirement, it could add almost two years to your overall plan.

Have you been searching for ways to reduce your student loan debt and been inundated with offers for loan consolidation? You’re not alone. Lots of companies out there are quick to offer services for consolidating your federal and your private student loans. But what exactly is a loan consolidation? Be sure not to mix this up with refinancing, they are two separate things. So, is this something you should be taking advantage of?

Let’s say you have a patient that you could treat in two different ways. One option has a shorter duration of treatment but the side effects are typically more severe. The other option has a longer treatment period but it’s usually gentler on the system. Either choice should have a positive result that the patient is looking for, but there are two different ways of achieving it. The same is true for choosing an IRA in your financial planning.

As physicians, you probably feel as if you’re constantly paying taxes. And with as many hours as you put in, this can definitely feel like a drag. Luckily, when it comes to your retirement accounts, there is a way to grow your retirement money tax free, allowing you to keep a significant amount of your gains over the years. Under current law, the government allows individuals to place their money into an account that grants their investments the ability to grow tax deferred or tax free.

A budget for your finances is one of those things you know you should do but maybe you’ll tackle someday. After all, who has time for something like a budget? Truthfully, it doesn’t take a lot of time to create a budget but the payoff can be tremendous. The first step in setting it up is to monitor your expenses for one month. Track everything you spend. You can do this by pulling your bank statement or credit card info.