Veterinary Financial Podcast

Meredith talks about three financial patterns she commonly sees with veterinarians: perfectionism around money, letting student loans drive career decisions, and evaluating compensation too narrowly.

These are often decisions that feel reasonable in the moment, but over time can quietly contribute to stress, burnout, and financial stagnation.

Key Topics:

• Why perfectionism can delay financial progress
• The cost of waiting for the “perfect” financial decision
• How student loans can influence career choices
• Burnout, income pressure, and fear-based decision-making
• Why compensation is much bigger than salary alone
• How to evaluate veterinary job offers more thoughtfully

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

It’s easy to get stuck thinking your debt is limiting your options, but your career decisions can still be built around the life and work you want. Meredith and Joe talk about how veterinarians can make career choices that align with their goals and values rather than feeling trapped by student loans.

• Why the highest-paying job is not always the best fit
• How income-driven repayment plans can create more flexibility
• Navigating student loans with lower-paying career paths
• Burnout, toxic jobs, and the hidden cost of staying somewhere just for the paycheck
• Why your student loan strategy should support your life, not the other way around

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Relief work has grown quickly in veterinary medicine, and this episode dives into why more vets are choosing it, where burnout can show up, and how to build a sustainable path if relief is on your radar. Meredith and Joe talk with Dr. Andrew Ciccolini of Colorado State University and Serenity Vet.

• More veterinarians are choosing relief work than in years past
• Why vets are drawn to relief: flexibility, autonomy, variety, and higher pay potential
• Common burnout drivers: overcommitting shifts, unpredictable income, taxes/admin work, and isolation
• Why a financial plan matters before going full-time relief
• Tips for success: boundaries, skill-building, and knowing your numbers
• Andrew’s best advice: be okay with being okay

Resources:

• Burnout in Relief Veterinary Practice whitepaper: https://serenity.vet/burnout-study-among-relief-locum-veterinarians
• Andrew Ciccolini on Instagram: @okay_vet
• Andrew Ciccolini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ac-dvm
• Serenity.vet: https://serenity.vet

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Quick update for SAVE borrowers. Meredith and Joe break down what the end of SAVE means and how to plan your next steps.

• Notices start July 1 with a 90-day window to choose a new plan
• If no plan is selected, loans may move to Standard repayment
• You can switch now. PAYE and IBR are available and forgiveness progress carries over
• Make sure your contact info is up to date so you don’t miss your notice

If you’d like help clarifying your next steps, schedule a student loan consult with our team at Vet Debt Experts: https://calendly.com/vetdebtexperts

Meredith and Joe talk with Dr. Jason Szumski about how mentorship, business ownership, and AI are shaping modern veterinary careers.

• What new grads should look for in mentorship and how to evaluate a first job
• How practice owners can better support and recruit early-career veterinarians
• Jason’s path into business ownership and how he found mentors along the way
• Balancing clinical work with building something outside of practice
• Where AI notetakers fit into veterinary workflows and what to know right now

Resources mentioned:

Jason Szumski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonszumski

VetSOAP - PetSmart Charities study: https://www.vetsoap.ai/psc

Article: Cost of Care Continues to Strain Veterinary Care Access: https://petsmartcharities.org/press-releases/cost-of-care-continues-to-strain-veterinary-care-access

If you'd like help creating a financial plan that supports your life and career, learn more or schedule a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Self-care gets talked about a lot in veterinary medicine, but what does it actually look like for veterinarians in real life? Meredith shares results from a Debt-Free Vets poll about what vets actually spend money on to make this career more sustainable.

• Poll results: time off and experiences, physical care, therapy, and more
• What vets are actually spending money on (horses, massages, hobbies, travel, and house cleaners)
• Why flexibility and reducing workload came up repeatedly in the comments
• The idea of “buying back your time” and why it matters for long-term career sustainability

If you'd like help creating a financial plan that supports your life and career, learn more or schedule a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

If you’re trying to lower your taxes and your income-driven student loan payment, your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is the number that drives both. Joe and Meredith walk through the most common ways vets can bring that number down.

Key Topics:

• Making pre-tax retirement contributions and why Roth doesn’t lower AGI
• Using a Solo 401k with 1099 relief income
• Contributing to an HSA if you’re on a qualifying high-deductible plan
• Taking advantage of Health Care or Dependent Care FSAs through your employer
• Making sure legitimate Schedule C business expenses are reducing your net profit if you’re self-employed

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Relief work offers flexibility and higher earning potential, but it comes with unique financial considerations. In this episode, Meredith covers the core money basics relief vets and techs should have in place.

• Organizing your finances as a relief vet or tech
• Planning for quarterly taxes for 1099 income
• Retirement options for self-employed relief vets and techs (Solo 401k, SEP IRA)
• Using relief work to support sabbaticals and flexibility
• Student loan strategy basics, including reducing adjusted gross income

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Student loan forgiveness can come with a tax bill, and recent changes to repayment plans have prompted many veterinarians to revisit how they’re preparing for it.

Meredith walks through the most common questions we get about the student loan tax bomb, how it works, what’s changed, and what to review as part of a long-term plan.

• When student loan forgiveness is taxable and when it isn’t
• How to think about preparing for the tax bomb over time
• Why investing, rather than saving, for the tax bomb often makes sense
• What happens if you’re not prepared when forgiveness occurs

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com

Dr. Meredith Jones and Joe Warner share a practical look at financial resolutions veterinarians can focus on in the new year, with an emphasis on clarity, strategy, and aligning money decisions with what matters most.

Topics covered:

• Building a realistic budget and understanding cash flow
• Optimizing student loan strategies, including what SAVE borrowers should know
• Increasing retirement contributions sustainably
• Using money intentionally to support the life you want
• What veterinarian-specific financial planning actually looks like

Episodes Mentioned:

• Ep73: Five Steps to Prepare for the Jump in Student Loan Payments
• Ep74: How a Sabbatical Can Reset Your Life - Dr. Anna Foster
• Ep77: What Happens in a Student Loan Consult

Interested in financial planning built for veterinarians?

Learn more or book a free intro call at allvetfinancial.com