Money Talk For ER Docs™

The year-end rush is here. Between holidays, vacations, wrapping up school, family – life gets a different type of hectic. But it's the most important time to get things done if you haven't already when it comes to year-end financial and tax planning. To make things easier, we've comprised a comprehensive checklist for ER docs that can hopefully be tackled by the end of the year with the goal of m...

Like most things financially related, EP's are simply different than the average American. Purchasing a home is no different. So when the question of home affordability comes up, there are a lot of additional considerations at play than what may be necessary for others. We're talking income variability, tax responsibilities, accelerated saving obligations, and so much more. On today's episode, we'...

The financial world is vast and complex. There are a lot of players and services to understand and figure out. When it comes to ER docs, our experience is they are naturally inquisitive – they like to do their due diligence by asking questions and getting to the bottom of things. On today's episode, we'll recap and respond to the top questions we recently received from a group of 75 ER doctors.

The financial world is vast and complex. There are a lot of players and services to understand and figure out. When it comes to ER docs, our experience is they are naturally inquisitive – they like to do their due diligence by asking questions and getting to the bottom of things. On today's episode, we'll recap and respond to the top questions we recently received from a group of 75 ER doctors.

The biggest risks associated with owning rental properties have to do with certain variables that are typically out of your control. Think neighborhood changes, real estate market cycles, and especially locality risks. So if there was a way to hedge some of this risk, and yield tax benefits, then owning rental properties would be more valuable than we typically communicate in our podcast, especial...

A properly designed financial plan is truly a work of art. It requires decades of discipline, hard work, and thought. What most don't realize is that they're only halfway to the finish line once they reach retirement. If you look at a financial life like a marathon, the working years make up the accumulation or pace-setting part of the race. The second half is the draw-down or stamina period. That...

We started this podcast for several reasons, one of which was to provide great content for ER docs. We wanted this to be true whether you're a client, prospective client, or even a DIY'er. But there's a bit of irony in our pursuit in that even if listeners pick up and implement a few nuggets of information they hear us discuss, there are likely tons of missed wealth-building opportunities occurrin...

There's a saying that goes, "It's not what you earn, it's what you get to keep." This couldn't be more true for ER docs – especially those with multiple income sources and self-employment income. Now picture being able to save a month's worth of shifts in taxes every year. Pretty great, right? Fortunately, that could be a reality if four specific categories of tax savings are adhered to and maximi...

There's more job turnover than ever with the consolidation happening in EM. Of course, with any transition or change, it can be stressful. Inevitably questions will come to mind like: How long will it take to find new work? What will the pay be? How will management operate? But, one thing that can get overlooked is the topic of malpractice insurance – not just for the new job, but tail coverage fo...

Consciously or subconsciously, ER docs know they can't keep doing their job forever. Unlike other professions, it's rare to see people working into their 70s and 80s in this field. But what would a world need to look like for that to not be the case? How would things need to be structured to make working to 70, 80, or even 100, doable? On today's episode, we'll discuss the concepts of "retirement"...

It's been a couple of years since that infamous ACEP workforce study was released which forecasted an alarming surplus of ER doctors by the year 2030. Like seemingly all things relating to the emergency medicine space, the estimate doesn't seem to be playing out as expected. If anything, if trends continue, we could be living in a world where the exact opposite is true – possibly an undersupply of...

Making money while you sleep is a worthy pursuit. And what better way to do it than within the comfort of your bank account! Little risk; high returns… it seems these days everybody is comparing rates between different savings account options. But someday the musical chairs will end and where will you be? In today's episode, we'll discuss cash as an investment vehicle, the topic of inflation, and...

Tax-loss harvesting is sort of like a buzzword – many have heard it, but the true value of it and how it plays out is often misunderstood or, at the very least, confusing. While there can be value, the ultimate benefit is more nuanced than one would think. On today's episode, we'll hopefully show why that is and ultimately discuss whether or not it's everything it's cracked up to be, especially as...

Change is inevitable in life, and healthcare is no exception. This was especially true during COVID, but even to this day, more debt, high inflation, and its effect on wages and supplies, as well as legislative changes, all combine to create volatile environments within healthcare. On today's episode, we'll get into two recent cases of change – MedExpress and APP – and what this could mean for ER...

The time has finally come – student loan payments are officially commencing. And while we hoped a major legislative change would kick the can further down the road or eliminate the debt altogether, unfortunately, that hasn't happened. With that said, there are some major updates that need to be considered that just went into effect. This is why today's episode is a must-listen; we'll go over Biden...

High income and busy – those two ER doc characteristics make hiring financial help a common and reasonable decision. But it's for those same reasons ER docs have a target on their back when it comes to financial solicitation. And not all sources of solicitation are the same; there are landmines out there that should be avoided at all costs. One such landmine you'll hear us frequently bring up is u...

As a high-earning ER doc, inevitably if or when you have a significant other, the topic of "should they work?" will come up. And that decision, though likely very personal in nature, actually has a lot of added financial layers that don't exist in, say, the case where both partners need to work in order to fund the household.   In today's episode, we explore the financial dynamics of dual-income h...

It can become a full-time job unraveling identity theft. While there's no way to fully prevent it, there are definitely measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of it happening to you or a loved one. In today's episode, we discuss why ER docs are more susceptible to identity theft, the most common forms prevalent today, how to prevent them, and what to do if it happens to you.

There are very few people in the world who are happy to write a check to the insurance company. But it's what's referred to as a "necessary evil." So when the question of "should you increase your coverage or not?" pops up, it's easy to think of reasons as to why the current coverage amount is sufficient over obtaining more.  On today's episode, we'll talk about raising your disability insurance c...

It's officially summer! Which means change is in the air for new attendings. Let's set the stage a bit – typically work responsibilities are new and stress-inducing. And when it comes to finances, that tends to leave three different options. The first is it's all so overwhelming, so it's better to do nothing or procrastinate. The second is the understanding that something needs to be done, but tha...

Any big challenge or task can be broken down into many steps. This is a concept we discussed toward the end of last week's episode. What if we take that approach and apply it to the working career of an ER doc? More specifically, quantify the number of shifts in the average career and utilize that knowledge to make improvements. Can that have positive tangible benefits in terms of career satisfact...

In the movie Blank Check, a boy comes across and deposits a $1M check. And in the pursuit of achieving all his goals and dreams, he runs out of money. It's very similar to the story of professional athletes running out of money within a few years out of the league. How that relates to today's episode, without spoiling too much, is there's a difference between being rich and being wealthy. In today...

AI has been a hot topic over the past year. Everyone is discussing new technology and how it will improve, or in some cases, not improve our day-to-day lives. But the one question on most people's minds is:  Will it replace my ability to make a living? In today's episode, we explore this question as it pertains to ER docs and emergency medicine. We'll also look at how AI could impact financial mar...

Having worked with ER docs for 15 years, we've heard so many stories, emotions, mistakes, and opportunities surrounding money. Oftentimes these sentiments are complex and require deep discussions and understandings. What we've done is distilled everything we've heard and experienced down to the various life stages during the career of an emergency physician. On today's episode, we'll discuss three...

When the largest staffing company in America files for bankruptcy, as an ER doc, that should set off some alarm bells. In this episode, we'll talk about the events leading up to this point, how an employee versus a contractor of Envision differs in terms of bankruptcy proceedings, share some advice on safeguarding your income stream, and speculate on what could come next as only time will tell wha...