Maxing out your retirement accounts will make estate planning easier, give you better asset protection, you'll pay less in taxes, all while your investments grow. A tax protected retirement account provides all this for you, whether it is a tax deferred accounts like a 401(k)s or tax free accounts like Roth 401(k)s and Roth IRAs. Whichever one you choose to use, you are almost always better off than investing in a taxable account. We cover the downsides in this episode but they are not very big in comparison to the upsides of maxing out retirement accounts. These accounts are protected in case of bankruptcy. A 401(k) contribution gives you a tax break up front. You can rebalance within the account without a cost for buying and selling or a tax consequence.  And you will almost surely take that money out of the account at a lower tax rate than you put it in. It is important to understand that a tax deferred retirement account is your biggest tax break. I discuss the different types of retirement accounts in this episode as well as the contributions you can make to each of them. I cannot stress the importance of maxing out your retirement accounts enough.

I also answer listener questions about tax benefits of private real estate funds, why I recommended an independent agent for disability insurance, collecting on both individual and group disability policies,  how long you should continue your disability insurance policy, what to do with your money in residency, asset allocation, and adding small caps to your three fund portfolio.

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Shopping for disability insurance is complicated enough. Wondering if you are getting the right coverage, unbiased advice, along with the best prices and discounts can make the process even more overwhelming. Pattern  https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/patternpodcast knows doctors have more important things to do than spend hours sorting through numerous insurance options. This is why thousands of White Coat Investor’s followers have trusted Pattern to help them compare and understand the disability insurance they are buying. Their online process is simple: First, request your quotes online. Second, compare your options and ask questions. And third, apply risk-free. Be confident you have the right policy at the best price. Request your disability insurance quotes with Pattern.

If you are not financial independent you need to have a disability insurance policy in place. About one out of every five doctors over the course of their career uses a long-term disability policy. If you don't protect your income, what really is protected? It is really foundational to your financial plan. You need to have a policy in place that will replace a large portion of your income if you get disabled so you can continue moving forward with your plan. If you get disabled and you can't actually earn your income, then all of that effort you put into your financial plan goes out the window. I have been collecting disability questions from you for several weeks. I brought Matt Wiggins from Pattern Insurance www.whitecoatinvestor.com/pattern on this episode to help answer questions and give some additional information as an insurance agent. In this episode we talk about the three D's of disability insurance - definitions, discounts, and deadlines, pregnancy and disability insurance, the top insurance companies, how agents are paid, getting out of a bad policy, graded vs level premiums, and what riders may or may not be worth adding to your policy. If you don't have disability insurance you need to listen to this episode. If you aren't sure your policy is adequate, you need to listen. If you have a great policy in place, pass this episode on to a colleague, you probably know someone that needs the push to get this in place.

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Where do you find room in your monthly budget for disability insurance when you also have large student loan payments due?  I recommend checking out Student Loan refinancing with Splash Financial at www.splashfinancial.com/whitecoat.  Refinancing with Splash can save you a lot of money. Their rates are at historic lows, with June fixed rates as low as 2.88%.  Splash also offers special refinancing to residents and fellows AND a cash bonus for eligible White Coat listeners.  There is no cost to refinance your student loans.  Go to splashfinancial.com/whitecoat today to see how much you can save.

Do doctors need a side gig? No. But it certainly can ease the stress that comes from changes in your physician income beyond your control, like with this pandemic. But living like a resident, saving and investing appropriately can also do that. I think each of us needs to find a balance and realize that if you will carve out a chunk of your income and invest it in some reasonable way, you'll be okay. Doctors make enough money that if they will just manage the money well, they don't need a side income. But it never hurts to have a little bit of side income if that is something that interests you.  Besides discussing the necessity of side gigs in this episode I also answer listener questions about where to put your PSLF side fund, what asset allocation to have in your 457 account, whether my opinion on the use of bonds has changed given recent market events, and should you be interested in a side gig, how to pay yourself from that money. 

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What is it like to train and practice medicine in Venezuela? Dr. Postalian emailed me a while ago saying, “if you are interested in learning about medicine in a completely crazy and destroyed economy like Venezuela, let me know." See the full show notes here https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/classic-blog/ We have talked about medicine and finance in other countries, but they're usually very developed countries. I thought it would be interesting to talk a little bit about growing up and training for medicine and particularly finances in a mixed economy like Venezuela. Besides discussing what it is like to train and practice medicine in Venezuela we talk about hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is devastating to live through, but academically very interesting. Most of us have never lived in a country that experienced any sort of hyperinflation. We discuss how that affected his physician parents, their incomes and savings. How does that experience affect his investing strategy now? Venezuela was doing great, best economy in Latin America, bright future and everything, but it fell apart. Dr. Postalian reminds us not to take anything for granted.

This podcast is sponsored by ERE Healthcare Real Estate Advisors http://ereadv.com/white-coat-investor/. Collin Hart, CEO of ERE, has been a guest on my show and specializes in representing leading physician groups in structuring sale and leaseback transactions on their clinical and surgical center real estate. ERE is a real estate brokerage, but takes an advisory approach, expertly positioning their clients for a real estate sale as part of succession planning surrounding their practice real estate investment.  If you're contemplating a partnership with a hospital, health system, or private equity, understanding certain real estate principles can help ensure that you maximize the value and security of your real estate.  You can learn more about ERE on their website or you can reach Collin directly at collin.hart@ereadv.com or call him at (702) 839-8737.