Author's posts
Consumerism is killing us with the death of a thousand cuts
School has gotten back into full swing, and thus we begin another cycle. Will this cycle be better than the last? Every year we find ourselves in this same spot. Summer’s over, big vacations are in the bag, back to school shopping is complete, and we s…
8 things to do as a new attending that I didn’t learn as a resident
Here are eight things to do as a new attending that I didn’t learn as a resident (and wish I had). Establish a budget There are two times when a budget is a very important tool: when you are struggling financially and when you have a large income or ex…
5 tax moves physicians should make before December 31st
As physicians, we find ourselves in higher tax brackets than the majority of Americans. With the graduated tax system here in the U.S., the more we make, the higher the percentage of taxes we owe. That is not just because of the tax brackets, but also …
Physicians are usually adulting in every other aspect of their life except money
This week my wife and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary. It made me think about how my life has changed from when I was a single freshman in college. A time when I didn’t always do the right thing. I knew it was against both the law and school …
A physician’s guide to frequent flyer rewards
I recently read an article called “Inefficiency and luxury” in which the author stated that he has never tried to get any frequent flyer rewards, and in fact doesn’t even have a frequent flyer number. This statement left me a bit confused w…
Why physicians should never try to time the market
I read a Facebook post asking what people were doing about a recent market drop. As much as I watch the market (very rarely), I didn’t know the market had dropped until I read that comment. This question was raised on a site that is constantly teaching…
The doctors guide to making a good real estate offer
An excerpt from The Doctors Guide to Real Estate Investing for Busy Professionals. Only make offers on property you think would be good for you to own for 40-plus years. Don’t mistake this statement to mean if you are 70 years old then you shouldn’t bu…
The gold standard of evaluating real estate investments
An excerpt from The Doctors Guide to Real Estate Investing for Busy Professionals. Cash flow is the only method I use to determine the value of the property to me and is my decision-making tool. This is how I determine the price I’m willing to p…
Gold is pretty, but it is not an investment
I often hear people talking about their “investment” in gold. Then there are those who have a “diversified portfolio,” and gold is one of their forms of diversification. I’ve encountered people who have $60,000 worth of gold bars in their home safe, in…
It is always a good time to buy real estate
An excerpt from The Doctors Guide to Real Estate Investing for Busy Professionals. I left my 20-year general surgical practice at age 51, only 12 years after buying my first apartment complex. By then, my real estate investments were producing more pas…
