How I'm Investing The Money In My Retirement Account

I just started a new job and part of the orientation process involved setting up my retirement plan. Once I determined which retirement account was best for me and how much I wanted to contribute each month, I then had to choose how to invest the money in that account. When it comes to investing money for retirement, here are 3 general rules I follow:

1.     Make sure it’s profitable. Retirement plans don’t just help us save money on taxes and stash cash for a later date. One of the biggest perks of retirement accounts, is the opportunity to invest the money and make a profit. When you contribute towards your 401K, 403b, or IRA, the money is simply sitting in an account. In order to make a profit on that money, you must actually invest that money. Most employer-sponsored retirement plans (401K, 403b, 457) give you the option to choose different “index funds” that invest in stocks, bonds, or a combination of the two. Bonds are a “safe” investment but the returns on your money (aka profits) are quite low and barely keep up with yearly inflation. In order to make your contributions profitable and increase the value of your retirement portfolio, you should invest in some percentage of stocks.   

2.     Make sure it’s diverse. When it comes to investing in stocks, I do not mean buying individual shares of Amazon or Netflix. Buying individual stocks carries enormous risk. Even a big company like Walmart can experience less profitable periods where their revenues don’t meet expectations, decreasing the price of their stock and the value of your investment. As lay persons with jobs, it can be difficult to predict which companies or industries will be the most profitable 5-10 years from now. Even if we stay informed on company news, there is no way we could outsmart the people on Wall Street who have the latest information right at their fingertips (and even those experts get it wrong 50% of the time!) The key to managing this risk, is to invest in many different companies in a variety of industries. Since we don’t have an endless amount of money, the most effective way to do this is to invest in index mutual funds. The total stock market index fund, for example, buys almost all of the public stocks in the country. That way if one industry experiences a downturn, your stock investments in all of the other industries will prevent you from losing too much money. Plus, being this diversified may allow you to make an even larger profit when small startups companies experience unexpected growth or turn into the next Facebook.

3.     Make sure it’s safe. While we want our investments to be profitable, we must also ensure they are not too risky. People who had all of their retirement savings invested in stocks during the crash of 2008 lost a lot more money than those who had invested some of their money in bonds. A general rule of thumb is that your stock-to-bond allocation should be 100 minus your age. If you are 25 years old, you should have 75% of your money in stocks and 25% in bonds. If you are 45, you should 55% in stocks and 45% in bonds. Since people are living longer nowadays, some experts suggest using 110 or 120 minus your age instead. Regardless of which estimator you use, your ideal allocation of stocks to bonds, should be based on your comfort level. Take a look at the investment fund options available through your job or through various companies like Fidelity or Vanguard and pick a stock-to-bond portfolio allocation in which you are most comfortable.

WHAT AM I DOING? As a 28-year-old female who is new resident physician, I’m investing in Vanguard’s Target Retirement 2050 fund. This index mutual fund is a type of lifestyle investment fund that automatically adjusts the percentage of stocks and bonds as I age. Money in this fund is actually invested in 4 other index funds:

-53.5% in the “total stock market index” fund (which purchases stocks from nearly every public company in the US)

-36% in the “total international stock market index” fund (which purchases over 5,000 stocks from over 40 different countries around the world)

-7.5% in the “total bond market index” fund (which purchases a mix of over 8,000 corporate and government bonds offered in the US)  

-3% in the “international bond market index” fund (which purchases thousands of bonds from developed countries and emerging markets around the world)   

As you can see from the breakdown, the allocation starts off with about 90% in stocks and 10% bonds, since I’m young and plan to work in some capacity for another 30 years. However, it periodically decreases the percentage of stocks and increases the percentage of bonds as I age. This advantage of this changing allocation is that I have more risk and thus a bigger chance of higher profits when I’m young (since the majority of this fund is in stocks), but become less risky as I age (since the percentage of bonds will increase overtime). Another advantage of this fund is that it decreases the work on my behalf. Instead of investing in these 4 funds individually, investing in this Target Retirement lifestyle investment fund allows me to purchase this 1 fund, which then automatically has me invested in the 4 other funds.

As I get older and more experienced, I might choose to invest in different index mutual funds or open a Roth IRA to invest in other things like real estate, but as a busy resident who is just getting started with retirement investing, this is my fund of choice. Whether you choose to adopt my game-plan or come up with one of your own, remember the 3 rules to retirement investing: Keep it profitable, keep it diverse, keep it safe.   

Tell me, are you saving money for retirement? If so, how do you plan to invest the money in your retirement account?

Which retirement account is best for you?

Whether you are starting a new job like me or extending the contract at your current place of employment, part of the process may involve signing up for a retirement account. Most people have heard of a 401K, but you may have other options available to you such as a 403b or Roth IRA. Understanding the pros and cons of each account will help you better determine which one is best for you.

What is a 403b? A 403b is a type of employer-sponsored retirement plan offered to people who work at nonprofit organizations. It functions very similarly to a 401K, which is a type of employer-sponsored retirement plan offered to people who work at for-profit organizations.

Pros of a 403b (or 401K)?

1.     You can lower your taxes. As of 2024, you can contribute up to $23,000 a year in this account, pre-tax. That means that you don’t have to pay yearly income taxes on the portion of your paycheck you allocate to retirement. For high-income earners with tax rate near 30%, contributing to this 403b plan can save them over $6,000 a year in taxes.

2.     You may get a “match” from your employer. This is when the company places an equal amount of their money into your account to “match” the contribution you made. If you contribute $6,000, they will “match” your contribution with an additional $6,000, so at the end of the year you will have a total of $12,000 in the account.

3.     You may lower your monthly student loan payment. The income-driven federal student loan repayment plans are based on a percentage of your discretionary income. Your discretionary income is your “taxable” income minus 150% to 225% of the poverty line (the minimum amount of money you need to cover living expenses). When you contribute to employer-sponsored plans, like a 403b or 401K, you lower your taxable income. Lowering your taxable income, lowers your discretionary income, which then lowers your monthly student loan payment. Although interest will still accrue on your loans, lowering your monthly payment is beneficial if you are enrolled in a student loan forgiveness program like public service loan forgiveness.

Cons of a 403b (or 401K)?

1.     You are limited in the type of investments you can make. When you contribute to a 403b (or 401K), you are simply putting money into an account. In order for the money to grow over time, you must actually invest the money in that account. Employer-sponsored plans can be limited in the types of investment options they allow you to make. Most employer-sponsored plans allow you to invest in index mutual funds, which purchase a variety of stocks or bonds in different industries. However, they usually do not allow you to make other types of investments in things like real estate.

2.     You will have to pay taxes on the money you withdraw in retirement. Since you contribute to this account with “pre-tax” dollars, you did not pay taxes on the money before it went into the account. Because you didn’t pay taxes at that time, you will have to pay taxes when you take the money out of the account in retirement. Since the money in these accounts will have been invested, you will ideally have profits/earnings in the account as well. The profit you made will also be taxed.

What is a Roth IRA? A Roth IRA is a type of individual retirement account (IRA). Unlike a 403b or 401K, this account does not go through your employer. You can contribute to a Roth IRA (or a traditional IRA) with any type of earned income you get from your main job or any side job.

Pros of a Roth IRA?

1.     You don’t have to pay taxes on the profit in retirement. You contribute to a Roth IRA account with post-tax dollars. Since you’ve already paid income taxes on the money before you contributed to the account, you will not have to pay taxes on the money (or any profits you made) when you take it out in retirement.

2.     You have more investment options. Unlike employer-sponsored plans, you can make a variety of different investments through a Roth IRA. You can invest in index mutual funds, buy individual stocks, or even invest in real estate.

3.     You can withdraw money from the account easier. Although the goal is to leave money in the account until you retire, if you need to take the money out earlier (to cover the down payment on your home or pay off your student loans), it is easier to do that from a Roth IRA without incurring as many penalties or being charged extra fees.

Cons of a Roth IRA?

1.     You can’t put as much money into the account each year. Unlike a 403b or 401k that allow you to contribute up to $23,000 a year, you can only put $7,000 a year into a Roth IRA. Since the contribution limit is so low, there’s a good chance you’ll max out this account and need to use other types of retirement accounts after you hit the contribution limit.

2.     You won’t save as much money in taxes in the short-term. Since you put money into a Roth IRA with post-tax dollars, you will pay income taxes on this money before you contribute to the account. This raises your tax bill in the short-term and could decrease the amount of cash in your pocket after each paycheck.

Which account am I contributing to?

Both, eventually. For me, saving for retirement is about investing in different accounts during different phases of my life to maximize the benefits of each account. My goal is to have a substantial amount of money in both Roth and non-Roth retirement accounts. Contributing to my employer sponsored account will allow me to save more money for retirement since I can contribute more money in those accounts each year. Contributing to a Roth IRA will allow me to make some real estate investments and also give me the flexibility to take money out of the account, tax-free.

Since I’m a first-year resident physician, I plan to start off putting about 10% of my income into the 403b. Even though I don’t get a “match” through my job, the tax savings and lower student loan payments that come with this account will leave more cash in my pocket each month. Any additional earned income I make from passion projects, blogging, or working extra hospital shifts, I’ll put into a Roth IRA. Once, I finish residency training, I’ll convert some of the money I saved in my 403b to a Roth IRA so I can have a decent chuck of money in both accounts that will collect interest and make me a profit over time.

Tell me, what is your plan for retirement? Which account do you plan to use?

Retirement Account 101: Answers to questions you were afraid to ask

I’m a recently graduated medical student who is about to begin my new job as a resident physician. Along with creating a monthly budget, getting disability insurance, and making a plan for my student loans, I also need to start saving money for retirement. Several of my friends and co-workers wanted me to help them get their finances in order as well. Here are my answers to some of their most common questions about retirement accounts.

1. What are the different types of retirement accounts? Technically speaking, there are two main types of retirement accounts: Employer-sponsored plans and non-employer sponsored plans. Employer-sponsored plans are things like a 401K (offered by for-profit organizations), 403b (offered by non-profits), and a 457 (offered by government institutions). Non-employer sponsored plans are called Individual Retirement Accounts (aka IRAs). Through traditional IRAs or Roth IRAs, you can choose to save earned income for retirement in a way that is not dependent on your employer.

2. What is the difference between a Roth account and a regular retirement account? Many people have the option of contributing to “Roth” accounts like a Roth 403b or a Roth IRA. While Roth accounts may have different contribution rules, the main difference between Roth and non-Roth retirement accounts is the timing on when you pay taxes on the money. Roth accounts are considered “post-tax” because you contribute to them AFTER you’ve already paid taxes. Employer-sponsored accounts are considered “pre-tax” because you contribute to them BEFORE you pay taxes.

For example, with a Roth IRA you pay income taxes on money you make now, then you contribute to the account with “post-tax” dollars. Your money builds and accumulates interest over time. In retirement, you WILL NOT have to pay taxes on the money you withdraw or on any profits you made in the account. Non-roth accounts like a 401K are different. You contribute to these accounts with “pre-tax” dollars and your money builds and accumulates interest over time. In retirement, you WILL have to pay taxes on the money you withdraw and on any profits you made in the account.

3. Should you contribute to a Roth account? It depends. If you feel your salary is going to increase in the future, then consider paying taxes now (while you are in a lower tax bracket) and thus opt for a Roth account. In contrast, if you are already near your peak earnings or may experience a decrease in salary in the coming years (due to working part time or opting for a lower paying job with more lifestyle balance) then you may want to postpone paying taxes now and opt for the non-roth retirement account.

The goal is to pay taxes on the money when you are in the lowest tax bracket. The average person will want to do Roth retirement accounts (like a Roth IRA) when they are young and just starting out in their careers (unless they have other competing expenses that make them want to defer the taxes). As they earn a higher salary, they will want to do non-roth accounts (like their employer sponsored 401K, 403b or 457 plan) to avoid paying so much in taxes on those earnings.

4.How much should you contribute? It depends. You have to figure out how much money you need to retire and contribute enough money each year into retirement accounts to meet that goal. Of note, different types of accounts have different rules about how much money you can contribute each year. As of 2024, the max a single person can contribute to employer-sponsored plans like 401K, 403b, or 457 is $23,000 a year. The max you can contribute to traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs is $7,000 a year. (This amount can increase overtime due to inflation)

5. What happens to the money you put into these accounts? Once you put money into a retirement account, you can choose to invest that money in a way that will earn a profit. Employer-sponsored plans like 401Ks may offer a variety of options with different ways you can safely invest into the stock market, purchase bonds, or do a combination of both to earn a profit on your money. Non-employer sponsored plans like IRAs tend to be more flexible and can be used to invest in things like individual stocks, index mutual funds, commodities (like gold), or real estate. Regardless of the type of plan you choose, most people use the money in these accounts to invest in the stock market by purchasing index mutual funds. These are large, diversified funds that invest in hundreds of different stocks (or bonds) and earn a profit ranging from 7-10% each year.

6. What if you own your own business, do contract work, or earn money from a side gig? Once you set aside money for taxes, you can choose to save and invest that money for retirement. Depending on your income level, you may be able to put that money into a Roth IRA (provided you have not already contributed the yearly limit of $6,000). You may also choose to open a SEP-IRA or a solo 401K through a company like Vanguard, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, etc. These accounts allow business owners and self-employed individuals to contribute up to 25% of their earned income (or $69,000, whichever is lower) into those accounts each year.   

7. Are there any special caveats I should be aware of? Yes. Oftentimes employer-sponsored plans will “match” your retirement contribution by placing an identical amount of their money into your retirement account, alongside your original contribution, up to a certain percentage of your salary. This is basically “free” money given by your employer.

Of note, people with really high incomes (i.e. physicians) are phased out of a traditional Roth IRA when their income gets to a certain level. They can try to work around this rule (legally) by doing something called a “backdoor Roth IRA” which is explained here.  Some high-income earners may also be able to contribute to a 403b plan in addition to a 457 plan, which allows them to save even more money for retirement.

To summarize, there are many different types of accounts that help you save and invest money for retirement. Determine which employer-sponsored plans you have at your job and compare to them to an IRA. Traditional and Roth IRAs tend to have lower contribution limits but offer more flexibility in the types of investments you can make. Employer-sponsored plans have higher contribution limits and may even offer a “match,” but may be limited in the types of investments you can make.

Tell me, was this helpful? Do you have a better understanding of the different types of retirement accounts?

Becoming a doctor helped and hurt my ability to build wealth

I just graduated from medical school and will begin my first job as a doctor in a few weeks. Yay! Unfortunately, I am not about to hit the jackpot or start making the salary people google online, just yet.

Although it is true that doctors make a high income, we have to complete residency first. This is a period of 3-7 years in which we are paid a government salary of around $60,000 while working 80 hours a week--not exactly the best lifestyle. In fact, there are several ways in which going to medical school and becoming a physician helped AND hurt my ability to build wealth.

Ways it helped me build wealth:

1.) I will have a high income. Most doctors make at least $200,000 a year, once they finish residency training. Since everyone needs access to physicians and reliable health care, doctors have a high level of job security as well. Mathematically speaking, it is much easier to pay off debt, save for retirement, and build wealth with a high income, especially when it is virtually guaranteed.

2.) It gives me access to exclusive perks and profitable investment opportunities. Some lucrative real estate deals, such as large multifamily homes and syndications (in which people combine their money to invest in an apartment building), are only available to people who have a high net worth and/or make at least $200,000 a year. Many physicians qualify for these deals. Doctors are also favored by banks (since we have a high income and rarely default on loans). As a result, we have the ability to purchase homes with no down payment or private mortgage insurance and are exempt from paying some of the added fees associated with the home-buying process.

3.) Many people in my network have a high net worth. As a physician, I completed medical school and thus know at least hundreds of other doctors and high net worth individuals that were once classmates or colleagues in the hospital. Having friends and associates who are well-educated and also earn a high salary is advantageous. There is a greater chance that people within my social circle have a high net worth. Not only does this give doctors like myself greater insight on how to build wealth, but it also increases the number of people with whom I can share ideas, pitch investment opportunities, and depend on for various levels of support.

Ways it hurt my ability to build wealth:

1.)   I could not work in medical school. As a medical student, I went to class all day then went home to study all that material at night while also trying to squeeze in time at the gym, cook dinner, and maintain some semblance of a social life. Just in case some of us could miraculously do all of this with time to spare, the administration forbid us from working. That’s right. I gave my word that I wouldn’t work a job and would instead focus all of my energy and attention on medical school. This is well intentioned, but the simple fact is that medical school is 4 years long. That’s 4 years of my life that I couldn’t work, 4 years in which I didn't contribute to retirement accounts and work the magic of compound interest, 4 years that I was unable to save up for a car or a down payment on a home, and 4 years of potential wealth building and lucrative investments that I missed out on.

2.)   I have less time to establish additional streams of income. Unlike many of jobs that require their employees to work 8-9 hours a day with nights and weekends off, med school and residency (our first 3-7 years as a physician) are the complete opposite. We often work 12-hour days, have several periods in which we work night shifts for weeks at a time, and are often scheduled to work holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas that most other professions get off. While I absolutely love medicine, it monopolizes my time. Because I work so much, I have less time to devote to passion projects, side hustles, and the creation of additional revenue streams. People typically build wealth by actively investing their money or creating a lucrative business. Both of these avenues require a substantial amount of time and can be difficult to pursue when the vast majority of my time is spent working in medicine.

3.)   I acquired lots of debt. Perhaps the biggest reason going to medical school hurt my ability to build wealth is all the student loan debt I accumulated. The average medical student has $200,000 in federal student loan debt and unfortunately, I was not an exception to this rule. In case it isn’t obvious, having $200,000 worth of debt at a 6% interest rate that started accumulating well before I could even finish medical school is not a winning formula for wealth creation. Plus, there is a good chance I may accumulate even more debt from a [future] wedding, have increased monthly expenses from having kids, buy a newer car, or finally give up apartment-style living to purchase a home. Either way you spin it, having increased monthly expenses with a high debt burden can make building wealth quite challenging.

Overall:

As someone who wants to build wealth, I recognize the ways my love for medicine has impacted my ability to reach financial freedom in a timely manner. Nevertheless, I don’t regret anything. With good money management, I can overcome the obstacles set before me and still reach my financial goals. Even with its disadvantages, I’m glad I choose to go into medicine.

Money Moves I Should Have Made As a Grad Student

As the saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” Looking back over my time as both a grad student and a medical student there are a few things I wish I would have done differently to put myself in a better position financially.

1.     Set up automatic withdrawals for recurring monthly payments. This may seem obvious, but as a female in her early twenties who did not have much experience paying bills, this was not common sense to me. I didn’t like the idea of money coming out of my account automatically and always feared that an if an emergency occurred I might need the money that had already been automatically deducted.  As a result, I would often rely on my memory and attempt to pay my credit card bill, car note, and cable bill on time. Unfortunately, that didn’t work too well.  

I would occasionally forget to send a payment in by the due date and have to call the company in a panic to pay over the phone and beg to get the late fee removed. After a few months, I started setting alerts in my phone to remind me of the payments. This worked well most of the time, but I still missed a few payments. Not because I did not have the money, but because sometimes I would be busy doing something else when the alert would go off. I would then silence the alarm notification and forget to pay the bill later. Finally, I let go of my pride, saved up a small emergency fund to ease my worries, and set up monthly automatic withdrawals. The moment I did that, my life got so much easier. I started doing that about 3 years ago and I don’t think I have missed any payments since then. I paid off my car shortly afterwards and my credit score improved. It’s amazing how much better things got when I relied less on my memory to pay monthly expenses.

2.     Cancel unnecessary [cable] subscriptions. You may be already doing this, but I’ll be honest and say I was not. Many people do not rely on cable and would rarely use it if they had it. I am NOT that person. I love tv. Not because I have an abundance of time to watch it, but because when I can spare a few minutes watching it, I’m better able to relax. I love being able to come home and marvel at the homes on HGTV, watch old comedies to get my mind off of a stressful day, and cheer on my beloved Duke Blue Devils during basketball season. Cutting cable was never something I even remotely considered. From my perspective, it was a necessary stress reliever and source of enjoyment.

Instead of just accepting this as fact and sending Cox Cable $100 a month, I should have done more research. It wasn’t until I was a 4th year medical student that I learned about services like YouTube TV which would allow me to watch live TV for around $35 a month. It also wasn’t until I was 4th year med student that I learned Hulu was free with my $5 student-Spotify account and had a live TV option that was cheaper than cable. If I had simply done more research sooner, I could have saved hundreds of dollars and still maintained my same standard of living. If only I could go back in time...

3.     Consider side hustles for additional cash. As a medical student I could not work. In fact, I think they made me sign some form agreeing to not accept any full-time positions as a student. As a 4th year medical student, I had much more time than I had the previous 3 years of medical school and should have considered side hustles or other ways to increase my cash flow. When I graduated, I desperately wanted to travel the world and make the most of my freedom before starting my first hospital job, but I also needed money for moving expenses. Having money saved from babysitting or some other side hustle would have been very useful.

Ironically enough, some of my friends who had already started their respective careers, told me about things they were doing to supplement their income and fund their tropical vacations. One was getting paid to test out new hair products on Instagram. Another was teaching English to kids online and tutoring current students on academic subjects she had mastered. A few others had created online blogs that were starting to gain traction, offering personal training services to people trying to get fit, and making diet plans for clients seeking to change their eating habits. I even knew of someone who charged people for consulting advice on how to manage finances and invest in the stock market. Regardless of the route, I wish I started thinking about my potential side hustle earlier. Even though I am starting my career as doctor, the high-paying salary is still years away and I needed cash sooner rather than later. Having a side hustle is a great solution to that problem.

4.     Make friends with people who are good with money. We pick up habits and emulate the behavior of our friends. Although the people in my life are amazing, I did not have anyone close to me who was “money savvy.” Most of us were in the same boat with similar spending habits. In fact, with my background in finance and passion for investing, I was the person all of my friends went to whenever they had questions about money. I wasn’t necessarily lacking in knowledge, I simply needed someone to help me implement some of the wise money practices I wanted to create.

I wanted a person around me who had actually created a budget they could stick to without getting discouraged. Someone who would caution me to think twice before splurging on a dress I didn’t need and advise me not to purchase overpriced food from restaurants that I could make at home. Since I didn’t have this ideal person, I decided to seek it out in the people closest to me. I started talking to my brother who showed me a few budgeting tools and apps that could help keep me motivated along the journey. I then let my friends know about my savings goals and we all made a pact to save and invest a similar amount of money each month. Having this kind of accountability and support has helped me so much. I wish I had thought of this sooner.

Tell me, was this helpful? What money moves do you wish you had made as a college student? 

9 Things I learned when I purchased disability insurance

As an incoming resident physician, I need disability insurance. Although a group policy is offered through my employer, it doesn’t provide enough coverage to adequately cover my monthly expenses or insure my future income. Thus, I purchased an individual long-term disability insurance policy. This is what I discovered:

1.     Disability Insurance is expensive. Quotes from different companies from $100-250 per month.  Apparently, a substantial number of people use disability insurance, so companies raise the price to cover the payouts and ensure they aren’t losing money. Many companies offer “graduated” premiums (which allows clients to pay a reduced monthly premium for a few years in exchange for a higher premium later in life) to make it more affordable. I still opted for a “level premium” with a set rate and it’s $110 a month.

2.     The definition of disability is important. The definition of disability is variable. Some people might consider themselves disabled if they can’t work full-time, while others may only consider themselves disabled if they are unable to work at all. The broader the definition of disability, the harder it is to claim the benefit. Physicians need “own-occupation” disability insurance so that if we are unable to meet the specific demands of our own specialty (i.e. Surgery) we will get compensated, even if we can technically still do the work of another specialty (i.e. Family medicine). As a family medicine resident who plans to specialize in sports medicine, I still opted for an own-occupation definition of disability.   

3.     Gender bias is real. Disability insurance is more expensive for women than it is for men. Insurance companies claim that women are more likely to get disabled and seek payout from disability insurance (due to factors like pregnancy) so they charge us more for it. To avoid paying such high premiums, I purchased a “unisex” policy (which is the same price for men and women). These policies offer similar coverage and tend to be cheaper than gender-based policies for women.

4.     Some companies are better than others. When I contacted a few disability insurance brokers, I realized that one company was vastly cheaper than the others. Mass Mutual was the only company that offered an individual unisex disability insurance policy for female resident physicians. Since unisex policies are cheaper for women than gender-specific policies, the monthly premium for disability insurance from Mass Mutual was vastly cheaper than any other company. On the flip side, Principal offers discounted gender-specific policies for men, so many male residents purchased individual disability insurance policies through that company instead.

5.     Certain “riders” or added protections are essential. When I shopped for disability insurance, I had the option to buy additional protections. As a resident physicians with high-income potential there were 3 main riders I needed: 1) a cost-of-living-adjustment rider (so that my payout will increase with inflation each year), 2) a residual & recovery rider (so that I am compensated for any partial disability until I am back to my full productivity), and 3) a future purchase option (so that I can purchase more disability insurance after residency when my salary increases without having to re-qualify or pay a much higher price). Since I have a substantial amount of student loans, I also purchased a student loan rider so that if I get disabled before I pay off my debt, the disability insurance policy will pay me an extra $1700 for up to 10 years to cover my student loan payments.

6.     There is a limit on how much individual disability insurance we can buy. By law, resident physicians can only purchase an individual disability insurance policy with a max benefit of $5,000 per month. (They don’t want to incentivize us to become disabled by compensating us more than our current salary). We can purchase more disability insurance as attending physicians, but we need to have an individual disability insurance policy as residents so that we are fully covered now and can upgrade our coverage later for a cheaper price.

7.     It’s cheaper if you’re healthy. As I filled out the disability insurance policy application, I answered a TON of personal questions. Insurance companies take a very thorough history to determine our risk of being disabled in the future. I was asked about my own medical history and that of my family. They wanted to know if I had broken any bones, got in any recent car accidents, and whether I had ever smoked cigarettes. I was also asked if I had plans to travel out of the country or engaged in any high-risk behaviors like rock climbing or sky-diving. They wondered if I had ever gotten pregnant and the result of my last “wellness check” from the physician. Because I was young and healthy, my rate remained low.

8.     The price varies by state. I currently live in Florida, but I will begin residency in Atlanta, GA. Apparently, my disability insurance premiums are lower with my Georgia address than they are when I use my Florida address. Insurance companies look at hobbies, accident rates, and other data and determined that we pose a greater or smaller risk to them depending on where we live. California is one of the most expensive places, Georgia is one of the cheapest.

9.     Be wary of group policies through professional organizations. As physicians, we can buy into the group disability insurance policy through the American Medical Association or our specialty-specific organization. These policies seem cheaper and looked enticing. However, after doing some research I saw several drawbacks. First, the premium was not “level,” meaning the cost of policy could increase every few years as I aged. Secondly, they did not offer sufficient “future purchase options” so I couldn’t upgrade my coverage as often as I’d like (i.e. when my salary increased as attending physician). Lastly, buying into these group policies would negate or significantly reduce the payout from any disability insurance coverage I already have from my residency. Group policies usually cancel each other out, individual policies do not.  

Bonus: Many residents are eligible for the guaranteed standard issue policy at their institution. Every doctor needs their own individual long-term disability insurance policy. However, there is a special version of policy available to many pysicians-in-training. It’s called the guaranteed standard issue (GSI) policy and it allows physicians-in-training to get their own individual long-term disabiity insurance policy for a lower rate and with guaranteed approval. They get to skip the medical underwriting portion of the application can instead be guaranteed approval at a lower rate. Unfortunately, many insurance agents don’t tell clients about this policy so be sure to ask about it. These GSI policies are usually available to residents, fellows, and other physicians who just finish training with the past l3 months.

My point? Disability insurance is a must for resident physicians. It’s a bit expensive, especially for females, but we can get around that issue by purchasing a unisex policy and/or opting for a graduated premium. When we buy this insurance, we need a definition of disability specific to our own specialty, with the 3 main riders for complete coverage. Purchasing this policy in residency is cheaper and gives us the protection we need. Be mindful of what address you use on the application since the price varies by state and remember that group policies through professional organizations may be insufficient.

Types of Insurance We All Need (in addition to health insurance)

Many of us are young and healthy with our entire lives ahead of us. As we continue to progress in life, we need to make sure we are doing so with the right protection. In other words, we need insurance. I don’t just mean medical coverage and car insurance though. Let me explain.

1.     Almost everyone needs long-term disability insurance. Unless you have a huge trust fund, enough passive income to completely cover your monthly expenses, or enough retirement savings to deem yourself financially independent, you need disability insurance. Why? Because if some unfortunate event were to occur that prevented you from working, you’d still need a way to support yourself. Disability insurance guarantees you a certain monthly income if you were to get fully or partly disabled, suffer from some medical illness, or get into an accident that prevented you from working your job. Since you can’t predict whether you’ll be disabled in the future, you need to insure against that risk right now. The younger, healthier, and earlier in your career you are, the more important it is to have disability insurance.

Although long-term disability insurance may be provided through your employer, group policies from your employer may not offer sufficient coverage. The payout from your employer is usually capped at a certain amount and may not fully replace your income. Plus, group policies may be less likely to pay out if you do become disabled because their definition of disability may be too broad. In other words, it may be harder to meet their definition of “disabled” and thus you may be less likely to receive the benefit when you need it. My point? Most high-income young professionals should purchase an individual, long-term disability insurance policy outside of their employer.

2.     You may also need life insurance. Life insurance guarantees a portion of your salary to your spouse or dependents should you pass away sooner than expected. This is critical if someone else depends on the money you make. I will be honest and say that as a single female with no kids, I don’t have an individual life insurance policy. However, if I get married to someone who is dependent on my income or have kids, it will be one of the first things I purchase.

There are two types of life insurance: whole life insurance and term life insurance. Term life insurance provides a benefit to your family if you die during the term of the policy (usually 30 years). Whole life insurance provides a benefit to your dependents regardless of when you die. Whole life insurance may sound more appealing, but you may want to think twice before purchasing it. Unlike term life insurance, whole life insurance is insanely expensive (about 10x more than term insurance), has a lot of hidden fees, and is unnecessary for many high-income earners who can provide money to their families in a more efficient manner.

My point? Most people need term life insurance to make sure their families don’t struggle financially if they were to die sooner than expected (within the next 20-30 years). If you were to die after that time, then you should hopefully have enough money saved (via retirement accounts and other high-yield investments) to take care of your family.

3.     Some professionals need malpractice/liability insurance. Most physicians are familiar with this type of insurance and most non-physicians don’t have to worry about it, but even still, I think it deserves a quick blurb. Malpractice insurance protects you in case you make a mistake at work that severely impacts someone else’s quality of life. You want to ensure that the patients or clients you work with can’t sue you and take everything you own. The ideal amount of liability insurance depends on your career specialty and other risk factors that put you at increased or decreased risk of being sued.

There are two main types of malpractice policies you can purchase: a “claims” policy and an “occurrence” policy. Claims policies cover you if someone files a claim against you during a certain period of time or while you work for a certain organization. The downside is that if someone waits to file a claim against you when you no longer work for that company, then a claims policy will not cover you. On the other hand, an occurrence policy covers you for any event that “occurred” during the time frame you were at the organization or under the policy. With an occurrence policy, if someone waits years to sue you then you are still covered because the action in the suit “occurred” during the time you were covered under the policy. As you can imagine, occurrence policies are more expensive but offer much better coverage. If you are working a job that only offers a claims policy, then you need to make sure you have what’s called a “tail” (added protection that will cover you in case someone sues you after you’ve changed jobs).

My point? Consider getting malpractice or liability insurance. The best kind is an occurrence policy, however, that is also the most expensive. If your job already covers the cost of a “claims” liability insurance policy, be sure to purchase “tail” coverage so that you have liability insurance after you change jobs.

4.     Consider adding an umbrella insurance policy to supplement your car and home insurance . While liability insurance covers you if someone sues you for something you did at work, umbrella insurance covers you in case you’re sued for something you did outside of work (i.e. civil disputes, business deals, etc.). For example, umbrella insurance can pay for your legal fees if your dog bites someone in the neighborhood, you accidentally injure someone at a social function, or some toddler gets injured at your child’s birthday party. It also acts as additional automobile and homeowner’s insurance. Although umbrella insurance doesn’t cover your own injuries or damages to your own property, it does protect you and cover your legal fees from harm you may cause to someone else.

Since umbrella insurance is added insurance, you can only purchase it after you have already purchased a certain amount of automobile or homeowner’s insurance. As a rule of thumb, umbrella insurance is purchased in benefit increments of a million dollars and it is usually best to purchase enough to fully cover your net worth (including the value of all your assets and potential future income). A policy with a benefit coverage of $1 million usually costs $100-$300 a year.  

To summarize, get insurance and enough of it. In addition to medical coverage, car insurance and homeowner’s insurance, most high-income professionals need disability insurance if they themselves are dependent on the income they receive from their jobs. They also need term life insurance if someone else, like a spouse or kids, is dependent on their income. Malpractice/liability insurance is useful in case someone tries to sue you for something you did at work and an umbrella insurance policy protects your net worth from unforeseen lawsuits outside of work. As [future] high-income young professionals, it is imperative that you get the insurance you need to protect yourself and your net worth.

How To Tackle Student Loan Debt

If you’re like me, or one of the millions of Americans who have student loan debt, I understand your plight. Learning about the different servicers, figuring out the repayment plans, and familiarizing yourself with terms like “refinance” and “consolidation” can be a bit daunting. Although many young professionals may have already come up with a plan to tackle their student loans, there can be a bit of a learning curve for new graduates. Here are some simple steps to help you tackle your student loan debt:

Step 1 = Figure out how much student loan debt you have. If you filled out a FAFSA form and received student loans from the federal government, then you can go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/ to see your total student loan debt balance. You will need to input your FSA username and password in order to login (this is the same username and password you used to fill out your FAFSA form). Keep in mind, the total amount of student loan debt you have will include the principal (how much you actually borrowed) and the interest (the amount the government charges you each year until you pay the money back). If you took out private loans from outside banks, foundations, or corporations you will need to contact them directly (if they haven’t already started contacting you first) to determine how much you owe.

Step 2 = Find out the interest rates and the servicers of each loan you have. When you took out a student loan from the government, it was issued by the Federal Department of Education. However, there are different sub-departments within the Department of Education that handle your loan repayment. These “sub-departments” are called loan servicers and they are who you actually contact when you repay your student loans.

For example, I took out loans through the Federal Department of Education, but my loan servicer is Nelnet. Thus, Nelnet is who I pay when my loan is due. You might have taken out a loan through the Department of Education just like me, but have a different servicer (such as Great Lakes, Mohela which took over for Fedloans, Navient formerly known as Sallie Mae, etc). You must pay back your particular loan servicer directly. Once you login into the website and find out the servicer each of your student loans, you need to look at the interest rates on these loans. Chances are that you have different interest rates on each loan since the interest rate may have fluctuated as you took out loans from year to year. Your goal is to determine the range of interest rates you have on your student loans.

I know this may sound complicated, but it’s quite easy. I’ll walk you through what it was like for me. As soon as I logged into the website I had to accept a waiver. Then, I was able to see the total amount of student debt I owed (which was pretty high given my status as a medical student, but I digress). Anyway, I could also see the number of loans I had taken out and the fact that all of my loans had the same servicer (Nelnet). You may have different servicers for different loans, so be careful. Once I saw this listing of my student loans, I could then expand the tab (by clicking an arrow) and see the amount of each loan, the interest rate on each loan, and the date on which my next payment on that loan was due. If I click “view details” I can see the date on which I took out the loan and the interest that has accrued on it up to this point, among other things.

Step 3 = Understand the pros and cons of student loan debt consolidation. Debt consolidation is when you combine all of your loans into one giant loan with one interest rate. Consolidating your loans has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of consolidating your loans (through the federal government) is that you combine all of your loans into one giant loan. Your new interest rate will be the weighted average of the interest rate on all of your loans. If you do not consolidate then you will have a different loan for each semester in which you took out money, each with different interest rates and potentially different loan servicers. This can get confusing.

By consolidating (through the federal government) you are able to combine all of these loans into one loan and focus on paying that one loan only. Having one giant loan, instead of many different smaller loans, tends to look better on your credit report. Another advantage of federal consolidation is that any loan that may not have counted towards loan forgiveness programs can now count towards those programs after you consolidate your loans (through the federal government).

The disadvantage of consolidating your loans is that any interest that has accrued on your loans will be added to the principal amount. Let me explain. If you took out unsubsidized loans, then interest accrued on those loans while you were still in school. Once you consolidate your loans, all of the interest that has accrued on your loans to that point will be added to the principal amount of the loan. For example, if you have taken out a total of $50,000 in student loans and $3,000 in interest has accumulated on the loans during that time, then if you consolidate your loans you will have a new loan with a new principal amount of $53,000 (that includes the $50,000 you borrowed plus the $3,000 that had already accumulated in interest).

I should mention that you have the option to consolidate your loans through the federal government or through a private company or bank. Although a private company may be able to offer incentives to get you to consolidate through them, I would advise you to consider consolidating through the federal government instead, if you choose to consolidate in the first place. The advantage of consolidating your student loans through the federal government is that you are still eligible for many of the benefits that come with federal student loans.

The federal government is much more understanding when you go through life changing situations. If you lose your job, become disabled, or have some life altering event that prevents you from making your student loan payment you can ask the government to put your loans into deferment or forbearance. Although they are slightly different, both of these options will grant you temporary relief from having to pay back your loans for a few months up to a few years. Most private companies will not give you this option.

Plus, many federal loans can usually be “forgiven” after a certain length of time. In fact, many federal income-driven repayment plans and programs will forgive your loans after 10-25 years. So unless you are secure in your job and are making a lot of money, I’d suggest consolidating your loans into one giant loan with the federal government if you feel you need to consolidate at all. Doing so, allows you to keep the protections that come with federal loans and makes your student loans easier to manage in the process.  

What am I doing? Consolidating. Even though my loans are already with the same loan servicer (Nelnet) with fixed interest rates, I need to consolidate in order to waive my grace period and start making payments under Public Service Loan Forgiveness as soon as I can. Graduates have a 6 month grace period before they have to start paying back their loans. While most graduates appreciate this grace period, I plan to opt for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Under PSLF, I'll be enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan that caps my repayment at 10% of my income until my loans are forgiven. However, PSLF doesn't kick in until after the grace periods ends. If I wait 6 months for the grace period to end, I will miss out on 6 months of low payments that could count towards PSLF. In order to waive the grace period, I must consolidate.

My point? If you have multiple loan servicers, variable rate loans, loans that don’t automatically qualify you for a loan forgiveness programs, or plans to pursue PSLF specifically, then consolidating through the federal government may be beneficial for you as well. 

Step 4 = Think twice before you refinance your loans. Although refinancing can be similar to consolidating, the terms are different. Consolidating your loans is when you combine all of your loans into one giant loan and the interest rate you pay is the average of the interest rate you had on each individual loan. Refinancing is different. Refinancing is when you combine all of your loans into one giant loan and pay a LOWER interest rate than what would have been the average on all the loans. Refinancing can only be done outside of the federal government through a commercial bank, credit union, or some outside company.

The advantage of refinancing is that you pay a lower interest rate than you would have otherwise which can save you thousands of dollars. The disadvantage of refinancing is that you lose the protections and benefits that come with having federal loans. After you refinance, you are no longer eligible for federal deferment or forbearance if life takes a turn. Most importantly, you are no longer eligible for federal student loan forgiveness programs. Unless you are certain that you will not be pursuing any student loan forgiveness programs and have enough job security that needing deferment or forbearance is unlikely, then you may want to wait to refinance.

What am I doing? Choosing not to refinance right now and revisiting the subject in a few years. As a graduating medical student who will start residency training as a physician, I am in a unique situation. My plan is to enroll into an income driven repayment plan through the federal government. I will pay my student loans on time each month until I finish residency training and fellowship. Afterwards, I will decide to work in academics or private practice. If I choose academics I will keep my loans with the federal government and opt for public service loan forgiveness (which forgives my loans within 10 years). If I do not choose to work in academics, I will refinance my loans with a private company and plan to pay them off in 5 years.

Step 5 = Enroll into a repayment plan that is best for you. There are many different repayment plans. You need to check with your loan servicer to see which repayment plan options you qualify for or use the repayment estimator to get a general idea. If you don’t choose a plan, you will be automatically enrolled in the standard repayment plan which puts you on track to pay off your loans within 10 years. Although this plan will save you money in interest payments, the monthly payment required may be higher than you can afford.

If this is the case, enroll in one of the income-driven repayment plans. These plans only require you to pay 5% to 15% of your income in students loan payments and will automatically forgive your loans after 20-25 years, if you haven’t already paid them off. (If you opt for public service loan forgiveness, then your loans will be forgiven in 10 years).  Income driven repayment plans are ideal for anyone who plans to get their loans forgiven via public service loan forgiveness or some other type of loan forgiveness program.

Step 6 = Look into loan forgiveness programs and submit the necessary paperwork. I alluded to this above, but as you think about your student loans it’s important to consider whether or not you are considering some sort of loan forgiveness program, most notably public service loan forgiveness. Although this program will forgive your loans after making 10 years of payments, you need to ensure that you have properly enrolled into it.

You can refer to the student loan website but essentially you need to have direct loans through the federal government, work at some sort of academic institution or non profit organization, and make 10 years of on-time qualifying payments. If you know you want to enroll in this program, then you can fill out the form on the student loan website.

To summarize: there are 6 steps you need to take to start tackling your student loans. First, go to the student loan website and figure out how much money you owe. Then, determine your loan servicer and the interest rate on each of your loans so you can figure out who to contact to start repaying them. Next, you need to understand the pros and cons of federal debt consolidation so you can figure out if you should combine your loans into one giant loan or not. Remember to think twice before you refinance your loans since doing so will make you ineligible for federal loan forgiveness programs. After that, enroll into an income-driven repayment plan, if your monthly payments under the standard plan are higher than you can afford. Lastly, look into government loan forgiveness programs and submit the necessary paperwork to enroll.

Tell me, was this helpful? Do you feel more like you have a game plan on how to tackle your student loans?