Category: Blog 2019

Each year, Medical Economics asks physicians about their top challenges for the new year. During the 2018 end-of-the-year polling, this leading healthcare publication posed a more provocative question: “What is ruining medicine for physicians?” An overarching theme that emerged from the 2018 poll centered on how the business side of healthcare is demanding more of physicians’ attention than any other issue – even patient care. From continuing education requirements to continued declines in reimbursement rates to hard-to-use EHR systems and payer relations, there seems to be fewer hours left in physicians’ days to do what they do best and were trained to do – diagnose illnesses and treat patients. As a Wealth Manager and the spouse of a physician, I’ve called out four of the nine “pain points” that I found most relevant to a physician’s finances:

“Gray Divorce,” or divorce among couples 50 or over, has risen dramatically over the last few decades, more than doubling since 1990 according to a Pew Research Center report. During this same time period, the divorce rate overall has fallen. So why are we seeing such a spike in the divorce rate for older Americans?

We were recently blessed to welcome our second daughter, Elizabeth. This being our second, I think we are somewhat better prepared for how our lives would immediately change. These first few months are filled with joy and excitement (as well as exhaustion coupled with just trying to figure out what we are doing). While I have no advice on how to get your newborn to sleep on schedule, I can give you some advice on some financial matters all new parents need to address (and soon for some of these):

No matter what kind of investor you are and no matter how much you have invested in the market, it’s safe to say that the market’s recent swings have caught your attention. Truly savvy investors can capitalize on volatility by recognizing that when the market is falling, “stocks are now on sale.” But your ability (and willingness) to benefit from falling prices can also depend on whether you are still saving and accumulating for retirement, or if you are nearing or already in retirement.