Crispy Doc

When you start a physician finance blog, you are burning to share your message. You say yes to every opportunity, and are flattered when anyone expresses remote interest in what you have to say. Two plus years ago, I was a young upstart approached by a similarly newish blogger who asked me to complete a written interview that he assured …

This article is intended for the otherwise healthy patient under 50 years of age who thinks he may have contracted COVID. If you have a body mass index above normal, are diabetic, use an oxygen tank, or the number of medications you take exceeds the number of grandchildren whose names you can remember, this is not written for you (in …

Some of the more fantastic ethical dilemmas I encountered as a child were accompanied by Rod Serling’s haunting narration on black and white episodes of The Twilight Zone. It’s only now, as an adult member of society during a public health crisis, that I am able to draw fully on the parables from that strange and unforgettable sci-fi series. One …

“A” is a managing director at a hedge fund, which provides the unique opportunity to obtain insights and perspectives that seldom reach the FIRE echo chamber. “A” has graciously agreed to let me share our most recent correspondence below, which began after I forwarded Big ERN’s recent article on the “Passive Investing Bubble.” The big concern I personally have with passive …

It was the day after Father’s Day, and we’d chosen a park for an outdoor, bring your own lunch picnic. It was 80 degrees and piercing California light, but we scouted some secluded bleachers beneath an awning that promised reprieve from the sun and sufficient space to maintain social distancing. There was a 100 yard walk along a 30 degree …

I continue to read the 2018 edition of Reducing The Risk Of Black Swans by Swedroe and Grogan, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the intellectual exercise. Today, I’ll share my latest A-ha moment.When designing a portfolio, we often use the terms risk tolerance or risk aversion. The caveat to using these terms is that investors don’t have a terrific way of …

Uncharacteristically wet morning in late June, more than drizzle but less than rain. Beyond the wall of windows in the great room: expected coastal fog but with asphalt roads visibly soaked enough to preclude my comfortably taking a morning bike ride. Seattle riders wouldn’t think twice, but it takes so little to stop a Californian. I am reading the poet …

[Disclosure: The author sent me a free copy of her new book, asking if I would review it. I make no commission, and we have no affiliate relationship.] During orientation week in my first year as a medical student, a particularly thoughtful classmate in an adjacent apartment building concluded by week’s end that she didn’t want to become a physician. …

My 25th college reunion was set to place place this Autumn. Among those I’d looked forward to seeing was a friend since high school whom I’d grown closer with during our years living under the same roof in college. Proximity And Time My friendship with C began innocuously enough in advanced track science, math and English courses during high school. …

In Part 1, we outlined how high income professionals who respond appropriately to tax incentives can easily find themselves with a majority of their retirement nest egg in tax-deferred accounts. Left unchecked, this imbalance can lead to tax-inefficient withdrawals in the form of required minimum distributions (RMDs). Compounding a bad situation, inheriting tax-deferred retirement accounts can saddle the surviving spouse …