Happy New Year, my friends! Here in Western Pennsylvania, January has been testicle-retracting cold, even in the warmest of slacks. Our family is only now recovering from a holiday filled with guests and roasts and toasts. We celebrated the raucous New Year’s Eve of 30-something parents everywhere: too much food, a couple glasses of bubbly, […]
Early Retirement and Finance
Best Future Career: Doctor, Engineer, or Plumber?
When I was a child, I could think of nothing more awesome than becoming a mountain climber. My aspirations were largely due to a large cliff we would often drive past, sheer and rocky in the summer and covered with huge icicles in the winter. I told my parents of my aspirations frequently. To their […]
Level Up Your Retirement
I played a lot of video games as a kid. My loyalties were to Nintendo—and almost exclusively the early, original Nintendo games. I’m talking Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, and Contra, to name a few of my former faves. When I started college and especially medical school, my free time evaporated quickly along with […]
State of Confusion: Does Location Matter for Retirement Taxes?
When I first visited California at the age of thirty, it was love at first sight. We flew into Los Angeles for a stunning wedding in Laguna Beach; drove up the stunning Pacific Coast Highway; hiked the stunning edifice of Half Dome in Yosemite; wandered the steep, hip (and stunning) streets of San Francisco; and […]
What I Learned From Getting (Kind Of) Sued
Dr. Jim Dahle, aka the White Coat Investor, was gracious enough to allow me to write a guest post on his website about my (thankfully limited) experience with medical malpractice. I have been reading his website since near the time of its inception, and he played a large role in my financial salvation, so I am truly […]
Dr. C’s Outsourcing Calculator
It has been 8 years since my first outsourcing. The year was 2009. My wife and I had purchased our modest home a few years prior. Life was busy; my wife was in full-time medical practice and I was in the middle of residency training. Our house cleaning schedule was erratic at best, and we began to […]
Financial Independence Is Boring
I am a few years away from financial independence. When that moment comes, it will arrive not with a bang but a whimper. One spring, or summer, or winter day, I will log into my accounts and see that I have hit my “number.” Then I will close my laptop, have another sip of coffee, […]
The Anatomy (and Pathology) of Financial Health
I had a nasty summer cold last week. Like most upper respiratory infections, the virus likely gained access via the mucosal membranes of my mouth or nose, evaded my immune system, and started a house party in my body. My nose ran, my head ached, and I coughed uncontrollably for a few days. I had […]
Show Me the Money: My Retirement Drawdown Plan
High five! You have saved diligently and accumulated a nest egg that would be the envy of Scrooge McDuck. You, my friend, are ready to retire to a life without rushing and with naps. But wait! Your money is stashed in a combination of retirement accounts and taxable mutual funds; how, exactly, do you access […]
A Retirement Anti-list
It’s fun to contemplate the possibilities in early retirement. Some have organized bucket-like lists of retirement goals: Physician on Fire, My Sons Father, J. Money, and Joe Hearn are a few lists I have come across recently. Mine is a little different. Rather than list retirement dreams and wishes, I explain what I hope NOT to […]
The Great Debate: Go Part-time Now or Retire Early
Pictured above: Lalomanu Beach, Samoa. With our second little angel arriving soon, I’ve got family on the mind. Both my wife and I work full-time. Life is busy but not too insane: a majority of days we work 8-5, but there are occasional mornings, afternoons, or even full days off scattered throughout each of our schedules. We also employ a […]
Drifting Toward Early Retirement
[I hesitated before publishing this post because of the real-life finances contained herein but, in the spirit of putting myself out there, I decided to go ahead. My current financial situation can be attributed primarily to luck and happenstance, and I feel very fortunate to be where I am. Please forgive anything that may seem […]