Never Fly When You Can Drive

Several years ago I had a discussion with one of my residents. He was telling me about how great it was to fly back to Portland to visit his girlfriend. The airplane flight was only 45 minutes and fairly inexpensive. This conversation got me thinking about travel and what mode of transportation is best for … Read more

The One Word Secret to Happiness

I was recently asked what I thought was the number one problem that caused unhappiness in America. We are one of the most prosperous nations in history. You might think that with all that prosperity and wealth, Americans would be happy. Obviously wealth does not equal happiness. Many would argue that since America has a … Read more

The Secret Sauce of Goal Achievement

Have you ever set a goal and not achieved it? I have. Many times. Often due to setting the goal in an ineffective manner. In order to set goals with the highest chance of success, we need to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals. Using this acronym to set goals will improve the odds of success. If the … Read more

Three steps to stop living paycheck to paycheck

Many doctors today find themselves living paycheck to paycheck. They make a good income but just never seem to get caught up. Non-doctors see us as rich. But many of us are just broke on a larger salary. The whole reason I began Prescription for Financial Success – Helping Healthcare Professionals Thrive, stemmed from a … Read more

The Successful Staycation

Last year I wanted to take my family on vacation during Christmas break while my youngest son, Keith, was on break from college. My oldest son, Brian, was not able to get time off work as that was a very busy time for the store. So we decided to take a staycation to allow our … Read more

The One Statement Every Doctor Must Learn

I have been helping doctors with their personal finances for a long time. I recently realized that there is a single statement, if doctors would learn to use it, that would change their lives. It is very common for me to encounter doctors who are in over their heads financially, struggling with debt, and living … Read more

Calculating The New Tax Plan Results

As the year comes to an end, congress has passed the new tax bill. This was certainly not tax reform as has been discussed, but simply a rearrangement of how they calculate our taxes. This new plan lowers tax rates but eliminates many of the items that were previously deductible. Sort of like rearranging the … Read more