SPOTLIGHT -
The Deal with Reverse Mortgages
Reverse mortgages have been advertised more and more during the recent run-up in home prices, but not every senior is a good candidate for one.
High-Frequency Trading and You
Stock trades are now made on banks of faceless servers in less than heartbeat. So the markets have thus become even more equitable and fair, right? Enter the unfair advantage of high-frequency traders.
Americans Are Bad at Finances
Too many Americans don't understand the full costs for owning a car, live paycheck to paycheck (even physicians), and are overwhelmed by investment options.
The 3-Minute Staff Management Course
One of the most important things a practicing physician does is manage the people who work for him or her; however, it's an essential skill in which doctors get no training.
Simple Investing Advice from the Oracle of Omaha
We cannot control our return on our investment, but we certainly can control our cost of doing business. There is wisdom in a simple, low-cost planned approach to save regularly in a tax-deferred vehicle.
Entry into the Echelons of Affluence
Aspiring physicians might take comfort in the knowledge that there are now 12 million people in the world with investable assets of $1 million or more. But you might not join those ranks if you don't vet your financial advisor.
Breaking Bad Money Habits
In a complicated world where some financial literacy is required to participate in society, what is a person to do? Let's take a look at some of our bad money habits and improve upon them.
Doctors Need to Force Change in Health Care Costs
America has a major problem with irrationally varied, unpublished and often inequitable hospital pricing, and one doctor is calling upon his colleagues to wake up and demand change.
Up Your Chances of Sticking to Resolutions
A blown resolution could end up costing you $1,000, but using these websites and tricks could actually help combat your financial inattentiveness and increase your savings this year.
The Financial Fast
It is easy for the public, and for many doctors, to fall into the stereotypical thinking that most physicians are Fat Cats, but there are many who struggle financially for a variety of reasons.
End-of-Year Financial Wisdom
It is natural and traditional to look back at the end of the year to review what we have done, possibly learned and, hopefully, do something differently in the coming year to our profit.
Holiday, and Year Round, Savings
The best way to save is not to spend, of course. But failing that, it really helps if we don't unthinkingly let money slip through our fingers like sand on a beach.
And Charity to All
In this season of giving, it is important to plan giving ahead and take the time to inquire into some charities. You might be appalled at their poor businesses practices.
Holiday Shopping Tips
Tips for being a good consumer in this ultimate consumer season, from "cart abandonment" online to how you can get the better deal if you try haggling.
Under-the-Radar Health Costs and Other Money Facts
Uninsured home care is perhaps the largest under-the-radar health care cost burden that is not being addressed in any cogent way in the on-going health care debate.
Minimizing Chances of Elder Financial Abuse
Most seniors are quite capable, but there does come a time for all of us to turn over our financial affairs, whether we want to be timely about admitting it or not.
Lusting After an IPO?
A look at the recent Twitter IPO might help to cut through the smoke and mirrors of the circus-like media coverage of such events to talk a bit about how worthwhile of an investment IPOs really are.
Lessons from Silicon Valley
There are good business takeaways to be learned from the uncertainty and angst in Silicon Valley and even more important hiring lessons that doctors should heed.
On Becoming a Billionaire
Recently Forbes magazine came out with its 32nd annual list of the 400 wealthiest people in America. Current price of admission? $1.3 billion.
Tips to Make Money (and Avoid Losing It)
Common sense financial advice somehow doesn't seem like a real "tip," and, yet, most people could learn a thing or two from seemingly obvious, cautionary tips.
The High Cost of Taking Things For Granted
Having just come through the government shutdown and the debt ceiling deadline, it is critically important that we must not lose a true sense of what was actually most at stake financially.
How Can an Ethical Will Help Me?
An ethical will is not a legal document, but a supplement to your last will and testament. It gives you a chance, even after you're gone, to explain the rationale for financial decisions you made.
The Benefit of the Buy-and-Hold
For most people, a diversified buy-and-hold is the ticket to financial security. If you're paying a money manager, know that just a small percent have beaten the S&P 500 over the last 20 years.
Numbers That Can Make You Money
Family-controlled companies report better returns than the S&P 500 average; if you missed the 10 best trading days of the year it could cost you 50% of your returns; and why you should rethink leasing two luxury cars in retirement.
How Doctors Subsidize American Health Care
Physicians are subsidizing American health care to the tune of unknown billions of dollars each year - we are simply failing to collect money from insurance companies.
How We Become Financially Literate
Financial literacy is having the skills and knowledge to effectively manage your financial affairs. Unfortunately, one way most people learn about money matters is by painful experience and trial and error.
Back to Business
It's back to business for Jeff Brown, MD, who is looking to learn, and earn, something. Do you know how important it is to watch the fees on your 401(k)? Or how physicians who operate a cash-only business do?
What's Right about American Health Care
Jeff Brown, MD, has spent the past few weeks discussing the problems with American health care, but it's time to give credit where credit is due. There's also plenty of good.
Dysfunctional American Health Care
The breathtaking width and depth of the problems in American health care have led to widespread confusion and consternation to the point where it is difficult to figure out where we can even start to improve things.
More Things Wrong with American Health Care
Last week Jeff Brown, MD, enumerated some of the issues wrong with American health care, but there are still more problems: including fraud, customer service and malpractice.