Retirement planning: Are you ready?

Many physicians have long and successful careers caring for patients.

But the time may come when doctors are ready to hang the white coat in the closet for good.

Will they be ready financially for retirement?

Sermo, a social networking site for physicians, has published data from doctors about their thoughts and preparations for retirement. The figures were part of Sermo’s 36th Barometer poll, which included findings from 529 global physicians across a range of specialties. It was fielded Jan. 21, 2025.

“Retirement planning feels like navigating a moving target – it’s full of uncertainty and constant change,” Ashish Rana, MD, a Sermo medical advisory board member, said in a news release. Rana is also the internal medicine program director and associate chair of academic medicine at Crozer Health in Upland, Pennsylvania, and a professor of medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

“It’s not just about saving enough; it’s about managing the fear that market volatility or sudden policy shifts could upend years of careful planning,” Rana said. “This is why so many of us are considering secondary income sources or adjusting our retirement timelines.”

This slideshow presents Sermo’s findings and data.