RE-IMAGINING RETIREMENT: A Path Forward for a Broke 65-Year-Old Doctor

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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Turning 65 is often seen as the gateway to retirement—a time to slow down, reflect, and enjoy the fruits of decades of labor. But for some, including doctors who may have faced financial setbacks, poor planning, or unexpected life events, reaching this milestone without financial security can be deeply unsettling. The image of a broke 65-year-old doctor may seem paradoxical, given the profession’s reputation for high earnings. Yet, reality paints a more nuanced picture. Fortunately, even in the face of financial hardship, retirement is not a closed door—it’s a challenge that can be met with creativity, resilience, and strategic planning.

Understanding the Situation

Before exploring solutions, it’s important to understand how a physician might arrive at retirement age without adequate savings. Medical school debt, late career starts, divorce, health issues, poor investment decisions, or supporting family members can all contribute. Some doctors work in lower-paying specialties or underserved areas, sacrificing income for impact. Others may have lived beyond their means, assuming their high salary would always be enough. Regardless of the cause, the key is to shift focus from regret to action.

DOCTORS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/09/09/doctors-early-investing-needed-for-retirement/

Redefining Retirement

Traditional retirement—ceasing work entirely—is not the only option. For a broke 65-year-old doctor, retirement may mean transitioning to a less demanding role, reducing hours, or shifting to a new field. The goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle that balances income, purpose, and well-being.

Leveraging Medical Expertise

Even if full-time clinical practice is no longer viable, a physician’s knowledge remains valuable. Here are several ways to continue earning while easing into retirement:

  • Telemedicine: Remote consultations are in high demand, especially in primary care, psychiatry, and chronic disease management. Telemedicine offers flexibility, reduced overhead, and the ability to work from home.
  • Locum Tenens: Temporary assignments can fill staffing gaps in hospitals and clinics. These roles often pay well and allow for travel or seasonal work.
  • Medical Writing and Reviewing: Physicians can write for journals, websites, or pharmaceutical companies. Peer reviewing, editing, and content creation are viable options.
  • Teaching and Mentoring: Medical schools, nursing programs, and residency programs need experienced educators. Adjunct teaching or mentoring can be fulfilling and financially helpful.
  • Consulting: Doctors can advise healthcare startups, legal teams, or insurance companies. Their insights are valuable in product development, litigation, and policy.

Exploring Non-Clinical Opportunities

Some physicians may wish to pivot entirely. Transferable skills—critical thinking, communication, leadership—open doors in other industries:

  • Health Coaching or Life Coaching: With certification, doctors can guide clients in wellness, stress management, or career transitions.
  • Entrepreneurship: Starting a small business, such as a tutoring service, online course, or specialty clinic, can generate income and autonomy.
  • Real Estate or Investing: With careful planning, investing in rental properties or learning about the stock market can create passive income.

Maximizing Government and Community Resources

At 65, individuals become eligible for Medicare, which can significantly reduce healthcare costs. Additionally, Social Security benefits may be available, depending on work history. While delaying benefits until age 70 increases monthly payments, some may need to claim earlier to meet immediate needs.

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Other resources include:

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI): For those with limited income and assets.
  • SNAP (food assistance) and LIHEAP (energy assistance): These programs help cover basic living expenses.
  • Community Organizations: Nonprofits and religious groups often provide support with housing, transportation, and social engagement.

Downsizing and Budgeting

Reducing expenses is a powerful way to stretch limited resources. Consider:

  • Relocating: Moving to a lower-cost area or state with favorable tax policies can reduce housing and living expenses.
  • Selling Assets: A large home, unused vehicle, or collectibles may be converted into cash.
  • Shared Housing: Living with family, roommates, or in co-housing communities can cut costs and reduce isolation.
  • Minimalist Living: Prioritizing needs over wants and embracing simplicity can lead to financial and emotional freedom.

Creating a realistic budget is essential. Track income and expenses, eliminate unnecessary costs, and prioritize essentials. Free budgeting tools and financial counseling services can help.

INVESTING: Rules of Thumb

Emotional and Mental Well-Being

Financial stress can take a toll on mental health. It’s important to cultivate resilience and maintain a sense of purpose. Strategies include:

  • Staying Active: Physical activity improves mood and health. Walking, yoga, or swimming are low-cost options.
  • Volunteering: Giving back can provide structure, community, and fulfillment.
  • Learning New Skills: Online courses, hobbies, or certifications can reignite passion and open new doors.
  • Building a Support Network: Friends, family, and peer groups offer emotional support and practical advice.

Planning for the Future

Even at 65, it’s not too late to plan. Consider:

  • Debt Management: Negotiate payment plans, consolidate loans, or seek professional help.
  • Estate Planning: Create a will, designate healthcare proxies, and organize important documents.
  • Insurance Review: Ensure adequate coverage for health, life, and long-term care.
  • Financial Advising: A fee-only advisor can help create a sustainable plan without selling products.

Embracing a New Chapter

Retirement is not a destination—it’s a transition. For a broke 65-year-old doctor, it may not look like the glossy brochures, but it can still be rich in meaning. By leveraging experience, reducing expenses, accessing resources, and nurturing well-being, retirement becomes a journey of reinvention.In many ways, doctors are uniquely equipped for this challenge. They’ve faced long hours, high stakes, and complex problems. That same grit and adaptability can guide them through financial hardship and into a fulfilling retirement.

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SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Four Percent Rule VERSUS Rule of Twenty-Five

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

PHYSICIAN RETIREMENT PLANNING

By Staff Reporters

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The rule of 25 is just a different way to look at another popular retirement rule, the 4% rule. It flips the equation (100/4% = 25) to emphasize a different part of the retirement planning process — withdrawing vs. saving.

The 4% rule outlines a safe rate to withdraw funds for 30 years without running out of money. On the other hand, the rule of 25 is a savings-focused approach, providing a quick estimate of how much you need to accumulate before exiting the workforce.

LINK: https://www.nerdwallet.com/calculator/retirement-calculator

Let’s consider a scenario to highlight the difference:

  • Rule of 25: After accounting for her Social Security and other sources of retirement income, Dr. Matie PhD plans to spend $40,000 a year in retirement. 40,000 x 25 = $1 million, so Matie would need $1 million invested to cover annual expenses of $40,000.
  • The 4% rule: Dr. Matie, now a retiree, has $1 million in retirement savings and follows the 4% rule. She can safely withdraw $40,000 annually (4% of $1 million).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

While the 4% rule helps plan withdrawals during retirement, the rule of 25 helps establish a savings goal before retirement begins.

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RETIREMENT: Can Doctors Afford It?

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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You’ve got a sense of your ideal retirement age. And you’ve probably made certain plans based on that timeline. But what if you’re forced to retire sooner than you expect? Aging baby-boomers, corporate medicine, the medical practice great resignation and/or the pandemic, etc?

RESIGNATION: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/12/12/healthcare-industry-hit-with-the-great-resignation-retirement/

Early retirement is nothing new, but it’s clear how much the COVID-19 pandemic has affected an aging workforce. Whether due to downsizing, objections to vaccine mandates, concerns about exposure risks, other health issues, or the desire for more leisure time, the retired general population grew by 3.5 million over the past two years—compared to an annual average of 1 million between 2008 and 2019—according to the Pew Research Center.1 At the same time, a survey conducted by the National Institute on Retirement Security revealed that more than half of Americans are concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their ability to achieve a secure retirement.2

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There’s no need to panic, but those numbers make one thing clear, says Rob Williams, managing director of financial planning, retirement income, and wealth management for the Schwab Center for Financial Research. Flexible and personalized financial planning that addresses how you’d cope if you had to retire early can help you make the best use of all your resources. 

So – Here are six steps to follow. We’ll use as an example a person who’s seeing if they could retire five years early, but the steps remain the same regardless of your individual time frame.

Step 1: Think strategically about pension and Social Security benefits

For most retirees, Social Security and (to a lesser degree) pensions are the two primary sources of regular income in retirement. You usually can collect these payments early—at age 62 for Social Security and sometimes as early as age 55 with a pension. However, taking benefits early will mean that you get smaller monthly benefits for the rest of your life. That can matter to your bottom line, even if you expect Social Security to be merely the icing on your retirement cake.

On the Social Security website, you can find a projection of what your benefits would be if you were pushed to claim them several years early. But if you’re part of a two-income couple, you may want to make an appointment at a Social Security office or with a financial professional to weigh the potential options.

For example, when you die, your spouse is eligible to receive your monthly benefit if it’s higher than his or her own. But if you claim your benefits early, thus receiving a reduced amount, you’re likewise limiting your spouse’s potential survivor benefit.

If you have a pension, your employer’s pension administrator can help estimate your monthly pension payments at various ages. Once you have these estimates, you’ll have a good idea of how much monthly income you can count on at any given point in time.

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Step 2: Pressure-test your 401(k)

In addition to weighing different strategies to maximize your Social Security and/or pension, evaluate how much income you could potentially derive from your personal retirement savings—and there’s a silver lining here if you’re forced to retire early. 

Rule of 55

Let’s say you leave your job at any time during or after the calendar year you turn 55 (or age 50 if you’re a public safety employee with a government defined-benefit plan). Under a little-known separation-of-service provision, often referred to as the “rule of 55,” you may be able take distributions (though some plans may allow only one lump-sum withdrawal) from your 401(k), 403(b), or other qualified retirement plan free of the usual 10% early-withdrawal penalties. However, be aware that you’ll still owe ordinary income taxes on the amount distributed. 

This exception applies only to the plan (including any consolidated accounts) that you were contributing to when you separated from service. It does not extend to IRAs. 

4% rule

There’s also a simple rule of thumb suggesting that if you spend 4% or less of your savings in your first year of retirement and then adjust for inflation each year following, your savings are likely to last for at least 30 years—given that you make no other changes to your withdrawals, such as a lump sum withdrawal for a one-time expense or a slight reduction in withdrawals during a down market. 

To see how much monthly income you could count on if you retired as expected in five years, multiply your current savings by 4% and divide by 12. For example, $1 million x .04 = $40,000. Divide that by 12 to get $3,333 per month in year one of retirement. (Again, you could increase that amount with inflation each year thereafter.) Then do the same calculation based on your current savings to see how much you’d have to live on if you retired today. Keep in mind that your money will have to last five years longer in this instance.

Knowing the monthly amount your current savings can generate will give you a clearer sense of whether you’ll have a shortfall—and how large or small it might be. Use our retirement savings calculator to test different saving amounts and time frames.

Step 3: Don’t forget about health insurance, doctor!

Nobody wants to spend down a big chunk of their retirement savings on unanticipated healthcare costs in the years between early retirement and Medicare eligibility at age 65. If you lose your employer-sponsored health insurance, you’ll want to find some coverage until you can apply for Medicare. 

Your options may include continuing employer-sponsored coverage through COBRA, insurance enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, or joining your spouse’s health insurance plan. You may also find discounted coverage through organizations you belong to—for example, the AARP. 

Step 4: Create a post-retirement budget

To make sure your retirement savings will cover your expenses, add up the monthly income you could get from pensions, Social Security, and your savings. Then, compare the total to your anticipated monthly expenses (including income taxes) if you were to retire five years early and are eligible, and choose to file, for Social Security and pension benefits earlier. 

Take into account various life events and expenditures you may encounter. You may not pay off your mortgage by the date you’d planned. Your spouse might still be working (which can add income but also prolong certain expenses). Or your children might not be out of college yet. 

You’re probably fine if you anticipate that your monthly expenses will be lower than your income. But if you think your expenses would be higher than your early-retirement income, some suggest that you take one or more of these measures:

  • Retire later; practice longer.
  • Save more now to fill some of the potential gap.
  • Trim your budget so there’s less of a gap down the road.
  • Consider options for medical consulting or part-time work—and begin to explore some of those opportunities now.

To the last point, finding a physician job later in life can be challenging, but certain employment agencies specialize in this area. If you can find work you like that covers a portion of your expenses, you’ll have the option of delaying Social Security and your company pension to get higher payments later—and you can avoid dipping into your retirement savings prematurely. 

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Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Risk-Management-Liability-Insurance-and-Asset-Protection-Strategies-for/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781498725989

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Step 5: Protect your portfolio

When you retire early, you have to walk a fine line with your portfolio’s asset allocation—investing aggressively enough that your money has the potential to grow over a long retirement, but also conservatively enough to minimize the chance of big losses, particularly at the outset.

“Risk management is especially important during the first few years of retirement or if you retire early,” Rob notes, because it can be difficult to bounce back from a loss when you’re drawing down income from your portfolio and reducing the overall number of shares you own.  

To strike a balance between growth and security, start by making sure you have enough money stashed in relatively liquid, relatively stable investments—such as money market accounts, CDs, or high-quality short-term bonds—to cover at least a year or two of living expenses. Divide the rest of your portfolio among stocks, bonds, and other fixed-income investments. And don’t hesitate to seek professional help to arrive at the right mix. 

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Many people are unaccustomed to thinking about their expenses because they simply spend what they make when working, Rob says. But one of the most valuable decisions you can make about your life in retirement is to reevaluate where your money is going now.

This serves two aims. First, it’s a reality check on the spending plan you’ve envisioned for retirement, which may be idealized (e.g., “I’ll do all the home maintenance and repairs!”). Second, it enables you to adjust your spending habits ahead of schedule—whichever schedule you end up following. This gives you more control and potentially more income. 

Step 6: Reevaluate your current spending

For example, if you’re not averse to downsizing, moving to a less expensive home could reduce your monthly mortgage, property tax, and insurance payments while freeing up equity that could also be invested to provide additional monthly income.

“When you are saving for retirement, time is on your side”. You lose that advantage when you’re forced to retire early, but having a backup plan that anticipates the possibility of an early retirement can make the unknowns you face a lot less daunting.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

References:

1Richard Fry, “Amid the Pandemic, A Rising Share Of Older U.S. Adults Are Now Retired”, Pew Research Center, 11/04/2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/11/04/amid-the-pandemic-a-rising-share-of-older-u-s-adults-are-now-retired/.

2Tyler Bond, Don Doonan and Kelly Kenneally, “Retirement Insecurity 2021: Americans’ Views of Retirement”, Nirsonline.Org, 02/2021, https://www.nirsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FINAL-Retirement-Insecurity-2021-.pdf.

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DOCTORS Getting OUT of Medical Practice!

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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Why are doctors leaving practice?

For many physicians it’s about demographics. Just like the rest of us, doctors are aging too. Already the average physician age is about 53 years old. The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that about half of doctors are over the age of 55. Over the next decade, an estimated 40% of physicians will be over 65 years old. This means more than two of every five active physicians will reach age 65 within the next 10 years.

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Moreover, compared with their boomer colleagues who were more likely to work past retirement, a robust 60% of younger Generation X doctors are reporting that they plan to retire by age 60.

Doctors cite poor quality of life and stress as reasons for their early departure. The pandemic certainly crushed many providers and has led to burnout. Generation X physicians in their 40s and early 50s were more likely than boomers to report that their current work life was not making the grade. In short, 43% of middle-aged doctors, compared with 31% of doctors over age 55, were reporting lower levels of professional fulfillment. Moreover, 47% of mostly Gen X doctors indicated dissatisfaction with their level of personal fulfillment compared with 36% of practicing boomer physicians.

COACHING: https://marcinkoassociates.com/process-what-we-do/

That dissatisfaction is translating into action and the pandemic is not the only reason for discontent. One survey of physicians in Massachusetts indicated that one in four doctors plans to leave medicine in the next two years and that staffing shortages and related administrative demands, e.g., hospital system metrics, paperwork, eMRs and meeting insurance requirements, were the most cited source of workplace stress. 

RISK MANAGEMENT: https://www.routledge.com/Risk-Management-Liability-Insurance-and-Asset-Protection-Strategies-for/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781498725989

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Can this Doctor RETIRE?

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

AFFORDABILITY IN 2024

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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CAN THIS DOCTOR RETIRE – HE ASKS?

I’m a late career entry and 55 year old burned out doctor who wants out. Can I retire in 2 years with a pension of $6,100 a month (net). I have $825,000 in my 401(k) and 457 plan and a mortgage of $95,000 at 5.30%. I am not planning to move and will retire in place.

SOME THOUGHTS AND ANSWERS?

Congratulations on you solid retirement fund on top of a pending pension. 

The first step you should take is to create a detailed budget for your retirement years. Consider expected living costs, healthcare expenses, travel and any other major expenses. Many folks make the mistake of setting up a monthly budget, but keep out significant milestones that are often costly, such as paying for a child’s college education or wedding.

Next, you should figure out your plan for housing. Mortgage payments, upkeep and taxes are important considerations. There was no mention of mortgage equity. 

Another factor to take into account is state and Federal tax projections. If the 401(k) funds are all pre-tax dollars, any distributions will be taxable and there may be penalties if funds are withdrawn prior to 59 ½ years old. That will impact your retirement plan if you’re preparing to retire at 57-58.

It also sounds like you haven’t taken into account your Social Security allowance. It’s possible that your pension is one that comes with a government pension offset which would explain why you didn’t include it. On the other hand, maybe you’re thinking it’s far out enough that it doesn’t factor into your calculations?

Finally, you may want to look for a fee-only financial advisor that is paid directly by the client and doesn’t receive commissions for recommending financial products. So, advice is less biased. And get a fiduciary advisor which means they are required to put your best interests ahead of their own. 

Also, someone with medical niche specificity. Good Luck!

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NOTE: This is not an offer to buy or sell any security or interest. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Working with an adviser may come with potential downsides such as payment of fees (which will reduce returns). There are no guarantees that working with an adviser will yield positive returns. The existence of a fiduciary duty does not prevent the rise of potential conflicts of interest.

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PODCASTS: The GREAT ECONOMIC MODERATION / RESIGNATION in Medicine?

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

A HISTORICAL REVIEW WITH UPDATE

Dr. David Edward Marcinko | The Leading Business Education Network for Doctors, Financial Advisors and Health Industry Consultants

By Dr. David E. Marcinko MBA CMP®

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

What was the Great Economic Moderation?

The Great Moderation is the name given to the period of decreased macroeconomic volatility experienced in the United States starting in the 1980s.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

During this period, the standard deviation of quarterly real gross domestic product (GDP) declined by half and the standard deviation of inflation declined by two-thirds, according to figures reported by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke. The Great Moderation can be summed up as a multi-decade period of low inflation and positive economic growth.

But, what about health economics, writ large? And, the actual practice of medicine by physicians in the trenches. Consider this historical review.

GOLDEN AGE OF MEDICINE

The ‘golden age of medicine’ – the first half of the 20th century, reaching its zenith with Jonas Salk’s 1955 polio vaccine – was a time of profound advances in surgical techniques, immunization, drug discovery, and the control of infectious disease; however, when the burden of disease shifted to lifestyle-driven, chronic, non-communicable diseases, the golden era slipped away. Although modifiable lifestyle practices now account for some 80% of premature mortality, medicine remains loathe to embrace lifestyle interventions as medicine Here, we argue that a 21st century golden age of medicine can be realized; the path to this era requires a transformation of medical school recruitment and training in ways that prioritize a broad view of lifestyle medicine. Moving beyond the basic principles of modifiable lifestyle practices as therapeutic interventions, each person/community should be viewed as a biological manifestation of accumulated experiences (and choices) made within the dynamic social, political, economic and cultural ecosystems that comprise their total life history. This requires an understanding that powerful forces operate within these ecosystems; marketing and neoliberal forces push an exclusive ‘personal responsibility’ view of health – blaming the individual, and deflecting from the large-scale influences that maintain health inequalities and threaten planetary health. The latter term denotes the interconnections between the sustainable vitality of person and place at all scales. We emphasize that barriers to planetary health and the clinical application of lifestyle medicine – including authoritarianism and social dominance orientation – are maintaining an unhealthy status quo.

NOTE: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31828026/

GOLDEN AGE OF MEDICAL PRACTICE

To listen to all those desperate to reform health care, you get the impression that physicians are pretty horrible people. We are all sexist, greedy, money grubbing tyrants who will perform unnecessary tests and procedures just to make money. We don’t care about quality or cost. We are killing off 250,000 patients every year with our ignored “errors.”

We purposely keep our patients in pain, or we addict them to narcotics just to shut them up. We are constantly told by lawyers that lawsuits are necessary to protect patients from doctors. We provide unsafe drugs just because the drug reps give us free pens and coffee cups. The government must step in to clean up the mess.

PODCAST: https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2017/08/9-reasons-golden-age-medicine-golden.html

GOLDEN AGE OF PATIENT TRUST

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THE GREAT PHYSICIAN RETIREMENT AND RESIGNATION: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/11/09/healthcare-industry-hit-with-the-great-resignation-retirement/

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Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

RETIREMENT PLANNING: https://www.routledge.com/Risk-Management-Liability-Insurance-and-Asset-Protection-Strategies-for/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781498725989

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Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

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Healthcare Industry Hit with the Great Resignation & Retirement

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Healthcare Industry Hit with the Great Resignation & Retirement

BY HEALTH CAPITAL CONSULTANTS, LLC

The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a catalyst for two current healthcare workforce trends: the Great Retirement and the Great Resignation.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

While the Great Resignation among physicians and other clinicians has been well reported, a potential onslaught of retirements by senior executives may further impact hospitals and health systems at an already precarious time.

Should you quit, or wait to be fired?

This Health Capital Topics article will discuss some of the key challenges and issues surrounding healthcare’s Great Retirement and Great Resignation. (Read more…) 

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Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors : Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™ book cover

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The TRI-PHASIC Road from Medical Practice to Retirement Planning for Doctors

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BY DR. DAVID E. MARCINKO MBA CMP®

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Determining Your Retirement Vision

There’s an aspect to retirement that many physicians do not plan for … the transition from work and practice to retirement.  Your work has been an important part of your life.  That’s why the emotional adjustments of retirement may be some of the most difficult ones.

For example, what would you like to do in retirement? Your retirement vision will be unique to you. You are retiring to something not from something that you envisioned. When you have more time, you would like to do more traveling, play golf or visit more often, family and friends. Would you relocate closer to your kids?  Learn a new art or take a new class? Fund your grandchildren’s education? Do you have philanthropic goals? Perhaps you would like to help your church, school or favorite charity? If your net worth is above certain limits, it would be wise to take a serious look at these goals. With proper planning, there might be some tax benefits too. Then you have to figure how much each goal is going to cost you.

If have a list of retirement goals, you need to prioritize which goal is most important. You can rate them on a scale of 1 to 10; 10 being the most important. Then, you can differentiate between wants and needs. Needs are things that are absolutely necessary for you to retire; while wants are things that still allow retirement but would just be nice to have.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Recent studies indicate there are three phases in retirement, each with a different spending pattern [Richard Greenberg CFP®, Gardena CA, personal communication]. The three phases are:

  1. The Early Retirement Years. There is a pent-up demand to take advantage of all the free time retirement affords. You can travel to exotic places, buy an RV and explore forty-nine states, go on month-long sailing vacations. It’s possible during these years that after-tax expenses increase during these initial years, especially if the mortgage hasn’t been paid off yet. Usually the early years last about ten years until most retirees are in their 70’s.
  • Middle Years. People decide to slow down on the exploration.  This is when people start simplifying their life.  They may sell their house and downsize to a condo or townhouse.  They may relocate to an area they discovered during their travels, or to an area close to family and friends, to an area with a warm climate or to an area with low or no state taxes.  People also do their most important estate planning during these years.  They are concerned about leaving a legacy, taking care of their children and grandchildren and fulfilling charitable intent. This a time when people spend more time in the local area.  They may start taking extension or college classes.  They spend more time volunteering at various non-profits and helping out older and less healthy retirees. People often spend less during these years. This period starts when a retiree is in his or her mid to late 70’s and can last up to 20 years, usually to mid to late-80’s.
  • Late Years. This is when you may need assistance in our daily activities.  You may receive care at home, in a nursing home or an assisted care facility.  Most of the care options are very expensive.  It’s possible that these years might be more expensive than your pre-retirement expenses.  This is especially true if both spouses need some sort of assisted care. This period usually starts when the retiree is their 80’s; however they can sometimes start in the mid to late 70’s.

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Planning Issues – Early Career

If early retirement is a major objective, start thinking about activities that will fill up your time during retirement.  Maintaining your health is more critical, since your health habits at this time will often dictate how healthy you will be in retirement.

Planning Issues – Mid Career

If early retirement is a major objective, start thinking about activities that will fill up your time during retirement.  Maintaining your health is more critical, since your health habits at this time will often dictate how healthy you will be in retirement

Planning Issues – Late Career 

Three to five years before you retire, start making the transition from work to retirement. 

  • Try out different hobbies;
  • Find activities that will give you a purpose in retirement;
  • Establish friendships outside of the office or hospital;
  • Discuss retirement plans with your spouse.
  • If you plan to relocate to a new place, it is important to rent a place in that area and stay for few months and see if you like it. Making a drastic change like relocating and then finding you don’t like the new town or state might be very costly mistake. The key is to gradually make the transition.

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ME-P Speaking Invitations

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Dr. David E. Marcinko is at your Service

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Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP® enjoys personal coaching and public speaking and gives as many talks each year as possible, at a variety of medical society and financial services conferences around the country and world.

These have included lectures and visiting professorships at major academic centers, keynote lectures for hospitals, economic seminars and health systems, keynote lectures at city and statewide financial coalitions, and annual keynote lectures for a variety of internal yearly meetings.

His talks tend to be engaging, iconoclastic, and humorous. His most popular presentations include a diverse variety of topics and typically include those in all iMBA, Inc’s textbooks, handbooks, white-papers and most topics covered on this blog.

CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA

MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

Ph: 770-448-0769

Abbreviated Topic List: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/imba-inc-firm-services.pdf

Second Opinions: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/schedule-a-consultation/

DIY Textbooks: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/04/29/why-are-certified-medical-planner-textbooks-so-darn-popular/

THANK YOU

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Filed under: Career Development, CMP Program, Estate Planning, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Health Insurance, iMBA, Inc., Insurance Matters, Investing, Managed Care, Portfolio Management, Practice Management, Practice Worth, Professional Liability, Retirement and Benefits, Risk Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The Challenge of Un-Expected [Physician] Retirement

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Just a Word -or- Much More?

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By Rick Kahler; MS ChFC CCIM CFP®

Retirement is a word I’ve tried to purge from my professional vocabulary. Few people – even physicians and medical professionals – really know what it means anymore.

Instead, I like to think of retirement as being a stage in life where you get to choose what you want to do, when you want to do it, and with whom. It can also be that time when you attain financial independence and no longer intend or need to earn an income to support your lifestyle.

Early Retirement

Sometimes, however, “early retirement” can throw us a curve ball before we’re prepared for it or ready to become financially independent.

This often comes in the form of a job layoff, termination, or health issues that require we no longer work for an income. So, here are some action steps for an unexpected early retirement [applicable to doctors and laymen, alike]:

Some Tips

1. Immediately become aware of your monthly expenses. If you don’t track expenses, now would be a good time to go back over the last 12 months of expenditures and set up a cash flow tracking program like mint.com or quickbooksonline.com.

2. Create a spending plan for the next 12 months. Don’t forget to include savings for large purchases (cars, repairs, travel, Christmas, etc.) as a part of your annual expenses. Make sure you reduce or eliminate past expenses related to your work life and add expenses that come as a part of retirement, like increased travel or health care.

3. Estimate your sources of income. Include Social Security, employer pensions or severance packages, and your personal investments. For personal investments, use an income estimate of 4% of the principal. One million in investments will give you $40,000 a year in income.

4. Match your estimated annual retirement income with your spending plan expenses. If the expenses exceed your income, begin deciding where you can cut your spending. It is often helpful to enroll another person to help with ideas on reducing expenses. This is an area where we all have “blinders” on, and others can suggest creative cost savings we would never have thought of ourselves.

5. Don’t give up on finding part time employment [public clinics, part-time private offices, locum tenens, substitutes, hospitals, or even pro-bono work, etc].  There are many opportunities to create some income in retirement, and even a little paycheck can go a long way to preserving your investment savings. Check your ego at the door—this is not the time to let false pride keep you from taking a part-time job that’s less “professional” than what you’ve been doing.

6. Consider reducing monthly expenses by using savings or investments to pay off debts like car loans or credit card bills. Often your best investment is paying off debt. This can be especially true when your savings is earning 0.5% and your credit card is charging you 15% on the outstanding balance.

7. Consider downsizing by selling your house. This can be an especially good move if you have enough equity to pay cash for something smaller or at least end up with no mortgage or a smaller mortgage payment.

8. For couples, talk seriously about what both of you want, separately and together, in the next few years. Brainstorm creative ways—volunteering at state parks, for example—to carry out retirement plans inexpensively.

9. Take time to deal with the emotional side—anger, fear, depression, etc. It’s especially important to surround your-self with supportive friends and family and to talk about what’s going on.

Assessment

Unexpected retirement can be a life-changing blow, both emotionally and financially. Coping with it will require resiliency, courage, persistence, creativity, and support. You’ll be most successful when you take advantage of not just your financial resources, but all the resources at your disposal.

The Author

Rick Kahler, Certified Financial Planner®, MS, ChFC, CCIM, is the founder and president of Kahler Financial Group in Rapid City, South Dakota. In 2009 his firm was named by Wealth Manager as the largest financial planning firm in a seven-state area. A pioneer in the evolution of integrating financial psychology with traditional financial planning profession, Rick is a co-founder of the five-day intensive Healing Money Issues Workshop offered by Onsite Workshops of Nashville, Tennessee. He is one of only a handful of planners nationwide who partner with professional coaches and financial therapists to deliver financial coaching and therapy to his clients. Learn more at KahlerFinancial.com

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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Doctors – Are You Ready to Retire?

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Moneywise?

By Somnath Basu; PhD, MBA

For those of us between the ages of 45 to 54, the thought of retirement should be popping up a few times these days. And, for doctors between ages 55 and 64, the thought may be taking on urgent tones. Many of us are reconciling to the idea that it may be a fact that we have to either postpone our retirements or live a much simpler life during retirement. Whatever the thoughts may be, what’s driving them is our preparedness to retire.

Preparedness Components

So, we will now examine what the component (dos and don’ts) may be for physicians, and others, to assess whether they are on the right path in their preparations to retire. It is somewhat easier if we consider the preparedness issues of the expectant retirees along the two age groups we tagged earlier. It is possible that we may find that the proper components of our retirement plans may already exist for us and we need to give them a good and disciplined effort to carry us through in the retirement years. It is also important to note, in this vein, that as a nation, our savings rate has gone from -0.6% in 2006 to about 5% today. While most of the increase in savings is the result of people building back an emergency nest egg, we can also take heart in the fact that the savings habit has not become obsolete or even rusty, and given the proper motivation (e.g. a sub-standard retired lifestyle), we can alter our destinies by riding on the same savings wave.

The Possibilities

Let us begin by describing the possibilities for the younger group (ages 45-54) doctors and employees pondering their retirement moves. There are two aspects of retirement that needs consideration. First is the contemplation of the needs associated with retirement lifestyles and the corresponding financial requirements required to sustain such lifestyles.

The second is to consider our current lifestyles, living standards (consumption), our income and savings and to assess whether we are set to achieve our retirement lifestyle targets. To understand the many possibilities, we will examine some typical scenarios using data from the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI). Note that all calculations are only approximations for a typical individual.

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Example:

If you are about 50 years of age, have worked and saved for about 20 years [401(k), or 403(b)] or other pension plan) and earn about $100,000 a year, you should have about $200,000 in your retirement account today. Assuming that Social Security (if the organization remains viable and makes its required payouts), covers about 27% of your needed retirement expenses. You could expect a Social Security payment of about $30,000 per year at age 65. This would mean that in about 15 years, you would need to generate an additional $80,000 per year from your own savings. While you may think that you are not consuming $110,000 worth of lifestyle today, it is useful to note that this estimate is in future (and inflated) dollar terms.

This brings us back to the second question of how much you may be consuming today. If you are paying about 25% as taxes and saving another 5%, then you are currently spending about $70,000 today. At a 3% inflation rate, in 15 years this amounts to a spending of $110,000 on an income of approximately $160,000.

Thus, if your 403(b) balance does not change from now till retirement and you estimate to plan for a 25 year retirement phase, then your 403(b) account will be equivalent to about an additional $8,000 per year, which itself will grow every year minimally at the inflation rate.

If you assume the 403(b) plan will itself grow at about 7% a year over the next 40 years (from ages 50 to 90) then at retirement (age 65) you’ll have about $550,000 and be able to withdraw about $50,000 per year. This will leave you with a shortfall of $30,000 per year. To be able to afford retirement to its fullest, you’ll need to save an additional $15,000 per year for the next 15 years. Before you begin thinking that is a doable task and start assessing which parts of current lifestyle to pare, note that many of the assumptions above may not hold true.

Average Rates of Return

For example, earning a 7% average rate of return over 40 years is no simple task; Social Security may not be able to deliver on its promise. Physician income and job security is a political issue. Paring current lifestyle is a bigger issue. Healthcare and leisure types of costs during retirement may increase by more than 3%, even as you consume more of these retirement lifestyle services.

Therefore, you may want to continue enjoying your current medical practice lifestyle and consider worrying about retirement about 10 years (or more) later or you may take stock of your current situation. If your situation is worse than the average portrayed above, a big issue for you is to keep your physical and mental health well balanced and not depressed and medicated; plan to postpone retirement and practice or work longer, albeit in good health.

Assessment

If you are about 60 years of age, have worked for about 25-30 years, earn $100,00 per year and have about $350,000 in your retirement accounts, your problems are more exacerbated and your fears (of postponing retirement, paring current or future lifestyle or not being able to make up shortfalls) are much more real. The strategies remain the same from earlier in that you have to make some urgent and difficult decisions. These are decisions that cannot be postponed any longer.

Note: First released “All Things Financial Planning Blog” on December 18, 2009.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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