5 Truths Every Resident Needs To Know

July 1st is just around the corner and for those who are new to medicine or unfamiliar with residency life, July is the start of the new resident physician year. A resident physician is a doctor who graduated from medical school and is getting specialized training in his or her field of choice while still seeing patients. Residents are doctors who are still actively learning (like a student in school) while they are also working and earning money.

Besides experience, the main difference between a resident physician and a regular physician (like an attending physician who is done with his/her specialized training) is that resident physicians work a lot more and get paid a lot less. I’m still a resident myself, so as you can imagine, it’s a busy time in our lives. There are a lot of things we have to worry about, but finances shouldn’t be one of them. Here are 5 money-related truths every resident physician, and young professional with high earning potential, needs to know:

1. You are not guaranteed to be rich. Just because you are a doctor and will have a high salary, does NOT mean you don’t need a plan for your finances. Most people who make more money, get into more debt. Your time as a resident is not an excuse for poor money management and credit card accumulation. Many doctors’ net worth is not nearly as high as it should be considering how much they get paid. Make some financial goals for yourself now and try to avoid some common pitfalls. Learning a few finance basics as a resident can go a long way.

2. Spend less. Save more. Minimize debt. Things can be challenging during residency so try to live below your means or at least avoid living above your means. You don’t have to have a detailed budget but creating a basic spending plan to prevent yourself from accumulating [more] debt during training might be helpful. Save money in an emergency fund so that small, unexpected expenses like a car repair, urgent trip back home, or new cell phone doesn’t derail your budget or financial goals. Vacations can serve as a much-needed break from the stress of residency, but try to pay for them in cash by saving a couple hundred dollars from each paycheck. If you can, invest some money in index mutual funds via your work retirement plan or your own Roth IRA. The goal in residency is to keep your head above water financially and avoid getting into more debt. 

3. Have a plan for your student loans. Choosing to “deal with it later” is NOT a plan. Read about the different student loan repayment options and choose one, likely an income-driven repayment plan, so that your payments are affordable in residency. Most residency programs qualify for public service loan forgiveness so take a couple minutes out of your day and sign up for this free program so that you have an option for your student loans to be forgiven after 10 years. When choosing a student loan plan recognize that the optimal student loan plan for you as resident may change when you become an attending. That’s okay. Just figure out the best federal repayment plan for you now, likely PAYE or Re-PAYE and consider hiring a company like Student Loan Advice or Student Loan Tax Experts once you finish training so they can run the numbers for you and help you determine the best repayment plan for you as an attending.

4. You need Insurance. As a resident physician, there’s a good chance you have health insurance from your employer that is either free or low cost, but health insurance isn’t all the insurance you need. Every resident physician needs long-term disability insurance. You may get a small amount through your residency program but that is unlikely to provide enough coverage. Most residents and attendings will need to purchase an additional individual long-term disability insurance policy. If you have a spouse, kids, or family members that you support financially, you may also need to purchase term life insurance. If you have a side business, you may also need extra liability insurance coverage. Figure out all of the insurances you need and make sure you get them.

5. Think twice before you buy a house. Owning a home can be a major milestone and lifelong dream, but it may not be wise to do so in residency. You cannot just compare the monthly mortgage price to the monthly rent price and make your decision. There are additional fees and costs associated with home ownership that can be challenging to deal with as a resident. Do what is best for your family, but make sure you consider all of the pros/cons of buying a home before you make the decision to rent vs buy.

5 of My Best Financial Decisions

As a young professional, I'm finally feeling as though my finances are on track. Although I've done several things to put myself in a decent position, there are 5 things that have helped me get on the right track and may help you as well. They are:

1. Learning about money. Many young professionals were not taught the basics of personal finance and investing in school. I myself had to seek out this knowledge and even when I did, I still had questions I had to ask other people. Despite the effort I put in, taking the time to learn about money management was one of the best decisions I ever made. Once I learned the basics, I was able to quickly get out of credit card debt. Doing so, saved me hundreds of dollars in interest payments and allowed me to start investing for retirement much sooner than I would have otherwise. The decision to aggressively pay down debt and increase my investments has allowed me to become more financially stable and create the foundation needed to build wealth.

2. Picking a career that pays a high salary. Not every job pays the same, but choosing a career that compensates well has done wonders for my finances. Instead of worrying about whether or not I can pay my bills on time, I can now focus on increasing my investments. Although one shouldn’t pick a job solely for the compensation, if there are multiple jobs you like equally choosing the one that pays more can have a positive effect on your finances.

3. Buying a slightly used car instead of financing or leasing a new one. When I was a medical student, I chose to buy a slightly used reliable car instead of buying or leasing a new one. When I became a resident physician, I again chose to buy a slightly used car instead of buying or leasing a new one. This decision saved me thousands of dollars both time. Instead of having a monthly car payment of $400-600, I use that money to invest in my Roth IRA and save money for future vacations and travel.

4. Living with a roommate for most of my twenties. This decision was hard to make at first. I was in my late twenties and really valued my own personal space. However, living with a roommate gave me the ability to live in a really nice place while still saving and investing a good chunk of my income. I had to prioritize my desires. Would I rather have the place all to myself or share a place for a few years and stack money I could use to pay down debt, invest, and save for fun trips? For me, living with a roommate was worth the sacrifice. As I enter my 30s I’ll likely get my own place, but choosing to live with a roommate in my twenties helped advance my finances in ways I can’t begin to articulate.

5. Investing early into retirement accounts. One of the ways many people build wealth and become financially independent is by investing money. One of the main ways they invest money is by utilizing retirement accounts (like their job’s 401K or opening up their own Roth IRA). By utilizing retirement accounts I am able to invest money in a tax efficient, passive way and build money over time. A big advantage to starting early in my twenties instead of waiting until I was in my 30s was that I gave the money more time to grow. The earlier I invest, the more time my money has to let the magic of compound interest work, which allows my money to make even more money overtime. Plus, investing early into retirement accounts taught me how to live below my means instead of inflating my lifestyle.

Your living situation can affect your net worth, here are things to keep in mind:

As we continue to grow and mature, our living situations may change. Some of us may go from living in college dorms to moving into our first apartment. Others of us may go from sharing apartment space with a roommate to buying a house with our spouse. As we progress through life and make these changes, we must remember that our living arrangements can impact our finances and overall net worth. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Be weary of buying a home that’s too big. As someone who relaxes by watching HGTV, I love looking at nice houses. Many of my physician colleagues live in mansions and I marvel every time I walk into their homes. Although it’s perfectly fine to want to purchase a home, think twice before getting one that is too big. Despite how much the bank may lend you, there are lots of other costs associated with buying and up keeping a home that can add up to quite a lot. For example, a larger home usually comes with a higher mortgage payment, higher yearly property taxes, and high insurance costs. These expenses can prevent you from being able to save or invest money at an optimal rate. Plus, a larger home and more space, means that you need to furnish more rooms and purchase more items fill up that space. With more expenses come less savings and less saving/investing can severely impact your ability to increase your net worth.

2. Be weary of an apartment/home that’s too expensive. Similar to not purchasing a home that’s too large, also be careful not to rent an apartment that’s too expensive. In most cities, there are apartment homes that are fairly cheap, reasonably priced, and extremely expensive. Be careful of the later. It can be tempting to rent a place in the middle of the city with the high-rise apartment, scenic views, a rooftop pool and modern amenities but be mindful of cost. I know many people who rent apartments like these which costs them almost 3 times as much as other apartments in the same city and are over twice as much as the average mortgage price in their area.

While it’s okay to “pay for convenience” be mindful that doing so may preclude you from being able to spend money on other things or save the down payment needed to purchase a home, pay off your student loans at a reasonable rate, invest money for retirement, or take the types of vacations you’d enjoy. The general rule of thumb is to not spend more than 30% of your gross (pre-tax) income on housing. While that may be quite challenging for those who live in high-cost-of-living areas like Seattle or New York, it provides a general framework we can use to determine which apartments we should think twice about renting.  Although most people sign leases for 1 year, committing to such a huge fixed cost can be a financial catastrophe if our income changes, the coronavirus pandemic has made this even more true.

3. Be weary of a work commute that is too long. Along with the size and cost of our housing, we also need to be mindful of the distance our home is from the places we go to most. Having an affordable place an hour away from our job might save us money in rent but cost us a lot more in gas and car maintenance. It may also take away valuable time we could spend with our families or decrease the time we could spend working on other side projects that could help us bring in even more money. Jonathan Clements’ in his book How To Think About Money, mentions that long work commutes can be one of the main things that actually decrease our overall happiness in life. This suggests that finding housing that is too far away from our jobs can even affect our mental health and well-being.

4. Consider a roommate. Those who are single might want to consider having a roommate. Although this can get a little challenging as we age and begin to want our own space, it is something I urge everyone to think about, especially if they are still young and unmarried. Having a roommate will allow you to split the rent and will cut all of your other housing costs in half. Although having to share an apartment with someone else can be inconvenient at times ask yourself if you this inconvenience is worth saving an extra $500 to $1,000 per month. For me, it is. I’m a resident physician who lives with a roommate.

I share an apartment with one of my co-workers. We each have our own bedrooms and bathrooms but share a common living room and kitchen. Since we both work 60 to 80 hours a week, we are rarely in the apartment at the same time which makes things a lot easier. Plus, sharing this space allows us to split all the bills and saves us each over $1,000 per month. With this extra money I’m saving, I’ve been able to invest a lot more towards retirement, put away cash in an emergency fund, and save money to go on international vacations. Having a roommate is one of the best financial decisions I’ve made as a resident.

5. Consider house-hacking or renting a room. For those who have a spouse or may purchase a home soon, consider house hacking. House hacking is when you rent out part of your house to another person. Typically, this is done when people buy a duplex or a multifamily property with multiple units or apartments. They may live in one of the apartment units on one side of the duplex and rent out the other side. This is more ideal for singles or young couples who prefer their own living space but still want to save some money on the rent or have some additional income coming in on the side. Other people may decide to buy a place that has an extra bedroom and rent out that room during certain times of the year for a few weeks at a time. While this may not be ideal for everyone, it may be a good option for those trying to find ways to decrease their housing costs.

6. Consider a rental property. For those who live in single-family homes with their spouses or who have their own place and love their person space, another option is to consider a rental property. Perhaps there is an affordable home in your city you could purchase, fix up, and rent out to others. Maybe you already have a home but are thinking of purchasing a newer one to have more space for your growing family. Instead of selling it, consider renting it out to someone else. Renting out a home can be a great way to build wealth since it allows you to use the renter’s monthly payment to pay off the mortgage and save a portion of the leftover money for yourself. There are lots of other responsibilities associated with becoming a landlord, but this process may be something to consider.

My point? Our living situations can affect our finances in a number of ways. We should be careful of buying a home that is too large, renting a place that is too expensive, or finding housing that is too far of a commute to our jobs. We should also consider living with a roommate, house hacking a duplex, renting out a room, or purchasing a rental property. Tell me, what living arrangement do you have currently have and how do you think it’s impacting your finances?

Should you get a 15 or 30-year mortgage?

If you have asked yourself “Should I buy a home or keep renting” and properly considered the pros and cons of buying vs renting a home, you may choose to buy a house. After checking your credit, thoroughly considering your budget, and getting prequalified for a loan from the bank, you may have found a house you like. Now you need to decide what type of mortgage term is best for you.

Point 1: Real estate investors may want a 30-year mortgage

If you are a real estate investor who is buying a home for the sole purpose of using it as an investment property that you rent to someone else, then it is generally best to opt for a 30-year mortgage. As a real estate investor, you are using your tenant’s rent payment to pay off your monthly mortgage, so you are less concerned with paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible. Plus, opting for a 30-year mortgage lowers your monthly mortgage payments to the bank. This means you get to keep a larger portion of the rent your tenant pays you. Opting for a 30-year mortgage instead of 15-year mortgage as a real estate investor creates more cash flow each month, which increases your passive income.

Point 2: Deciding on 15 or 30-year mortgage varies based on your circumstances

The decision to get a 15 or 30 year mortgage is not as black and white for residential homeowners. If you are buying a home to live in yourself, the optimal loan term depends on factors unique to your own circumstances. For starters, the bank only offers 15 year mortgages to people who meet certain criteria. Only people with a certain credit score and debt-to-income ratio are eligible. Secondly, a 15-year mortgage has the advantage of offering a lower interest rate than a 30-year mortgage. This lower interest rate will save you lots of money over time. I’ll expand on this with the next point.

Point 3: A 15-year mortgage saves you money in interest payments

The main perk of having a shorter loan term, like a 15-year mortgage, is that your interest rate is lower AND the time on which you pay interest is shorter. Both of these factors save you lots of money in interest over the life of the loan. For example, let’s say you and your spouse want to buy a home that costs $250,000. Let’s also assume that you saved up 10% for a down payment (or that your parents gave you a very generous wedding gift for $25,000 that you then used on your home). If you chose a fixed 30-year mortgage with a 4.5% interest rate, by the end of the 30 years you would have paid back the $225,000 you borrowed PLUS an additional $185,000 in interest fees. You nearly paid double for the house!

However, if you had instead taken out a fixed 15-year mortgage (which usually comes with a lower interest rate, so let’s say 3.75% interest), then you would have paid back that $225,000 in 15 years in addition to paying only $69,000 in interest. By opting for the 15-year mortgage you paid off the home in half the time and saved $116,000 in interest payments! I don’t know about you, but I can think of a bunch of things I’d rather do with $116,000 than pay it to a bank in added fees. You are going to pay a lot of money in interest regardless, but the difference in interest you would pay on a 30-year mortgage compared to a 15-year mortgage is HUGE.

Point 4: A 30-year mortgage has lower monthly payments

In case I’ve just convinced you to opt for a 15-year mortgage, let me remind you of one downside. In order to pay the loan in 15 years, you have to pay the bank a much higher monthly payment. Using the example from above of a 250,000 home with a $25,000 down payment and a $225,000 loan, the payments on a 15-year mortgage at 3.75% interest are $1,919 per month.  The monthly payments on a 30-year mortgage at 4.5% interest is $1,423 per month, which means you pay almost $500 less each month. For many people, that difference of $500 is huge. They may want to take that $500 and put it into their 401K retirement account. Or, they may want use that $500 to pay back student loans, credit card bills, or other high credit card interest debt.

Point 5: There are other ways to save money in interest if you opt for a 30 year mortgage

Keep in mind that if you decide to get a longer mortgage term initially, all is not lost. The interest you pay on your mortgage over time will be higher, but there are ways to combat this. You can: 1) pay more than the required payment each month on your mortgage (if there is no prepayment penalty), 2) send in extra monthly payments each year, or 3) refinance your mortgage to a shorter term after a few years to lower the interest rate.

To Summarize, if you’re a real estate investor, you may want to opt for a 30-year mortgage. This will lower your monthly payments and increase your monthly cash flow. If you’re buying the home to live in yourself, it depends.

·      You may want to opt for a 15-year mortgage if you are established in your career with a steady salary and can afford the higher monthly payment.

·      You may want to opt for a 30-year mortgage if you would rather have lower monthly payments (at the expense of a higher interest rate) in order to pay off high-interest rate debt (credit cards and student loans) or fully maximize the employer match of 401K retirement accounts (if you have one).

If you decide to opt for a longer mortgage term now, you may be able to pay off the loan faster in other ways (i.e. by sending in extra payments, paying more than the minimum each month, or refinancing later).

5 Things To Do Before You Buy A Home

As a young professional, one of your biggest decisions is whether you should buy a home or keep renting. After thoroughly considering the pros and cons of buying a residential home, you might have decided that buying a house is the ideal choice for you. Before you start the home-buying process, here are 5 things you must do before you purchase a home:  

1. Get an official copy of your credit report. Your credit report plays a big role in whether you can purchase a home. It determines the interest rate on your mortgage and can even be used to estimate how much money the bank will loan you to buy a home. Your job as a [future] homeowner is to get an official copy of your credit report from all 3 of the major companies that compute it (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax). You need to make sure there aren’t any false charges, incorrect debt amounts, or fraudulent claims on your credit report that are negatively impacting your credit score. Once you see your actual credit score, you’ll be able to estimate the interest rate on the mortgage and determine your monthly payments on different loan amounts.

2. Learn some basics about the local housing market. You will have a better chance of finding your ideal home if you gather some preliminary information about the housing market first. Go onto real estate websites like Zillow.com and get an idea of housing prices in your desired area. Look at recent selling prices, especially in certain desirable neighborhoods. You should also search for new developments and the construction of new homes.  Your real estate agent may have a few places in mind, but it is helpful if you have an idea of the housing market for yourself, doing so will give you a more realistic idea of what’s available within your price range and desired area.

3. Get prequalified for a mortgage. Unlike a pre-approval, a pre-qualification is a non-binding estimate from the bank of how much money they will lend you to purchase a home. This is important because unless you have $250,000 sitting in a bank, you are going to need a loan to buy a house. Getting an idea of how much money you have access to will determine the size and location of the houses you consider buying. It will also help guide your real estate agent since it gives them a more accurate budget to use during the search.

Keep in mind that the amount you are prequalified for is not guaranteed. The bank could decide to give you slightly more or slightly less a few weeks later. If you’d like a binding amount, you can get “pre-approved” for a mortgage. Pre-approval is different from pre-qualification because it is a guarantee from the bank that they will loan you a set amount of money at a set interest rate. The loan amount and rate are usually “locked-in” for around 60 days.  

4. Determine your estimated costs. Just because a bank is willing to lend you a large amount of money, doesn’t necessarily mean you should take all that money. You need to come up with a preliminary mortgage amount and determine what your monthly payments would be, factoring in the average interest rate. You should also determine the difference between what you [and your partner] pay now in rent and what you [and your partner’s] homeownership costs would be. You can do this by using a mortgage calculator.

Simply enter the loan amount you will need, the interest rate estimate from the bank, and the term length (15, 20, 25, or 30-year mortgage). Doing this will allow you to see your monthly mortgage payment. Then, you’ll want to add an additional 40% to that number (so multiply your monthly mortgage payment by 1.40) to account for property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and repairs to get an estimate of what your total monthly homeownership costs would be. If that number is higher than you [and your partner] can afford, then reset the mortgage calculator and type in a lower loan amount. Using this tool will give you a better idea of your true price range, which is oftentimes lower than the amount the bank may have given you during the pre-qualification.   

5. Write down the highest amount you are willing to spend. Shopping for homes can be a stressful process. You may fall in love with one home only to find out later it’s out of your budget. You may also find yourself in a bidding war with another buyer or with a seller who refuses to negotiate the price. Both of these situations can tempt you to pay more than you can afford for a home. In order to prevent this from happening, be diligent. Come up with a price range and write down the highest amount you are willing to spend.

Although you may have gotten prequalified for a certain loan from the bank, it’s important to come up with your own price range, within reason. Be certain that the real estate agent does not show you houses above that price. This may seem a bit obvious, but real estate agents show potential buyers houses out of their ideal price range more often than you think because the agents are paid on commission. The more expensive the home the more money they make in return. Some agents may also want to see you happy in a really nice home, but the money they make as commission is a very powerful incentive. Write down your set price and stick to it.

To summarize, there are 5 things you should do before you buy a home. Follow the steps above as you start the home-buying process.