Topic
Personal finance for dentists
The financial habits and decisions that compound over a dental career, especially early on.
- 2 min
Home, auto & personal insurance for dentists: getting the personal lines right
High earners are under-covered more often than over-covered. How dentists should set home, auto, valuables, and liability limits — and tie them to an umbrella.
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Business overhead expense (BOE) insurance for dentists
BOE insurance pays your practice’s fixed costs — rent, staff, utilities — if you’re disabled, so the business survives while you recover or sell. How it works and who needs it.
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Umbrella insurance for dentists: how much liability protection do you need?
An umbrella policy adds a large, low-cost layer of personal liability protection above your home and auto limits — important protection for a high-income dentist.
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Malpractice insurance for dentists: a complete guide
Claims-made vs. occurrence, tail coverage, limits, consent-to-settle, and board-complaint defense — the malpractice coverage every dentist should understand.
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Time is your most important asset — the real link between time and money
Money is renewable; time is not. Why time — not money — is a dentist’s scarcest asset, and how that truth should reshape financial decisions.
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When should a dentist claim Social Security?
Claiming Social Security early, at full retirement age, or at 70 changes your benefit for life. How dentists should think through the timing decision.
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Don’t retire yet if this is you: 5 warning signs
Reaching a target balance isn’t the only test of retirement readiness. Five warning signs — financial and personal — that you may not be ready yet.
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When should you stop saving and start spending?
Lifelong savers often struggle to spend in retirement. How to know when you have “enough,” and give yourself permission to enjoy what you built.
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The role of bonds in retirement: playing not to lose
Bonds won’t make you rich, but in retirement they do a different, vital job: stability and safe money to spend so you’re not forced to sell stocks in a downturn.
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The big tax mistakes retirees make (and how to avoid them)
Taxes don’t stop in retirement — they change. The most common and costly tax mistakes retirees make, from RMD surprises to poor withdrawal timing.
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Retirement withdrawal strategy: which accounts to tap, and when
The order you withdraw from taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts can save years of taxes. Why your withdrawals look different before and after Social Security.
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Building your retirement paycheck: turning savings into income
Retirement flips the problem from saving to spending. How dentists can turn a portfolio and practice-sale proceeds into a reliable, tax-smart paycheck.
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How should a dentist invest a windfall or practice-sale proceeds?
A practice sale, inheritance, or big bonus deserves a plan, not a rush. How dentists should handle a windfall — reserves, taxes, debt, then investing.
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Dollar-cost averaging vs. lump sum: how should a dentist invest a large amount?
Investing a lump sum all at once usually beats spreading it out — but dollar-cost averaging can be the smarter behavioral choice. How dentists should decide.
Read article → - 3 min
Direct indexing and direct investing for dentists, explained
Direct indexing lets you own the individual stocks of an index directly — capturing index-like returns plus tax-loss harvesting. When it fits a high-earning dentist.
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How should a dentist set their asset allocation?
Asset allocation — your split between stocks, bonds, and cash — drives most of your returns and risk. How dentists should set and maintain theirs.
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Index funds vs. active investing: which is better for dentists?
For most dentists, low-cost index funds beat active stock-picking and most active funds after fees. Here’s why — and the narrow cases where active can fit.
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ILITs for dentists: life insurance and the estate tax
An irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) can keep life-insurance proceeds out of a taxable estate and provide liquidity to pay estate tax. Educational only.
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Types of trusts, and why a dentist might use one over another
Revocable, irrevocable, ILIT, special needs, dynasty, and charitable trusts — what each does and when a dentist might use one. Educational only; see an attorney.
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Passing wealth to the next generation — and preparing them for it
Building wealth is the easy part; passing it on well is harder. How dentists can transfer wealth and prepare heirs so success strengthens the family.
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The top 5 financial moves for dentists (by area)
A fast, high-impact checklist: the top 5 things to do for retirement, practice ownership, taxes, investing, and protection — for busy dentists.
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What is the average net worth of a dentist?
Dentist net worth varies enormously by age, savings rate, and ownership — not just income. Why two dentists with the same paycheck end up worlds apart.
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How much do dentists make?
General dentists in the U.S. typically earn in the low-to-mid six figures; specialists and owners more. What drives a dentist’s income — and why take-home differs.
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How should a dentist choose a financial advisor?
Not all “financial advisors” are the same. The questions a dentist should ask — about fiduciary duty, fee-only pay, and dental experience — before hiring one.
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The most common financial mistakes dentists make
High income doesn’t guarantee wealth. The recurring financial mistakes we see dentists make — lifestyle creep, under-saving, bad insurance, and no plan.
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How big should a dentist’s emergency fund be?
Dentists need a bigger cash cushion than most — practice owners especially. How much to hold personally and in the practice, and where to keep it.
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How should a dentist save for their kids’ college?
A 529 plan is usually the best college-savings account for dentists — tax-free growth for education. Here’s how to use one without over-funding it or hurting aid.
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Where does a dentist’s income actually go?
A high income doesn’t automatically build wealth. Here’s how a dentist’s dollars get divided — and the savings rate that decides whether you get ahead.
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How much should a dentist have saved by age? Net-worth benchmarks
Net-worth benchmarks for dentists by age and career stage, why dentists start behind, and the savings rate that actually builds wealth.
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Fee-only vs. fee-based vs. commission: how financial advisors get paid
The three ways financial advisors get paid — commission, fee-based, and fee-only (non-commission) — and why the difference matters for the advice you receive.
Read article → - 7 min
Disability insurance for dentists: what to know
Why disability insurance is essential for dentists, what “own-occupation” coverage means, and how to think about how much you need.
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Financial planning for associate dentists: a starter guide
The financial moves that matter most early in a dental career — from student loans and cash flow to insurance and preparing for ownership.
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Your practice should support your life — not control it.
Build a coordinated financial strategy designed around your practice, your family, and the freedom you want your work to create.