Dr. Jennings, a fourth-year resident in plastic surgery, was at home in her kitchen. While unloading her dishwasher, she dropped a coffee cup. She reached down to try to catch it before it hit the floor, but the cup broke, and a large shard of glass bounced up and severed a nerve and tendon in her
Group Disability Insurance: Could It Leave Your Income on Life Support?
You sign up for group disability insurance at work. It feels like a no-brainer. Premiums only cost a few dollars per month, and getting insured is easy: no insurance agents, underwriters, or medical exams. Then, something happens to you. You think, “Thank goodness my disability insurance protects
8 Most Important Questions to Ask Before Buying Disability Insurance
Before you buy disability insurance - be sure to ask these eight questions: 1. How does the policy determine if I’m disabled? The best plans define disability as a sickness or injury that prevents you from performing the duties of your own occupation or medical/dental specialty. This definition
Will Medical School Loans Eat All Your Disability Check
You knew those medical school loans were going to be a drain on your lifestyle when you took them out, but what happens if you become disabled and can’t work as a doctor after graduating or you become disabled before graduating?If you’ve been a good planner, you already have purchased some form
Do I Need Disability Insurance as a Medical Student?
That’s a question we are often called to address, and the answer is often “yes.” You may not need the same level of protection as people well into their medical careers, and unless you’re independently wealthy, we understand you can’t afford to pay unlimited disability insurance premiums. But we
I have a pre-existing condition. Can I still get disability insurance?
Disability insurance isn’t like major medical insurance post-Obamacare. While major medical carriers have to take all comers, regardless of their medical history (provided they apply during an open enrollment or special enrollment period), disability insurance is still medically underwritten. That
Funding a Self-Directed Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA
Most mid-career physicians have a pleasant problem: They make too much money to make tax deductible contributions to IRAs, and may be ineligible to contribute to Roth IRAs altogether. That leaves your employers’ 401(k) or 403(b), if you’re a W-2 employee, and maybe a non-qualified retirement plan
The Straight Dope on Annuities for Physicians
A lot of ink has been spilled on the pros and cons of annuities. Advisers tend to have strong opinions about annuities. Insurance professionals often recommend them. But then, annuities pay relatively high commissions. Stockbrokers and Wall Street advisers often don’t like them. But they are trying