Physician Cents

About Physician Cents

Welcome to the Physician Cents Podcast! A podcast designed specifically for physicians, offering a breakdown of complex financial topics to help you develop your financial IQ, further your financial journey, and improve your well-being. Whether you're a medical student, resident, fellow, or attending physician, you're sure to learn something new that will benefit your journey.

Publisher

Chad Chubb & Tyler Olson

Category

business · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Feb 2024

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

63 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Beyond the Basics: How Mid-Career Physicians Can Use Wealth to Buy Time & Live More Now, Ep #62

   In this special mailbag episode, we dig into the concept of "Coast FIRE"—a financial strategy where you save aggressively early, then allow your investments to grow on their own while you step back from intense saving. We explain what it means to buy back time and how to maximize your savings. Looking for help with Disability Insurance, Physician Banking, Student Loan Refinancing, Physician Mortgages, Contract Reviews, and more? Check out our "Best of the Best" sponsors page to find a list of the professionals Chad & Tyler team up with for their clients. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... 03:26 Your early retirement planning strategy 06:37 A few concerns about retiring early 11:25 Navigating your financial independence choices 15:48 Accessing funds before retirement age 18:31 Outsourcing tasks and enjoying life 26:01 Discussing Roth 401(k) and tax planning 27:11 How to understand Coast FIRE as a physician Understanding Coast FIRE Coast FIRE is a financial strategy where you save and invest substantially during your early working years, accumulating enough assets so that, by a certain point, compounding growth alone is expected to fund your retirement. Once you "hit your number," you can stop making hefty retirement contributions and let your investments do the heavy lifting—coasting into financial independence without additional savings pressure. With this approach, mid-career physicians are no longer bound to maximize 401(k), 403(b), or Roth IRA contributions if they don't want to. Instead, the focus shifts to maintaining lifestyle and exploring options like reducing income or reallocating time to non-work priorities. While FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is a popular acronym, the real value is in the "FI"—making work optional, rather than strictly retiring early. For most physicians, a late career start and a drive to stay productive means traditional retirement at 45 can be unrealistic or undesirable. What matters is obtaining the optionality that financial independence provides. Buying Back Time: The Soft Side of Money The most rewarding aspect of Coast FIRE is the ability to "buy back time," shifting away from relentless work toward pursuits that enrich life. This can mean reducing work hours (going to 0.8 or 0.6 FTE), outsourcing tasks at home (like lawn care or cleaning), or investing in meaningful family activities and hobbies. We recommend cultivating interests outside medicine and prioritizing pastimes now, so the transition to a less work-centric lifestyle feels natural when the time comes. Hobbies, travel, or spending lots of time with family can all become focal points. Practical Tax Strategy Overreliance on pre-tax retirement accounts has a potential downside—the substantial future required minimum distributions (RMDs) and tax headaches. Diversifying into taxable accounts provides both flexibility for early withdrawal and potential relief from future tax bombs. Roth conversions can be powerful, especially if timed well after market downturns, allowing for tax-free growth on a depressed portfolio. But as with all planning, a personalized approach tailored to your specific circumstances beats one-size-fits-all rules. Use frameworks like Coast FIRE as inspiration, not rigid templates. Build a financial plan rooted in your values, personal goals, and family needs. Enjoy today while planning for tomorrow, and don't let oversimplified labels define your path. The best of the best list is a paid sponsorship, but these are professionals/companies that Tyler and Chad collaborate with within their own practices or have been vetted to earn a spot on this list. By supporting our sponsors, it allows Chad & Tyler to dedicate more time to you and the Physician Cents community. If you ever have a question (or not a great experience, which we don't expect!) about a sponsor, please let us know. We call it the "best of the best" for a reason, and we will maintain that standard for our listeners & viewers. Connect With Physician Cents WealthKeel LLC Olson Consulting LLC Tyler Olson on Twitter Chad Chubb, CFP®, CSLP® on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WealthKeel) Subscribe to Physician Cents Apple Podcasts Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Why $500k Feels Like Paycheck-to-Paycheck: Mastering Lifestyle Inflation, Ep #61

   In the latest episode of the Physician Sense Podcast, we take listeners behind the curtain of a physician-teacher household with an annual income of $500,000. At first glance, this kind of income might sound like the ticket to unlimited financial freedom. But even with a hefty paycheck, many feel they're just barely keeping up. Here's what we uncovered—and what professionals in similar positions can learn from it. Looking for help with Disability Insurance, Physician Banking, Student Loan Refinancing, Physician Mortgages, Contract Reviews, and more? Check out our "Best of the Best" sponsors page to find a list of the professionals Chad & Tyler team up with for their clients. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... 00:00 Exploring finance Reddit threads 03:28 The illusion of endless income 08:45 Balancing finances and lifestyle choices 09:54 Discussing household budget balance 15:01 Fair pay for household services 16:45 Sharing high-income budgeting ideas The Surprising Reality is That $500,000 Doesn't Feel Limitless Even a household earning $500,000 can still feel like they're living paycheck to paycheck. This is especially relevant for medical professionals and dual-income families who see taxes, debt, and lifestyle costs eat away at what appears—on paper—to be a substantial income. So, how does a $500,000 budget get allocated? Taxes: Roughly $110,000, or a bit over 20% Mortgage/Property Taxes: Around 11-12% (outside a high cost-of-living metro) Student Loans: 8% of income, or $40,000 per year, likely split between the physician and their spouse Car Payments/Expenses: About 6%, or $30,000 annually—even without luxury cars, this can add up with insurance and lease payments. The Lifestyle Factor Much of the online Reddit commentary about the household budget focused on spending for food, vacations, and daycare—which together made up 24% of income. Drill down, and you get $20,000 a year for groceries and $30,000 for restaurants. While this is a 50/50 split between eating in and out, for a busy medical family, convenience becomes a critical factor—and that comes with a cost. Redditors also discuss how much they spend on childcare, which takes up another $36,000 annually, and children's activities or education funds (such as 529s) together add up to about 10% of the overall budget. Vacations then come in at $35,000—a number that surprised us only for how reasonable it seemed given the rest of the budget. Scarcity Mindset Can Be Healthy Despite the "paycheck to paycheck" feeling, this Reddit thread demonstrates a well-constructed financial plan. Maintaining a bit of a scarcity mindset can be protective, helping prevent lifestyle creep from undoing long-term savings goals. For physicians or any high-earning professionals, the real lesson is about proactive management, intentional spending, and building systems that automate what matters. Even if the big numbers don't always feel big enough, clarity—and a little moderation—can go a long way. The best of the best list is a paid sponsorship, but these are professionals/companies that Tyler and Chad collaborate with within their own practices or have been vetted to earn a spot on this list. By supporting our sponsors, it allows Chad & Tyler to dedicate more time to you and the Physician Cents community. If you ever have a question (or not a great experience, which we don't expect!) about a sponsor, please let us know. We call it the "best of the best" for a reason, and we will maintain that standard for our listeners & viewers. Resources & People Mentioned This is the Reddit story we're referring to: https://www.reddit.com/r/Salary/comments/1lcw4c8/personal_finances_making_500k/ Connect With Physician Cents WealthKeel LLC Olson Consulting LLC Tyler Olson on Twitter Chad Chubb, CFP®, CSLP® on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WealthKeel) Subscribe to Physician Cents Apple Podcasts Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Biggest Financial Surprises After Buying Your First Home, Ep #60

   Hosts Chad Chubb, CFP®, CSLP® and Tyler Olson, MD, MBA, discuss the unexpected financial costs physicians face when buying their first home, offering strategies for preparedness.

Who has been a guest on Physician Cents

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Michael Relvas
• Adam Markowitz
• Kyle Claussen

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

25,844

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 68 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

85

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

51

Contact Physician Cents

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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