The Sunday Best is a collection of articles I’ve curated from the furthest reaches of the internet for your reading pleasure.
Every week, I scan hundreds of headlines, read dozens of posts, and bring you the best of the best to save you time and mental energy.
Financial Independence (FI) is a primary focus, but it’s an awfully broad topic. I tend to approach FI and early retirement from a fatFIRE perspective and through the lens of a physician, so expect to see those biases in the selected articles.
Related topics that have become recurrent themes include early retirement, selective frugality, tax issues, travel, physician issues, and of course, investing.
For more great articles, take a peek at The Sunday Best Archives. Now let’s get to the best… The Sunday Best!
The Sunday Best
I joined an early-career dentist for a chat on achieving financial independence and retiring early. As the son and grandson of dentists, these are some of my favorite people. From The Golden Crown podcast, Episode #24 Physician on FIRE – FI at 39!
The veil of secrecy is lifted as The Darwinian Doctor steps out of the shadows and into the light of day. Who is this free-spending west coast surgeon? 100th Blog Post: Secret Identity Revealed!
The free-spending west coast anesthesiologist behind Passive Income MD recaps the lessons gleaned from last year. Things I’ve Learned in 2020.
Jim from Route to Retire learned a lot in 2020 with his family feeling trapped in a heavily locked down Panama in his second year of early retirement! 4 Lessons Learned After Two Years of Early Retirement.
For better or worse, most of us are our own best teachers; we learn from our mistakes. Late Starter FIRE reflects on decades past with their blunders and missed opportunities. My Biggest Money Mistakes.
If you think you make too much money to contribute to a Roth IRA, you’re making a money mistake each and every year. Here’s how anyone, regardless of income, can contribute. The Backdoor Roth IRA 2021: A Step by Step Guide with Vanguard.
If you’re an Etrade user, you’ll want to follow this tutorial from Smart Money MD. How to Fund Your Backdoor Roth IRA via E-Trade – 2021 Edition.
Who wants to be a millionaire? For $30 a day, you can. And no, the Financial Panther isn’t selling a subscription plan; he’s just doing the math. Becoming A Millionaire With The $30 A Day Retirement Strategy.
This 40-something dual physician couple saved way more than $30 a day. She’s now retired early, while he’s defining what this semi-retirement will look like for him. The third installment in a 5+ year series on WCI (see Part I and Part II): Super Saving for an Early Retirement – Part III.
I spent some time sorting out how I could create yet another retirement income stream. I don’t plan on blogging forever! Creating Another Retirement Income Stream.
“You can’t believe everything you read online.” -Alexander Hamilton. So What You Should Do With All the Financial Advice on the Internet? Jim Wang of Wallet Hacks shares his thoughts.
Passive Income MD, an online voice that I trust, shares his thoughts on How to Find an Emerging Real Estate Market.
The Physician Philosopher is talking real estate with his co-host, Ryan Inman on the Money Meets Medicine Podcast this week. MMM 51: How to Create a Real Estate Empire Actively.
Last Call for $100+ Swag Bags
The premier online CME event for doctors and dentists is coming up in 8 short weeks, but the registration deadline, if you want a pile of new financial books, a WCI shirt, and some other goodies sent to you is tomorrow, 1/11/2021!
With 16 CME credits available, you may very well be able to use a CME fund to cover the $899 registration fee. If you’re self-employed, it’s obviously a tax-deductible business expense.
Check out the extensive lineup with 50+ talks scheduled over March 4th through 6th. If you can’t see them all that weekend, fear not. Your paid registration gets you access to the Physician Wellness & Financial Literacy Virtual Conference both during and after the conference dates.
Speaking of WCI, did you know he’s written and released a 3rd book? Now on Amazon, The White Coat Investor’s Guide for Students: How Medical and Dental Students Can Secure Their Financial Future.
What a Week
Holy crap.
I could not believe my eyes when I witnessed what was happening in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6th. The Capitol was ransacked, lives were lost, and the images on the TV screen looked like something out of a Hollywood script portraying a dystopian future.
But this is our present, apparently.
I’m glad to see that the FBI has begun rounding up some of the thugs, deadbeats, white supremacists, and other misguided individuals who perpetrated this assault. I hope each and every one of them who had a role in this disgraceful act, regardless of the title they currently hold, is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
I haven’t been this glued to the newsfeed and generally distracted since mid-March of last year when COVID-19 first hit. Meanwhile, the pandemic situation now 10 months later is as bad as it has ever been, and we haven’t seen the full extent of what I expect will be a nasty New Year’s celebration bump, not to mention the superspreader event that just took place in Washington.
I was encouraged to see a number of my physician colleagues receiving their second dose of COVID vaccine this week, at least. Phase 1B and associated mass vaccination clinics are about to begin in my neck of the woods. I hope a large percentage of those eligible will take advantage.
As Dr. Joyce Williams puts it, in case you need a reason to get the COVID vaccine, here are 12.
Virtual Summits for Physician Writers and Women Physicians
February 11th through 13th is proving to be a popular time for online summits for doctors. And February 14th will be a good day to order takeout and eat chocolate out of heart-shaped boxes.
The WPW — that’s Women Physician Wellness — Virtual Leadership Summit is coming up 2/11 to 2/13. They’ve lined up 25 women physician speakers, and the event is good for up to 15 CME Credits. Your $350 tuition gets you access to all the talks for 30 days after the event’s conclusion.
You can see the schedule with speaker lineup, along with other details here.
Guys and gals are welcome to join in for the Physician Writer’s Summit, which happens to be released on the same days has been rescheduled to 2/25 to 2/27, but like the WPW Summit, you’ll have access afterwards, as well.
I’ll be a part of this one as an interviewee, and I’m excited to learn from others more successful than me in this space. If you’ve got any interest in writing a book, blog, or column, I would encourage you to join me.
Have an outstanding week!
-Physician on FIRE
Thanks for the Sunday Best as always PoF! I’m sure you’ll get plenty of hate after your comments in this week’s Sunday Best, but don’t let it bother you.
Democracy is too important to let some extremist wackos try to gain control through a wild mob. There’s still plenty of good people out there who don’t condone hate, or violence in any form.
Good on you for being one of them.
Thanks for the shoutout, Leif. Keep doing what you do. Hope you and your family are doing well.
Hi Leif,
I do not condone what happened in D.C. on January 6th, by no means . The actions of some ruined what otherwise would have been a peaceful protest.
I just wish the media or CNN, as you linked in your piece, would have gone into as much detail regarding the “mostly peaceful protests” and “summer of love” riots that plagued this nation in 2020. Detailing, who the rioters were, where they were coming from and who was funding them, as they did in the article you linked.
Many protests which were anything but peaceful resulted in riots, which spanned over many weeks and months, resulted in massive destruction of property, businesses, and in some cases, lives.
The media and politicians, had a hand in creating the volcano which erupted on January 6th. Some politicians urged folks to get in the faces of their political opponents if they saw them at a restaurant or out and about.
A CNN anchor actually stated “show me where protestors have to be peaceful.” The indignation coming from the media over what occurred on January 6th is laughable and down right hypocritical of them.
I agree, all must be held accountable, including the media and politicians who helped create this great divide. But that will not happen.
As a police officer in the Chicagoland area, I witnessed the violence and mayhem firsthand.
And the politicians who advocated for defunding the police and the media who demonized us and painted us with a broad bush, emboldened the rioters who attacked us, burned down cities and businesses, and wreaked devastation everywhere they went. And they did so without impunity! Because we were ordered to stand down as we watched them commit these heinous acts.
If we are to heal as a nation, the media MUST do its part by once again becoming journalists! And not cheerleaders for team A or B. To investigate and ask the tough questions, and not spread propaganda and mistrust.
I’m doubtful we will ever get there in my lifetime, but I hope for my children’s sake it does.
Respectfully,
Geno
I’m leaving the blog,it’s becoming political. During months and months BLM and ANTIFA ransacked the whole country and nobody said nothing. Now because of this stupid incident perpetrated by idiots, yes whites, but also anarchist elements , including BLM,everybody is posturing. Don’t bother to answer I’m unsubscribing . Goodbye, was a pleasure.
I link to hundreds of articles about all topics of personal finance on Sundays.
Below them, I share some events, products, services, and sometimes an update on what’s going on in my life or in my mind.
Seven months ago, my mind was on the protesting and riots that started in Minnepolis, my home for eight years. I wrote about it then. But apparently, “nobody said nothing.”
This week, the events that unfolded in our nation’s capital were on my mind. When democracy was threatened earlier this week, I chose to side with democracy. Not Biden, not Trump, nor any political party.
If that’s too much for you to handle, feel free to move along. But what does that say about you, exactly?
Best,
-PoF
Long time reader here as well. After reading this Sunday post and the one back in June, that you linked, I have to say that Luis isn’t wrong. Your post in June didn’t mention the riots, the burning of cities, the federal buildings and stores damaged, the throwing of bricks, bottles at people, the hundreds of injured and dead police officers. Your June post merely sympathized with the movement, not the response. In fact, you almost justified the 2020 riots by saying “I had spoken with my children about what was done to Mr. Floyd and some of the reasons for the reactions in the city streets. “. PoF, there is no reason for THAT reaction in the city streets.
So, technically, Luis is right. He’s free to leave and you’re free to write what you want. This is a democracy. I’m leaving PoF too.
I decried the destruction and violence using those exact terms.
You’re obviously free to read what you wish and interpret it however you like.
Best wishes,
-PoF
Threatening democracy isn’t political, it’s un-American. Asking for those who threatened democracy to be prosecuted isn’t political, it’s American.
PoF,
I’m happy to report myself (emergency services non medical) and my parents (as my Mom say’s we’re old) and my Boss (also emergency service non medical) all have appointments next week for our 1B first shots at a W. MI hospital. I know there is a ton of interest numerically but what % of those eligible is still up in the air.
That’s great! My wife’s cousin (a physician at Spectrum) got her 2nd shot last week, and with the proposed policy of not holding back 1/2 of the supply, there could be a good amount of product available to us. I’m in NE lower peninsula (DHD 4). When they say it’s my turn, “I am not throwing away my shot.”
Cheers!
-PoF