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

 

False dichotomies and my preferred flavor of FIRE were discussed in my chat with Taylor of the Passive Wealth Strategies podcast. A Different Concept of FIRE: fatFIRE with The Physician on Fire.

 

He tried FIRE. It lasted a few good years. And now, at age 50, Finimus is back in the workforce. Why? Early Retirement: Boring.

 

Jim’s early retirement has been anything but boring for the family of 3. They moved to Panama, came back to the U.S. amidst the pandemic, and they’re back under lockdown in Panama… for now. The latest conudrum at Route to Retire: Making Plans for the Future – Stay or Go?

 

Chris Mamula’s early retirement hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, either. Marital discord and other challenges awaited them. From Can I Retire Yet, 5 Lessons From 3 Years of Early Retirement.

 

The accumulator at Monevator is afraid that, as others have discovered, FIRE may not be a cure-all. He outlines a plan to keep the FIRE burning while outlining his fears. What if FIRE doesn’t work?

 

According to Fritz at Retirement Manifesto, plenty of people are willing to give FIRE a try this year. The Mad Retirement Rush of 2020.

 

What makes you happy? How has that list changed for you in 2020? Orthopedic surgeon and guest author Dr. Monroe Laborde visits The White Coat Investor to share his thoughts after several decades of treating patients with debilitating pain. The Why and How of Happiness.

 

The Banker on Wheels seems to be happy on a bicycle, and he’s put thousands of kilometers on his. What did he learn while biking through Tasmania and other exotic locales? What Cycling the World Taught me About Investing.

 

You won’t have much of anything to invest if you’re not setting aside money to begin with, explains The Physician Philosopher. Paying Yourself First – 6 Ways to Automate Your Financial Life.

 

I highly recommend letting the credit card companies pay you something in exchange for your loyalty, and these are some of the top offers for small business owners. The Best Business Credit Cards for 2021.

 

Many have tried, and many have failed. But, alas, some have found success. Early Retirement Now shows us How to Beat the Stock Market.

 

Real estate, with the use of leverage, has been used by many to beat the returns of the stock market. SemiRetired MD demonstrates a number of ways to make this happen. 5 Ways to Incorporate Cashflowing Real Estate Into Your FIRE Plan.

 

My wife and I incorporated The Queen’s Gambit into our recent evenings, and I will say that I enjoyed it, even as a non-chess player. The Cents of Money got a lot out of it, reading between the black and white squares. Spoiler Alert! Do not read if you plan on watching the Netflix miniseries soon. Money And Life Lessons From “The Queen’s Gambit”.

 

What Are You Watching?

 

I don’t feel like I spend a ton of time in front of the TV, but when I reflect on 2020, I realize I’ve watched a surprising number of shows and movies. I suppose that’s forgivable given the limited safe entertainment options this year.

So we just finished The Queen’s Gambit. We also watched the train-wreck-but-you-can’t-look-away that was Tiger King back in the Spring. Between January and November, my boys and I saw all of the “Marvel Comic Universe” movies, I believe 23 in total. We’re now 3 episodes into the first season of The Mandalorian.

My wife and I are on the second season of Ozark, two episodes into Breaking Bad, and we’re patiently awaiting the fourth season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Oh, and I just watched my Golden Gophers even their record at 3-3 with a victory over Nebraska. I suppose that means they’ll make a bowl game with that third victory? Such a weird year.

The other evening, dozens of you watched me on the screen as I went live for the first time in my Physicians on FIRE Facebook group (physicians only, please). I used this “happy hour” format to  introduce myself, talk about my FIRE journey,  take questions from the members, and enjoy my first couple of beers in the month of December. It was fun!

Let me know what you’ve been watching down in the comments below. As winter sets in, I’m open to hearing your suggestions.

 

 

The Vaccine is Here!

 

I’ve seen several friends of friends on social media sharing the fact that they’ve received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and by this time next week, hundreds of thousands of doses will have been administered.

Trucks will be rolling out with the vials from a Michigan facility this morning, delivering to hundreds of destinations in a day or two. This exciting development is a flicker of the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel, and I’m thrilled to see its arrival.

As I told the doctors listening in during my recent happy hour talk, I won’t hesitate to get it when it’s available for me, and I expect practicing healthcare providers, essential workers, and other vulnerable populations to be first in line. I’ll be waiting closely behind.

 

The White Coat Investor Conference 2021

 

Assuming I’m vaccinated by then, I’ll be part of a small contingent getting together in person to help put on the first virtual White Coat Investor Physician Wellness and Financial Literacy conference.

We were able to do this live with no issues in Park City with a few hundred attendees in 2018, and the 2020 version ended up being a combination in-person / virtual live feed event in early March of 2020.

This coming year, the conference will be virtual for all attendees, and it promises to be safe and outstanding. Physicians will be eligible to receive as many as 17 CME credits, and the speaker lineup is the biggest and best thus far.

 

 

If you’ve got unused CME money in 2020 or are looking for a business expense to put on the books yet this calendar year, WCICON21 may be a great opportunity for you.

To see the 50+ speakers and learn more about the premier physician personal finance event of 2021, click here.

 

Checkout WCICON 2021

 

 

Have an outstanding week!

-Physician on FIRE