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

 

What do Scrub Caps & Sippy Cups have in common? Besides being two things I no longer need in my life, it’s also the named of a podcast hosted by Crystal, Ellen, and Laci. We talked about worldschooling, paying for college, the Rule of 72, and more! Interview with Physician on FIRE.

 

In their latest podcast episode of Money Meets Medicine, The Physician Philosopher & Ryan Inman of Financial Residency break down the many Ways the Financial Industry Dupes Doctors. Don’t be duped by a dope!

 

You can’t be duped, right? Wrong! JL Collins reminds us that overconfidence is a risk factor. You, Too, Can Be Conned.

 

I really don’t want to see that happen, though, which is why I wrote the following public service announcement with some historical context detailing Charles Ponzi, Bernard Madoff, and The Income Store. Top 5 Ways to Spot (and Avoid) Investment Scams.

 

 

Some people are convinced real estate is rife with scams (see comments in above article). Others think it’s the surest path to wealth. I don’t know that it’s either, but real estate investing does involve risk and can “go south” on you. The White Coat Investor shows us How Real Estate Investments Go Bad in 9 different ways.

 

Employment arrangements can go bad, too. Will your contract help you or hurt you if that happens? Chad Chubb of Wealthkeel describes 7 Contract Topics Every Physician Needs to Review.

 

Kiersten Saunders of rich & Regular knows that a job won’t love you back, and she did something about it. I Love Me More Than My Job So I Quit.

 

Quitting isn’t the only solution to low job satisfaction, and it’s often not a viable answer, especially in the short-term. The Physician Philosopher contemplates your options. You’re Burned Out. Now What? Burnout Causes and Solutions.

 

We’ve established that it’s rare for a job, company, or hospital to love you back. When you’re deep in debt, can it be hard to find any love at all? Finder.com asked for my opinion on the matter. Is Your Debt Stopping You from Finding Love?

 

I can’t help you find love, but I can help you find student loan interest rates under 2% with cash back bonuses of up to $750 for refinancing, plus a bonus $50 donation to a charity of your choice. Details can always be found on my Student Loan Resource Page.

 

Dr. Brent Lacey, who wields The Scope of Practice, found love with another physician. With his support, she made a choice that will profoundly affect their financial future. This Decision Cost Us 13 Million Dollars, But Was it a Financial Mistake?

 

I did not anticipate the “financial mistake” post to be a controversial one, but gender roles were called into question by several readers. Different cultures also have certain expectations, as Ms. Frugal Asian Finance points out. 6 Financial Expectations In Asian Families.

 

Speaking of frugality, the Frugal Physician takes issue with those that think frugality is associated with a scarcity mindset. Frugality and FIRE- The Ultimate Abundance Mindset.

 

Would you rather earn more money than spend less? Passive Income MD is your guy. 7 Ways For Physicians to Make an Extra $1000 a Month.

 

 

Do both and you could be on your way to an early retirement. Being retired isn’t necessarily good or bad, says Carolyn at Chodura’s Journey. It’s just different. Lessons I’ve Learned in Retirement.

 

Comparing Credit Cards

 

Deciding which credit card to get can be a bit overwhelming with the different rewards programs, stipulations for earning the lucrative welcome bonuses, different categories of cards, and more.

I’ve partnered with CardRatings to help simplify things for you. I now have an advisor’s page that lists only my most highly recommended cards, organized neatly into a table that allows you to compare them side-by-side by category.

 

The Travel Rewards section looks like this (but less blurry):

 

 

You’ll have to go to the page to see all the details, which can change. Hence, the fuzzy words here. You’ll always find up-to-date information on my advisor page at CardRatings.

Here’s the business credit card section. NOTE: You are not required to have a formal business structure to apply for a business credit card; you just have to have income from a source other than W-2 employment. You can use your name and Social Security number on the application.

 

Check out these and other comparison tables at my CardRatings Advisor Page today!

 

 

Goodbye Barcelona. Hello Madrid!

 

Yesterday, we left one spectacular Spanish city to visit another. Barcenola was amazing to see, and I got to see most of it on foot thanks to some long strolls we took and one 13.1 mile jog through town.

That half marathon hampered my ability to enjoy most of this last week. I most likely was running on a worsening stress fracture, and after I hobbled back to our Airbnb and took off my shoes, I didn’t don shoes again or leave the place for two and a half days.

After lots of rest, ice, elevation, a little beer, etc… I was able to do a little more each day and I can now finally walk for blocks at a time, albeit rather slowly and with a limp. A week ago, I was worried I wouldn’t be going anywhere without a cane or crutches, so this is an encouraging development!

We visited mountaintop castles, amazing churches, winding alleyways, and one incredible former hospital complex. There were lots of fun little surprises, too, like our neighborhood Lego Store, little neighborhood breweries, and a spiral tube slide from the sidewalk to the basement of a shopping center. Expect an upcoming post on our travels here.

As we get settled in Madrid, we’ll be looking for interesting things to do, so if you’ve got any must-sees, leave a note in the comments!

 

 

Financial Freedom through Real Estate

 

I wasn’t able to attend Dr. Peter Kim’s first live conference in Los Angeles last fall. I’m guessing you weren’t either. Those who were able to attend gave glowing reviews, and I am tentatively planning to be there this coming October for the second iteration — more details to come on that event soon.

Although we missed the one-day conference, we now have the opportunity to catch all of the lectures, which were professionally recorded and are now available for purchase in one tidy package.

 

 

✅Discover how others have become successful real estate investors while still practicing/working full-time.

The PIMDCon Virtual Pass

 

 

Have an outstanding week!

-Physician on FIRE