YFP 305: Understanding Annuities: A Primer for Pharmacists


In over 300 episodes of Your Financial Pharmacist, we haven’t covered much about annuities and today, Tim Baker, CFP®, RICP®, RLP® joins Tim Ulbrich, PharmD to do just that. On this episode, sponsored by First Horizon, you’ll hear all about what annuities are, the main types and how they differ, common misunderstandings, fees associated with annuities, and how they can assist with building a retirement paycheck through the flooring strategy.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, is joined by YFP Co-Founder & Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, CFP®, RLP®, RICP®, to discuss annuities.

Tim Baker explains what an annuity is, the main types of annuities, key terms and concepts to understand when evaluating annuity options, fees associated with annuities, and how annuities fit into the broader retirement income planning strategy.

During the second half of the episode, Tim and Tim discuss how annuities may fit into the flooring strategy of retirement income planning.

Key Points From the Episode

  • How common annuities are and Tim Baker’s high-level thoughts around them. 
  • The importance of viewing annuities from the lens of building a retirement paycheck.
  • Tim Baker explains longevity risk and how annuities address it.
  • What exactly an annuity is and the two phases of an annuity. 
  • Tim Baker delves into the main types of annuities and how they differ in structure and features. 
  • How the appeal for annuities has increased due to human psychology. 
  • Including annuities as part of retirement income strategy, the four ‘Ls’, and the flooring approach.
  • Why the psychological aspect of annuities is underrated. 
  • The biggest con of annuities: fees. 
  • How the tax treatment of annuities differs depending on the type of annuity and how it’s funded.

Episode Highlights

“We kind of shy away from [annuities] as a tool to be used in retirement.” — @TimBakerCFP [0:05:34]

“An annuity refers to an insurance contract where you give the insurance company money, typically in the form of a premium, and they invest the funds – with the idea of paying you back an income stream in the future.” — @TimBakerCFP [0:09:16]

“I’m less worried about legacy and I’m more worried about can my money sustain me?” — @TimBakerCFP [0:29:19]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here. And thank you for listening to the YFP podcast, where each week we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom. 

This week, YFP co-founder and Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, joins me to talk about annuities. During the show, we discuss what an annuity is. The main types of products available. Key terms and concepts to understand when evaluating annuity options. How the fees are associated with these products? And how annuities may fit into the broader retirement income strategy? 

Before we jump into today’s topic of annuities, I recognize that many listeners may not be aware of what our team of certified financial planners do working one-on-one with more than 280 households in 40+ plus states. 

Our team offers fee-only high-touch financial planning that is customized to the pharmacy professional. Whether you’re a new practitioner, in the middle of your career, or nearing retirement, we have you covered. To learn more about how our financial planning services can help you live a rich life today while planning for the future, book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com. 

Whether or not YFP planning, financial planning services, are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. 

[00:01:18] TU: Does saving 20% for a down payment on a home feel like an uphill battle? It’s no secret that pharmacists have a lot of competing financial priorities, including high-student loan debt. Meaning that saving 20% for a down payment on a home may take years. 

We’ve been on a hunt for a solution for pharmacists that are ready to purchase a home loan with a lower down payment and are happy to have found that option with First Horizon. 

First Horizon offers a professional home loan option, AKA doctor or pharmacist home loan, that requires a 3% down payment for a single-family home or townhome for first-time home buyers. Has no PMI and offers a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage on home loans up to $726,200. 

The pharmacist home loan is available in all states except Alaska and Hawaii and can be used to purchase condos as well. However, rates may be higher. And a condo review has to be completed. 

To check out the requirements for First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan and to start the pre-approved process, visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. Again, that’s yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. 

[EPISODE]

[00:02:30] TU: Tim Baker, welcome back. What’s the good news? 

[00:02:33] TB: Not much, Tim. Just kind of hopefully whining tax season down here shortly. The team is frantically at work crunching through tax returns. That’s really the theme of the next few weeks here. Excited for the deadline to be here and gone.

[00:02:49] TU: Yeah, shout out to the tax team. As you mentioned, Tim, hard at work. This season is intense. And we’re really looking forward to doing more year-round tax planning with these individuals. And if they’re listening, which I suspect the tax team is not, since they’re in the weeds right now, but grateful for all their contributions and the value they’re providing to clients and others in the YFP community. So, huge shout out to them. 

Tim, annuities. It’s hard to believe in 300+ episodes now the podcasts that we’ve done that we’ve really covered very little around annuities. I think we had an Ask a YFP CPF a while back that we touched on it briefly. 

And I’ll be honest, Tim, this is an area of the plan that I underestimated just how big it can be both in the volume of people that are purchasing annuities, the questions that are around the annuities, and how they can build under the retirement plan. 

One report from LIMRA was at over $310 billion dollars’ worth of annuities that were sold in 2022. And that was a 22% increase from 2021. Just a big area of the plan. I’m curious to hear at a high level your thoughts around annuities and how common they are as you hear those statistics. And maybe just as surprised as I am that we haven’t dabbled into this more yet. 

[00:04:07] TB: I think it depends who you talk to. I talk to some advisors that use them as part of their practice. I talk to a lot of advisors that I trust and that have looked on them that don’t necessarily use it as part of their practice. I think it’s going to be dependent on kind of the market and where we’re at. 

Annuities, kind of like long-term care insurance, Tim, kind of get a little bit of a bad rap. And rightfully so, in some instances. And we’ll kind of talk through that. But I think a lot of people, at the end of the day, it’s an insurance product at heart. But you can intertwine in investment products. That’s typically what a variable annuity is or like an index annuity is with this. 

But just like insurance, any other type of insurance, we don’t really like to give up our money in the form of a premium for coverage that we may or may not need. I think annuity is a little bit of a different breed. But there seems to be, again, some negative connotations around annuities mainly because like I got to give up my money for something that’s kind of nebulous in exchange. 

And I think for those reasons, it’s kind of more psychological that people are like, “Hmm, I’m going to stick to I have a million. It’s a 4% withdrawal rate. It’s $40,000 a year. Couple that with social security. I’m good.” 

And for a lot of reasons, maybe not so much. That 4% rule, I think a lot of people are looking at that and saying, “Hmm, going forward, I don’t know. That’s not necessarily the best rule of thumb to be using.” 

I think for all of those reasons and probably others that I didn’t mention, that we kind of shy away from this as a tool to be used in retirement. And again, I think that – I think everything should be on the table more or less. And biases aside to see, okay, what are the goals of the client? What’s the balance sheet look like? And then move from there. 

[00:05:51] TU: Yeah. And Tim, before we even jump into what is an annuity at a high level, what are the types of products that are out there? Advantages? Disadvantages. We’re going to get into that in more detail. But I think it’s important to take a step back and view this from the lens of building a retirement paycheque, right? 

We talked about that previously on the podcast. We’ll link to that episode in the show notes. But here, what we’re talking about is a sliver, apart, perhaps an important part, annuities, that are a broader part of how we’re going to build a retirement income stream. How we’re going to replace what was our paycheque and build that retirement income? I think it’s important that we lay that framework as we get into the weeds on the annuities. 

[00:06:34] TB: Yeah. I mean, I think, at the end of the day, when we are thinking about a financial plan, a lot of roads point to, “Can I accumulate enough assets to then not have to rely on a pay cheque and can kind of live my life?” And this topic is – a lot of us, we focus more so just on the accumulation phase and like save and invest, save and invest. But then when we get to the end of it, it’s like, “All right, how do we actually turn this into a sustainable paycheque for the rest of our lives with that timeline being unknown?” And that’s one of the things that annuities address. Because it’s unknown, the payment for a lot of these annuities can go out to the rest of your life. It addresses some longevity risk. 

It’s a crucial part of this discussion. And that’s why we’ve been big proponents of Social Security claiming strategy. It’s one of the most important decisions that you make in retirement. And this type of discussion around annuities and longevity risk is right there. 

I think it’s something that we should definitely bring to the top of the fold and make sure that we are situating this in a way that it goes back to kind of that retirement paycheck. And how does this all fit together? 

[00:07:49] TB: Yeah. And speaking of longevity risk, I pitched a question out there on LinkedIn to say, “Hey, Tim and I are going to be talking about annuities on the podcast. What questions do you have? Would love to hear from the community.” And one of the things that Bryce on LinkedIn said, to your point about longevity risk, is frame it as like the opposite of life insurance. You’re ensuring the risk of living longer than expected instead of shorter than expected. Tim, what are your thoughts on that viewpoint? And I guess, as a part of that, just what is an annuity and how does it work? 

[00:08:17] TU: I think it’s dead on. I think what Bryce said is when you think about longevity risk, that’s the risk that people are living longer than they expect, right? I can go on to socialsecurity.gov, put in my gender and my birthday, and says, “Okay, based on all of the data that they’ve collected since the beginning of time or for as long social security has been around, you’re going to live to 88.6-years-old.” 

But, Tim, I’m not going out like that. I’m going to be here until 95, 105. I’m going to be here for a while. That means that I potentially have 10, 15, maybe 20 years that, according to my plan – again, we as planners, we go out a little bit further to kind of model that. But think about having a decade worth of expenses. Probably a lot of medical expenses that aren’t accounted for. That’s what longevity risk is. That, to me, is one of the things that an annuity addresses. 

An annuity refers to an insurance contract where you give the insurance company money, typically in the form of a premium, and they invest the funds either very, very conservatively or could be more aggressively with the idea of paying you back an income stream in the future. That could be a fixed income stream. That could be a variable income stream. There’re so many different flavors of ice cream when it comes to annuities, Tim. That’s the basic concept. 

Typically, you really have two phases in annuity. You have what’s called the accumulation phase, where this is the annuities being funded. And it’s before the payouts begin. Any money in the annuity kind of grows on a tax-deferred basis during this stage. And then the second phase is the annuitization phase, where you say, “Hey, either I have the option or per the contract that I set up five years ago. It was a deferred annuity for five years.” Now these payments start and they are X based on the underlying performance of the investments or just what you agreed to five years ago. Again, there’re lots of different types of variation here. But essentially, that’s it. 

It’s kind of like Social Security, but not Social Security. The big difference is that Social Security, even with all the negative headlines, it’s still backed by the US government. There’re lots of fears there that benefits will be changed in the future. I think they will be to kind of keep it solvent. It’ll still be there. This is kind of like private Social Security in a sense where you say, “Hey, not US government.” But, “Hey, insurance company, here’s money either all at once or over whatever premium schedule that you set up. And then give me that money back in the form of an income stream.” 

What you’re doing is you’re increasing guaranteed income. Really, the only guaranteed income that most people will have, because pensions have really kind of gone away, is social security. What you’re trying to do is increase guaranteed income. And again, one of the things you have to look at is how is the insurance company rated? Are they rated well or not? Because there is risk of failure there and we’ve seen some bank failures that have, I think, shocked some people. That’s one of the things that you have to make sure that you are in tune with. But that’s essentially the broad strokes of an annuity. 

[00:11:36] TU: And, Tim, great point about the comparison to Social Security. It obviously operates very different. But we’ll come back here in a little bit about the concept of a flooring strategy. But essentially, if we think about, again, replacing our paycheck with a retirement income stream. For most folks, even with the negative press around on Social Security, it may be that, hey, from Social Security, and then plus or minus an annuity, we’re going to have some type of – let’s call it base income, right? Oversimplifying a little bit because of how those can fluctuate and be variable in the different products. But drawing on some type of base. And then we can talk about how to make up the rest of the paycheck from there. 

Types of annuities. Tim, I know this is a lot to cover in a short episode where we’re really focusing on some of the basics and we’re going to come back to this topic more in the future. But what are the main types of annuities. And how do they differ in terms of the structure and features? 

[00:12:28] TB: I’m going to rattle off a bunch of different types of annuities. You have the immediate annuities, immediate fixed annuities, immediate variable annuities, deferred annuities, deferred income annuities, fixed deferred annuities, indexed annuities, variable deferred annuities. There’s – 

[00:12:41] TU: Really easy to shop for, right? Is what you’re saying? 

[00:12:44] TB: Yeah. Yeah. Super straightforward. We’ll put these in two kind of macro categories. You have kind of immediate versus is deferred. An immediate annuity is just that let’s say you’re retiring and you have a $2 portfolio. And you say, “Hey, I want to take some money off the table in terms of like my traditional portfolio. The market is blah-blah-blah. The volatility. I’m going to put a quarter million dollars into an immediate annuity.” 

That means that I give the insurance company $250,000. And then within, I think, 13 months is what is considered an immediate annuity, you start receiving payments. A deferred annuity, the only difference is, is that you give that money today. And then 13-plus months later you get – there’s some growth there. Straight up, like if you do an immediate annuity today and you get that payment next month, the payment might be a little bit less. Versus if you wait 14 months, it might be a little bit more. That’s really the big difference. 

One of the big products that’s out there that’s an immediate annuity is called a single premium immediate income annuity, a SPIA. These are contracts. Generally, start in providing income before 13 months after the date of deposit. They’re typically bought as a period certain. 

One of the strategies that you could use – we just talked about social security and how powerful that could be. You could say, “Hey, I’m retiring at 65. I want to defer and get as many deferral credits for social security as possible. I’m going to buy a period certain of five years to get me to 70 so I can then claim Social Security.” That might be a way to kind of bridge the gap between that. 

And I think that’s a viable strategy, Tim, which people don’t think of. They might say, ” I’m just going to draw down my traditional portfolio.” You can buy it for a single life. So, just me. Or you and a spouse. A joint life. 

Obviously, the more people – typically, if it’s single life, and you are a guy, you are going to get paid higher. Versus a single life and you are female. Because females typically live longer. Single life versus joint life, if there’s two people, typically that payout is going to be less than a single life. Because there’s two basically occurrences for that annuity to kind of go away. 

The SPIAs are typically lifetime income vehicles. You must be paid at least 12 months substantially in equal payments. But it can be not just monthly. It can be quarterly, semi-annual, or even annual payments. 

Many SPIAs can accommodate a death benefit, which means that after you die, a lot of people – this is one of the misconceptions. A lot of people say, “All right if I give quarter million dollars to your insurance contract and I get one payment and then I keel over and die, I lose all that money.” And there are lots of ways to structure that to protect. It could be return of premium. It could be to pay it out for five or ten years. These are all kind of riders that you put on the annuity. 

And then you have a deferred annuity, which is basically the same thing again. But it’s like 13-plus months later. The other macro category, Tim, that I would talk to is the fixed versus variable annuity. Fixed annuities provide regular periodic payments to the annuity. They’re fixed. They’re the same. Just like a mortgage. You pay the same, I guess if your taxes go up a little bit. But you pay the same thing month after month. 

The variable annuity is based on the underlining performance of the funds that you kind of select. This is where the investment part comes in. You typically get a higher payment if the market does well and a lower payment if they don’t. 

The big problem that I have with variable annuities is the commissions and fees associated with it. I’d almost – just like we talk about, buy term life insurance, invest the difference. Anytime you mix these products and there’s complexity upon complexity, typically means that the fees are going to go up. 

But I would say the main types, immediate versus deferred, which is more about time-in. Fixed versus variable, which is more about the amount of payment that you’re going to receive connect it to whatever underlying investment that’s there. 

Now if you do a fixed, the insurance company is going to invest it. They’re just going to invest it very safely and typically not necessarily tied to market. Maybe treasuries or bonds, things like that. 

[00:17:04] TU: Tim, perhaps an oversimplification, but I would assume. I’m just thinking about this from why do these products exist. Obviously, they have to have viability from the person selling the policy, right? Just like a life insurance policy. And it feels like, while different based on variable or fix, that obviously they may be taking a larger lump sum of money investing and growing that at a greater return. Depending on the type of product and what you’re putting that money into. And then whatever they’re paying you out, in theory, their goal is to pay you out less so that they can make some money on the upside of that. 

And that’s not a bad thing, right? I mean, in terms of if we want some stability – and we’ll talk about the flooring here in a moment. That’s what we’re willing to potentially give up is some of that higher upside. And obviously, we’re putting floor on some of the downside as well depending on the type of product. But is that generally how these products work from the institution standpoint of how they’re making money off of them? 

[00:17:58] TB: Yeah. You know, no free lunch, right? In exchange for guaranteed income, I’m going to pull my money with other annuitants. And essentially, they’re playing the game of what do the morbidity table say? And can we still turn a profit? 

But I think of it as I put in a quarter million, Tim. You put in a quarter million. Joe Schmo puts in a quarter million. And we’re all drawing on those funds. But Joe Schmo might die at age 75. You might live to age 105 and I might be somewhere in the middle. 

But at the end of the day, you take a lot of maybe stress or some other things that are more soft, like more the human element, off the table. Because those checks are rolling in. I don’t have to worry about the markets as much. I mean, you still do. Because unless – we’ll talk about the flooring strategy. 

But like one of the things that I think can stretch out retirees, especially in markets like this where it’s really volatile, they’re up and down, they’ll be kind of trending down over the last couple years, is that, “Hey, I started with a million bucks. I’m four years into retirement and I have $750,000. Or I have –” That’s because of what I’ve taken out. Because of losses. The annuity kind of addresses some of those things where it’s like, yeah, you might take a haircut at the start. But for that haircut, you’re getting $1,000, $1,500 on top of that Social Security that you have kind of rolling in. 

[00:19:24] TU: And the emotional side. 

[00:19:25] TB: Yeah. 

[00:19:26] TU: Yeah. I mean, we haven’t talked a lot about that. Obviously, there’s a risk tolerance question here. But there’s also a peace of mind aspect to this as well in terms of building some of that base. 

And I think Tim, what you just shared there in terms of the market changes are probably why we have seen such a strong uptick in the purchase. I shared those stats early on in the episode, right? 

I mean, prior to that, we really were on this – what, 12, 14-year run of markets constantly going up. And obviously, we’ve had more volatility. And it would feel, like in a greater volatility or down market, the interests and annuities goes up. I mean, I think that would be human psychology, right?

[00:20:02] TB: You’re looking for more safety. And I would say that annuities typically are going to be – I think of myself as having more of an appetite for risk. But when I think about myself when I’m making these decisions in retirement, I feel like there’s a lot of appeal for this. 

It’s like, “Okay, can I peel off a percentage of my traditional portfolio to turn that into an income stream that’s matched with my social security?” That like, at the end of the day, like everything could fall apart. But I still have enough to pay for my living expenses. Like all that kind of stuff. And I think that’s a big deal.

[00:20:41] TU: Tim, I have this visual of like you and I in our 80s like sitting on our rockers, like drawing on the annuities. And like I’m still waiting for the Bills to win a Super Bowl. You’re still waiting for the Sixers process to work out that’s taken forever. 

[00:20:54] TB: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:20:55] TU: We’ll see where that goes. 

[00:20:55] TB: Yeah, it’s going to happen. I think that the Sixers are good for a run. 

[00:20:58] TU: This is the year. This is the year. 

[00:21:00] TB: This is the year. 

[00:21:01] TU: We’ll see yeah so let’s talk about how annuities fit into the broader income strategy. We’ve danced around this a couple times now with the flooring strategy. We’ve talked about that previously on an episode that we covered Social Security. We’ll link to that in the show notes. But talk to us about annuities as part of the retirement income strategy and creating that floor. 

[00:21:19] TB: Yes. Again, I think when we’re looking at this, essentially, we’re trying to address kind of the four ‘Ls’ of retirement. It would be longevity. Do we have enough money to sustain us throughout lifestyle? Are we living the lifestyle that we want to live? Or do we have to adapt that because we didn’t plan enough, or we didn’t save enough, or whatever that looks like? Legacy. What do we leave behind to heirs? Or what are the things that are important to us that we want to make sure that we’re focusing on? And finally, liquidity. Do we have enough money that we can you know pull for those discretionary things? 

To me, we’re kind of looking at – with an annuity, we’re trying to address I would say like three major – actually, probably four major risks in retirement. One is the longevity risk, which we’ve talked about. One is excess withdrawal risk, which means that if we’re trying to build a paycheck, there is a risk that we’re going to be pulling too much, especially in the early years. Maybe we’re pulling 5%, 6%, 7% early on. And then later on, we have to pull a lot less because we just pulled too much early on. Or the market is wonky, which is probably the third risk, which is market risk. We want to, with annuity, try to eliminate the volatility. 

And probably the other one that’s maybe not necessarily talked about is like early loss of spouse. If you have social security, you and a spouse potentially could be pulling in two checks. But then when that spouse dies, now you have one. Annuity can help that as well, where you still have the dollars coming in. 

When we look at it from a flooring approach, the flooring approach is probably the most conservative approach to building a retirement paycheck. The flooring approach calls for special products to be used, a la annuities, to set the floor. What we essentially are trying to do is establish what are the essential spending amounts that we need? And then what are the discretionary amounts that we need? The basic needs would be food, shelter, clothing, transportation, insurance premiums, and health expenses. 

The main tools to kind of basically set that floor is going to be social security. Pensions, if you got them. Could be things like a bond ladder or TIPS and I bonds. And probably the last one is the annuity with fixed terms that have fixed terms or fixed payments. Or typically lifetime income streams. 

To kind of walk through an example here, is that I might sit down with a client and say, “All right. We have between house and food, gas, utilities, maybe some debt still, medical insurance, that’s going to be $5,400 a month.” And then if we add up all the discretionary between travel, gifts, dining out, entertainment, hobbies, maybe that’s another 2,000. I’m really going to look at that as two separate buckets. We’ll say 5,400 for essential and 2000 for discretionary. 

When I try to line up those income streams of like how are we going to cover the essential expenses? I know that this particular client, their benefit from Social Security is going to be $3,000 per month. I know that I have about a 2,400 gap. We’ll round it up to 2,500. About a 2,500 gap for those essential expenses. 

What most people do is that that’s when they typically say, “Hey, 4% rule. Draw down the portfolio.” What the flooring strategy says is, “Okay, we have 3,000. We want to get to, say, 5,500 for the essentials. Let’s go out and peel off part of the traditional portfolio and have an annuity fill in that 2,400, 2,500 per month gap.” 

So now, we go out, we say, “Okay, we’re going to take X from the traditional portfolio and we’re going to have a $3,000 check coming in for Social Security and then a $2,500 check coming in for the annuity.” That $5,500 meets the floor of those basic essential expenses. And then the remainder of the traditional portfolio, the 401K, the IRA, the simple IRA, the TSP, for those $2,000 for discretionary, we’re going to pull from the retirement portfolio. It could also be for part-time work, consultant work, or whatever. 

But that’s the idea, is that create the floor with – if the wheels come off, we have to pay these no matter what. And then the rest, kind of the fund money, comes from the traditional portfolio. 

For a lot of people, it’s just too conservative because they’re like, “I don’t want to give up X amount of my traditional portfolio for that $2,500 payment.” I was messing around with the immediate annuities.com. And you can put in a lot of different information to get a quote. 

Just give you an example, Tim. I put in my information as if I was 65 and Shea was 60. And I said, “All right, I’m going to put in $250,000.” Let’s pretend I have a $2 million portfolio. I’m going to basically spend that down essentially to 1.75. That $250,000, if I were to basically buy an immediate life annuity, this would cover my life and her life. Would basically pay me out $1,308 for the rest of my life.” 

[00:26:38] TU: Per month. 

[00:26:38] TB: Per month. 

[00:26:39] TU: Yeah. 

[00:26:40] TB: If you do life plus 10 years certain. This would be – if I buy this annuity at 65, and then I die at 67 and she dies at – she’s five years younger, 65 herself. It would pay out to the beneficiaries 10 years. There’s also one. That would go down a little bit. That’s 1,299. 

[00:27:00] TU: Which makes sense, because you’re getting that additional benefit. Yeah. 

[00:27:04] TB: If it’s life with a cash refund – this is like the whole, “Hey if I give the insurance money and I get two payments, do I not get my money back?” Life with a cash refund. Basically, what’s left there, that payment goes down to 1,267. 

And then it shows like five-year period certain. This was that whole idea of like, “Hey, if I want to extend Social Security or wait to do that,” if I do $250,000 for five years, you get 4,584 for those five years. 10-year period certain, 2,528. There are so many different variations of this in terms of how you purchase. 

[00:27:39] TU: I’m curious. Like 250k, let’s just look at that more simple kind of straight option. 250k that you’re giving up of a nest egg of whatever, $2 million, $3 million, that you’re going to get about $1,300 per month and that was going to cover you and Shea. What are your thoughts on that, right? Because I hear that, I kind of feel the emotional tug in my brain, right? There’s the safety security side that’s like, “Oh, man. I know a check’s coming in every month for 1,300 a month.” 

Assuming that I’ve saved enough for that 250k, isn’t going to be a massive percentage of the nest egg? I like that security. And then the other side, I’m like, “Geez! That’s only – what? 13,000, 14,000 a year. 

When you look at kind of floor income, I too think of myself as being a little bit more aggressive. And what could that 250 be worth if it grows? You start to get into risk tolerance and some of the analytical side. What’s your gut reaction when you hear 250k to 1,300?

[00:28:35] TB: I don’t know. I mean, again, I think about in the context of like $2 million portfolio, peel off a quarter million. Basically, a quarter million turns into 1,300. For whatever reason, I don’t hate that. I think that like, again, our strategy probably is going to be for us to defer Social Security and wait as long as possible. That payment is going to be pretty substantial. 

And then if you pepper in what you can get to at least reach that floor, I think that like just like any time you get like an insurance policy or your estate plan is set, I think there’s a could be like a feeling of like maybe you give up some upside. But like – I don’t know. I mean, I think like if I look at the worries that I would have in retirement, I’m less worried about legacy and I’m more worried about can my money sustain me? 

[00:29:24] TU: Which is interesting part of the plan, right? And that to me speaks to the value of, like we say all the time, not looking at this in a silo. Even what you just raise, where does someone sit in terms of their feelings around legacy and maybe leaving money to family or leaving big philanthropic gifts? Or is there risk or concern on the longevity side? Those bigger questions have to be discussed and answered before we can determine what’s the pathway that we’re going to take in purchasing annuity. 

[00:29:55] TB: If you look at it from the insurance perspective. If I’m 65 and I live to 95, that’s 30 years of $1,300 payments per month. When you multiply that out, that’s like $471,000. That I’m giving 250, I’m getting 2 – is there a risk that I die before that? Yeah. But you can also put those writers in that say, “Okay, you can get your premium back or a period certain.” 

What would that 250 do outside of it? To me, it’s like when you get – I think my approach to this is like I want to be as aggressive and pedal to the metal. But then when I get to like decision time right as I’m setting up my paycheck, I want – and that’s why we talk about like Social Security. I want as much guaranteed income as I can get with reason, right? 

I don’t know. Is it a quarter million? Is that half a million? Is it a hundred thousand? And again, like a quarter million out of a $1 million portfolio is a lot different animal. I want to make sure that I don’t have a $2 million portfolio. I have a $4 million, $5 million, $6 million portfolio that I can then look at this. 

It’s an exercise in kind of a little bit of the what-ifs. But like what do you value? For me, again, if we put ourselves back on the beach and I’m complaining about the six years and you’re complaining about the bills, the checks are rolling in. Social Security, the annuity check. I guess what I would argue is I’m less concerned about the markets, which my dad, every time I talk to him, maybe because I’m a financial planner. He’s like, “Oh, the market. Blah-blah-blah. My socks.” And I’m like, “Cool.”

[00:31:29] TU: What? 

[00:31:30] TB: Yeah. Like, how are those word searches going? But like I think the other argument that you can make is that you can afford more risk in a portfolio. Now the regulars might disagree with this. But this is something that the RICP was saying, is like, “If you can show in the grand scheme of things that you have two clients. One client that is straight, systemic withdrawal, 4% rule, blah-blah-blah.” Like, as you go through the eye of the storm, which is plus or minus five or ten years before and after retirement, you have to be super conservative. But if I can make the case that this client has what they need, then I don’t necessarily have to be as conservative. And I can still let the market do what it does over long periods of time, which is return 10%, 7% as we adjust down for inflation. 

[00:32:17] TU: That was my thought. As a piece of this we haven’t talked about, what you’re alluding to right now, is for those folks that have a sizable nest egg. Let’s say that the math shows they need three, but they’ve saved five or six. That’s a very different conversation than someone that maybe, “Hey, I needed two and I’m at 1.2.” 

Because it opens up. Again, depending on someone’s goal of risk tolerance, all the factors we need to discuss. If someone has a nest egg of five and the math says they needed three, if there’re other things they want to take more risk with, whether it’s in a traditional portfolio, whether, “Hey, I want to start a business. I want to start a foundation. I want to do X, Y, or Z.” This, to me, is very intriguing that you can write a check for an annuity that doesn’t have as big of an impact on percentage of the overall nest egg. And gives you some of that freedom and capacity not only mathematically, but mentally, to take some of that other risk. 

[00:33:11] TB: Yeah. And I think that’s one of the things I think is underrated and all this. It’s just the mental, the psychological aspect of it. Because, again, many retirees, they have social security. But a lot of their paycheck is based on their portfolio. You’re spending that down. Whereas I would make the argument, you have a big chunk that comes out with like the flooring strategy. But then you’re spending that down a lot less comparison. 

It’s a little bit of – for me personally if you check most of the boxes, I’m like risky, risky, risky. But then like I’m thinking about this in the context of like, me personally, I’m like, “I don’t know. That sounds pretty good.” If I can convert some chunk of my traditional portfolio to a lifetime income payment and not have to worry as much about a lot of these external factors that we have no control over. 

[00:33:58] TU: Which, let me get on the soapbox here for a minute, Tim. This, to me, is such a great example of why having a partner, a planner, a coach in your corner is so valuable. We talk about this at length on the show. But especially in products like this. The same can be said for a long-term disability policy. The same could be said for purchasing a home. Because of how these are marketed, it takes us down a pathway of making a decision on a singular part of the plan, right? 

And this is such a great example where we’re really talking about much broader issues, which is, “Hey, an annuity is one part of the retirement income strategy,” which we got to know what else is going on in the rest of the financial plan to be able to know where are we at in terms of building that retirement paycheck, which that information is needed to then determine what we may or may not need in an annuity. And then, obviously, the nuances within the annuity options. 

But behind all of that is what’s the point? What’s the purpose? What do I want to accomplish? What’s the risk? What’s the goals? And this is the behavioral part of the plan that I know, Tim, I fall victim to. Like I’m punching numbers in the calculator. And I’m on the website you’re on and I’m like, “Ah. I love it. I don’t love it.” And I quickly lose sight of, “All right. Step back. What’s the purpose? What’s the plan? What are we trying to accomplish? What are we trying to achieve?” And where does this one important but very small part fit within the context of everything else we’re trying to do? 

[00:35:24] TB: A lot of these things all fit together. Another thing that we’ve never talked about, which I think has a pretty nasty reputation, is even like things like reverse mortgages. And like how does that fit with this? Yeah, it’s multi-factor – like there’re just so many things to consider. 

And I think a lot of people, one, they want to know, are they okay? Are they crazy? And I think pharmacists in particular, they want to know that like the math kind of supports that. 

The cool thing about like what we can do is we can model all of these things out and say like, “Okay, this is how it affects you.” You know, the bottom line at the end of the day. And I think that this is another vote in the annuity corner, is I feel like sometimes, in retirement, people, they get so preoccupied with their money and with what the market is doing. 

And part of it is like you’re not – your day-to-day, especially early in retirement, there’s this kind of like, “All right, I reached the finish line. My identity has been I’m a pharmacist.” Like a lot of that’s tied up. And like, you know you try to fill. And a lot of it goes to things like finances and the markets and things like that. 

But when you look at your goals, like it’s typically not what you really want to do or enjoy doing. Some people do. But I think if you can take some of that stress out and really focus on what matters most, which might be volunteering, or traveling and things like that, and not have to worry about that. I mean, I think that’s a huge benefit. 

One of the things we haven’t talked about, there are lots of cons to annuities as well. There’re pros. But there’re cons as well that you have to be kind of aware of and before you make that decision. Because it’s a decision that you can’t really reverse. 

[00:37:05] TU: Let’s jump into one of those cons, Tim, which I often hear about. And before I started to dive more into this topic, I certainly had that talking point, which was fees, fees, fees, right? Annuities equals fees. And we probably underestimate the impact of those fees on the overall value of the product. Talk to us more objectively about the fees. How they work on these products? And what we should be considering? 

[00:37:27] TB: Yeah. When you think about the costs, the fees, related fees, obviously, you have the premiums. That’s what you give the insurance company for that income stream. But I remember when I got into financial planning, Tim, when I worked in the broker-dealer world, one of the things that I heard was like sell variable annuities. And I’m like, “Why?” And like because they pay 6% to 8% commission. And it was like just talked about like that. 

[00:37:53] TU: Do the math on that, right? A couple hundred thousand dollars.

[00:37:56] TB: Yeah. And I’m like, “Okay, the ones that have the higher commissions are – they have the longer surrender period.” Their surrender period, or their surrender charge, is where annuitants cannot make withdrawals during like a period of time or they get penalized. They pay a surrender charge or a fee. And these typically can last five, six, seven eight years. That’s involved. 

There are annuities that will work with like the fee-only community like us, where they’re commission-free. But they still have to make money somewhere. It could be where they have admin fees. I wouldn’t make money as an advisor because I get paid differently. But there are still admin fees. Could be a mortality expense. This is the compensation that the insurance company basically earns for taking a risk of like you outliving that amount of money that you give them. 

It could be if it is investment, like a variable annuity or an index annuity that there’s the expense ratio that you pay for those investments. And then all those riders. You know, you can have a rider for long-term care insurance that you can access your policy for long-term care. I should say, it could be a rider for return a premium. Or there’s lots of different writers that you can kind of tack on. 

That’s one of the things that, regardless of the annuity that you elect to purchase, you’ll likely have to pay at least administrative and mortality expenses. Again, some will not have surrender. Some will not have commissions. And the ones that I typically like, which are typically like the SPIA. Keep it simple stupid. Those are going to be the cheapest for that. 

But again, if I pay 1% or 2% to get a lifetime income, I’m willing to have that conversation. Versus I don’t know if I’m going to have that conversation at 6%, 7%, 8%. 

[00:39:47] TU: Yeah. Tim, I’m not ashamed about the bias I’m going to have here and saying what I say because we’re proud of the value of fee-only fiduciary advice. This is an example where separating the advice from the purchasing of the policy is really valuable, right? 

[00:40:02] TB: Totally. 

[00:40:02] TU: If I’m totally in an annuity and I’m trying to understand the nuances. What do I need? What do I not need? Not only does a good-fee only planner able to see the rest of the plan and help us advise it. But when we’re in that purchase decision, which is true with any other insurance policy as well. And that insurance policy is tied to a commission, separating the advice from the commission of the policy can be really valuable. 

We’re looking at two, three, four options. Understanding what we do or don’t need. Doesn’t mean people that are selling annuities are bad. But just understanding where the conflicts may arise. And then how do we mitigate those so we can ensure we get what we do need and don’t get what we don’t want? 

[00:40:40] TB: Yeah. Tim, variable annuities, and non-traded REITs. Back in the day, those were like sell those. And it was because of those commissions were just ridiculously high. And again, I think most people are inherently good and they want to do right by the client. 

But also, if you’re in that system, like you don’t really bat an eye at that. Where I’m like, “Geez.” I was new. I was like that doesn’t seem like something that we should just – I don’t want to say flaunt. But it didn’t sit well with me.

[00:41:11] TU: Tim, last question I want to ask you before we wrap up here. Refers to the pre-tax, after-tax component. My understanding is that annuities can be purchased with both pre-tax and after-tax dollars. And so, how does the tax treatment of annuities differ depending on the type of annuity and how it’s funded?

[00:41:27] TB: Yeah. I think the tax treatment, I think the best way to understand it is that think of it as very similar to a pre-tax and an after-tax IRA. If you purchase – say, we use that example. Let’s say I have my $2 million portfolio but a million of that is from a traditional – a pre-tax IRA. And I’m going to peal the $250,000 for my SPIA out of my pre-tax IRA. 

Essentially, the funding source is pre-tax. That annuity will be qualified. It’ll be funded with pre-tax money. Essentially, that means that when those payments start to come out, they are taxed as ordinary income just like it would be if I just withdrew it from the IRA. 

[00:42:15] TU: To move down to Florida? 

[00:42:17] TB: Yeah, exactly. Right. Exactly. I can void state Yeah. If I say, “Hey, on second thought, I want to fund my annuity with after-tax dollars.” Let’s say I use a Roth or it could be even let’s say a brokerage account. Those are post-tax dollars. You only pay taxes on the earnings or interest portion of the distribution but not the principal. 

They look at the bulk of that payment come back as like a return in principle. think of it very similarly to how you would just distribute a traditional 401k or a Roth 401k. One of the things to call out is that annuities still have that 10%. If you do this before 59 and a half, you still have a 10 penalty on those qualified annuities. 

I think there is – and don’t quote me on this. But I think if you say I’m 57, so I’m before 59 and a half, and I buy a SPIA and I knew – that means I basically annuitized that within 13 months. I think that circumvents that role because you’re basically drawing it out immediately. I think there are a little bit of like variations to the tax and the penalties. But pretty much I would say think of it as how you would distribute a pre-tax or an after-tax account. 

[00:43:32] TU: Tim, great stuff. We’ve covered a lot. But we’re just dabbling into the topic of annuities. One that we’re going to be talking more about along with other topics, especially to those pharmacists that are in that mid-career, pre-retiree, retiree. Things that we know are top of mind as they evaluate that transition maybe soon or a little bit later into retirement. 

And I really want to call out, as we wrap up here, our financial planning services offered by our five certified financial planners at YFP Planning. We work with pharmacists at all stages of their career. Whether you’re nearing retirement and you’re thinking about this decision on annuity. Whether you’re in the middle of your career. Or whether you’re a new practitioner, we have one-on-one comprehensive financial planning that is ready to meet your needs based on your goals and your stage of career. 

For those that are new practitioners, we’ve got a foundational financial planning offering. For those that are more in the middle to later in their careers, we have a wealth management service. And I will link to in the show notes a link where you can book a free discovery call with Justin, pharmacist from our team, to learn more about those services and whether or not they’re a good fit for what you’re looking for. 

Tim, thanks so much, as always. And looking forward to get back to it in the future.

[00:44:41] TB: You got it. 

[OUTRO]

[00:44:43] TU: Before we wrap up today’s show, I want to again thank this week’s sponsor of the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast, First Horizon. We’re glad to have found a solution for pharmacists that are unable to save 20% for a down payment on a home. 

A lot of pharmacists and the YFP community have taken advantage of First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan, which requires a 3% down payment for a single-family home or townhome for first-time home buyers and has no PMI on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. 

To learn more about the requirements for First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan and to get started with the pre-approval process, you can visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. Again, that’s yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. 

As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog posts, and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of your financial pharmacists unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the date published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacists.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacists podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

[END]

 

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YFP 304: How This Pharmacy Entrepreneur Helps Pharmacists Transition Into Their Careers in Canada


Havalee Johnson, pharmacist and Founder of Immigrant PharmAssist, shares how and why she made the move from Jamaica to Canada, how her business helps immigrant pharmacists transition into their careers in Canada, and her business goals.

About Today’s Guest

Havalee is a Jamaican immigrant in Canada. She holds dual pharmacist registrations in both countries and has a combined 8 years of practice experience. Feeling the need for growth and expansion in her life and career, Havalee successfully pursued her pharmacist licensure in Canada, completely self-sponsored, and moved from Jamaica to Canada at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. She seamlessly transitioned and integrated into the Alberta healthcare system where she practices as a clinical pharmacist. Havalee is people-centric and multi-passionate and loves to help, empower and inspire others. Noting the myriad of challenges encountered by pharmacists’ peers and colleagues who have been unsuccessful in their many attempts to transfer their licenses to Canada, Havalee is on a mission to support and assist as many immigrants as possible. Through her business Immigrant PharmAssist, she helps international pharmacist graduates (IPGs) successfully navigate and accelerate through the licensure process so that they can smoothly transition into their lives and careers while thriving as newcomers in Canada.

Episode Summary

Havalee Johnson is a pharmacist in Alberta, Canada, and her new company, Immigrant PharmAssist, focuses on helping fellow pharmacists transition to a pharmacy career in Canada. After explaining why she stepped into a career in pharmacy, Havalee gives details on her community pharmacy experience, why commitment is one of her most important values, and the financial strategy she implemented to make the move from Jamaica to Canada. Havalee then opens up about what she wishes to accomplish with PharmAssist, whether pharmacies in Canada and America are going through the same struggles, common misconceptions that she encounters about moving to Canada, and where her business needs to be in the next three years for her to consider it a success. 

Key Points From the Episode

  • A warm welcome to today’s guest, pharmacist and entrepreneur, Havalee Johnson. 
  • Havalee’s background in pharmacy, including where she trained and her first job after school. 
  • The community pharmacy experience that made her enroll in pharmacy school. 
  • Why the John Assaraf quote about commitment resonates with Havalee and her life’s journey. 
  • Havalee’s reasons for immigrating to Canada. 
  • Her financial strategy for moving to Canada, and her unique relationship with money.
  • The problems that she is trying to solve with her business PharmAssist. 
  • Why Canada is an attractive destination for pharmacists to consider. 
  • Whether pharmacies in America and Canada are experiencing the same challenges. 
  • Common misconceptions that aspiring pharmacists have about moving to Canada. 
  • Where Havalee wants her business to be in three years to consider it a success. 
  • The mindset shift that has had the biggest impact on her life since moving to Canada. 
  • What Havalee does to reenter herself when she feels overwhelmed and out of focus.

Episode Highlights

“I’m a very committed person. And it’s not just in my professional life, it’s in every area of my life. If I have an appointment with someone, I’m going to make that commitment; I will show up for the occasion. If I have to do something, I just get it done.” — Havalee Johnson [08:47]

“When other people are having challenges or they have this sort of mindset that things will not work out, it’s because their level of commitment is not in alignment with what they think they truly want.” — Havalee Johnson [09:18]

“There’s so much wealth and information tied up in knowledge. It is very indispensable.” — Havalee Johnson [18:05]

“I worked, I saved, I bought the things that I needed to buy. I didn’t focus on the things that I wanted. It’s called delayed gratification. A lot of us know about it but we don’t subscribe to it.” — Havalee Johnson [18:40]

“It is not a matter of resources, it’s a matter of being resourceful.” — Havalee Johnson [27:39]

“I’ve embraced the fact that if I want to get to where I want to go, I need to do things differently and I have to invest in me. And not just investment in terms of monetary investment, but invest in my mindset, in up-leveling my mindset.” — Havalee Johnson [34:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

EPISODE 304

[INTRODUCTION]

[0:00:00.4] TU: Hey everybody, Tim Ulbrick here, and thank you for listening to The YFP Podcast, where each week, we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom.

This week, I welcome to the show, Havalee Johnson, a pharmacist-entrepreneur from Jamaica, who helps pharmacists transition into their careers and thrive as newcomers to Canada. During the show, we discuss why she decided to move away from her family and hometown in Jamaica to live and practice some 2,000 plus miles away in Canada, some of the biggest misconceptions that folks have about moving to Canada as a licensed healthcare professional and the steps that she took financially to pay off her student loan debt, her car, accumulate savings, and to ultimately fund the move and transition to Canada.

Now, before we jump into the show, I recognize that many listeners may not be aware of what the team at YFP Planning does in working one-on-one with more than 280 households in 40-plus states. YFP planning offers fee-only, high-touch financial planning that is customized for the pharmacy professional. If you’re interested in learning more about working one-on-one with a certified financial planner may help you achieve your financial goals, you can book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com.

Whether or not YFP Planning’s financial planning services are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. Okay, let’s jump into my interview with Havalee Johnson.

[INTERVIEW]

[0:01:29.4] TU: Havalee, welcome to the show.

[0:01:30.6] HJ: Hey Tim, thank you for having me. 

[0:01:33.1] TU: Really excited to follow up on the conversation from a couple of weeks ago to share what you shared with me, which is a really cool career journey and I think an inspiring story for many with the work that you’re doing now with pharmacists. We’ll get to that here in a little bit.

Let’s start with your career journey. What led you into the profession of pharmacy, where did you do your pharmacy training, and what was your first job out of school?

[0:01:56.1] HJ: Oh, that’s interesting. So interestingly, my first job, I will start with that one, my first job was in a pharmacy, that I think propelled me into my career being a pharmacist because I never wanted to be a pharmacist growing up. So my back story is that I was born and raised in Jamaica.

I lived in Jamaica for pretty much my entire life until I moved to Canada at the start of 2020, and that’s where I also did my training in Jamaica, at the University of Technology. I did my undergrad studies with my bachelor of pharmacy degree. So it’s interesting that I never thought of pharmacy, it wasn’t on my radar.

But as a student in high school, we were required to do some voluntary work prior to graduating and it so happened that I volunteered at the hospital’s pharmacy. So that was my first introduction to pharmacy but I never thought anything of it then. But after I completed six form, which is the equivalent of community college. In Jamaica, you can go to six form if you’re in high school. 

You do your A-level studies and then you move into university. One of my colleagues was like, “My mom was saying pharmacy is a cool profession and all this stuff.” I was like, “Pharmacy? No.” I actually wanted to become a linguist. I was the Spanish student, I was the math student, and I did a mixture of the sciences and the arts. But as I’ve told you before, Tim, when we met, that I’m very multi-passionate and a multi-potential. 

So I could just basically segue from pharmacy into just about anything, which to me that right now is really exciting. I started my pharmacy career in Jamaica where I practiced for five years before moving to Canada, where I interestingly transferred my pharmacist license and I practice as a pharmacist in Canada as well.

[0:03:45.1] TU: What I like about what you just shared there, Havalee, is that pharmacy is a part of your story, it is not the only story, right? So it’s an important part of the journey, you’re obviously helping other pharmacists but you know, you mentioned you can pivot in different directions. We’ll talk about the value of diversification here in a little bit and if I heard you correctly, it was a hospital experience that led you into pharmacy school. But you would end up practicing in community for a while, is that correct?

[0:04:11.0] HJ: Yeah. So after high school, so we had financial challenges growing up and my mom was basically a single parent and my sister went to nursing school prior to me going to pharmacy school, and she was like, “I can’t afford to send you both to university at the same time. So you have to work for a year.” And I was like, “No way, I’m not working.” Because for me, school was the only thing that I knew and actually, I found my value and my education. 

As I told you from my back story that I never felt worthy, and I was told growing up that I was ugly. So, I just buried myself in academics. So when my mom told me I had to work prior to going to university, I was crushed. And I thought she was actually kidding but she was serious. So she went and got me a job basically. She made recommendations because she loves to talk about her children and she found a pharmacy owner. 

She was like, “My daughter, she’s very brilliant, she’s interested in starting in pharmacy.” I did not want to go to work in a pharmacy. I wanted to go to university and I did an application to the pharmacy owner. That’s an interesting part of my story, we’ll have to talk about that another time, but it was my penmanship that was the hook. Like, my penmanship is really great, if I may say so myself.

So the owner saw my penmanship and he’s like, “I need to meet this person” and so I interviewed. My personality and I fit right into the pharmacy setting. I worked there for 15 months as a pharmacy assistant. So that was my first introduction to business as well because I got to do a little bit of cashiering, I did the OTC stuff, I got to do account reconciliation, I got to do just about every little thing in the pharmacy. 

So I was like a floater and I worked there, but the impression that was left upon me by the pharmacist, who was the chief pharmacist at the time, her name is Alicia. Alicia, she was very impressionable. She was very proficient. She was very professional and I like the way she dealt with the parents, and that was my inspiration for going to pharmacy school. I wanted to emulate her and I was like, “Wow, this is really nice.” I enjoyed my 15 months there and I apply for pharmacy school. 

Interestingly, I applied for pharmacy school prior and they didn’t have any space and they’ve gotten a letter, an email, a letter saying that I didn’t meet the qualification requirements. I reapplied the following year and I got through but all they needed to tell me was that they didn’t have any space. They didn’t have the capacity but I applied, I reapplied because I’m not the person who gives up easily. With the same credentials, I got in and then I had a whale of a time. 

I suffice to say, I mentioned earlier that we had financial challenges and then the pharmacy was how I got through university. My mentor, my support system came through the pharmacy and that was how my accommodation was paid for. That was how my books were taken care of, that was when I got my first laptop.

I was 20 years old when I got my first laptop and just looking back now, it’s amazing to see how far I’ve come since then. Yet, that’s how I got through pharmacy school and I mentioned my friend Alicia the pharmacist, every single month that she got her salary, she sent me some pocket change, every single month, and I just feel so blessed.

[0:07:32.9] TU: Let’s make sure Alicia hears this episode, we’ll have to share it with her as you give a shout-out to her. But one thing that really stood out to me when you and I talked a couple of weeks ago is, you know, I have the opportunity to talk with different pharmacists, pharmacy owners, entrepreneurs all across the country every week, which is an incredible part of the job and the work that I have and doing the podcast. 

But something really stood out about our interaction. I think it was your mindset, it was your passion, your enthusiasm, your resilience, you described that a little bit, your optimism, it’s contagious. And you shared recently on LinkedIn a quote by John Assaraf. You said, “If you’re interested, you will do what’s convenient. If you’re committed, you’ll do whatever it takes.” Tell us more, why does that quote resonate with you and resonate with your own journey?

[0:08:23.3] HJ: It absolutely does. Thank you for bringing that up. I tend to forget the things that I put out there sometimes because I’m just, you know, going from what’s inside that I wanted to share. But again, I buried myself in my academics and I found that for me, things just seemed so easy. And it’s just when persons are approaching me and asking, “How did you do this, how did you accomplish this?” that I realized that I was a very committed person. And it’s not just in my professional life, it’s in every area of my life. 

If I have an appointment with someone, I’m going to make that commitment, I will show up for the occasion. If I have to do something, I just get it done. So there are no entrances and even if there are obstacles along the way, it doesn’t prevent me from going ahead because I’m so committed to whatever task it is that I have in front of me, whatever commitment that I’ve made. So, when other persons are having challenges or they have this sort of mindset that things will not work out, it’s because their level of commitment is not in alignment with what they think they truly want. 

So I thought that quote was fitting for the post that I did. I didn’t realize that it had gone over on to your platform as well. So thank you for the reminder, but I’m actually very committed and it makes the process much easier. It makes things — like, you don’t focus on the problems when you’re committed, you find creative solutions, and one problem has more than a thousand solutions if we were to go through and think about it logically.

[0:10:01.2] TU: Yeah, I mean, mindset really matters, right? I think that’s what you’re alluding to there and you could have two people that are facing a very similar problem but how they approach it and how they receive that challenge can be night and day. I had a chance to talk with Lauren Castle recently on the podcast, who is the founder of The Functional Medicine Pharmacist Alliance, and she talked about a book that its purpose is not a side hustle. 

Meaning, what you said is, we bring our purpose and our intentionality to every single interaction, every single day. Now, easier said than done, right? And I often wonder, “Hey, what would the day look like as a parent, as a father, as a business owner, what would it look like if I did that every moment?” But such a good reminder. 

Let’s talk about your transition to Canada. So you mentioned your upbringing in Jamaica. After pharmacy training, you worked a little over five years in community practice and then ultimately, you make a bold decision to move 2,000 plus miles to Canada, away from your home country, your family, your friends, your professional network. Why, what led you to that decision?

[0:11:07.0] HJ: I just don’t, it just came out of nowhere. I think Canada for me signified not security, because there’s not security anywhere, but Canada had some of the things that I desired as an adult. For example, growing up, our healthcare system is not the best. I’m not here to criticize our healthcare system but I lost my dad through him having health challenges going through dialysis, kidney failure, we couldn’t afford the dialysis.

I recognize that in order for me to serve people, I need to be healthy and I need to have that access. I’m not focusing on being ill but if things were to happen, if things were to hit the ceiling, I want to know that I have the accessibility. Also, when I completed pharmacy school, I got a statement for three million Jamaican dollars for my student loan debt.

I was like, okay, I didn’t come from the typical middle-class or upper-class family that had the financial means to send me to school. I had that. I was like, “Okay, I need, when I start my family, for my children to have access to work less education.” That was one of, again, these things were my deep why’s. Why I decided Canada.

Canada is underpopulated and they love bright young minds. I should just try for Canada and I had that thought when I went into the pharmacy. The first pharmacy I worked in after I got my license, my boss actually, they were selling the pharmacy and they were like, “Are you interested in buying?”

I’m like, “No, I’m on my way out of here.” I just told her, “I’m on my way out of here.” That was 2015. I didn’t know how, I didn’t have any connections. At that time, I had persons telling me I needed to go back to school and here I am, in three million dollars worth of student loan debt, now I’m at the phase in my life where I think I need to acquire things, which no, in retrospect, I didn’t need to acquire things. I need to acquire experiences instead. 

So I had Canada in mind and I made it happen. I was committed, I did whatever it took. I had the two jobs. I was trying to be very savvy with my finances because again, we had the challenges of not having things that other children had that you probably, why you would have had but no, I’m like, it’s okay. I didn’t really need them but the mind of a child is totally different from the mind of an adult.

When you’re a child, you’re very impressionable and we have very receptive minds but as an adult, you know that you might need to be receptive as well as fertile and the things that we allow into our spaces has to be totally different from the focus we had when we were much younger. 

So, I had Canada in mind and I’m like, “Okay in Jamaica, you get two months maternity leave when you start your family” and I was like, “That’s no time for you to nurture and care for an infant” and I’m like, “Okay, Canada, you could get up to a year as maternity leave” and also the scope of practice. 

I was frustrated at times, so I had to do a year’s internship in the hospital after pharmacy school and I was frustrated with the way things were systemically, like the things that patient — I’m very passionate about patient care and I’m an advocate for people because I treat people the way I would want to be treated, the way I want my family members to be treated. And they have to go through too many hoops and hurdles to get even a registration number and a prescription, for example. These are things that I would have done differently but I’m not in administration.

I’m not in a certain position to implement those changes. So when I completed my internship, I said, “I cannot work with this system because it’s not in alignment with me.” And then going into community, I had so much autonomy and my boss’s wife is a pharmacist and my boss. They respected me, they allowed me to practice to my fullest scope but my scope was still very restrictive. 

If the doctor wasn’t available, I couldn’t fax, I could make changes to the prescription. I love that about Canada, because the scope of practice here is that much greater. You can adopt a prescription, you can prescribe for a minor ailment, you can order labs, you can see the patient’s actual lab results, and that to me was exciting and that was one of my reasons for wanting to move to Canada as well.

[0:15:29.1] TU: And when you take a bold move like that, whether it’s moving from Jamaica to Canada, whether someone decides they’re going to start a business, which you did that as well. We’ll talk about that here in a little bit. But any bold move I think often requires one to feel like they’re in a sound financial position to make that move with confidence, and I talk about this in the show all the time. 

If you’re starting a business, not that we need to have every single T crossed and I dotted with our financial plan, but we want to have some level of a foundation that we can approach that business with confidence, and not be having the stress and anxiety of personally not being where we need to be. So I ask that because, for you, you shared with me before that you paid off three million dollars in Jamaica debt from pharmacy, which was equivalent to about 30,000 in Canadian, is that correct?

[0:16:20.1] HJ: Correct.

[0:16:21.1] TU: Paid off a car, you accumulated savings, there is cost of moving, what was the strategy for you to get yourself in the financial position to be ready to make that bold move?

[0:16:33.6] HJ: Thank you for that question. I think that my relationship with money is very unique. I used to say that I don’t know how my mom makes more than a hundred cents out of a dollar because she did it, and I think I got some of that from her in terms of being very savvy about my finances. The minute I started working, I said I’m going to start saving towards this Canada journey, and that’s what I did.

I earned, I took care of my obligations. So in pharmacy school, we actually learned about the reducing balance method. I’d never done any business subjects, I never done accounting prior, I learned about the reducing balance method. I applied that to my student loan and my debt payoff but I also did it smartly. I also referenced my friend Alicia. She allowed me, whenever I needed to do any business transaction, not business but any personal related transaction if I wanted to travel to buy an airline ticket. 

She was the person that got the credit card print posts from. You use, you pay on time and in full so you don’t accumulate an interest, and then I just started learning that, “Okay, if I use it directly after the due date, I get at least 51 days to make that payment.” Because the date for the statement will come and then you’ll have time to pay. So I adopted that from Alicia, that was where it started initially and then I started reading the financial section of the local newspaper. 

There’s so much wealth and information tied up in knowledge. It is very indispensable and I did that, and using my credit card to pay down my student loan was a part of my strategy because I had a credit card that had cash back. So I would pay the student loan and I’d get back some of the money and I built up great credit. I honestly never checked my credit back in Jamaica, but I knew that my credit was great because I started out with a credit card of USD 100,000 in 2016 and by 2018, my credit limit increased to over a million dollars.

So I worked, I saved, I bought the things that I needed to buy, I didn’t focus on the things that I wanted. It was called delayed gratification. A lot of us know about it but we don’t subscribe to it . And just being very disciplined in my finances, paying my debts, honoring my financial obligations, doing everything that I needed to do, it allowed me to save and I also set up, I didn’t even know for sure but I invested in a life insurance investment policy. 

I just heard about this in financial advisor. I called him up and met with him, he explained some stuff to me, then it was just all his. I didn’t understand what were mutual funds, I didn’t know the jargons, I didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes but I knew I needed to make plans and preparation for my future. So I invested in a policy and I started saving every single month from my salary. 

I told myself, “This is my retirement plan” and over a period of time, it accumulated so much funds. I was like, “Whoa, this is amazing.” It is amazing to see the tiny steps that we take, and over time, we adapt quickly and I think that was a very big thing for me. But I think it really boils down to me being the disciplined person that I am with my finances. I have never paid any money for credit card interest while I work in Jamaica. Never. 

I paid on time, in full, and over a two-year period, I got back over USD 130,000 in cash back just by using my credit card.

[0:20:19.6] TU: It makes sense when you’re paying big student loan payments, right? And the cashback of that. So I’d like what you share. I think there’s a couple of things that really stand out there, your relationship with money and really, understanding what is that, where does that come from, our upbringing typically, what are the good things that we have a positive relationship with money, what are the not so good things. 

Being aware of that and then really, what I heard is a lot of discipline in setting your goals and being intentional with how you were going to achieve those goals, which obviously, allowed you to make some of the transitions and move that you did make. 

I want to shift gears and talk about the work that you’re doing through PharmAssist and as you say on LinkedIn, “I help pharmacists transition into their careers and thrive as newcomers in Canada.” 

So two questions for you here, what problem are you trying to solve with this business, and what benefits does living in Canada for pharmacists, that it may be an attractive option for people to consider? 

[0:21:17.0] HJ: Thanks for that question, Tim. So in my business, actually I just studied shortly a backstory, PharmAssist started off as a podcast but it was a podcast to help patients, because I wanted to use my voice that I wanted – 

[0:21:29.9] TU: I saw that, I found it, yes. 

[0:21:32.4] HJ: You did? I wanted to utilize my voice in a way that could be meaningful and impactful. I’ve always stayed away from public speaking, anything that required me to be in the spotlight. So, I started PharmAssist but I didn’t, at the time, know how to get in front of the right audience, but it was well working in pharmacy. I’ve noticed certain trends, I saw the frustration, I heard the stories. 

I’ve met several international pharmacists who were struggling and when I say struggling, in terms of transitioning into their careers in Canada. They’re already in Canada but their credentials have not been recognized. And if you have noted recently on my platform, I’ve been talking about decredentialization, having high credentials is not yet recognized. So you end up doing survivor’s jobs and so your income earning potential has been significantly diminished. 

So what I aim to do is to empower especially persons who are coming into Canada to let them know, “Hey, there is a possibility for you to transition smoothly into your career.” You can take an alternative route than coming to Canada as an international student, which is I believe one of the most expensive roads to come to Canada, or even coming and not having your degrees transferred, getting, passing your board exams. 

Getting your pharmacist license recognized so that you can continue in your practice to create impact but also to make an income so that you can have a higher standard of living. I successfully transferred my license and I started while I was working in Jamaica, because I was so fortunate I had the discernment to know that if I move to Canada prior to getting my license, I’m going to have to move into the fast lane, but also be doing menial jobs, low income, so I might end up burning out. 

I need to be doing maybe two or three jobs just so that I can survive because when you convert the dollar, it’s totally about being a millionaire in Jamaica. I’m a ten thousand-narian in Canada. A million Jamaican dollars is 10,000 Canadian. So it doesn’t stretch very far, especially with the cost of living. I wanted to help those international students who have the misconception that they need to first move to Canada and get their credentials transferred. 

But if their desires or they desire to move to Canada, there is a way for you to zone in focus on passing those exams and getting into practice because statistics show that it’s in the low 40s the amount of international students who pass the exams, the statistics are very low. I think, again, it’s because of lack of knowledge. People are not aware of the commitment that they need to make to pass the exam.

The investment that they need to make to get through the programs that they need to go through so that they can, and I believe every single pharmacist across the globe, they are capable of going into their careers in Canada successfully, it’s just that they don’t know the right strategy. They need someone to maybe hold them accountable, someone to show them what pathway they need to take, what direction they need to go. They just probably need like a human compass and I think that’s where I stepped in. 

[0:24:55.8] TU: They need a guide, right? They need someone that will help them along. I’m curious, our listeners know very well that there’s many challenges right now in community retail practice in the United States in terms of burnout and expectations and staffing. There’s obviously a lot of work that’s being focused in advocacy on that. 

Because of that, are you seeing interest from pharmacists in the US potentially moving to Canada as well, or are those same challenges we see in community retail practice here in the US, are those very similar in Canada? 

[0:25:28.7] HJ: I have seen interest from pharmacists in the US who want to move to Canada for a myriad of reasons including — it’s like in the US, where it’s state-to-state practice, each state they have their own scope of practice or their own regulations. It’s the same thing in Canada with provinces, but a province like Alberta where I was practicing, we have a wide scope of practice. 

So it may be for the scope of practice, it may be to escape the burnout. The thing about pharmacy practice in Canada as well, because immigration, and people are coming in full force. A lot of people are migrating to Canada then the workload becomes that much heavier as well. So there is burnout being experienced by pharmacists in Canada as well but it depends on the settings. 

It depends on whether you’re working with a corporation or if you are working for an independent, or you could be working in just about any setting. But I don’t know if the challenges that are being faced in the United States if it’s that the same magnitude in Canada. Again, the cultures are very different, things are quite subtle here and maybe Canadians, they don’t want to seem as if they’re complaining. 

But a lot of the challenges that people are experiencing in the US I can say that, from my own experiences, that some of them are similar in Canada. It’s just that people are not advocating at the level that it’s been done in the US. 

[0:26:59.4] TU: Havalee, as you are talking to people that might be thinking about making the transition as a pharmacist to Canada, I suspect you hear from a lot of folks that their interested but they may have some type of misperception about what that transition may look like. Is there a common one that typically folks have that might hold them up in their journey? 

[0:27:18.4] HJ: Yes, Tim. So one of the most common misconceptions that persons have in terms of transitioning into their careers in Canada, they believe that they don’t have the money to get it done. They don’t think they have the financial needs. And I am here to tell them that, like my coach said to me, it is not a matter of resources, it’s a matter of being resourceful. So a lot of these folks who, they will say, “I am going to pursue the school road, I am going to apply for school.”

And this is where the misconception comes in, because it is more expensive for you to apply as a student than it is to apply to transition into your career as a pharmacist, and even to move to Canada as a pharmacist, as a skilled educated professional. And this is not limited to pharmacy alone. I’ve had just today a connection on LinkedIn sent me a message saying, “Hey, I came to Canada as a student and it lasted for three months and then I just spent my six months and I returned home because it was so expensive.” 

The connection just said, “I spent 15k.” And if you are moving to Canada as a skilled, educated professional and you are a single person, you need about 14k to show the government proof of funding, about 14k. If you come as a student for one semester for three months, that’s 15k. You will not see that money again. The money for a year of residency, you will get to keep that money. 

So the misconception is, “I need to come as a student, ride along on the struggle bus, and then struggle to get my credentials transferred, and then five years later, I’m still not registered.” I’ve had a colleague in pharmacy who has been in Canada for 10 years and still unregistered. I’ve had a colleague who’s been in Canada for four years and still unregistered. Another misconception if I may is that the exams are too hard. 

Because the statistics are low, it doesn’t mean that it’s not passable. You just need to have a strategy, you need to have a plan, and you need to have your commitment. You need to have these things in place and once you pursue the exam, it’s kind of like going to pharmacy school, there’s no difference. You go through the exam, you pass your exams, you can transfer your licenses. So those are two of the biggest misconceptions that I have had. 

[0:29:48.8] TU: Havalee, I am curious, since you are on the front end of this business journey, which I think many people will find refreshing hearing some of the early experiences you’ve had of starting the business. I’m curious, as you think out let’s just say three years as a marker, what does success look like for you three years from now? 

Personally, with the business, I mean, I’m sure there is a lot of overlap there but as you’re at the beginning of this and obviously, you’re in the day-to-day, you’re kind of in the weeds, you’re thinking about growing it. But I know when I have these conversations there’s often these feelings of, even if it’s not clear, I kind of see the vision of where things are going. What does that look like for you in three years? 

[0:30:26.5] HJ: In three years from now? Wow. I see myself running a very well-organized, fully-automated, technologically included business that merges healthcare with immigration. In three years, I see myself there. I see myself onboarding more people to solve the many problems that we have, whether it’s in the health system and also to help a lot of people to change their lives. The way immigration and moving to Canada has changed my life, I want that other person to have a similar experience and especially if they have a family. 

They will get that social support and also to help them to up-level in their finances. I could introduce them to Tim. I was like, “Tim is a financial pharmacist.” Yeah, so in three years from now, I can see myself positioning myself in the marketplace as the go-to person for any internationally educated pharmacist as well as persons who are interested in migrating to Canada. 

[0:31:29.8] TU: I love that. Here’s the reason why I asked that question, well one, I’m curious but two, as I talk with a lot of aspiring or early pharmacy entrepreneurs, I’m often encouraging them like you’re in the weeds, you’re building it, you’re wearing every single hat of the business. That’s what you need to do when you get started but it’s so important even if you don’t know exactly where things are going to go, because none of us do. 

This will evolve over time. It is so important to have even a fuzzy north star of what is this vision for a couple of reasons, one, that gives us the focus of, “Does the activities I’m working on, the products and services I’m developing, how I’m spending my time, does that line up towards that vision?” And obviously gives us clarity to the messaging that we have both for ourselves as well as externally. 

Then I think it also provides a really important source of motivation, right? Because something you just shared there highlights that so well. You said, “In three years I really see running a well-oiled technologically included business with a lot of automation that is focused on the intersection of immigration and healthcare.” Now, pharmacists moving and practicing in Canada, that can be one piece of that business, right? 

But the intersection of immigration and healthcare is a much bigger vision and obviously, you are taking a very important first step right now. So I love that you’ve thought about that. I think it is such a good example of what are the things that I am doing right now, the steps that I am taking, the efforts that I’m moving, the products and services I’m developing, and how does that align with where I want to see things going in three to five years, so really cool. 

Thanks for sharing. I want to wrap up by asking you two questions, which I have stolen from Tim Ferriss who ask some really great questions on his podcast. That first question is, in the last let’s say couple of years since you’ve made this transition, what new belief, behavior, or habit has had the most significant impact on you personally or professionally? 

[0:33:34.0] HJ: So over the last five years or let’s say ten years, let me just even say even three years, a lot has shifted for me both personally and professionally and I’ve had to embrace a new mindset, I’ve had to embrace a new philosophy and I’ve had to become a student. I have had to question my belief system and the things that I grew up knowing. I’ve had to unlearn a lot of the things, unlearn the belief that I wasn’t worthy enough, I wasn’t good enough. 

That there were limited supplies of everything out there when there actually is an abundance. I’ve had to retrain my brain and I’ve gotten into personal development. But one of the things that I’ve done most is embrace the fact that if I want to get to where I want to go, I need to do things differently and I have to invest in me. And not just investment in terms of monetary investment, but invest in my mindset, in up-leveling my mindset. 

So, I’ve had to surround myself with other women in business, in a community setting where there are people who are empowering you and inspiring you and not just settling for mediocre things. I’ve had to make that shift and I’m so grateful that I’ve had, again, the discernment to know that. If I see things going on a particular trajectory and they want a different outcome, then I can. I have the power within to change that direction, so yeah. 

[0:35:05.5] TU: That’s a really good one. I think it’s so important that we are aware of what are those external influences or the stories that we’re telling ourselves that are leading to some of those self-limiting beliefs and behaviors that we have. Well, one of the real examples of this, you probably see this all the time is you mentioned the 40% passage rate of that examination, right? 

I can almost assure you that if you talk with someone that does not know that number and you know, maybe they are confident about this transition, they’re feeling good about it, they’re confident in their abilities and all of a sudden, you throw that number on them like I am sure you can see the confidence and the demeanor change, and all of a sudden the ceiling comes down of what they think is possible. 

I think it is so important that we’re constantly examining where do these beliefs come from and why do I have this ceiling in my mind? We all have them, when we think about our goals over the next year even in 2023, even if we are challenged to think big, dream big, we all have a ceiling. It is just a really interesting question of like, “Where does that come and why is that there?”  Gay Hendricks talks about this in The Big Leap, which is a great book that I kind of – 

[0:36:12.5] HJ: That’s the book that I just completed, just completed. 

[0:36:14.5] TU: Oh cool. 

[0:36:15.6] HJ: Yes, talk about that ceiling and how when we get there, we tend to self-sabotage. I love that book, I love the concepts that it brings across. 

[0:36:25.7] TU: My second question for you Havalee here again, stealing this from Tim Ferriss is when you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do to refocus and get yourself back on the right path? 

[0:36:36.5] HJ: So, I tell people that I have a really short attention span but that’s not true. What I’ve come to realize is that I’m not focusing on the most important things that I need to get done, so I get distracted. I get sidetracked. Whenever I feel unfocused or overwhelmed, I first have to check my environment. What is it in my environment that I need to remove? What is it that I need to, what systems do I need to put in place? What habits do I need to reinstall? 

For me, I listen to Patrice Washington’s podcast, where she said, “Clutter is a physical manifestation of chaos in your mind.” I check my environment to see if everything is organized, what do I need to clear out. I also try to do some brain dump, I do write out the things that just free up my mental queue. I also do journaling and sometimes I do meditation, I don’t do it often enough. I know I need to get centered and get focused and get realigned and write out the things that are most important to me. 

What is it that I need to get done right now that’s going to have the greatest impact on the big goals that I have for myself and just to add to that, it’s funny that when I was operating in my imposter syndrome, that I felt fearless because I didn’t know that I had imposter syndrome. I was just smashing through goals and moving from one goal to the other and then when people were like, “Okay, so how did you do that?” 

I was like, “It’s no big deal” because I was just operating. But now that I am more centered and becoming more aware of who I am and what I bring to the table, I am smashing through my imposter syndrome and just showing up anyway and trying to de-identify. It will take some time but try to de-identify, I need to divorce imposter syndrome altogether so that I can operate in my greatness and operate in alignment. 

[0:38:38.5] TU: I love that reflection and I think the comments you have about clutter are really interesting. I found that as well that sometimes it needs to be a brain dump, sometimes it needs to be a physical organization of the space so that we can focus and align and get ourselves working on the thing that’s most important. 

Other times I have found that sometimes we’re not working on the most important task, because typically there’s some fear that might be underlying us wanting to lean into that. We’re working on something that’s maybe a little bit easier or not as significant or that fear doesn’t reside is kind of an escape route, that typically fear of failure, but it could also be fear of our identity or what other people think, fear of success, exactly, so. 

[0:39:20.2] HJ: I have experienced that myself. 

[0:39:22.6] TU: Yeah, an important question for folks to reflect on, if you find yourself often not focusing on perhaps the most significant or meaningful work that you could be doing, what’s driving that and if it’s fear, what’s behind some of that fear? So Havalee, this has been awesome as I knew it would be. Where is the best place that folks can go to learn more about you and to follow your journey? 

[0:39:44.8] HJ: Oh, absolutely. So I may be found on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. I go by my actual name Havalee, surname Johnson. On Instagram, I’m @havalee_89. On Facebook, I’m Havalee Johnson and that is in fact my real name. I’ve had persons reach out to me like, “What is your real name?” I say that’s my real name. 

That it’s because a lot of persons have been scammed, a lot of persons have had encounters with people who are not authentic and so they’re questioning whether or not this person is real. Like out of nowhere Havalee showed up prior to March, April of 2022, I was a ghost on LinkedIn. I would not show up, I would not write anything, I would not advocate. 

If Tim had asked me to appear on his podcast, well, he wouldn’t have known me but if he just mysteriously came across me and say, “Hey, would you like to be on my show?” I’d be like, “No.” I have passed up important opportunities in the past. So I appreciate being on your platform, Tim. Thank you so much for having me and it was so great connecting with you on LinkedIn, that’s where it started. 

[0:40:53.2] TU: Thank you for saying yes and I hope folks will follow your journey. I’ve enjoyed it as well. So thank you for taking time to come on the show, I appreciate it. 

[0:40:58.7] HJ: Thank you for having me. 

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[0:41:00.0] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and it is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information on the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog post, and podcast is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist unless otherwise noted and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements, which are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

[END] 

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YFP 303: How This Pharmacist Paid Off $115k in Two Years


Dr. Donisha Lewis talks about her debt-free journey, why and how she got involved in real estate investing, and how she and her husband got on the same page to achieve their financial goals.

About Today’s Guest

Dr. Donisha Lewis is a clinical pharmacist at an ambulatory care facility where she collaborates with providers of the Hematology/Oncology and Internal Medicine departments to create treatment plans for patients. She attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2011. During her career as a pharmacist, she has served patients in the community, inpatient, specialty, and ambulatory care settings. She is also a real estate investor alongside her husband. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and volunteering.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, welcomes Dr. Donisha Lewis to the show to discuss her debt-free journey. During this episode, listeners will hear the how and why of Donisha’s path toward financial freedom, how she got her start in real estate investing, and how she and her husband got on the same page to tackle $115,000 in debt in just two years. Donisha shares her pharmacy story, what drew her to the pharmacy profession, and her financial picture upon graduation from pharmacy school. With plans to tackle her $99,000 in student loan debt as soon as possible, her mindset and approach to debt payoff were critical in achieving this goal.  She shares practical tips and tricks from her experience in paying off a combined $115,000 between herself and her husband, and advice for recent graduates who may not have started making payments on their loans due to the student loan pause. Making sacrifices while remaining realistic, Donisha built a budget that allowed her and her husband to combine the snowball and avalanche strategies. Using her budget, she identified wasted spending and analyzed her savings to determine the amount she was comfortable contributing to the debt payment. Tim and Donisha talk about the importance of having a shared financial vision with your partner and the benefit of having varied strengths in personal finance. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here, and thank you for listening to the YFP Podcast, where each week, we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom.

This week, I welcome Donisha Lewis onto the show to talk about her debt-free journey, why and how she got started in real estate investing, and how she and her husband have been able to get on the same page to achieve their financial goals. If you’re interested in learning more about working one-on-one with a certified financial planner may help you achieve your financial goals. You can book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com. The team at yfpplanning includes five certified financial planners that are serving more than 280 households in 40-plus states. YFP Planning offers fee-only, high-touch financial planning that is customized for the pharmacy professional. Whether or YFP Planning’s financial planning services are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. Okay. Let’s jump in our interview with Donisha Lewis. Donisha, welcome to the show.

[0:01:02] DL: Thank you for having me.

[0:01:04] TU: Well, I am really excited for this conversation. You and I connected via LinkedIn through a mutual colleague, Dr. Jerrica Dodd. After we connected, and I learned a little bit more about your journey as eager to share your story with our listeners. So we’re going to dig into your debt-free journey, paying off the student loans. We’ll talk about some real estate investing as well. But before we get into all of that, let’s start with your career journey. Where did you go to pharmacy school and what led you into the profession?

[0:01:34] DL: Absolutely. I completed my pharmacy degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, back in 2011. As a child, I wanted to be a pediatrician, actually. My mom actually put me into a program, at the time, you could kind of shadow physicians. We didn’t shadow them seeing patients, but just the day in the life when they were doing their office hours. We went up to the operating room, and I saw all the tools and I just said, “You know, I have to find something else to do, because this is pretty intimidating.” I didn’t really want to perform any surgeries. I really didn’t think that I wanted to do anything that had that much patient contact as it related to doing surgery, stitches, anything like that. That really made me reconsider being a physician. So I started researching other medical professions that weren’t as hands-on, if you will. That’s when I came across pharmacy. 

I actually have an uncle who’s a pharmacist too. That led me to the profession. I was still able to interact with patients, but not necessarily be as hands-on as I would have been as a physician. That’s what led me into the space.

[0:02:44] TU: I can relate to that. I went into pharmacy right out of high school and I was interested in medical professions at large. But the whole blood thing, you know, kind of scared me away. You hear that story often with pharmacists. One of the many reasons. I’m not sure that’s a great reason not to go into other ones, but it was an important one for me at that time. Tell us more. 

So you graduated 2011. Coming up on your 12 years out into the profession, what have you been working on this point since graduation? I understand you’ve had experience in community practice, ambulatory care, a little bit in management as well. Give us that career journey over the last decade or so.

[0:03:22] DL: Sure. I began my career with one of the large retail pharmacies. I stayed with them for a little while. Then, during my time with them, I was able to get a PR, inpatient clinical pharmacist position, so I was doing both. From there, I was able to transition into a specialty pharmacy role, which was within a hospital practice. I like to say it was a combination of outpatient community pharmacy, as well as some inpatient clinical pharmacy. I really enjoyed that role. Now, I’m with an academic-based practice, and I’m helping them expand pharmacy services there. I am in a clinical role there, and we are expanding our services throughout the practice. We have some collaborative practice agreements in place. I’ve also started an ambulatory care clinic with the Department of Internal Medicine, and we’re launching specialty pharmacy there as well.

[0:04:16] TU: Wow. I love it. I love it. Some of our listeners, especially those that have graduated here in the last five or so years. I graduated in 2008, so we’re pretty close in that timeframe. When you and I graduated, student loans were – they were a thing, but they weren’t as big of a thing as they are today. We see lots of graduates coming out with you know, $200,000, $250,000 of student loan debt. Average right now is about 160,000. I think sometimes, when we talk about our own journeys, 10, 12, 13 years ago, people were like, “Oh, well. That was only $100,000.” It’s like context, context of what pharmacists were making at the time, as well as – that’s still a substantial amount to pay off. I think we’ve become a little bit numb to the indebtedness and the debt loads that are out there.

Let’s talk about your student loan journey. Give us the juicy details. How much did you have upon graduation, and what was your mindset at the point of graduation about how you wanted to approach the student loan debt?

[0:05:20] DL: Sure. When I graduated, I came out with right under $100,000 in student loan debt. Like 99,000 and some change is what I owed. For me, when I came out of school, we were at the end of the shortage, approaching really a saturation of pharmacist. One thing that I wanted to do was definitely be conservative in my spending because of that, but also not being comfortable with that type of debt that really led me to make decisions. Basically, like I was still a college student, related to my finances. I’m sort of grateful for that time coming out of school. It was an interesting time, because I saw a pharmacist when I started pharmacy school being offered all these incentives, and bonuses, and that stopped. 

As soon as I graduated, those bonuses, and all of those incentives, they stopped. That’s a very big difference. I heard of people getting these extremely, just extreme amounts of bonuses, cars, all these things. For all of that to stop, I really wanted to be very cautious in my decision-making financially, because I really wasn’t sure what the future of pharmacy was at the time. One of the things to do with obviously, live below my means, but also reduce this debt. That was very important to me. With that large number, though, it’s intimidating. 

Like you said, nowadays, 99,000 is not that much, unfortunately, for a lot of pharmacy grads. But to me, that was a lot. That was the framework, the mindset. I really did not want to have that debt looming over me like that for an extended amount of time.

[0:07:07] TU: It’s interesting to hear you share the timeframe you were in. I graduated in 2008, which was still at the time sign-on bonuses. We’re happy. I remember I made the decision to go do residency. I was going to make a whopping $31,000 salary all the while. Cars and sign-on bonuses we’re having. I remember one specific offer that was out there. It was one of the big chains that was offering a million dollars to go work in Alaska for a three-year deal. 

[0:07:31] DL: Wow.

[0:07:33] TU: I remember, I mean, times changed significantly. You saw that happen, you graduate in 2011. We’re actually swinging back into some of that right now, which is an interesting discussion for another day. But you said something that I want to dig into a little bit deeper, which is, I’m not comfortable with that amount of debt, right? Whether the number was 99, or 150, or 50, I get a sense that just overall, you wanted this debt off of your shoulders. Tell us more about that, because I will talk with some people, Donisha that will say, “Hey, I’ve got $250,000 of debt.” And you’ll see a range of emotions to that debt. The number can be the same. In one instance, the house is on fire, it’s causing anxiety, it’s causing a lot of stress, and worry. 

Then the other end, it might be, “Nah, it is what it is. It will kind of take care of itself over time.” Where was your motivation, your mindset around, “I want that off my shoulders”? Tell us more about why you felt that way.

[0:08:31] DL: Sure. For me, I, as a pharmacist, we have the actions to work part-time jobs, or pick up extra shifts and all of these things. Initially, I was thinking, “Oh, I can do that when I want to do extra things.” But I realized that that wasn’t very fun working all the time, so that was extra motivation to really have that time back and not feel like I had to work so hard in so much because I had this amount of debt. I felt like I couldn’t really do much else, because I owe someone else all this money. For me, personally, that’s just my belief with that, I really wasn’t comfortable making more decisions and making big purchases, and really moving my life forward the way that I wanted to, because I owe this large amount of money. It was really uncomfortable for me, but I do know, you know, like you said, other people, they’re totally comfortable with it. They’re like, “Well, hey, I’ll pay it off eventually.” But I just wasn’t okay with that, and I initially scheduled my student loans for a 10-year pay off. But even with that, I was like, “This isn’t going to work. Let’s speed this up.” So that’s what happened.

[0:09:37] TU: Yes. I would really encourage the listeners, especially those that are listening, that our students are just getting started. When it comes to the financial plan, I think what you’re highlighting so well here is there’s the objective numbers part of it, how much debt, what’s the strategy, what’s the plan. But then there’s the emotional side of it as well, which is really important. Folks often talk about how much a personal finance is behavioral. As each year goes on, I’m believing that more, and more, and more. There’s so much to be said about acknowledging the emotional side, the behavioral side of financial planning. There is no right or wrong answer. That’s I think it’s so important to communicate that, whether you are someone that looks at debt, and you have a lot of aversion to it, and it’s causing you stress, and it’s causing anxiety, like honor that. Honor that and develop a plan around that. 

For folks that feel differently, making sure you’re finding a way to mitigate the risk, but just understanding having the self-awareness of where you are, emotionally in terms of viewing different parts of the plan. 

[0:10:35] DL: Absolutely.

[0:10:37] TU: Donisha, I’m curious to hear your perspective. We are now approaching three years since the beginning of the pause on any payments being due for federal student loans because of the pandemic. So March 2020 was the beginning of the passage of the CARES Act, it’s been extended several times. We’ve had a freeze on payments, a freeze on interest rates. We now are coming up on class of 2023. We’ll be the fourth graduating class, and depending on what happens here, with the Supreme Court decision, and when the when the payments begin, potentially the fourth class that has not had to make payments on their student loans. I think that is a blessing, and it also presents some challenges. I’d love your perspective as someone who has gone through this journey, what would you have to say to those that are coming out, and those that are recent graduates about, “Hey, be thinking about this when these payments begin, because they will begin at some point.”

[0:11:32] DL: Absolutely. I think if you’re in the position where you are making the money that the average pharmacist makes. I would strongly consider starting to plan now, or starting to make those payments, and loan forgiveness and all of that. Those things are still in legislation. I really don’t recommend waiting for that to happen. It may very well happen. But I feel like if you’re in the six-figure zone, I don’t think the full amount will be forgiven. Even just now, thinking about your strategy, thinking about how you want to approach it, and especially if you’re someone who’s not comfortable with it, you definitely don’t want to just ignore it. There are different strategies that you can take to make sure that you aren’t – it’s completely ignoring it, but you’re still comfortable in your lifestyle. I would really do my research there and begin to plan and have a decision to take some action on that.

[0:12:30] TU: Yes. Such a good time to game plan, right? That timeline to game plan has been extended. We were saying back in 2020, use this window, come up with the plan. I think that’s had a – it’s lost its effect right over time, because it’s been extended so many times. But I love what you’re sharing there, because if payments start back up, and you’ve got a plan, great, you hit the ground running. If payments don’t start back up, but you have a plan, and you’ve just had expenses. That’s great, too, We can allocate that to different parts of the plan. I think my fear is that, especially with rising housing costs, often we have student loan borrowers, that are also first-time homebuyers, like pharmacists making a great income. But at the end of the day, there’s only so much income to go around.

When you’re looking at $200,000 of student loan debt, rising home costs, and obviously inflation. There’s been other competing expenses, I’m sure for many people as well. You start to get pinched in all different directions, and we’ve got a reset. What is that payment going to be when we come out of the pause? Look at the options. Are we doing a 10-year standard repayment? Are we doing an income-driven repayment? Are we doing a loan-forgiveness pathway? What is that monthly amount going to be based on the strategy, and then how do we work that into the budget to make sure that we’re ready?

I do think, though, that for folks that have really optimized this time period, the we have heard of situations of pharmacists that hey, I had a big student loan payment. But because that’s been on pause, I’ve been able to pay off credit card debt or I’ve been able to build up my emergency fund, or focus on another debt that was getting paid off as well. Hopefully, there’s been a lot of wins and opportunities that have come from this 

[0:14:05] DL: Yes, I hope so too.

[0:14:07] TU: Let’s talk about how you were able to accomplish this. We can debate whether or not $100,000 is a lot. I think it’s a lot.

[0:14:14] DL: I do too.

[0:14:16] TU: It wasn’t just the amount, but it was the time period and the intensity. Couple years that you paid this off. I’m curious, you know, what sacrifices did you have to make to be able to allocate as much as possible towards the student loans, and then how did you keep up that momentum and the intensity of it knowing that two years, yes, it’s a short period. But when you’re in that type of intense debt repay off, that can feel like a long time. What were the sacrifices and then how did you keep the momentum?

[0:14:47] DL: Sure. I did this with my husband. Total, it was $115,000 together, between the two of us and that did include a car loan. We just included all the debt. We didn’t have credit card debt, but we did have the student loan debt and the car loan. I will be honest, in the beginning, we really didn’t know how long it was going to take us. We just knew we wanted to get more aggressive with our payoff. We use the snowball strategy. Some people don’t know what that is. You just put all your loans in order, you start with the lowest amount, and put them down in order, and you pay the first one off, and then you just roll that payment into the next payment, and you keep going. 

The first thing we did, Tim, was we just looked at our budget. If you don’t have a budget, you can create one. I would say, look at the last few months of your banking statements, credit card, all that stuff, put it together, create a budget based off that. Now, the first thing you would do is, you want to see, “Am I spending more than I’m making?” If that’s the case, then you really need to, again, create some type of strategy. That’s what we did. We looked at our budget, we looked at our spending. Even though we did live below our means, I think everybody can identify areas of waste in their budget. For us, that was food. 

We would go to the store, buy groceries for the week or so, get tired, go buy food out, because we didn’t want to cook. Meanwhile, those groceries, they’re no longer, you know, you can no longer eat them. They’ve gone bad. So now, we’re throwing away food and buying more food. We really identified that, and that was a big area for us that we could cut down on. So really, looking at your budget, identifying areas of waste. That’s another thing that we did. Then, we just looked at our savings to see what we were comfortable with going at the debt.

I know a popular snowball or the author of Snowball, they recommend the $1,000 for your emergency fund. That wasn’t realistic for us. I live in DC, my husband and I are both from Louisiana. If something happened, $1,000, we couldn’t even get home. We had to make that a larger number, but whatever is comfortable for you.

We did take some of our savings, and we just did the Avalanche Method, which is where you put a large amount of money towards the debt. We use that. During that time, we had just purchased our first home, which was a fixer-upper, pre-foreclosure. In that, the next year, we got a lot of tax benefits, because we did a lot of improvements. When we received that tax return, threw it at the debt, like that’s what we did. So, sometimes things like that happen. Anytime that happens, just throw it at the debt. I recommend being realistic. When I say create your budget, identify areas of waste, going back to the food example. If you’re someone that’s eating out five or six times a week, don’t just say, “Oh, I’m going cold turkey.” It’s not realistic, and you’ll probably be miserable. That’s not the goal, because then you really, probably will quit before you get to the finish line. 

What I would recommend is, being realistic with your goals. If you’re eating out five times a week, maybe cut it down to one to two times a week, and also reduce the level of the restaurant. Maybe not the most expensive place, maybe like a mid-range place. You definitely don’t want to deprive yourself. For us, we also like to travel. We decided, okay, instead of maybe taking three to four trips a year, you just do one. That’s what we decided to do, so that reduced a lot of money going out as well. 

Setting up some realistic expectations once you do your budget, identifying that waste. Another thing with a budget, some people don’t realize, if you get paid bi-weekly, two times out of the year, you get a third check. For us, that was a mini bonus. What we would do was really strategize with that check. Do I want to spend a portion of that to do something that I’ve kind of cut back on to pay off the debt? To pay off the debt, do I want to put the entire mini bonus toward the debt? Really like looking at different areas that you can strategize in. Another area of waste is subscriptions to the gym, to subscription services, with television or all those things. Just looking at your finances, there may be things coming out every month, $7 here, $10 there. Those things add up. 

If you’re not using those things, you can cancel those subscriptions. That’s what I advise, looking at those bank accounts. That’s what we did. Identify as much waste as possible within reason. Then any type of extra money that we received via from tax return, a bonus from your job, or just that extra third check, being strategic about that, and putting it toward the debt. By doing that, we really started to change the way we viewed money during that timeframe, and we got excited about it, and we just really wanted to keep it moving, keep rolling, put more and more money toward it. 

During that time, “Tim,” life was still happening. We had unexpected things come up, where we had to pivot, we had to make adjustments. But we never touch the emergency fund, we just adjusted how much we were paying on the debt. We still did it. In two years, we were not expecting that at all. So if you really are serious about it, and you set the foundation, and really make realistic goals, I think you can be successful and also run your own race. Don’t compare too much. It took us two years, but we were only responsible for ourselves financially at the time. That was another thing we knew, “Hey, we’re only responsible for ourselves right now. Let’s take this opportunity, because we don’t know what may change in the future to get this done now.” When your own race, if it takes you longer, that’s fine as long as you’re trying and you’re taking some action on that.

[0:20:48] TU: I love that. So much to unpack there. I think the theme I heard was really a mindset around the intentionality with the financial plan, and several things that you outlined, right? Making sure that you’ve got a budget that is realistic, that one is going to be able to keep the momentum so important. I think we often try to go from 0 to 60 budget. We get frustrated. It further disenfranchises us from the process overall, and it’s something as important as track back 90 days. You said a few months of looking at expenses, before we set these goals that may or may not be realistic. Let’s look at what we have been spending. Sure, we might pivot. You gave the example of eating out. But we want to pivot in a way that, yes, it’s going to free up some cash flow that allows us to achieve the goal. Whether that’s paying down student loan debt, whether it’s paying down other debt, maybe it’s saving for a home, saving for investment property. Whatever the goal is, we got to have cash flow. But just as important, if not maybe more important is the momentum to keep going. 

We don’t want a system and a process that’s going to bog us down, it’s going to leave us frustrated. I think making sure that we’re finding that balance of enjoying things along the way, but also, whatever system we’re building, we feel that it’s built in a way that we’re going to be able to sustain it.

[0:22:04] DL: Absolutely.

[0:22:05] TU: I know. I’ve fallen victim too, and I think we see this a lot with people that are getting started, is they develop a beautiful system because they’re really motivated and excited. Then two months later, we’re kind of falling back into the patterns we were, because it’s so much to manage and so much to keep up with. We have a free template for folks that want to get started with the budgeting process, you can go to yourfinancialpharmacist.com/budget. We’ll link to that in the show notes, you can download that. 

Then from there, you could use Excel. If you’d like to stay in Excel, you can use a bank tool, you can use mint, you can use – [inaudible 0:22:39] lots of different budgeting tools and options that are out there. Donisha, I want to dig into the we factor more, I heard you say we multiple times throughout the journey. We as in the debt, we as in the plan that we’re developing, we as in making the decisions on what was most important and what goals we’re going to achieve. There’s a lot to get on the same page with and I don’t want to take for granted how hard it can be to have a shared vision where two people are rowing in the same direction. I often have the opportunity to talk with folks, but that may not be the case. You may have one person who’s really engaged, one person who’s not engaged, or one person that grew up in a very different money household than someone else. For different reasons, they’re grown in two different directions. 

It’s so hard for them to achieve the goals without first sharing the vision of being on the same page. I sense a very united we front as you were talking. Tell us more about what that looks like, give us the sneak peek into the kitchen table. How have you been able to get on the same page and keep that momentum together?

[0:23:45] DL: Absolutely. I appreciate you for acknowledging that. One thing about us, we’re blessed to go to a church that has a budget class. We took a budget class before we even got married together. That really put us on the same footing. We had the same vision and the same goals of what we wanted to achieve, but the pathways were a little different. In taking that class, we took it together, and we’ve really kind of established that foundation. The budget to me is the first step for everything. Now, once we got married and our finances were together, we really had to look at each other’s strengths. My husband is the big-picture person, I’m the day-to-day person.

When we were doing our debt payoff, I was the one looking at the budget every day and saying, “Okay, we need to slow down in this area because we’re only two weeks into the month and we’re not going to reach our budget goal if we don’t slow down.” That was my job. That’s okay. Then, what we would do is we would have meetings together where I would discuss certain things with him. He’s looking at the bigger picture, and also projecting what’s the next stage after that. That’s kind of his role. I’m the person that goes back, kind of works on the strategy, and looks at the day-to-day and the little details that he really does not want to do at all. We really show one another grace in that and really appreciate our differences, and use those differences for the benefit of the team. That’s how we do it.

[0:25:21] TU: I love that. I think just the awareness to acknowledge the different strengths to articulate that to one another, to embrace the strengths that come with those roles naturally, and then to align those so you can move forward. I love what you’re saying about the budget. I often encourage folks, “Hey, start with the vision and the dream.” Then as you work into the budget, the budget is really the roadmap for how you’re executing your goals. It’s a direct representation of what you are saying collectively is the priority or is not the priority. I think for folks that are listening, and maybe don’t feel like you’re on the same page with a vision, I would really encourage you to start there. Because I think when two people get excited about the vision, before you maybe get bogged down in the weeds of the numbers, like if we can get on the same page about the vision, awesome.

This is what financial success looks like for us as a couple or for us as our family. All right. Now, let’s develop the budget in the system that is the roadmap to achieve those goals. We said these things are most important. Are they represented? If not, why not? What can we change? What should we do differently? I think that that really helps folks get aligned. I think we often think of budgeting as restrictive. 

[0:26:35] DL: Absolutely.

[0:26:36] TU: But if we reframe as, “Hey, this is the mechanism in which we’re achieving our goals. I’ll never say it’s exciting, but I think it’s a path in that direction of – and especially if we layer automation on top of that.” Okay. We’re now identifying the goals and automating the goals that we collectively said are most important. Then watch out, right? Because if you have come together on the same page to define the vision, and you’re starting to achieve that, and you both see that happening, things start to move from that forward of what else is possible.

[0:27:08] DL: Absolutely. You hit the nail on the head, especially for us, because the next move was real estate investing for us. That was something that my husband was much more on board with than I was. I’m a pharmacist. We like things to be in a nice little package. It all has to make sense. That was risky to me. I was interested, but I just really didn’t want to dive in. But once we work together to pay that debt off, and I saw the power of the teamwork for us, I just felt like, “Hey, we can do this.” Even if things go beyond what we expected, or things change, and we have to pivot, we have already done that with the loan payoff. So it really strengthened that teamwork, and I was able to get on board with the real estate investing afterward.

[0:28:01] TU: Yes, right. We’ve accomplished this as a team. Obviously, at that point, you’re working from a position of financial strength. We’ve got no debt. We’ve got a fully-funded emergency fund. We’re able to take on a little bit of risk, such that, if things go differently than as planned, it’s not going to create additional stressors. Let’s talk about the real estate. There’s lots of different types of real estate, from passive to active. The guys on the real estate investing podcast that we launched, every Saturday, David and Nate do a great job of talking about the spectrum of real estate, featuring different pharmacists that are investing in all different types. 

I think that, at least for me, when I first heard about real estate investing, and really started to dig into learning more. I had a very active image in my mind of, you know, you buy a property, you hold it for the long term, you manage it, you’re fixing things, and a lot of people do that. But there are also more passive strategies, there’s fix and flips, short-term rentals, being in the bank, there’s a lot of different ways to go at it. Knowing the variety of pathways that are out there, tell us more about the pathway that you and your husband decided to go, and how you got to the decision to go down that path.

[0:29:06] DL: The first property that we purchased, it was a pre-foreclosure. It was a situation where it was in the budget that we wanted and the location was good. But the location is really what was most important to us. That’s why I got on board with something that needed renovation, because I realized if you want something that’s turnkey in this neighborhood, it’s far past your budget. I said, “Okay. We’re going to do this, and so we did.” We renovated the home, we didn’t do any structural renovations, but we did – basically got the house. We did that, that went off really well. We stayed in the home for a little while and then we sold it. When we sold it, we sold it before the pandemic when the prices just went crazy. It was before that.

But to see the amount of appreciation in that home, a light bulb went off in my head like, “This is what they’re talking about when they say, real estate can really propel you into financial independence.” From there, the plan was to continue to buy homes, renovate, and then maybe hold them for a little while, depending on what the market was looking like, and then to sell them. That was the plan. But we ended up moving into another home that was a newer build. From there, we have the home that we’re in now, we just renovated this one. We’re kind of still working out the strategy, but the other home is – we’re using it as a long-term rental.

Ideally, we would like to be able to do a flipping business, because we like to do it. But as we’ve done more research, we realize that being able to hold on to some of these properties, and leverage the equity in them, we can propel a lot faster. Our strategy really is to buy, renovate, hold. Then, you know, use that leverage to buy again, which is called the birth strategy. That’s really what we’ve chosen to do. We are open though, toshort-termm rentals. We are exploring other markets for that as well, and really just trying to have a somewhat diversified real estate portfolio. Not to diversify, because I do feel like if you focus on one or two things, you do a lot better. But that’s really our strategy.

We’re okay with doing construction, we’re okay with doing renovation, we’ve done it, and we’re okay. At this point, we’re doing long-distance investing. That’s really our next step.

[0:31:32] TU: I love it. I think it’s a great example of you, take that initial step and kind of get over that initial fear. Then, some things goes plan, some don’t. It opens up some different doors or opportunities. I think for everyone, their journey may be different of what they’re comfortable with in terms of risk tolerance, how active they do or don’t want to be in the process as well. 

For folks that are listening to this and hearing some of the strategies that you’re talking about with the birth strategy and leveraging the equity in long-term rentals versus short-term rentals. The Real Estate Podcast, they’ve covered much of that and a future pharmacist stories as well. So we’ll link to that in the show notes. I would encourage folks to check out that podcast as well. I’m curious to know, it sounds like you’re fairly active, right? When you’re talking about the flipping, the construction, is that you and your husband? Is that you managing the project? Are you passive? It sounds like you’re very active. Am I reading that right?

[0:32:23] DL: We are very active. He’s more of the project manager. I’m the money person. I actually analyze the deals, I research areas, and research deals. Then I bring them to him, and we kind of analyze those together. He is the negotiator as well. When the negotiations happen, I walk away, Tim. I’m a lot more polite when it comes to that. I just walk away and let him do his thing. That’s him. He’s definitely the project manager. Working with the contractors and all of that, and I’m more so the person managing the budget, finding the deals, and then we work together on design.

[0:33:02] TU: Okay. Just like your personal finances, it sounds like you have identified strengths, and roles, and areas of responsibility. It’s your own business, within the family unit, which is really cool. I’m curious to know, deal finding. I think that’s one of the biggest barriers for people getting started is where do I look? It feels like people that are in this are just a huge disadvantage of somebody getting started. Are you looking off-market? Are you looking on the MLS? Do you have referral sources? How are you sourcing those opportunities?

[0:33:32] DL: Right now, as you know, these interest rates are very expensive. This market is very unique. But when we started out, we did a lot of driving, just driving ourselves around, and really looking for opportunities where a home may look vacant, or a home looks like it’s not being properly taken care of. Then from there, we will try to see if it was on the MLS. In the case of our first home, it was a pre-foreclosure. It was actually on the MLS as a pre-foreclosure. Then we use a realtor to help us with that.

Now, there are so many just groups of wholesalers and all of this that are out there. If you are trying to get started, there are ways to get in contact with other folks doing that. If you feel like, “Hey, I don’t really want to invest that much money into it” and you want to kind of get that experience and exposure, you can always ask people if you can just link up with them, and ask them what you can add to their system where their pain points are. That’s a great way for you to learn and a great opportunity for you if you’re not really at the point where you really want to invest a lot of money into it.

Right now, we’re currently working with realtors, especially since we’re looking in other markets. So we are working with realtors to try to find some of those properties. We don’t focus too heavily on off-market deals at this point in time. But I do know people do that, and they do that well. There are a lot of systems out there that can help you with that as well.

[0:35:06] TU: When done well, I think real estate can really add to, you mentioned, a pathway to financial independence that could potentially create wealth, lots of reasons to accelerate the financial plan, different tax advantages, et cetera. When not done well, it can be a hindrance on the financial plan, and there is a risk side of it. There’s obviously folks that have built systems and processes that have done this well. There’s individuals that maybe haven’t done as well, or analyzing deals properly, and not looking at the full breadth of what the numbers really are. 

I sense that you guys really do have a system, a process. You’re looking at growing and scaling, which tells me the numbers are working. My question is, how do you view real estate investing, impacting and accelerating your personal financial planet. Is it a long-term strategy of building wealth, it’s part of the retirement plan, it’s a tax strategy? Is it short-term that the income from real estate you’re using towards other financial goals? How do you view the intersection of real estate with your financial plan?

[0:36:09] DL: Sure. That’s a good question. We like to kind of be right in the middle with that. What I mean by the middle, is by us holding those properties. They are a part of our long-term plan. But we also like to choose properties where we will cash flow pretty well, also. That’s a good balance there, because we know there are markets where you can really cash flow. But if you go to sell the home and 10 years, it’s going to be the same price you paid for it. You don’t really have a lot of appreciation on that front. That long-term game isn’t necessarily there. We try to find a good balance, and that’s one of the reasons we’re leaning towards short-term or midterm rentals. Because right now, in this market, especially, that’s really going to give us that that cash flow, but we can also have that appreciation.

We do have a long-term rental, and thankfully, it’s in a location where we’re doing very well on both fronts. But trying to get there right now in this market can be challenging. We’re looking towards that short-term, midterm. But we really like to have a balance, because we do want to use the real estate. Right now, we’re just using the money to purchase other real estate, not for our personal use. But we do want to get to a point where, “Hey, we could if we wanted to.” It depends heavily on our real estate income, and maybe transition into a lower workload on our W-2s or something to that effect. But we are in this for the long run, so we’re not trying to accumulate all of these rentals and get rich quick. That’s not really our strategy.

[0:37:45] TU: Yes. You’re not having to replace your W-2 income. I think that’s an interesting point, because for many individuals, there’s the initial strategy of, “How do I do this well, and then how do I scale the system, so I can invest more into other properties, more opportunities?” But then, there becomes a point of the portfolio where, depending on what else is going on, your retirement plan, et cetera, you might want to draw from that asset. There’s a strategy involved in that, and the tax optimization and so forth there as well.\

As we wrap up, I’m curious to hear your perspective. You’re on the other side of paying off your student loans, you’ve been out for over 10 years, you’ve got a good base in real estate investing. For all intents and purposes, you built a really strong financial foundation that you and your husband are going to grow upon for the next several decades and beyond. For individuals that were – just for you and I were a little over a decade ago, I think there’s both excitement and feelings of maybe some level of overwhelmed. Hearing a story of, you’ve been through that, you’re beginning to build wealth, you’re investing in real estate. What advice would you have for those individuals that are on the front end of this journey may be feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, confused with where they’re at with their finances?

[0:38:58] DL: Absolutely. That’s a great question. I would say, write down what’s important to you and your why. So really, write down what’s important to me, my values, and you can even project that out over the next 10 years, what do I want my life to look like? I think if you start with that, then you work backwards, and you look at what you’re facing right now. Then, you leverage the tools and all these podcasts like this one that are out there, and all the different strategies that you can take to reach your goals. If you do have a lot of student loan debt, and that debt is going to impede you from getting to those goals, then maybe that’s where you start. If you don’t have student loan debt, or it’s not a significant amount of student loan debt, but you do know in 10 years, you do want to have the option of working a W-2.

Then you may want to start with looking at different ways that you can invest your money, so you can make it work for you and make it accumulate even faster. That’s what I would do. I would kind of project out maybe 10 years. Because let’s be honest, a lot of new pharmacists are in roles, and they’re thinking, I don’t want to do this for 10 years, and that’s fair. Trust me, we understand. If that’s where you are, then definitely, think about where do you want to be, and what your goals are, and then work backwards. Look at what’s in front of you, and decide what the, what the priority is, and then start to educate yourself on different methods and strategies that you can use and get help. Get help, there’s no problem asking questions, meeting with a financial planner that understands your goals, and is willing to work with you to achieve your goal. That’s what I would recommend to someone who’s at the front end of this journey.

[0:40:49] TU: I love that. Great words of wisdom, and I’m so grateful for you coming on the show to share your journey. Congratulations on the debt-free journey. I have a sense you’re just getting warmed up here into the future. I appreciate you sharing that with our listeners, and I look forward to following your journey as well.

[0:41:05] DL: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I’ve enjoyed it and we will definitely keep you posted on the journey. I appreciate you and this platform.

[0:41:12] TU: Thank you so much.

[0:41:13] DL: Thank you.

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[0:41:14] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding material should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment.

Furthermore, the information contained in our archive, newsletters, blog post, and podcast is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of your financial pharmacist unless otherwise noted and constitute judgments as of the dates publish. Such information may contain forward-looking statements, which are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

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YFP 302: Navigating the Mortgage Market: Insights from a Loan Officer


On this episode, sponsored by First Horizon, Tony Umholtz talks about navigating the mortgage market, important factors home buyers should understand when evaluating lending options, the anatomy of a home loan, and when to engage with a lender in the home-buying process. 

About Today’s Guest

Tony Umholtz graduated Cum Laude from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Finance from the Muma College of Business. He then went on to complete his MBA. While at USF, Tony was part of the inaugural football team in 1997. He earned both Academic and AP All-American Honors during his collegiate career. After college, Tony had the opportunity to sign contracts with several NFL teams including the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and the New England Patriots. Being active in the community is also important to Tony. He has served or serves as a board member for several charitable and non-profit organizations including board member for the Salvation Army, FCA Tampa Bay, and the USF National Alumni Association. Having orchestrated over $1.1 billion in lending volume during his career, Tony has consistently been ranked as one of the top mortgage loan officers in the industry by the Scotsman’s Guide, Mortgage Executive magazine, and Mortgage Originator magazine.

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, is joined by Tony Umholtz, a mortgage manager at First Horizon. In this episode, Tim taps into Tony’s 20+ years of experience in the industry to discuss important factors home buyers should understand when evaluating different lending options, the anatomy of a home loan, and when to engage with a lender in the home-buying process. Tony opens the conversation with an update on the state of the lending market, with more interest in buying homes, but the market remains competitive with low inventory. An overview of the different loan types is covered, along with their nuances and situations where each is applicable. First-time home buyers will learn how much of a down payment may be needed based on the current options available, the term options for loans, and when 30, 20, or 15-year mortgages make the most sense. Tony shares his thoughts on lending options outside fixed-rate products and when they can be advantageous. He also explains what points are, how they work, and the importance of understanding how they are baked into introductory rate offers. As the show wraps, listeners will hear a frank exchange, where Tim and Tony discuss the impact of current events and bank uncertainty on financing a home purchase.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

INTRODUCTION

[00:00:00] TIM ULBRICH: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here, and thank you for listening to the YFP Podcast, where each week we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom. 

This week, I welcome back onto the show Tony Umholtz, a Mortgage Loan Officer with First Horizon. During the show, I tap into Tony’s 20-plus years of experience in the industry to discuss the important factors that homebuyers should know when evaluating the different loan options that are available. We discussed the differences in down payment, how credit scores can influence the options available, fixed versus adjustable rate mortgages, and when purchasing points does and does not make sense. 

Make sure to stay with us to the very end of the show where I asked Tony about the impact of current events on financing a home purchase, including the inevitable end of the student loan pause, whenever that may be, and the impact of the bank uncertainty, given the current news with Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic, and most recently with the UBS purchase of Credit Suisse. 

Now, before we jump into our discussion, I recognize that many listeners may not be aware of what the team at YFP Planning does in working one-on-one with more than 280 households in 40-plus states. YFP Planning offers fee-only, high-touch financial planning that is customized to the pharmacy professional. If you’re interested in learning more about working one-on-one with a fee-only certified financial planner can help you achieve your financial goals, you can book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com. Whether or not YFP Planning’s financial planning services are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. 

Okay, let’s jump into my interview with Mortgage Loan Officer from First Horizon, Tony Umholtz. 

[INTERVIEW]

[00:01:46] TIM ULBRICH: Does saving 20% for a down payment on a home feel like an uphill battle? It’s no secret that pharmacists have a lot of competing financial priorities, including high student loan debt, meaning that saving 20% for a down payment on a home may take years. We’ve been on a hunt for a solution for pharmacists that are ready to purchase a home loan with a lower down payment and are happy to have found that option with First Horizon. 

First Horizon offers a professional home loan option, a.k.a. doctor or pharmacist home loan, that requires a three percent down payment for a single-family home or townhome for first-time homebuyers, has no PMI, and offers a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage on home loans up to $726,200. The pharmacist home loan is available in all states, except Alaska and Hawaii, and can be used to purchase condos as well. However, rates may be higher, and a condo review has to be completed. 

To check out the requirements for First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan and to start the pre-approval process, visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. Again, that’s yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. 

Tony, welcome back to the show.

[00:03:01] TONY UMHOLTZ: Tim, good to be here. Thanks for having me.

[00:03:03] TIM ULBRICH: Well, it’s officially the start of spring. So at the time of recording this, yesterday was the first day of spring. Typically, that means it’s prime time for home-buying. Current state of the market, we’d love to hear your thoughts. You shared something with me prior to hitting record about existing home sales being up more than was projected, which to be frank, surprised me a little bit, just given what we’ve been hearing of a lack of inventory that’s out there. So what are you seeing in terms of the current market?

[00:03:33] TONY UMHOLTZ: Well, I think we were in a very slow environment the last few months. When retail or the existing home sales were higher, it was from the month of January. So January was a low month, and I think it was at kind of a bottom level. But economists had predicted like almost 400,000 less units then actually sold. So I think the market is showing some underlying strength that the economists had predicted. 

Frankly speaking, with spring here, we’re busy. I mean, there’s a lot of people reaching out for pre-approvals right now. I mean, rates are certainly higher than they were last year at this time. But we’re seeing a lot of people interested in buying a home. But still, inventory is fairly tight, like we discussed earlier.

[00:04:19] TIM ULBRICH: Tony, for today’s show, I want to focus on prospective homebuyers and what they need to know in order to navigate the mortgage market and to make a decision on ultimately how they’re going to finance that home purchase. The question of why is this important, right? For starters, this is one of the, if not the, biggest financial purchase that they’re going to make. Obviously, they’re going to want to feel comfortable in understanding what their options are or want to feel good about the decision that they’re making from a financing standpoint. 

Second, I often hear from prospective pharmacist homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers that are confused and overwhelmed about all the options that are out there; conventional VA, FHA, doctor-type loans, points, no points, 15 years, 30 years, fixed rates, ARMs. We want to clear up as much of that as we can, again, with a goal that folks will feel educated and informed as they’re going forward with that home purchase. 

Let’s jump in by dissecting some of the lending options and the features that are associated with those options. So, Tony, at a high level, I mentioned a few of them that are out there. What are the types of loans that are available when people are considering the financing of a home?

[00:05:34] TONY UMHOLTZ: There’s really several loans that are very common that you’ll see in the marketplace. Number one is FHA loans, Federal Housing Administration loans. Also, the Veterans Administration for those that have served in the military, VA loans. So you hear a lot about those. Then, of course, conventional loans, which are basically backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. So when you hear those two large government-sponsored entities, that’s what conventional loans are. 

There’s also nichey loans, niche loans that are offered. Typically, they’re not mainstream. They’re typically offered through banks, some financial institutions that will offer them for, for example, like the product for pharmacists that’s available for pharmacists, doctors, attorneys. There’s some nichey programs available based on your occupation. A lot of those loans are held on the bank’s balance sheet. So they’re not a program that would be openly sold on the open market. 

You’ll hear a lot about those programs, and each one has its own benefits. It’s important to know where you stand. So when you go through a pre-approval process, it’s a great way to get educated on where you stand. Even before that, you can find some information online. You can learn more about these different programs. 

But, typically, for example, FHA loans are going to have a limit for the market that you’re buying in. Let’s say you’re purchasing Hillsborough County, Florida, for example. They’re going to have a max loan limit of, let’s say, roughly 400,000. You can’t go above that number for FHA on a single-unit property. 

Now multiple units, you can do higher loan amounts. So a four-unit property can be higher. FHA is great for certain things. The one downside of FHA is that it’s permanent PMI, lifetime PMI. You can never get rid of it, although they did reduce it recently. But it’s still a lifetime PMI. You can never get –

[00:07:29] TIM ULBRICH: I learned that one the hard way, unfortunately. 

[00:07:33] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. So there is some downsides there. I do like the FHA when credit scores are a little weak because I can get better pricing than I can on a conventional loan. Then conventional, of course, does not have permanent PMI, has a little bit higher loan amounts for the county. Most counties in the US are 726, 200, so a little higher loan amounts. In some counties in the higher cost areas are actually a little bit more than that. 

Conventional has got PMI that only has to be on for two years. Sometimes, you can get it off, pulled off less, if you put more money down during the loan process. It doesn’t have upfront PMI like FHA. So there’s a lot of benefits to conventional. The niche programs, of course, you have to be a pharmacist, doctor, attorney. Those type of programs are going to be more unique to one group. But those are, obviously, going to typically be better and stronger than any of the products you can – the FHA and conventional. When you compare the two, they’re typically going to be stronger. 

But we always look at every option. That’s one thing that we’d love to do is say, okay, let’s compare it and stack rank what the best products are today for this client. We’ll come up with the best solution, and most lenders work that way.

[00:08:47] TIM ULBRICH: I’m glad you brought up the FHA to kick that off because what I see and what I hear from a lot of pharmacists is depending on where they live, and obviously you mentioned the max loan amount, but I think they’re often thinking first-time pharmacist homebuyers, “How do I get into a home and minimize my down payment? Because I’ve got $200,000 student loans. I’m starting a family. I’ve got all these other competing priorities.”

They may end up down an FHA pathway, which maybe is the best option but maybe not, and they may not be aware of an option like a pharmacist home loan that could get them into a home at a reasonable down payment. Obviously, credit score is a factor that we’ll have to consider, and we’ll talk about that again here in a few moments. But allows for that lower down payment, a little bit higher on the purchase price potential, which obviously in today’s market is an important factor but doesn’t carry the PMI, especially the permanent PMI you mentioned with the FHA. 

Take home point that I really hear there, Tony, is when you’re working with an individual such as yourself, working with someone that is looking at what is the best option for you and your personal situation, looking at potential purchase price, looking at down payment that you’re bringing, looking at credit score and really being able to customize the offering for that individual and their own situation. 

I want to break down down payment a little bit further because that is probably the biggest pain point I hear from first-time pharmacist homebuyers, which is maybe they’re familiar with the traditional, “Hey, I’ve got to have 20% down.” Not aware of other options that may be out there. That can be a big overwhelming number when it comes to purchasing a home at 400,000; 500,000; 600,000 dollars. 

So the question of do I need 20% down, you’ve talked about that a little bit already. But talk to us more about why that may not always have to be the case with other options that are available.

[00:10:43] TONY UMHOLTZ: When you’re looking at purchasing a property, 20% down and a great metric because you get out of PMI for a conventional loan. But it’s also a lot of capital, putting a lot of investment into your home. Then that can dilute the returns you get on your own long-term because leverage enhances returns, but it also takes away from savings and everything else. 

So there are programs available. For example, the FHA, I’m going back to FHA, you can put as little as three and a half percent down. Now, you do have heavy PMI. You do have lifetime MI, upfront MI that’s added to the loan amount. There are those other things. But you can get into the home with just three and a half percent. 

The pharmacist product and some conventional products, now some of these conventional products do have PMI. But sometimes, they’re priced pretty well. But you can do three, five percent down. These programs, you’re coming into it with very little, little, little down. PMI in the conventional sense, you will have a PMI premium every month. But the pharmacist product, no PMI at all. 

So you put three percent down, five percent down. That’s impactful because you’re – and you’re allowed to have the seller pay your closing costs and prepaids, if you’re in a bit of a cash-strapped situation, I mean putting three or five percent down and having your closing costs and prepaids taken care of, pretty attractive. So those are available to pharmacists and physicians as well and then even normal everyday folks on the conventional side. Three, five percent down, an ordinary buyer can take advantage of that. 

There are some programs for certain counties if you meet – and most of your audience will be above the median income for the county. But there’s even some programs offered if you’re below the median income, where there’s some additional benefits as well. This is a down payment assistance actually.

[00:12:37] TIM ULBRICH: So for folks who are saying they want to learn more about that pharmacists home loan product, as we mentioned in the introduction, you go to yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. We’ve got more information about that product with First Horizon, what are the different criteria. There’s an option on there to connect with us, and we can provide you with more information. 

Tony, down payment, as I mentioned, gets the attention because I think that’s often what we’re thinking about or how much cash are we going to have to forego at the time of purchase. But what may not get as much attention or other parts of the loan if we dissect that a little bit further, so things like the term of the loan. I’m thinking about, obviously, fixed rate versus a variable rate, whether or not there’s points. We already talked about the PMI. 

Let’s start with term. 30-year fixed rate I would assume is the most likely option that individuals are pursuing. But there are other options, 15-year term. I know I’ve seen 20-year terms. Are those the three that are typically used, and is the 30 the most common?

[00:13:39] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. Those are the three that are most common by far. 30-year is the most common. It gives you the most flexibility too from a payment perspective because you can always add additional principal. These loans, most loans don’t have any prepayment penalties. So you can always put more towards the loan. That typically is a good strategy. That gives you flexibility. 

But the 15-year, the-20 year are – some people do choose them. It also depends on when you choose to retire, right? Or when you – if you think you’re going to hold the home long term. Everybody’s goals are different. Everyone’s circumstances are unique. So we look at their timing. 

I had one client that said, “Hey, I’m going to be retiring in 15 years.” I think he’s like in his mid-40s, and that’s what we ended up doing for him because he wanted that 15-year to hold himself accountable. But I said by far the majority of people are opting for the 30-year. I think that that’s the better strategy because for the rate break you get, the flexibility is great. I just think having that flexibility is the most important thing. Cash flow – 

[00:14:43] TIM ULBRICH: Cash flow. 

[00:14:43] TONY UMHOLTZ: Is important. 

[00:14:44] TIM ULBRICH: Yes. 

[00:14:45] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. Because the one thing that clients have to understand and buyers have to understand is the shorter that term, there’s even a 10-year fixed, actually, 10 as well. But it’s a heavy payment because it’s amortizing so quickly. Amortizing, essentially, is just your principal pay down, right? It’s how rapidly you’re paying down the mortgage. So a 10-year fixed loan, you only have 120 payments, and that loan is totally paid for. So it’s a heavy monthly payment. 

I think cash flow is really critical for everyone. I think that’s the best way to – because you can always add principal and pay the loan down quicker, right? But you can’t always – you can’t go back and say, “Darn, I wish I didn’t do that 15-year and have to pay that extra 2,000 a month.” You can be putting it into your IRA or somewhere else, paying down other debts. 

[00:15:34] TIM ULBRICH: Yes. I think the options of cash flow. It’s something we hear from a lot of pharmacists, first-time homebuyers. I know it’s something my wife and I have talked about extensively, right, especially when you’re in that transitionary phase, where home prices now are more expensive than they’ve ever been. Rent rates are obviously higher. So those monthly payments, even at a 30-year, are going to be higher than they were just a few years ago, let alone at a 15 or a 10. 

Student loans are coming back online. At some point here in the near future, we’ll talk about that in a little bit. Then just a lot of the expenses that come with that transitionary phase, a lot of folks that may be getting married. They’re having kids, right? They’re moving. So a lot of demands on cash flow. To your point, we can make bigger payments, and you can even automate those over time if you feel like, “Hey, I confidently can make this. I want to pay this down for whatever reason.” Maybe it’s, “Hey, I’m going to save a little bit of interest. I’m averse to the debt or I want to retire early.” 

Whatever the rationale may be, you have that option. But you’re also giving yourself other options in the event that you need to have some of that cash flow, so well said. I think for those reasons, we see many folks go in with a 30 and perhaps some people that are making extra payments along the way. 

What about the rate, Tony? I feel like when I was going through the refinance process pre-pandemic, refinancing a 30-year fixed rate, three percent. Maybe even a little bit lower for some folks at that point in time. Obviously, rates have gone up substantially. But in that moment, it felt like, and for the longest time, fixed rate, fixed rate, fixed rate. Lock it in for as long as you can. I’m curious to hear your thoughts now, given the interest rate environment we’re in. Options on adjustable rate mortgage versus a fixed rate. What are some things that folks should be considering here? As I do know, there are some other products out there that may be marketed towards pharmacist or physicians or other health care providers that aren’t a fixed-rate option. 

[00:17:29] TONY UMHOLTZ: That’s right. Yes. I mean, there are ARM products out there. It’s interesting that they’re not super mainstream. They’re going to be more nichey because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the pricing on ARMs is actually worse than a 30-year right now. There’s just no market for it, a secondary market. 

But banks will retain it. We have some programs where we’ll write ARMs, and we’re appropriate. It’s a good product. It does carry a slightly lower rate than the fixed rates. I think this would be one of those times where I don’t think you would get hurt, potentially. But I think you got to know your risks, though. I mean, that the risks are what do rates do because, typically, the ARMs are structured 5, 7, or 10 years. 

Now, when I first started in the industry, we used to have just outright one-month ARMs. I mean, 20 years ago, you would use ARMs we could write that were adjustable day one. They had some amazing rates made, but they really run with a cycle around BC. I these things move up and down. But I would call them more like a hybrid ARM. They’re fixed for 5, 7, or 10 years. So they do have a fixed-rate component. There’s still a 30-year loan. Some banks offer a balloon, which means you have to like redo the loan at that time. But those are fairly attractive, especially if you think you’re not going to be in the house for 5, 7, or 10 years. I think that’s something to look at. 

The downside of those loans is if you are in the property, and it does start adjusting. The rate market is not favorable, but you’re going to be in a higher market, and rates are going up. It’s going to be harder to refinance. So there is some risks and tail risk there down the line that if you’re there in the home that it can move. So I’ve seen a move down. I’ve seen a move up. 

Where we are in the economic cycle is tough right now. I think the Fed is pretty far into this tightening phase. We can address more of this later, Tim. But I think we could see some volatility in rates for a while, but there is potential for rates to go down, again, at some point. So I think anyone that does an ARM, I think inside of five years, there could be chances to refinance and do a 30-year again. So it’s not necessarily a bad loan if you’re willing to take a little bit of risk.

[00:19:40] TIM ULBRICH: I think understanding that risk, Tony, is really important, as well as being honest with yourself about your risk tolerance and what is that worth, as well as what margin may there or may there not be in the budget. We talked about this with student loans and days gone by when you might refinance from the Federal on the private side, especially if you’re looking at a variable rate over a fixed rate on the student loans. Understanding if that rate does go up or when that goes up. What margin do you have in your budget, and how do you feel about that being a fluid part of your monthly spending plan? 

I think for some pharmacists, maybe many pharmacists, they look at it and say, “I want the known, so I can plan around it.” But I think in the spirit of talking about all the options that are out there and evaluating which one is best for you, it’s worth covering in more detail. 

Tony, points. I’m seeing a lot of confusion out there right now around points. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think what’s happening is people are going out, and they’re Googling mortgage rates. They’re getting into a sales page, and what they’re seeing are rates that have points embedded. Unless you’re reading the fine print, you’re really not comparing apples to apples as you’re trying to find what might be the best rate out there for the product that you’re looking at. 

So that’s just, I think, an unfortunate part of the practice if you’re not doing your homework. But what are points quickly, and how do they work, and why is it important that folks are understanding how these are baked into these introductory rate offers that they see?

[00:21:10] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. That is a great point, Tim. Basically, points are what the – most lenders do when they charge points is essentially just buying the rates down. So they’re offering you a certain rate at a certain – we call it par price, right? So they will say, “So for you to get this rate –” Let’s say it’s six percent today. You would need to pay a half point or one point, right? That can vary by lenders based upon their pricing. So that can vary. 

But the one thing that that’s out there, and I think a lot of people miss this, is like the national headlines like week’s rate by Freddie Mac, right, which is old news anyway, except the last week’s rate. Rates change daily. They almost always include some sort of points in that quote almost every time. 

[00:21:56] TIM ULBRICH: All the news headlines you’re seeing. 

[00:21:58] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. 

[00:21:58] TIM ULBRICH: Yes. 

[00:21:59] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes. If you read the fine print, it might say, “Hey, I had three-quarters of a point, which is point .75 percent of the loan amount.” So fairly expensive, right? Or one percent or one and a quarter. So typically, they quote the rates with some points. My stance on points and the way I typically try to charge them if people really want them is where it’s like upfront interest, so they can write it off on their taxes. 

But in this environment, especially, I’m not a big advocate of points because there’s a good likelihood that rates are better over the next 24 months. I think why pay a premium now? Come in and pay your points when rates are a lot lower. Then you’d really can grab a nice low rate for the long-term. But you’re seeing a lot of quotes out there with points from lenders right now to make themselves look more attractive. A lot of home builder finance companies will do it as well. 

The other thing in these what’s called 2-1 buydowns, which are really, in a lot of ways, a smoke and mirrors because what they’re doing is they’re giving you have a lower rate for the first year or two because you’re paying it all upfront in interest. So you’re paying a couple of points upfront to get that buydown. It’s a worse rate long-term. So that’s another thing. You’re loading up on interest. You’re paying it yourself. You might as well take the higher rates. You’re going to save money. 

So there’s things like that that are out there. It’s just promotional ways, promotional products. But the points, again, it’s not a bad thing to do them because you typically will get a better rate than you would have if you didn’t pay points. But given the environment we’re in, I’m not a huge advocate. I’m just giving that you could save the money, and I think you’ll get it back later.

[00:23:43] TIM ULBRICH: Tony, something you said there has me thinking I want to preface my comments with this a little bit of conjecture, right? We don’t know what rates will or will not do. I agree with your thoughts that likely we’re going to see those come down in the next two years. Certainly, that’s not guaranteed. But my mind is spinning. If that happens, my mind was going down the path of, wow, like a flurry of refinances and people that have bought in this high-interest rate market that are trying to get a better rate. 

But then also like what does that mean for what we started the show talking about that there’s not enough supply? Unless that rate comes down significantly, I don’t think it solves the issue of people that have a home locked in at 2.8, 2.9, 3 percent. If they come down even a point, point and a half, like it feels like that spread is still too significant.

So I don’t know. Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but it feels like we have some challenges ahead of us as it relates to the supply and demand, even though the rates might get better as a homebuyer. I hear that and think, “Great. I’m going to save a little bit on rates.” But that probably means that home prices are going up because demand is going up.

[00:24:49] TONY UMHOLTZ: That’s exactly right. I think we’re going to see that. I think most – not every market is the same. Some markets have more inventory than others. Some are more challenged. But I know just from my experience, and we learned across the country. I had a conversation this morning with a client, and they had to purchase the home without an inspection. It was that competitive. There was just no inventory where they were buying, and it was that competitive. So I think we’re going to go right back into that again. 

I do think lower rates will help move some people because families can grow, right? They outgrow their home. There’s move-up buyers. People have to relocate, and builders will start building more inventory. But the challenge is just there isn’t enough people moving right now and putting their homes up for sale. So you’re exactly right. I think we’re going to start seeing it tighten up again. Prices are going to rise. Maybe not to the extent they were during the COVID boom, but I think you’re going to see prices rise. 

I think the last six months have been a good time to buy. I think still even now is still a pretty good time because there’s still – it’s not everybody’s out there buying –

[00:25:58] TIM ULBRICH: It’s crazy. 

[00:25:59] TONY UMHOLTZ: You could still get sellers. Sellers will listen to you right now. They’re a little spooked, right? If you’re selling, you’re going to be a little more spooked and a little more nervous. But I think there’s going to be a lot more buyers coming in as these rates drop. You’re right. I don’t think we’d see rates go down. I mean, we don’t know for sure. But I don’t see rates going to the high twos again. But they definitely – even coming down into the fours, even five is going to be a significant lift to the market, significant.

[00:26:28] TIM ULBRICH: I hear what you’re saying, right? There are some things that life happens. We’re in a two or three-bedroom home, and we’ve had a few kids. You’re going to push through that despite rates because those factors are that significant or relocation because of family or whatever. 

But a piece we haven’t talked about, which also just hit my mind, is the impact of the remote work transition. I don’t have any stats to back this up, but I would think that that just inherently reduces the number of people that are moving as a result of a job transition or who could stay put and aren’t having to have to relocate, which might put some further pressure on the supply piece as well. 

[00:27:09] TONY UMHOLTZ: Absolutely. 

[00:27:09] TIM ULBRICH: Yes. There’s just a lot of factors, and we’re going to look back at this period one day and say, “Remember when all these things happened at the same time.” So I want to wrap up by picking your brain. I always appreciate, Tony, not only your 20-plus years of experience in this industry and your experience working with many pharmacists that are looking to purchase but also your mind around the economics of this and, of course, what’s going on in the markets right now. We’ve got some unique challenges. 

Two that I want to focus on that I know are top of mind for our listeners right now. One is, hey, these student loans are coming back at some point. What does this mean, and how are lenders going to be looking at that? Then the second, I want to talk about some of the bank uncertainty that we’re living in real-time right now. 

So let’s start with the student loans. We don’t know when yet. The Supreme Court heard the case on the Biden debt cancellation. We’re expecting an announcement. I think all signs are pointing to that’s going to restart payments here at some point. Right now, it’d be no later than the end of August, unless something changes as a result of that decision. 

From a lender standpoint, we now have coming up for graduating classes, Tony, that have yet to have to pay on federal student loans. That also tends to be a group. They are usually first-time homebuyers. So debt-to-income ratios, how student loans are factored in, knowing that that pause is going to be ending, how are lenders thinking about this, especially for folks like our listeners, pharmacists that carry a pretty substantial debt load?

[00:28:46] TONY UMHOLTZ: That’s a great question. I think it’s just one of those things we look back at this time, right? It’s so unique. There’s a couple of ways that lenders look at these student loans. Number one, we look at that minimum payment, right? That minimum income-based repayment that is required. So that’s one way. The other way is we take a factor of that student loan amount, and the factors vary. 

For example, we talked about FHA and conventional earlier. Their factors are pretty high. So it makes it much harder to qualify with those programs. Even though you’re not making a payment, your payment is zero, there’s still an actual factor that’s attached to that loan size. So it’s $200,000. It can be 2,000 a month that the lender is counting against you. So the factor we use for pharmacists on our product is much lower than that, but it’s still used. So that’s basically an internal factor is how banks will look at that typically. 

It’s a tricky time. We don’t know what that outcome is going to be. So I would say right now, we’d be utilizing that factor or that income-based repayment, like what’s that amount going to be if you started paying in September or whatever it might be. But I would probably say for most people in that situation, we’ll be utilizing that factor, Tim, to qualify them.

[00:30:04] TIM ULBRICH: I want to poke a little bit more on that in terms of the factor or an income-driven repayment. Is that a general formula that a bank is using like, “Hey, $200,000 of student loan debt based on our calculation, income-driven repayment plan, would be X.” Or is it looking at the specifics bar to bar, right? Because we do have some of our listeners that might be employing a loan forgiveness strategy, where they’re working hard to lower their AGI to increase the amount that’s forgiven tax-free because it’s dropping down their income-driven repayment now. So they might be below like a generic calculation. How is that determined?

[00:30:42] TONY UMHOLTZ: It hasn’t gotten that far yet. That’s a great question because it’s still looked at like we’ll get a payment letter saying, “Okay, your monthly payment is going to be 400 a month.” That’s what we would use on the income-based from the servicer, from the student loan servicer. They would essentially provide the borrower with that number, what that amount is. 

Now, the factors is used on the lump sum of student loans. You brought up a good point. Will it get there? I mean, FHA and conventional have a certain way of looking at things and Fannie Mae. I don’t know if that’s going to change. That could change. I think it should change based on that Supreme Court outcome. So that could affect those type of programs. 

The more nichey bank programs, I think those would follow suit. They are more lenient, though, than Fannie and Freddie are and FHA as far as how much they would count. So like, for example, FHA, one percent, right? So $200,000, right, 2,000 a month. That’s a big hurdle to qualify in. 

[00:31:40] TIM ULBRICH: Makes sense. 

[00:31:40] TONY UMHOLTZ: That’s a big monthly payment. If your total debt ratio is 43%, that’s income to qualify. It makes it hard to afford a home. So that’s why these nichey programs are important for clients with big student loans.

[00:31:54] TIM ULBRICH: Yes, median debt load of a pharmacist today about 160. I think we’re going to see that drop maybe a little bit, just because of the pause on interest to credit while people are in school. But we have many clients, many folks we talk with on the regular that, sure, making a great income. But they’ve got 200,000; 250,000; 300,000 dollars of debt or maybe a household debt of 400,000 if you have two pharmacists together. 

The second thing I wanted to pick your brain on and we don’t have to go into the weeds on the background of how we got to this point with the bank uncertainty. But if anyone’s been following the news at a high level, it’s been a tumultuous time, right? We saw what happened with Silicon Valley Bank in California a couple of weeks ago, followed by Signature Bank in New York. First Republic, at the time, what we know at this recording, was propped up with a $30 billion cash infusion from some other banks, still struggling after that infusion. UBS buying one of the major banks in Switzerland. 

I hear all this, Tony. As a pharmacist, you might be buying a home and wondering, “What is the impact for me and this purchase that I’m trying to make? Is there a hesitancy to lend because of all that’s going on with the uncertainty, and what should I be aware of as a buyer?”

[00:33:09] TONY UMHOLTZ: Well, great questions. There is a lot going on, guys. There really is. I’ll try to unpack it as simply as I can. But to answer that question, I do think there are going to be challenges with lending. Some banks may be more cautious to lend, especially on portfolio products, these nichey products, if they’re in a challenging deposit situation. So you could see some challenges. 

I did have one client. It was a physician that mentioned that the bank they were working with had stopped doing physician loans. So there are, I think, some banks that will pull back a little bit on lending. But for the most part, FHA, Fannie Mae, I mean, these loans are all backed by the government. There’s no liquidity issues there at all. The vast majority of banks are not going to have a challenge lending. 

In these cases, and again we’re in a time very – there’s a lot of question marks with a lot of uncertainty because the Federal Reserve is aggressively raising rates. So these several banks you mentioned, Silicon Valley Bank, for example, was a risk management issue to some extent. I mean, they essentially were – not to get too far in the weeds, but they were a large regional bank. They serviced tech companies in Silicon Valley in California. So they were very nichey in the venture capital world. 

It was basically a classic run on the bank in a more modern time, where they took their assets, their capital, and they invested it in treasury bonds, which are the safest bonds out there, right? The regulators allow that because they’re safe. You’re going to get paid back. But what they didn’t account for is the duration risk and the interest rate risk of holding long-term bonds. So basically, what happened is roughly $100 billion portfolio treasury bond is suddenly worth 70 billion or possibly a little less because of that hit to it with rates going up. When they had the demand for their deposits back, they couldn’t pay the depositors.

The other issue with that too is what’s called uninsured deposits. They had a vast amount of uninsured deposits where FDIC, which ensures a $250,000 deposit, they had a lot of tech institutions, venture capital funds that had a lot more money on balance that was not insured. It was basically that classic run. So that was Silicon Valley. Fairly similar with Signature Bank, just more in the New York real estate market, these are very nichey banks. 

But I think there’s a lot of banks that are going to be affected. I just don’t think – we don’t know the extent of it yet. We don’t know what the Fed is going to do. But a lot of this is just risk management per institution and the fact that the Fed has just raised rates so quickly. I mean, it’s that simple, right? It’s reducing the liquidity in the system. 

For your listeners and your viewers, it’s not going to impact you. There could be some nichey banks that pull back on their products, so you do have to watch that. But for the most part, it’s going to be business as usual for the vast majority of people out there.

[00:36:18] TIM ULBRICH: I think what’s worth watching is the ripple effect or the potential ripple effect, right? You mentioned not only of these banks but also what’s the Fed going to do going forward. How are they going to continue to fight inflation, while dealing with some of this uncertainty? We’re going to find out a little bit this week. 

[00:36:32] TONY UMHOLTZ: Yes, we will. 

[00:36:34] TIM ULBRICH: I think while these are niche banks, they’re not small institutions by any means. I think our listeners may be most familiar with First Republic of the group that’s listed. So while me and Ohio may not be actively putting money in a Silicon Valley Bank, and that seems like a niche far-off bank, there’s definitely a ripple effect that can happen. That is causing a lot of the anxiety and concern right now.

But also, these aren’t small institutions. So we’ll see kind of where things go forward, and stay tuned, and we’ll do our best job to bring this information to the community to make sure that they feel confident understanding what’s going on. But most importantly, how this impacts the decisions they’re making, like purchasing a home as we’re talking about here today. 

Tony, as always, I appreciate your expertise, the value that you bring to the YFP community. We’ll mention and include in the show notes information where folks can connect with you. They can go to yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. Get more information on the pharmacist home loan product offered by First Horizon and looking forward to more conversations throughout the year as well. So thanks for your time and for your expertise.

[00:37:47] TONY UMHOLTZ: Tim, always good to be with you. I always have fun. So thanks for having me.

[00:37:51] TIM ULBRICH: Before we wrap up today’s show, I want to, again, thank this week’s sponsor of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast, First Horizon. We’re glad to have found a solution for pharmacists that are unable to save 20% for a down payment on a home. A lot of pharmacists in the YFP community have taken advantage of First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan, which requires a three percent down payment for a single-family home or townhome for first-time homebuyers and has no PMI on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. 

To learn more about the requirements for First Horizon’s pharmacist home loan and to get started with the pre-approval process, you can visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. Again, that’s yourfinancialpharmacist.com/home-loan. 

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[00:38:35] TONY UMHOLTZ: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog posts, and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist, unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements that are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you, again, for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week. 

[END]

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YFP 301: On FIRE with Riley Protz, PharmD


Riley Protz, PharmD, MBA, a pharmacist on the FIRE journey since completing pharmacy administration residency training, discusses his career journey, student loan philosophy, and pathway to financial independence while living a rich and fulfilling life. 

About Today’s Guest

Riley Protz, PharmD, MBA is a pharmacy leader and an industry expert on the 340B drug pricing program. He is the Director of Optimization at SpendMend Pharmacy. He consults with clients on opportunities to decrease their pharmaceutical drug spending and increase revenue-generating services through the 340B program. Prior to his current role, Riley was the Pharmacy Inventory Manager and 340B Program Manager of a health system in Salem, Oregon.

Riley earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and Masters of Business Administration from Oregon State University. He then completed a PGY1/PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership (HSPAL) residency with Providence Health & Services.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, discusses FIRE and the pathway to financial independence with Riley Protz, PharmD. Riley is a pharmacist on a FIRE journey since completing pharmacy administration residency training. During this episode, Tim and Riley delve into Riley’s career journey and what drew him into the profession of pharmacy, his student loan philosophy and strategy to tackle $80,000 in student loans given the climate with the pandemic and PSLF extensions, and how he is planning out his pathway toward financial independence. Riley speaks on his motivations for pursuing FIRE as a new practitioner with competing financial priorities, the various FIRE subcommunities, why he doesn’t identify with any specific group, the challenges of working towards FIRE, and how Riley manages to balance the importance of financial freedom with living a rich and fulfilling life now. Listeners will hear the strategies Riley has employed to reach FIRE, including having a financial plan, continuing to live like a resident, using high-yield savings accounts, not carrying a car payment, renting over buying a home, and mitigating early retirement risks through flexibility in investing. Stay tuned until the end of a library of FIRE resources, blogs, podcasts, and books that Riley recommends for those beginning their FIRE journey. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here, and thank you for listening to the YFP Podcast, where each week, we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom.

Today, I welcome Riley Protz, a pharmacist who has been on the FIRE journey since completing his pharmacy administration residency training. In this episode, we’ll delve into Riley’s career journey, his student loan philosophy, and repayment strategy, and his pathway towards achieving financial independence. We’ll also discuss the challenges of pursuing FIRE and how Riley balances his desire for financial independence with living a rich and fulfilling life today.

If you’re new to the concept of FIRE, Riley will explain what it means and why he has chosen to pursue it. We’ll also hear from Riley about the resources that have been most helpful for him on his journey including books, websites, and podcasts. Whether you’re on the FIRE journey or taking a long, steady approach saving for retirement, at YFP Planning, we’re here to support you along the way. YFP Planning is a fee-only financial planning firm that is customized to the pharmacy professional.

The team at YFP Planning includes five certified financial planners serving over 280 households in 40-plus states. If you’re interested in learning more about working one on one with a certified financial planner, may help you achieve your financial goals, you can book a free discovery call by visiting yfpplanning.com. Again, that’s yfpplanning.com. Okay. Let’s jump into my interview with Riley Protz.

[INTERVIEW]

[0:01:29] TU: Riley, thanks for joining the show. 

[0:01:31] RP: Yes. Hey, Tim. Thanks for having me.

[0:01:33] TU: Before we jump into your FIRE journey, which is going to be the topic at hand for today, tell us about your career journey in pharmacy, where you went to pharmacy school, and what ultimately drew you into the profession.

[0:01:46] RP: Sure, yes. I mean, I honestly wish I had a better way pharmacy story. but I went to Oregon State University for undergrad, enjoyed the science classes. When it was time to choose a major, I had a friend that was doing pre-pharmacy and I thought, “Hey, Oregon State has an advanced degree program, maybe I’ll go and do an advanced degree. That kind of makes sense.” I chose pre-pharmacy as a major and thought, “You know what, something will come up that I want to do more, something more compelling.” Really nothing ever, you know, piqued my interest more than pharmacy did. I liked those pre-pharmacy classes I took. I got into pharmacy school on the first try at Oregon State University. It was a very easy transition.

I kind of stuck with it ever since. I didn’t really have any experience prior to choosing pharmacy, and kind of navigated those waters as I got into school. It luckily worked because I kind of didn’t have a great plan going into the process.

[0:02:34] TU: You and me both, Riley. I think sometimes, we have people on the show that have very motivational, very inspiring stories around how they entered the profession. I’ve shared before on the show that I liked science, I like math, I was undecided. From a major standpoint, I had a guidance counselor said, “Hey, why not think about pharmacy.” I did one shadowing experience. I think it was an independent pharmacy and made a commitment for six years and a whole lot of money from that advice. Sometimes that’s how the story goes.

But you decided, Riley, “Hey, I’m going to get the PharmD, but I’m going to go as well and do a PGY1, PGY2 MBA combined program.” For many of our listeners, they may be familiar with these as a PGY1, PGY2 MS. Some do an MBA program, where you’re doing all that two-year period. Why did you choose that pathway? Then what is the work that you’ve been doing since completing that?

[0:03:26] RP: Yes, I chose to do – around P3 year, I had an internship in community pharmacy. I worked in hospital pharmacy a little bit and I kind of decided that I wanted to do something around leadership and administration. Then the career trajectory and platform, there’s a lot less opportunities in community pharmacy than there is in health systems and hospitals. There’s just a lot more opportunities to be a manager director, whatever it may be in the administration realm. When I kind of looked okay, I have to go towards hospital. Residency just made sense and if I want to fast forward that pathway. The dual PGY1, PGY2, it’s HSPAL now, which is too many letters, but Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency seemed like the correct option for me. I was very fortunate to match with that, and it had a dual MBA tagged onto the residency, so I completed the MBA in the middle of residency.

Ideally, you’re supposed to have a lot of good opportunities, completion of residency, especially doing administration residency, getting that additional MBA. I graduated in the summer of 2020. Very early on in the pandemic, when everyone’s pulling back. There were almost zero job opportunities. But I had a great mentor who had left the organization I was at for residency, became a chief pharmacy officer somewhere else, and was able to create a position that I was lucky to have. 

I was a pharmacy manager for a couple of years at a health system focusing on their 340B program, as well as their hospital purchasing. Then the last year, I’ve switched to the consulting realm, which has been super exciting. Still around 340B, so I kind of consider myself a subject matter expert around optimizing 340 programs for clinics and hospitals. The company is called SpendMend Pharmacy. My clients now are our hospitals and we help them around finding more savings, and helping with their possible purchasing in general, NDC optimization, really anywhere around decreasing their huge drug expense in hospitals. That’s usually one of your top three expenses for health system.

[0:05:21] TU: Riley, let’s talk about your student loans before we jump into the FIRE journey in more detail. Since 2018, so you graduate 2018, $80,000 when you came out. For those that have graduated since 2018, it’s really been a whirlwind, right? We’ve had the pandemic pause that’s now been going on for more than three years. We’ve had the expansion of PSLF eligibility. We’ve talked about that on the show. Then right now, this week, at the time of recording, the supreme court is deciding what they’re going to do related to the Biden administration debt cancellation program. Not looking too favorable in the moment for that program going through, but we’ll obviously provide updates as we get some final news there.

My question is, $80,000, that is substantially less than what we see as the national average today for pharmacy grads, right around 160. What was your philosophy and strategy related to your student loans, especially knowing some of the wrinkles that have come in over the last couple of years with the pandemic and with some of the PSLF extensions and waivers?

[0:06:24] RP: Yes. I was lucky to have graduated with $80,000. I went to in-state tuition. I lived at home for two of the four years of pharmacy school, worked every summer and I think that helped with getting that number low at the very end. But once I graduated pharmacy school, I was like, “Okay.” Well, there’s a lot of decisions to make, right? Do you want to go through income-based repayment, there’s repay, there’s PSLF, which in 2018, people were less likely to see that it would go through, but now it looks like it’s a great strategy. There’s refinancing loans as well. I think I probably pulled up multiple calculators, maybe the YFP calculator o your guys’ website. And said, “Hey, what makes sense with my five, five and a half percent interest rate to do?”

Financially, it made sense to pay it off sooner rather than later, and not to go through the income-based repayment method. That’s what I started doing. I was paying off my loans throughout residency. I was about to refinance my loans when I completed residency when the pause took place. I was like, “Hey, 0% interest rates are a lot better than what I could have gotten, maybe three and a half percent.”

I just took that as an opportunity to pay them as fast as I could. My strategy completing residency was, live like I’m still resident, right? That’s what we tell people. Don’t let lifestyle creep come into play, and so I just paid those off as quickly as I could. I did end up stopping a little bit and saying, “Let’s just hold on to the money. I don’t really need to pay it off. There’s 0% interest.” Once I think I had around, maybe $30,000, $35,000 left, I did refinance it just to get that cash bonus, and then paid it off. 

I didn’t told you this last time we chatted, Tim. I had tried to do this student loan forgiveness, get a refund back. Not [inaudible 0:07:52]

[0:07:52] TU: I remember that. Yes. Yes.

[0:07:54] RP: Yes. I think it was back in October, I tried to get a $10,000 refund back because my loans are at zero percent now, but I would have qualified for the student loan forgiveness. Because my income in 2020, I was a resident for half of it, so I didn’t reach that income limit. Literally yesterday, I got the check in the mail about $10,000. You know what, who knows if it’s ever going to come into play, but now I have a student loan balance of $10,000, which if forgiveness happens, that’s great. If not, I’ll take a zero percent free-interest loan, and I’ll put that in my savings account for a little bit of time. Literally, I didn’t even think it was going to come. It was a request I put in. Four to five months later, literally yesterday, I had the check.

[0:08:34] TU: I say, what timing, right, with us recording the episode here today. I think your story is a really good. One thing I’m sensing, which I love Riley, and I hope other listeners will take from it is just the intentionality around understanding the nuances of student loans. There’s lots of different pathways that go. You mentioned some of those – whether it’s forgiveness, non-forgiveness, refinancing. It’s more complicated of a system than it probably needs to be, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt, whether we like it or not. It’s really up to the borrower to take the time to understand the nuances, and really get into the optimization, which is what you’re doing, right? You’re putting yourself in a position to optimize, obviously, see what comes to be of the Supreme Court decision when payments are going to kick back in. I love the intentionality behind the strategy. 

I’m sensing that’s going to be a good segue here as we talk about FIRE because that also relies on the strategy of one being intentional. Let’s go there. Riley, when you and I talked last year, what really excited me was talking to a new practitioner who is really on the front end of their journey towards financial independence. I think sometimes, it’s new practitioners. I just talked with a new practitioner this week. He’s been out about seven, eight years. They’ve been working through student loans, they got married, they started a family. That concept of retirement planning. It’s like, yes, it’ll be there, something I’ll worry about a little bit later. I think for some folks that are planning a very traditional timeline to retirement, that pathway of savings may certainly work. Obviously, we’ll talk here today more aggressive, early investing in your career type of a strategy.

I think for many new practitioners, it’s hard to reconcile this idea that I can accelerate and optimize the wealth-building part of my financial plan, while I’m being saddled by student loan debt, getting started with my career and all these other competing priorities. I’m really excited to dive in with you, as you’re on the front end of the journey of the FIRE, why did you go this pathway? How are you employing strategies on the FIRE journey? What are some of the resources that have helped you along the way?

Before we get too deep, though, for folks that have not heard us talk about FIRE on this show before, and we’ll link to some of those episodes in the show notes as well. What is FIRE? From your perspective, what does it stands for or what does it mean? What’s the purpose? What’s the goal?

[0:10:57] RP: I don’t think there’s a true definition of FIRE. I think it’s whatever individual to each person, what they think it means. I think of it as a maybe a money philosophy or a life strategy. It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. At the heart of that, I really think it’s, if you hit a point, there’s really a threshold where your passive income supersedes your living expenses. Passive income can include a lot of different things. Traditionally, people are thinking their retirement accounts, the 401(k). But you’ve got potentially rental income, you have Social Security, you have maybe a side hustle. I even put in PRN and part-time work. It’s definitely more passive than thinking about your classic W2 jobs. 

If you hit a point where let’s say, it cost you $40,000 to live each year, and you have a point where your investments, and all of your other passive income, supersedes that number, then you really don’t have to work at your job anymore. That’s where that second half of retire early comes into play.

[0:11:54] TU: Let’s give an example, Riley. I’d love for you to chime in here about what you do and don’t like about this example. To your point, there’s no uniform, accepted definition of what it means to be financially independent. But as you’re alluding to, you get to this point of either assets diversifying your income, other sources of income, such that you really reach financial independence. Meaning that you no longer rely on your W2 income, but you can build essentially a retirement paycheck or an early retirement paycheck, however, you define that based on these other revenue streams or savings that you’ve built up. 

The rule of 25 suggests that, hey, if you take your annual household expenses, we can talk about whether or not you include taxes and that. You multiply by 25. Once you get to that point in terms of savings, you’re able to get to that point of financial dependence. If our annual expenses are $100,000, multiply that by 25, $2.5 million. Really, this comes from the research on the 4% rule, which two and a half million dollars, if I safely withdraw, we can debate that 4%. I can replace that $100,000 and that becomes the source. Now, you start to get a little bit more wrinkles in that when you talk about, okay, is it coming from only your savings? Is it coming from rental income? Is it incoming from Social Security? But without getting too far in the details there, what do you and don’t you like about kind of that back-of-napkin math?

[0:13:22] RP: Yes. I think if someone’s going to Google FIRE financial independence today, at least in the first three paragraphs, they’re going to mention rule 25 or 4% rule because it’s simple, it makes sense. First things, people are like, “I don’t know if that’s true if I trust it. It almost seems too simple, right? But you know, the numbers don’t lie is a great point to make. Truly, we’ve seen people do it, it does work.

But as you mentioned, someone – I’m sure a lot of listeners have yearly expenses around $100,000. They plug that real 25 in, they say, “There’s no way I’ll ever get to $2.5 million.” They immediately dismiss the idea and say, there’s just no possible chance that I’m ever going to hit that point. They say, forget about it, I’m going to retire when I’m 65 years old. That’s my real hiccup with the 4% rule, is I think it dissuades people who might be interested in the idea. Of course, I’m not trying to push this this idea on folks, but I think it quickly dissuades people because they think there’s no way that’s ever going to occur for them. 

But this rule puts a lot of assumptions in place, like number one, is they assume that you’ll never make another dollar again. Which, let’s say you’re retiring 10,15, 20 years early. The odds of you never making another dollar is probably pretty – I don’t think that’s going to happen. They assume that your nest egg, your 401(k), your Roth, everything, that meets at $2.5 million is all you have. But you could have a side gig, a side hustle. Let’s say your, for example, your expenses are $100,000 per year, but you’re still making – you’re working a little bit, you’ve got a side hustle going on, you’re doing maybe PRN work. That’s the benefit of being a pharmacist, is we can work one day a week, right? That’s a great aspect of our job. 

You’re making $40,000 per year, much less than the average pharmacist makes. But then that decreases your yearly expenses to 60k. So your actual real 25 number becomes $1.5 million, so much more easily ingestible number to take. Another assumption, your expenses are going to remain constant throughout your entire life. But data shows that the older you get, especially at your 70s and 80s, you’re not going to be spending as much as you are in your 40s, 50s, and 60s. You take that in consideration as well. I think my last one is, compound interest is just really hard to visualize, and the amount of time and how it actually works. 

If you’re telling somebody, “Hey, really, you should see that extra $2,000 because it’s going to grow to whatever it may be in 20 years.” I don’t know if that’s actually going to work. I can’t see it, but I can see a TV today, or I can see a new car today, and I can get those benefits now. I think it’s a great initial, just quick back-of-the-napkin math on how this works. But I think, too many people are just waiting and say, “Oh, there’s no way I’m going to get there.” A lot of those factors I just described, all of them would lead to a lower number. Potentially, if you can shave off five years of retirement, that’s great as well, right, because you can enjoy those years while you can. 

[0:16:02] TU: Yes. I think that’s such a great point, Riley because you’ve highlighted well already that everyone’s plan is going to be different. I think that’s where we need to make sure we’re not falling into the trap of, that there’s one way to do FIRE. Are we talking about a retirement age of 40 or 55, or just a little bit earlier? Late 50s or 60? Is it more of an aggressive timeline, or just a little bit earlier than more of a traditional retirement? Might there be some side additional income? Are we interested in looking at real estate investment? Obviously, post-retirement. What about Social Security? What about health risks and health care. I mean, there’s so many layers to consider. But your point of the rule of 25, I think, often being overwhelming, especially to folks earlier in the journey is a really good one. 

I can tell you the number of sessions or presentations I’ve done with folks where, when you talk about saving or investing for the future and compound interest, eyes gloss over. I mean big numbers, $3, $4, $5 million. One of things we really try to do at YFP, is how do we discount that back to today to make that a meaningful number, right? We can run an estate calculation and show that FIRE or not, you need three point, whatever million dollars. Okay. That’s scary. That’s overwhelming. I’m more depressed now about achieving long-term financial independence.

But what does that mean today, in terms of how much I need to be able to save, and what assumptions go into place. That number is probably still going to be big, maybe bigger than we want in terms of, maybe it’s going to take 800, 1,200, 1,500, 1,800 month, whatever, but we can start to put our arms around that. I think these big, huge numbers are like, “All right. Might as well just give up. I’m early in the journey. I’m just going to kind of focus on the here now. Point well taken. I think that can be a challenge.

Riley, let’s take a step back to your FIRE journey. What was the motivating factor or factors in terms of why you wanted to go down this pathway?

[0:17:56] RP: Yeah. I think I reflected on this a little bit recently on why I was so hooked on it when I when I first found FIRE. I think my reasoning has actually changed in the short years since I found it. I’ll take you back to, let’s see, I think it’s 2019 now when I was a PGY1. We have a big cohort of co-residents. There were 16 of us. I think we were talking about what to do with our 403B. As you can probably tell, I have a passion for personal finance, so I knew a little bit more than everyone else, and just trying to provide a little bit of guidance, but didn’t feel super confident, especially talking about that topic.

In residency, we spend so much time talking about certain disease states, and we had antimicrobial stewardship conferences, and ethics conferences, and professionalism. We didn’t spend a single second on personal finance, I remember going to my RPD and asking, “Hey. Can we have someone come in and just talk to us for an hour or two?” There really wasn’t an option for doing that. I thought, you know, why don’t I do it? It was during that, I was trying to treat it like a topic discussion and doing – trying to find empirical and objective data, which I’m sure, you know, it’s very hard to find on the internet.

But I did stumble upon the concept of FIRE and was immediately hooked. I think in the midst of PGY1, I probably should have been spending a lot more time on residency and MBA classes. But all I wanted to do was read about this concept, and like, it doesn’t make sense. There’s no way it’s actually real. Does the numbers line up? There’s a lot of blogs online, that I just kind of took up as much as I could. I think the reasons why – I think there were two main reasons why there were motivating factors for me to pursue. Number one being, I’ve always been a natural saver but didn’t really have a reason for why I was saving, ever since I was a child. I filled a piggy bank up when I got money for my birthday but didn’t know what I was doing. I just felt like, “Yes, I’ll just save it.”

Financial independence was kind of became a Northstar. Whenever I’m making a decision, being very intentional with every dollar. If I’m not going to spend it on one thing, I’m not just saving it, actually. I have another reason. I’m putting it towards another purpose, which was a big idea. Then the second reason, which I think is a big pushback of people who pursue FIRE is, I was once again in the midst of PGY1, probably not loving life at the moment. It’s not sustainable way to live and work. The idea of not working, I think, I was probably drawn to. That’s what a big pushback is. You shouldn’t be pursuing this idea because you want to escape your job and retire early. But you know, now, I absolute love what I’m doing. You think that my desire for financial independence would wane, right? But I’m still – I have a different reason, I guess for pursuing it. Bear with me as I make this point. 

I have kind of a strategy now of maximizing overall life happiness, and fulfillment, and meaning, whatever that may be. If I’m trying to solve for maximum happiness, then treating, bringing that down into like every day, what would that look like in different buckets on things that would make me happy, so that’d be a strong social life. Today, there’s spending time with parents and friends, but let’s fast forward 15 years, we’ve got a plan for the future, right? Probably spending time with future children. I don’t think I’m going to have five boys, – sorry, four boys like you do. But if I do, then that’s going to be a higher percentage of my time is me spending with children. That’s one bucket.

Second bucket being health. If I work out today, there’s benefits. But main reason I’m working out is for future me. I want to have as many healthy days as possible, maybe two more buckets here. One of them being philanthropy, giving back in some way, whether that be resources or money. That’s going to skew much more later in life. The last one here, curiosity or learning. I love to travel internationally, read, whatever it may be. I stick with my current W2 job. That satisfies probably three of those four buckets. I got to get sense of social life. Definitely, a sense of philanthropy. It’s a great thing about being a pharmacist, is we have very fulfilling jobs.

Then definitely fulfilling that, that learning bucket. But I spend 45, around 45 hours of my waking life per week on this job. So it’s not filling everything, every single bucket. There’s plenty of other buckets that I’m not going to go into. If I’m trying to solve for maximum fulfillment, and happiness, I’ve just got a pretty high degree of confidence that in 15 years, or 20 years, or 10 years, I’m not going to want to spend 45 hours per week on this one job. I’m going to have a lot more other pursuits that are going to help me lead fulfilling and happy life. Let’s fast forward, let’s say 15 years. Maybe I want to spend 20 hours per week at my job, maybe at zero. If I’m lucky, maybe it’s 60, maybe I absolutely love what I’m doing, then that’s great. 

I want to give myself the ability, and flexibility to make that decision when the time comes. That’s where financial independence comes in. If you save a little bit more now, that gives you the ability to make that decision down the line.

[0:22:24] TU: Riley, that’s beautiful. I’m glad you address this equation of solving for maximum fulfillment, maximum happiness. Actually, the research on this topic is fascinating, around deriving happiness from money, and how we connect the two. I think that it’s a natural evolution to be thinking about that, especially when you build a strong financial foundation. It’s hard to see that when you’re in the thick of all these decisions when you’re, obviously, you work through the student loans, you’re making a good income, you’re working full time, you’ve got a lot of places you can optimize a plan. I think that’s when you can really start to have some of that peace of mind, and be worried about things like solving for maximum happiness and fulfillment. Because you’ve got a strong foundation of what you’re growing from. I think that, too often, when we talk about investing, or savings goals, we leave out the so what. What’s the purpose? What’s the point? What’s the why? I think pharmacists, especially very analytical folks, I think we can get all excited sometimes about the spreadsheets. Hey, I’m on path to save $2.4 million. What’s the purpose? 

If we ask that question of what are we trying to accomplish, what are we trying to achieve, and how do we reconcile taking care of our future selves while also living a rich life today? Both are important. I think one of the knocks, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on. I think one of the knocks of the FIRE community would be, typically we’re looking at very aggressive saving rates, right? There’s all different types of FIRE and we’ll talk about that here in a moment. But usually, we’re defining FIRE, and aggressive pursuit of financial independence by fairly high savings rates, more than the typical 10% to 20%. 

So one of the knocks may be, well, are you giving up living a rich life today for a future point, that may or may not be what we envision that to be, right? I’m thinking about this, because I just finished the book, Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. He talks beautifully in a very non-traditional, non-financial planner way about ultimately, the goal being that we die with zero. He makes a strong case, I think that in your 20s, and 30s, and 40s, there is spending that needs to be done towards what you’re talking about this maximum fulfillment. 

How have you reconciled this poll between aggressive saving? I can punch that in the calculator. I see the compound interest growing, but I’m also at an age where I can and should experience some of these beautiful things in life. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[0:24:50] RP: Well, you beat me to it. I actually also did – I also finished Die with Zero recently within the last couple months. I’ll be honest, has shifted my mentality a little bit as I was someone that can delay gratification, right? That was kind of my philosophy. If I want to do something today, let’s wait. I can double it in 10 years. It’s going to be just as much benefit or more benefit when I’m so saving for my 40s, is kind of a mentality I’d had. 

But what Bill Perkins says in that book is very good idea, and something I’ve taken into consideration is, let’s think about, “Yeah, think about our life as a whole. If my goal is to maximize happiness today, but also in the future, there’s a balancing act because you need to spend more money today. You need to spend some money today in order to enjoy your life today. I was, let’s say, for the last couple of years, I was probably a little low on that end. I was saving a lot more money, and decreasing my expenses, and focusing on student loans, and maybe sacrificing a little bit. I will shift and have shifted a little bit in that regard towards enjoying life today. 

I will say, a benefit for myself and maybe other listeners is, we have above-average income. When you’re looking at financial independence, and decreasing your expenses, and having that difference in what you’re able to save, because you’re spending less than what you’re earning, it’s a lot harder for somebody with an income of $60,000 per year. But as a pharmacist, I really don’t even feel like we have to sacrifice as much as others, because we just – as long as you’re intentional with your spending, and you’re cutting out unnecessary things, then, you’ll be able to achieve some sort of savings goal. You’re not depriving yourself and eating rice, and beans every day.

For myself, as I mentioned, being early on, I’ve been able to reduce lifestyle as much as possible, so I don’t live a lavish life. If someone else has an expensive $100,000 per year, it’s going to be a lot harder to cut out. Let’s say $40,000 out of that budget, or $20,000. But I never allowed myself to reach that level. I’ve never really felt that I’ve been sacrificing anything on this journey.

[0:26:46] TU: Let me prod a little bit more here, Riley, because this to me is a fascinating topic where I can talk with two pharmacists making the same exact income. Let’s assume they’re living in the same cost-of-living unit type of situation. But one can be living 95% to 100% of their income as their expenses, and a lot of that even being fixed expenses. Someone else maybe has find a way for that to be, I don’t know, 25%, 35%, 45%, or even, let’s say 50% or 60%. 

I think often, what you see is, the home, or the car, those are probably two of the biggest things that you see that might be contributing to that. Sometimes private education would be a big contributor, as well. Saving for kids college, things like that. But two pharmacists, same income, same position in terms of cost-of-living area, but very different in terms of cash flow margin that they created. I think it would be helpful for our listeners to hear, for you and your situation as much as you’re willing to share, what has the strategy been. You mentioned before, continuing to try to live like a resident while you’re paying on your student loans. I sense you’ve probably have pulled off of that a little bit. But have you intentionally kept down on house, or you’ve decided to continue to rent, not carry carpet? What has been the strategy that has allowed you to keep those fixed costs low?

[0:28:05] RP: I think first and foremost, financial confidence is important, knowing reasonable – knowing why you’re investing something, you’re saving in the correct location. For example, high-yield savings account. Just making sure that you know you’re doing correctly with where your money is going, has been important for myself. I’m not scared to look at my checking account, right? I think there’s a lot of people who say, “I don’t want to look at it.” If you can spend a little bit of time to just be confident in what you’re doing, and have some sort of strategy in place, and be intentional with – you don’t need to track every single dollar, but just the big things.

I think low-hanging fruit, is what I tell clients. Let’s not make 100 little decisions, let’s make two or three big decisions. For myself, yes, I don’t carry a car payment. I did actually upgrade from a beater of a car that probably I could – I did sell for $1,000, so I’ve upgraded in that realm, but I had drove that car throughout pharmacy school. I do still rent for housing. I live in the Pacific Northwest. So yes, housing a little bit more expensive, but it makes sense financially. I looked into purchasing. I was actually going – shout out to the real estate podcast with David and Nate. I was with the first cohort of the None to One Program. I was looking at actually purchasing a condo and house hacking didn’t make financial sense. It made sense for me to continue renting there.

[0:29:16] TU: Riley, let me just interject here because I hear weekly if not daily, that, Tim, what do you mean like equity and homeownership? It’s always better to own than it is to rent. I think this is one of the stories that we’ve just accepted without running the numbers. Don’t get me wrong, there are scenarios where certain parts of the country, owning based on the market, based on what’s happening, based on interest rates, based on cash you have, based on appreciation. That makes sense, but I think we blindly accept this, especially higher cost of living areas. We tend to vastly underestimate the cost of homeownership on an ongoing basis. So we look at rent value, we look at mortgage payment, and we stop there. I would just love for you to help me make this case, that sometimes, renting makes sense over homeownership, and I think we really got to run the numbers.

[0:30:11] RP: The problem is, it’s the numbers. Humans are humans, right? They feel – you take into consideration, “Oh, I’m much more safe. I’ve been told by my parents, and my parent’s parents that buying is, you have to go as soon as you can. That’s the way to go. Once again, it’s a lot easier to see a house value go up in five to 10 years, rather than really knowing exactly how much would I have put in if I’d invested in it. You can run those numbers as well, right? The numbers, once again, numbers aren’t lying to you. I think it’s just tough because yes, that’s what we’ve been told to do. It doesn’t make sense everywhere. Sometimes, that’s the caveat, as well, as you know, it does make sense maybe in the Midwest. But for other folks, it’s not the case. If we’re all robots, then I think a lot more people would be renting, but it’s just unfortunately not the case.

[0:30:56] TU: That’s good. Now, you can get the hate mail as well as me.

[0:30:57] RP: Exactly.

[0:31:00] TU: Hey, I want to ask you a question. Actually, I hadn’t planned on asking you, which is interesting. Something I’m picking up on as we’re talking here, is I sense that you’ve used some words around the emotional side of money. Confidence, I can tell you have a confidence around your money. I can tell that there’s not a fear associated with money. You obviously have more of an analytical mindset, but you’re also considering – we talked about living a rich life, and kind of balancing the two of those out. So often, myself included, and it’s true for everyone listening. How we approach our money today, is a conscious or subconscious reflection of how we grew up around money.

In some cases, we grew up in an environment where it’s a very open conversation, it’s one that’s not only talked about, but it may not be a stressful, relatively even emotions, more of an abundance type of mindset. Other situation, I talked with folks where it was a very hostile environment or an environment where you just don’t talk about money, whatsoever, and you see those patterns carry out. So I would love for you to just give us a sneak peek as I pick up on the themes of confidence and security around money and more of a positive emotional approach towards money. Can you attribute? Did you raise up in an environment where it was a safe emotional landscape for learning about and growing your knowledge around personal finance?

[0:32:22] RP: I would say it was definitely a safe environment, but it was not – I did not grow up with parents telling me how much money they made. Oh, you need to – I did – I mean, for example, I chose a state school, I knew enough to know about the cost of private school versus public school, and what that would be down the line. That wasn’t – told, “Hey, it makes a lot more sense for you to make a decision by peers, or my parents, or anything. I don’t really attribute a lot of it to them being extremely open. But for example, I did have a Roth IRA, I think when I was 18 years old, so my mom helped me with that. I’ll give her credit there. 

[0:32:55] TU: [Inaudible 0:32:55] a tuner.

[0:32:57] RP: Exactly. That was all her, so I’ll give her all the credit there. But anyway, I also had a financial advisor that she put me in touch with who had me investing in a taxable brokerage account when I clearly could have put more money in my Roth and stuff that didn’t make any sense. So I had to pull away once I felt more confident in myself a few years after that. We weren’t experts, but I definitely – I think it’s rare for somebody to have a financial advisor in a Roth account in their teams. It will attribute some of it to that. Yes.

[0:33:22] TU: It’s something I’m thinking a lot about Riley with my four boys, and I would encourage the listeners. I’m fumbling through it, I don’t have the answers. I’ve read books on teaching kids about money. I’m convinced, I think, and maybe I’ll tell you otherwise in three years if I screw it all up. But I’m convinced that 80% of it is just what they are experiencing, they’re hearing. It’s not the intentional teaching. I think there’s a place for that, like, “Hey, let me sit down. We can talk about compound interest and investing in Roth IRAs. But I think it’s more of what they’re picking up on around the emotional cues, the stress or lack thereof, whether or not it’s an open conversation. I think that is so foundational to their relationship with money. 

What’s so hard about that, I guess it can be encouraging or discouraging depending on how you approach money is like, that stuff tends to come out. We’re, again, carrying that on generationally. Often, the stress or the positive environment, if it’s the opposite around money, that just is the undertone of the house, and you’ve got to be really intentional to shift it. Another topic for another day, but I think around emotional relationships, how we grew up with money. Even hearing you talk about your mom, and a Roth, and experience with an advisor clearly had an impact on you and your journey. 

Let me shift gears and talk about the types of FIRE. Again, I think for folks that are just learning about FIRE for the first time, they may read a few blog articles, look at very aggressive saving rates without realizing there’s a wide range of how you may approach this. Whether it’s more of a traditional FIRE, a lean FIRE, a fat FIRE. Tell us about that these different terms and the path that you are choosing as it relates to your own FIRE journey.

[0:35:05] RP: In my mind retirement is a number of value, not a date, or an age, right? But everybody’s going to be different, and your FIRE calculation takes into consideration mainly how much you’re going to spend each year. So someone who spends $40,000 in a year versus someone who spends $150,000, in a year is going to lead completely different lifestyles, and probably take different actions to hit that point of financial dependence throughout their lives. That’s where these different names come from is, you know, FIRE’s become big enough that there’s been subcommunities of people, lean FIRE. I don’t know the definition. It’s maybe less than $40,000. Fat FIRE is, people got five plus million dollars.

I’m happy that that makes sense because people can be like – like-minded folks can learn from each other in that realm. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t really look at – consider myself in any of those categories. I’m early enough along the pathway that I don’t really spend time stressing over it, because I know enough that I know that things are going to change on the future. We’re great at acknowledging how much we’ve changed in the last five years, but we still think we’re going to be the same person in the next five years, which doesn’t make any sense. I know I’m going to be different enough in ten years. I’m going to change a little bit enough to know that my expenses can change, my family situation is going to change.

But for myself, I kind of have just general numbers. I’m probably going to spend more than $40,000 in a year. I know myself well enough that I’m probably going to spend less than $120,000 per year. Do that rule of 25. I’ve got a pretty big wide margin, but there’s enough time that’s going to pass. There’s really just no point in stressing over and running the numbers, and some people love running these calculators and saying, “Oh, this is exactly. That’s my point.” That’s going to change so many times. There’s going to be so many factors that I don’t really bother myself with it.

[0:36:41] TU: Let’s shift and talk more about the strategy of getting to that number. You mentioned early on in the episode that often, people run a rule 25, or some type of FIRE calculator. They see a big number, they get overwhelmed, they shut down the computer, and they say, “All right, let’s move on. I think, even if folks can work through that, the next step can be just as overwhelming, which is, “Well, how do I get to that number, right? I mean, when I get the chance to talk with groups about investing, what I often say is, yes, we’ve got to know where we’re going, but then we’ve got to know how we’re going to get there. Then we’ve got lots of wrinkles to consider, 401(k), 403(b), Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts, HSAs, all types of vehicles to achieve that. Then within those accounts, we’ve got to choose how we’re going to allocate that. That would be the asset allocation part of the plan.

Again, eyes gloss over at that point of, “Wow, this is a lot to consider.” Tell us about, not advice for everyone listening, but tell us about how you approach your investing strategy as it relates to not just identifying that number, but how you’re going to get there.

[0:37:47] RP: Yes. Tim, we’ve used the word optimize quite a bit, but I’m definitely not – I’m not going to optimize as much as possible in this category, I like to keep things pretty simple. Yes, my strategy myself is, I’m actually currently 100% stocks, all broad-based index funds, keep the expense ratio as low as possible. That’s every account. All my 401(k)s, or HSAs, or my Roth IRA, everything is – different custodian will have a different five-letter or three-letter process, but as long as it’s US stock market or international stock market, that’s the process. 

I know that numbers-wise if my investing timeline is, let’s say, 50-plus years, but the time to actually sell a stock is more than 10 years. To me, just the numbers, I just kind of try to pretend I’m a robot and don’t look at the stock market in the last year because I know that odds are, it’s going to go up in the next 10 years. And you want to hit the point where, let’s say, within five years of cutting back or selling any of stocks, and switching add bonds. You can do bond 10 to whatever it may be. But I keep things pretty simple now, just a handful of different low-cost, broad-based index funds.

Then the strategy around what accounts to put them in. Of course, prioritizing your tax-advantaged accounts. Kind of have a mental, financial order of operations, I guess what I would call it that I’ve been using, as I’ve gone through the process. For example, student loans is pretty high up on the list, and I’ve been able to cut that out. But first and foremost, think about this as an emergency fund, and then getting your 401(k) match. Then I put HSA up there at the top, because it’s your dual tax-advantaged account and my student loans filled in that slot there, and pulling that out, then it’s to a Roth IRA.

With my income now, very fortunate that doing the backdoor Roth IRA option. Then it’s back to the 401(k), and maxing out the 401(k). Those are pretty much all your tax-advantaged accounts. If someone’s gotten to that point, and they’re still able to invest in money, which I’m fortunate to be able to do it now is pretty – I think, if you look online, there’s a lot of people who say, yes, those are probably your top five categories, and list to go through in different orders, depending on each person. Especially if you have student loans, and you’re doing PSLF, it’s going to be completely different. You might prioritize your 401(k) first because you want to reduce your adjusted gross income. 

But once you’ve hit all those tax-advantaged accounts, that’s why I did the None to One Program with the YFP Real Estate with David and Nate. Because you know, I was thinking, “Okay. Let’s look into real estate.” Since that didn’t pan out currently, and it probably will in the future, I just put the rest into a taxable brokerage account in the same low-cost, broad-based index funds. So keeping it simple once again.

[0:40:22] TU: Riley, address for me a common objection, which people have is, “Hey, I want to retire early.” I don’t know exactly when that will be, but let’s say late 40s, early 50s. Kind of a moderate to aggressive timeline versus a traditional retirement age. I’ve got all these assets tied up in retirement accounts, where I’m going to take on a penalty if I take it out before the age of 59 and a half. Insert brokerage account is one way to mitigate that. You astutely mentioned that you’re obviously optimizing your tax accounts before you get to that point. How have you thought through a reconciled what you may need from a point of retirement, which is unknown until you get to that age where you can draw from those accounts, and how you might mitigate some of that risk?

[0:41:05] RP: Yes. I think of them in these three different categories, your pre-tax, your post-tax, and then your tax brokerage accounts. I think there’s – I’m sure there’s an ideal percentage where if you’re going to retire at age 45, for example, you want to have a good amount in your taxable brokerage account, right? Because you can’t get to your tax-advantaged accounts earlier on. But there’s, for example, currently, a Roth IRA conversion ladder is one process that people take in place, and they’re able to do that. 

I think a simple strategy is make sure that all of those buckets have someone in there, so then you have the flexibility to do what kind of, whatever you want to do, whatever makes sense to you at the time. In that time, luckily, since I’ve been able to, I started the Roth IRA early on. I think that’s the one that people are going to have less on in life since I had that at age 18. But at times, I’m at a point where I want to scale back, I’ll have enough in the three buckets, and I’ve learned enough about the different strategies in place that I’ll figure it out when the time comes, is kind of my philosophy.

[0:42:01] TU: Awesome, one thing you mentioned Riley as we wrap up here, I think you mentioned during your residency year, you’re out learning about FIRE, you’re on various websites. There’s some great resources out there, blogs, podcasts, books. Anything you’d recommend to our listeners that you found to be especially helpful and insightful in your FIRE journey at least on the beginning as you’re learning more about this topic.

[0:42:23] RP: I quickly moved from – I think that the most resources out there are going to be in the blog space. If you look up different blogs, there’s probably plenty of them. The first one I would recommend is called the mad scientist. That’s where you get into the numbers of it. Of course, Mr, Money Mustache is probably the next one that people are going to find. He’s probably the most well-known and – if anyone’s going to find FIRE, first, they’ll probably going to find him. 

Then for podcasts, the first 100 episodes of podcasts called Choose FYI. One of the co-hosts there was a pharmacist. It might be a little bit outdated now since those first 100 episodes are pretty old. Other podcasts I like listening to, Earn & Invest by – he’s called Doc G, Afford Anything by Paula Pant. Then books-wise, there’s some great ones out there, some classic like your money and your life. It’s just great, because it’s learning about the concept of your trading, your life hours to make money, and then you’re spending that money to get more of your life hours back.

Touched a little bit on Die with Zero. I’ll definitely be promoting that. That’s for folks that are maybe learning to, like myself, to maybe spend a little bit more, and enjoy more of life today. If you want to have a stress-free confidence on index funds, Simple Path to Wealth by J. L. Collins is a great book as well.

[0:43:30] TU: Great stuff. Library of information that you recommended. We will link all of those in the show notes. For folks that are listening, trying to write that down, don’t worry, go to the show notes. We’ll link those out. Great recommendations. Riley, really appreciate your time, your insights, your perspective. I love your intentionality around this topic. I love your financial IQ. I appreciate you sharing your journey, especially on the front end of this, and look forward to seeing, and track you along the way.

[0:43:52] RP: Yes. Thank you. This was an absolute blast. I love talking about this topic. Thanks for having me.

[OUTRO]

[0:43:56] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and it’s not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding material should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment.

Furthermore, the information contained in our archive, newsletters, blog post, and podcast is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of your financial pharmacist unless otherwise noted and constitute judgments as of the dates publish. Such information may contain forward-looking statements, which are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

[END]

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YFP 300: Celebrating 300 Episodes of the YFP Podcast!


On this episode, sponsored by APhA, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, and YFP Co-Founder & Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, CFP®, RLP®, RICP®, celebrate the 300th episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast! From student loan repayment strategies and investment planning to wealth protection and entrepreneurship, this podcast has strived to provide valuable insights and practical advice to help pharmacists achieve their financial goals each week. Tim and Tim reflect on some of the most memorable moments and guests from the past 299 episodes.

Episode Summary

YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, is joined by YFP Co-Founder & Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, CFP®, RLP®, RICP®, for a special episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast. This week, Tim and Tim are celebrating the 300th episode of the podcast! After taking a moment to express their gratitude for the YFP team, the YFP community, guests, and listeners, they take some time to reflect on the first 299 episodes and just how far the Your Financial Pharmacist podcast has come in the last six years. 

Tim and Tim share some of their favorite moments from the show, illustrating the range and breadth of personal finance topics covered along the way and how each relates to the personal finance journey and financial planning for pharmacists. From student loan repayment strategies to wealth protection and entrepreneurship, the podcast has covered it all! Highlights include a snippet from the very first episode of the podcast, how YFP has fostered a community by sharing pharmacist debt-free stories, and stories of pharmacists working towards and achieving financial independence. Listeners will hear Tim and Tim examine common threads throughout the years, including the importance of balancing future financial needs with living a rich life today, entrepreneurship as it relates to personal finance, the emotional and behavioral side of the financial plan, and the importance of philanthropy and giving as part of the financial plan. Tim and Tim close with another sharing of gratitude and hint at plans for the future of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Welcome to a special episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. We are thrilled to be celebrating our 300th episode today, and we couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners, and supporters. Over the years, we’ve covered a wide range of personal finance topics tailored specifically to pharmacy professionals. From student loan repayment strategies and investment planning to wealth protection and entrepreneurship, we’ve strived to provide valuable insights and practical advice to help you achieve your financial goals. 

To mark this milestone, we have a special episode lined up for you today. Tim and I will be reflecting on some of our most memorable moments and guests from the past 299 episodes. So sit back, relax, and join us as we celebrate 300 episodes of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. 

[EPISODE]

[00:00:51] TU: Today’s episode of Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast is brought to by the American Pharmacists Association. APhA has partnered with Your Financial Pharmacist to deliver personalized financial education benefits for APhA members. Throughout the year, APhA will be hosting a number of exclusive webinars covering topics like student loan debt payoff strategies, home buying, investing, insurance needs, and much more. Join APhA now to gain premier access to these educational resources and to receive discounts on YFP products and services. You can join APhA at a 25% discount by visiting pharmacist.com/join and using the coupon code YFP. Again, that’s pharmacist.com/join and using the coupon code YFP. 

Tim, episode number 300. Can you believe it?

[00:01:41] TB: I can’t believe it, Tim. It’s kind of surreal, to be honest. I thought when we started this thing way back in the day, that this would be a great project to dedicate some time to, to kind of lend our voices to the topic. But fast forward to today and where the podcast has gone and some of the things that we’ve covered and some of the guests we’ve had on, it’s kind of crazy. What are your thoughts?

[00:02:05] TU: It’s been an amazing journey. We’ll talk about some of the backstory. We’re going to feature some of our favorite moments from the show over the last, what now, six and a half plus years of doing this. Excited to revisit some of those exciting moments and some of the themes of the show. I don’t think you or I would have ever predicted where this would have gone, over a million and a half downloads of the show. But I think more than anything, that number I think certainly is an achievement. 

But what gets you and I most excited is what we hear from individuals of the impact that the show is having. Hey, I listened to this episode and I took this action or it ignited a conversation between my spouse and I or connected me with another pharmacist or got me thinking in a different way. That’s the piece that gets me fired up, and I think the reason we started it in the first place and the reason we’re continuing to do it today.

[00:03:02] TB: Yes. I mean, it is such a – we’ve said this before. It’s such a great medium to get out there and kind of have listeners see a certain side of you and be able to educate, but also to share and be vulnerable. One of the surrealist things, and I don’t do them anymore, Justin Woods does, our Director of Business Development, but I used to get on calls with prospective clients that were looking for help on their financial plan. They would say things like, “Hey, Tim. I feel like I know you because I’ve been listening to the podcast for the last two years,” or whatever it looks like. After I – the red kind of drains out of my face. It is kind of quite flattering, and you kind of sit in front of this mic and this camera. You don’t really think that when you hit record that it really has an impact. 

But I do think that what YFP has done, and I think the major tool in which it has done this is through the podcast, is really moving the needle for financial education, financial literacy, hopefully, wellness in the pharmacy profession. I still think that we have a lot of work to do. I’d be interested to ask you what you think is next maybe at the end of the podcast and where we’re taking this thing. But, yes, I’m just super excited. I’m super grateful. I think I’m kind of like – I guess I’m technically listed as the cohost, but I kind of just show up, Tim, to be honest. I do my research on what I need to do. 

But I know you and Caitlin and Rose, so I want to give them flowers, just do such a great job of prepping. There’s so much work that goes into this that is kind of behind the scenes. Really, without you guys, we’re not at episode 300 in it. From my perspective, it seems seamless, although I know it is not. So I just want to make sure that I express my gratitude to you and Caitlin and Rose over the years because I think it’s been a team effort. As a fan of the show, as a cohost of the show, so to speak, I don’t take that lightly.

[00:05:01] TU: Yes. I’m glad you mentioned that here, Tim. I had wanted to say some thank yous at the end. But this is a great place to do it. Because when we started the show July 2017, we had talked about what would be the frequency, right? It’s going to be weekly? It’s going to be monthly. It’s going to be every other week. We had several folks tell us like, “Man, don’t do weekly. That is a huge commitment.” 

I think in the only style that Tim Baker does, it’s like, “Hey, let’s jump in the deep end and figure it out.” We were doing A to Z, right? Editing, content planning, topics. But that would not be possible. We would not have been able to sustain that rhythm of weekly episodes here now at episode 300 without Caitlin’s help, without Rose’s help, without the team’s help, without your engagement, without the guests that have come on the show, the people that continue to listen, the folks that ask questions. So it really has been a community effort, and it’s been an incredible honor to be able to sit in the seat. 

One of my favorite parts of the show, we’ll talk more about this throughout the episode, is I hadn’t really thought about like, hey, 300 episodes means 300 conversations that we get to be a part of, right? Sometimes, that’s a sneak peek into a story, a journey of financial wins. Sometimes, that’s media, another pharmacy entrepreneur, or an investor, or an expert on a topic. I get incredible benefit out of just sitting in the seat and learning from the guests that we bring onto the show each and every week. So I also want to give a shout-out to the many, many guests that we’ve had on the show. That’s something that we’re certainly looking to do in the future as well. 

Tim, I want to bring back a little bit of humor as we get started here. But I was going back through some email in prep for this episode and found a string of emails from you and I back and forth, fall 2016. This would be before we officially partnered on the business or even making the decision on the podcast. We were talking about what are some name ideas. What are some taglines? What are some topic lines or topic ideas as it relates to the show? Some of the ones we threw out there are Pills and Bills Radio with Tim and Tim, Scripting Financial Freedom, Tim and Tim and the money, Your Financial Script. 

Then all of a sudden, I remember this vividly, I was on vacation with my family in Hilton Head. You and I were talking on the phone, and you said, “Why don’t we call it the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast?” As simple as it sounds, like that was a very pivotal moment in the journey.

[00:07:26] TB: I think – I don’t know this for sure. But like we both kind of had two separate brands. We were doing very similar types of things. Obviously, you with education and the blog, and me with kind of working more one-on-one with pharmacists on their financial plan. But I think a lot of the underlying beliefs and kind of vision and direction was there. You’ve never said this, but maybe it was more obvious to you because like I think you had –

[00:07:54] TU: It wasn’t. Yeah. It wasn’t.

[00:07:56] TB: Yes. I don’t know. For me, like I love Script. I love Script Financial. That was the original name of my firm when I launched. It’s funny how much time you spend on kind of trivial things like logo and colors and things like that, which are they’re important. But you kind of overweight that. It’s kind of the same thing with this when I’m like, “Tim’s done a really good job of like developing a following in a very short time, and I don’t think I have much of an ego.” I’m like, “Why don’t we just use your banner and use kind of the goodwill that you’ve created?” 

I kind of think you’ll remember because you were at, yes, Hilton Head. I think – I don’t know. Was it a phone call that I – because I kind of remember you sitting on like a back step or a front step, and I was having this conversation. 

[00:08:41] TU: Yes. 

[00:08:45] TB: It was kind of like that aha of like, “Duh, why didn’t we think of this 40 emails ago?” Yes, it is kind of funny. Sometimes, it’s like Occam’s razor, right? It’s simplest thing that’s in front of your face, so yes. But some of those names. I think we were kind of trying to trade a little bit on like the Mike and Mike, the ESPN tandem that they’re not together anymore. But I think using the YFP brand just made the most sense in every facet of what we’re trying to achieve. 

[00:09:18] TU: So as we celebrate episode 300, as I mentioned, we’re going to go back to some of the most memorable moments from the show and highlight the various themes that we’ve covered over the past six-plus years. It all started with episode one back in July of 2017. Let’s take a listen where we talk about the origins of the show. 

Hey, everybody. Welcome to the very first episode of Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. We are so excited to be here. It’s been a long time in the making, and we can’t wait to get started on this journey. In this very first episode, we’re going to discuss the origins of this podcast coming to life, our individual journeys to the world of personal finance, why we care about this topic so much, and what we have coming up and planned for future episodes. 

So to the Your Financial Pharmacist community, I know there’s lots of you out there that have been following the blog over the past few years. So I am super excited to be bringing on Tim Baker to this journey. Tim is a certified financial planner, and he’s doing this business of personal finance and advising the right way. He’s a fee-only advisor, and he has a passion for working with pharmacists. He’s going to add tremendous value to this podcast and to the Your Financial Pharmacist community as a whole. So I can’t wait for you to get to meet him and know more about him. 

So, Tim, you remember that time we met at Bob Evans off of I-71 in Mansfield, Ohio. How random was that?

[00:10:43] TB: Yes. It was great. It was a magical breakfast. I think we sat down. Back up a little bit, we met each other actually via Twitter. That’s his thing. I think we realized that we were doing a lot of the same things, and we had a lot of the same passion. So, yes, that breakfast then in Bob Evans was great for me. I think it kind of was the first step in this direction of kind of partnering up and really bringing great content under the Your Financial Pharmacist brand and really build out the community. So I am super excited, Tim. I’m really ready to kind of begin this journey with you and get this podcast off the ground.

[00:11:30] TU: Tim, I got to admit. That’s a little bit uncomfortable to listen to. I can hear the nerves and excitement in our voices. We had no idea where things were going to go at that point, as we’ve already mentioned. But we knew that the podcast was a good next step after we had that first meeting. We had this shared passion of personal finance and pharmacy. But that takes you back, right, hearing that?

[00:11:50] TB: It does and it was left out of that. I actually turned on the first episode, and you hear like the intro. It’s so different now. It’s a lot better now. But like, yes, I definitely do not go back and listen to those. But at the time, I’m like, “Hey, this is pretty good.” I’m sure, and given everything, like it’s not bad. But it goes back to that point of, and you’ve been posting this lately on LinkedIn, you just got to start. The more that you get paralyzed in your brain, the less you’re going to learn. 

Obviously, 300 episodes in, I don’t know if I’m any more articulate or stutter any differently than I did then. But it was just so unknown. I think 300 repetitions later, I wouldn’t say it’s polished because – I will admit this. I edited, I think, the first 50 episodes of the podcast. I would take way too much time, Tim, to kind of take out like my ums and some of the imperfections. If you go through, like you’ll hear that probably episodes like 10 through 40 or something like that. But it’s just not genuine. It wasn’t really genuine. This is how I talk. I say lots of ums. I don’t say my geez. 

So I think that it was kind of a lesson for me. It’s like don’t try to be something that you’re not. In a world where I think everybody can kind of give you praise or give you like criticism, you kind of have to like filter that out. I think sometimes, like we’ll hear something of like, “Hey, you suck.” That sits well like more with you than like some of the other things that we hear that are positive. That’s kind of been part of the journey too, just being authentic. But it’s just kind of crazy to hear that, which I don’t know if I’ve ever listened to that since that episode, outside of doing the editing. I feel like we’ve come a long way.

[00:13:41] TU: Tim, one of the things we focused on very early on in the show, and we’ve continued, is sharing pharmacist stories. We really wanted to do this for a couple reasons. One, the topic of personal finance can be pretty dry. Two, we really wanted to foster and create a community where pharmacists were empowering and motivating one another. It’s one thing for us to teach and preach, and we certainly do that sometimes. It’s another thing to teach concepts and principles through stories. I think it really helps foster that sense of this isn’t just you or I delivering material. This is us as a collective community of pharmacy professionals coming together to help empower one another on the path towards achieving financial freedom. 

That was a really intentional decision, and I think we have seen the fruit of that throughout. Let’s listen into one of the many debt-free stories that we have featured. This is episode 31 with Adam and Brittany Patterson, starting with Adam talking about making the mental transition from student to new practitioner.

[00:14:49] AP: I would say throughout pharmacy school, I tried to mentally prepare myself going towards graduation. Listen to everybody tell me, “Hey, you’ll be making six figures. Don’t worry about it.” What a lot of people don’t consider at the time was that we actually don’t bring home six figures at the end of the day. They don’t factor in all the taxes and everything that cuts out of your paycheck. 

I didn’t really have a plan at how I was going to tackle the debt but knew that I had a grace period, six months, to figure it out before I started making payments. My wife and I always joked about how much it would take us or how long it would take us to pay off our loans. But it wasn’t until close to the end of the grace period that it all started to settle in. I think once we actually sat down and started to think about how much money we would owe in the long run, looking at the debt, looking at how much interest would build up, that we really started to focus on attacking that debt. So at first, I would say at graduation, it really doesn’t set in until that first payment is due.

[00:15:53] TU: Tim, you know the Pattersons well. This journey that was featured on episode 31 was when Adam and Brittany had paid off $211,000 of debt in 26 months. This really was a catalyst for their family and for their financial plan, right?

[00:16:08] TB: Yes. Shout out to Adam and Brittany. I hear Adam’s voice, and I’m like, “Man, I like that guy.” I haven’t talked to him in a while, and I need to reach out and see how they’re doing. They’re the face of our website. So you see their face when you go to yourfinancialpharmacist.com. 

Yes, I mean, they were really at the jumping-off point in terms of like, “Hey, what’s next? And how do we transition?” They’re just a great example of some of the behavioral finance that we’ll talk about some more in this episode. But just great – I was more thinking of it of like, as I’m listening to Adam, just some of the great people that I’ve got to work with, got to converse with, got to break bread with. They visited me and my daughter when they came through Baltimore, so just great people. 

But, yes, they’re just another great example of, I think, how they’ve approached, again, this mountain of debt and then how they’ve, I think, done a great job of transitioning from that. The big thing from them I think when they started working with me, they were renting a house. Then they bought a beautiful home there outside of Atlanta and Georgia. It’s just kind of awesome to see, to be honest, like the progress. I’m kind of more stuck not necessarily on the numbers but on like the people and the relationships that you develop. 

So, yes, I definitely jotted down a note that I got to reach out to Adam and Brittany and see how they’re doing. Hopefully, we can meet up with them soon. But just another great conversation and another great example of just being intentional with your financial plan, which I know is a common theme that we try to hit on.

[00:17:47] TU: Yes. That’s what I really remember from their journey. I’m so glad you’ve mentioned the personal relationship side of it, right? Because, I mean, the numbers on the debt repayment or the savings and investing, we love seeing that progress. But it’s about what does that mean for them and their family and living a rich life. It’s been fun to watch with the Pattersons. We’re going to come back and talk about that through the episode. 

Tim, one thing Adam said that really hit me was when he said, “I didn’t really have a plan for how to tackle the debt.” This is something that we hear on the regular. Maybe this is a little bit of a pat on our own back, but it feels like the conversation in pharmacy around student loans has become more nuanced in a good way, right? Pharmacists today in 2023 are asking us questions about student loans that demonstrates a level of baseline knowledge that we weren’t hearing back in 2017.

[00:18:38] TB: There’s a couple of shifts that are going on there. One, back in the day in 2017, 2018, 2019, there was a lot of pain around student loans and a lot of pain coupled with where the heck do I even start? Like, “How do I even take a proper inventory?” Then I think as the years went on, it was a pain. But I have a good baseline knowledge of what I have and what I need to pay back. But like how do I – what are the Xs and Os to do that? 

Now, since the pandemic, obviously, one of the things that’s happened since we launched the podcast, among other changes that have happened, the long pause that we’ve had, I think it shifted. We don’t hear a lot of pain around student loans because they kind of been out of sight, out of mind. I think that will shift back when the loans come back online and people are paying. But it’s kind of just been like this hibernating bear. But I would agree with you, Tim. I think I’d like to, hopefully, take some credit of why that shifted a little bit in terms of definitely a more nuanced, a more thoughtful approach to inventory or even like talking about different repayment plans, which were just non-existent before and, be honest, non-existent even in the financial planning world because a lot of this was just so new. 

So, yes, I mean, a lot of this is, obviously, Xs and Os. But I think when it comes down to what we’re trying to do is soothe the pain that a lot of our listeners had at the time and I still think will have once the pause basically is over. But, yes, it’s kind of been interesting to see that transition over time to where we’re at today. Then, again, in a couple of months, what that will look like when the payments start coming back on.

[00:20:28] TU: Again, shout out to the Pattersons. Grateful for their contribution, sharing that story. That is one of many debt-free stories that we’ve shared on the podcasts. We’ve covered student loans A to Z. So if anyone’s looking for either content, knowledge around student loans, or debt-free stories and journeys, go to some of the throwback episodes that we’ve had throughout the show. 

So student loans we’ve covered in detail on the show, a big part of the early days of YFP. But we’ve also focused heavily on stories of pharmacists that are working towards financial independence and living a rich life today, while taking care of their future selves. Let’s take a listen to one financial independence journey that of Cory and Cassie Jenks that we featured on episode 134.

[00:21:15] CJ: Yes. So you’ve had a couple of great guests talk about their FIRE journey, but it’s essentially financially independent, retire early. So you save enough, and the number that is commonly used is you save enough till you have 25 times your annual expenses. Then theoretically, you can withdraw that indefinitely at a four percent rate. To get there, basically, you’re going to have to really bust it for 10 to 20 years, depending on what your savings rate is, depending on what your own spending rate is. 

As Mister Money Mustache and hundreds of other bloggers and people have shown, it’s a very viable path. I think that if we had found that in our mid-20s, before kids, like, okay, we could have sucked it up and both worked full-time hardcore to get there. But then we had a kid and realized we want to have time with him, as much as he can be a little pain. So I came across this idea of CoastFI, and so the FI being financially independent. This says that if you saved enough at a high rate for a short period of time early on in your life and career, you’re going to have the time and compound interest to have it grow to what you need it to be by the time you retire. So that if you hit this CoastFI number, you can scale back the work you’re doing. You can take a job that has a little bit more risk, knowing that you don’t need to continue to contribute to your retirement in order to hit that number. 

Now, I love how you like to personalize this idea of personal finance because traditional FIRE people would get angry at you for not just going all the way through. Maybe CoastFI people will get angry at us because our version of it is to try to get to a number. But then still work some in order to save some. I don’t think we want to hit a number and then stop. So our version is to like get to the number we want and then have the freedom to contribute a little bit less as our lifestyle changes with our family.

[00:23:20] TU: Tim, one of the reasons I want to bring back this story is I’ve stayed in touch with Cory and Cassie. Great people, shout out to them. This was really a key pivotal moment for them and their family, this journey that they run towards financial independence and being intentional with the financial plan, just like we’ve talked about with the Pattersons. Since that point, because of the groundwork they had laid, Cory has been able to pursue his entrepreneurial efforts as an author, comedian, speaker. Cassie has been able to shift jobs to be more in alignment with what she was looking to do, which has really given them a lot of the flexibility that they were looking for with a young family, to be able to have that time together but also to be pursuing the things that they wanted to be doing professionally. 

So I think that that is such a great example of the combination of the financial plan and what we’re ultimately trying to achieve. One example of many, Tim, of something you often say, which is, hey, we’ve got to find this balance between living a rich life today and taking care of our future selves. Why is this such a central theme for you, personally, as well as for our planning team that works with our pharmacist households all across the country? 

[00:24:35] TB: That’s a great question, Tim. So why is that important? I think like before I answer that question, when I was listening to Cory, I was just thinking like it was a little bit of the same conversation we had when we were on a recent road trip because you kind of had mentioned planning for your boy’s college and kind of going all the way to one end of like, “Hey, I had this experience of having a lot of debt, so I don’t want them to experience that.” For me, the thing that was screaming, as I was listening to Cory speak and then kind of relating that to our conversation in the car, was planning is greater than the plan. What I mean by that is like it’s kind of the Mike Tyson quote. It’s like you have a plan until someone punches you in the face, or life happens, or you have a kid, which those are things. Having a kid, those are things that have happened since like we started the podcast, for me at least. I know you’ve added a couple to your crew. 

So it’s more about planning and less about the plan because the plan is going to change because change is an inevitable part of our life. I think the better that we can cope with change and plan around that, the better we will be. But the answer to your question about live a rich life today, live a rich life tomorrow, I think that a lot of the – and you’re starting to see it swing back the other way. A lot of the mantra is like save, save, save. Have enough for retirement and make sure you’re doing all these things for like the 30-year older version of yourself. 

But then there’s a lot more content and stuff out there. What was the book that you’ve recently read? Die with Zero or whatever. That’s kind of shifted that back. I think like the dangerous thing is that if you follow those kind of rules of thumb, you get to the end of the rainbow and you retire. Say you retire with five million. But if you would have taken that trip or those trips throughout the course of the year, or if you would have taken that one day a week to kind of work on a side hustle or spend time with your family, maybe you retire with two or three. 

To me, like the question I would ask the client would be like, “Well, what’s the point? What are we really trying to achieve? Is it to amass a bunch of ones and zeros in a bank account? Or is it to really live a rich life as you age through your 20s, 30s, 40s, hopefully, to your 100s?” I think that because we get so busy, we’re on to the next thing. Pharmacists are very type A. It’s, “Okay, I’ve done this. What’s next? Okay, I’ve done this. What’s next?” But I think what planning really does or I think if it’s done well, it really allows space for a conversation of is this what we really want. Is this a wealthy life? 

I think we can – this was me completely. I was raised, and I love my parents. But I was raised that the key to success or happiness, if you want to intertwine those two, is, Tim, you have to get the best grades that you can get to get into the best college that you can get into, to then graduate with the highest GPA, to get the best job, to make the most money. I realized in my first probably 30 years of life that like that didn’t necessarily add up to me, that I was often happiest when things were simpler, when I wasn’t making a lot of money. I had a lot more control of my time. I think it really forced me to kind of question and to evaluate what were the important things in my life. 

Unfortunately, especially if you kind of get into that trap of, man, I’m working 40, 50, 60 hours, there’s no capacity to really question am I on the right track or not. Sometimes, like it takes you to do that. Sometimes, it’s you and a partner. Sometimes, it’s a third party, an objective person like a therapist, like a financial planner, maybe a priest or a minister or whatever to kind of ask those pointed questions and to challenge the paradigm in which you are in. 

I’m happy to see that a lot more of the content or some of the discussion around this is not to – again, I kind of think about corporate America. Right or wrong, but corporate America is running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace, and it’s really not a sustainable thing. So whether that’s your profession, whether that’s the way that you’re spending money, the way that you’re spending your time, I really think that question of are we living a wealthy life today or are we living a wealthy life tomorrow. I think having balanced between those is such an important question to ask yourself, as you are kind of proceeding through life. 

Because I know, for me, like there’s been parts of my life where I’m like – it’s kind of like, all right, when you’re little, you kick your soccer ball into the sticker bushes, and you just stick your head down. You’re running and you get out as quickly as you can. Then you take some lumps. But sometimes, we just get stuck in those thorny bushes. You wake up and you’re 40 years old, 50 years old, 60 year olds. You’re like, “What the heck am I doing?” So I think being self-reflective, it’s really about that more than anything. 

[00:30:02] TU: Yeah. Tim, you’ve role-modeled this firsthand. Let’s take a listen back to episode 227, where we discuss this further, right? How much is enough, the importance of balancing experiences today with the future. This included your decision to buy your motorhome. Let’s take a listen.

[00:30:19] TB: One of the things I say to prospective clients, we might go through the wealth-building stage of the financial plan, and we’ll do a nest egg calculation that says, “Hey, Tim. You need five million dollars to retire.” That’s typically where they look at us like we have five million heads, right? Because it’s a big number that’s in the future that doesn’t really mean anything to me. So we go through the process of kind of discounting that back to a number that says, “Okay, if you’re putting this into your TSP or this into your IRA or this into your 401(k) a month, you’re on track, or you’re off track, right?” So we can kind of break that down into more of a digestible number to see if we’re trending to that goal, given a handful of assumptions. 

But the point of this story is if we do work together for the next 30 years, and you don’t have five million, you have 7 million, 8 million, 10 million, whatever that is, that’s great. Those numbers are bigger than five million. But if you’re miserable because you look back at that list of all the things that you wanted to do over 30 years, 20 years, 10 years, whatever that is, and you haven’t done anything, and you’re miserable because of it or you’re disappointed, the question I would ask you is what’s the freaking point?

[00:31:31] TU: That’s right. 

[00:31:33] TB: Why get this education? Why earn this money? Why pay down this debt? Why invest or whatever if we’re not going to intentionally direct it to the things that matter to you most? I don’t think that I’m going to be on my deathbed. I’m going to say I wish I would not have bought that RV. I just don’t think that in my heart of hearts because I just think about the reaction that my daughter and my niece has had, just when we pulled that up. Even the two camping trips that I had, I think I snapped a few pictures and texted them to you, Tim, even in our first camping trips. It’s going to be an adventure. 

To extrapolate that out, like that’s our lives, our lives, our adventures. But we have to be willing to take it and seize it. I think that’s what life planning really tries to get to the surface is what is that adventure and taking that road and not necessarily adapt to a paradigm that’s not yours.

[00:32:29] TU: Tim, that was great stuff. It has been a memory maker for your family. 

[00:32:33] TB: Yes. I was getting a little teary-eyed listening to that because it’s also like a good reminder for me to be completely honest. Sometimes, Shane and I will look at it. I’m like, “Man, is this worth it because they say it’s just a money suck?” But then when you look at it in totality, like just the things that in the short time that we’ve had it, it’s been a game changer. I don’t know, it’s – listen to that. The two things that were kind of evident to me is when I repeat myself a lot. So I say a lot of the same things over and over again, which I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. It’s just kind of like part of my messaging. 

But also, like it’s a reminder. Because sometimes, like – and again like we’ve asked the question, even since we got it. Man, is this worth it? It’s a lot of money. Gas prices have gone up and all that kind of stuff. But it is. I mean, we recently changed where we store it, and I’m driving it from one to the other, and I’m just getting so jacked up. My son will see it parked out front. He’s like, “Oh, are we going camping?” He just lights up. He’s like, “I want to go camping.” I’m like, “No, buddy. We’re not going to go camping until it’s a little bit warmer.” He’s like genuinely upset. 

So, yes, we have a lot of plans for it. Obviously, we have to make sure that we budget and we have our plan built around it. But I would reiterate the same thing that I had said is like I don’t think that I’m going to be on my deathbed saying like, “I wish I wouldn’t have done that.” I think it’d be the opposite. I wish I would have done it sooner. I wish I would have done it longer or did more trips. So, yes, I think it’s just so important too. 

That’s the thing that I really enjoy about the work that we do after the podcasts turns off, and people say, “Hey, I want to work with you guys.” I think our planners do a really good job of like bringing forward, yes, we got to do the Xs and Os and the technical stuff. But bringing forward like that trip that you want to take or this goal that is not necessarily – it’s money-adjacent, right? Because a lot of the things we have to like plan the dollars for, but it’s not necessarily like traditional investing or an insurance policy. 

I think those things are just as important. I don’t know if a lot of planners feel that way. But to me, if you have that trip to Paris or the Pacific Northwest out there, I’m like, “Where’s the money for that? Let’s get this going. Let’s do this, and let’s cross it off the list and then move on to the next one.” 

[00:34:57] TU: Great stuff. One of the things I mentioned earlier, Tim, is the joy that it’s been to get to know some of the guests that we’ve had on the show. Many of which have led to some awesome friendships and collaborations and just a ton of fruit that has come from that. Most of our guests have been pharmacists. But we’ve had the opportunity to interview several New York Times bestselling authors, gurus in personal finance. This has been an honor. I mean, it’s been a ton of fun just to learn from these folks. I’ve been amazed at how gracious people can be with their time. 

Let’s take a listen back to my interview, one of these with Rachel Cruze, episode 215, where she discusses the emotional and behavioral side of the financial plan, including how we can write our own financial story.

[00:35:42] RC: When there’s so much hope, and I think even the money piece of my message that I communicate with people, it’s like no matter what mistakes you’ve made, yes, maybe you do have a ton of debt. So on a more logistical side, yes, you have a deeper hole to dig out of than the person next to you. But no matter what, you get to make decisions to say, “No, I actually want to change how I view something or the habits around money.” 

The same is true with your classroom. Some people – a lot of people, I would say, grew up in a hard environment when it came to money with their parents. But, yes, but you don’t have to just mirror that story, right? You can take charge of your life to say, “You know what? I’m not going to sit here and bash my parents, but I’m also not going to defend them. I’m going to just tell the truth and what happens. Here’s the truth. Okay, there’s some good stuff, and there’s some bad stuff. The bad stuff I can forgive, and I’m going to move forward, though, to choose something different for my life and my family.” 

I think it’s powerful, and I think we have to do that in all our parenting. I’m not a parenting expert, by any means. But I’m like, my husband and I have said, “Okay, this is our family. What are we going to choose to do in this? So the money piece is part of that.

[00:36:44] TU: Tim, I felt like this episode was oozing with wisdom, and I loved her authenticity. But one of the things she really hit on, we spent most of the conversation talking about, is really the behavioral side of the financial plan, the emotional side of the financial plan. She was alluding there to the money classroom that we grew up in, the money scripts that we hear growing up, and how much of an influence, whether we realize it or not, that that has on how we approach our finances today. 

So, Tim, from your perspective, either individually or also what you see with clients, like how important is that money classroom, is that money script in understanding what perspective you’re bringing into the financial plan to ultimately achieve the goals that you want to achieve?

[00:37:28] TB: Yes. I mean, we all have these money scripts. It could be money is the root of all evil, or money solves all your problems, or there’s – don’t trust people with money. There could be a lot of different things that based on your parents, their upbringing, and how they imprint that on you. It’s a big factor. I always kind of point to the Advisor’s Alpha Vanguard study, and that highlights if you work with a financial advisor. They’re supposedly returning three percent per year on your assets. Half of that is really attributed to not technical or any type of special analysis. It’s really like the behavioral coaching. 

That’s significant. I think that whether we want to believe it or not, like we all have these scripts, this baggage. It could be a positive thing. It could also be something that’s a limiting factor for us to really kind of achieve the goals that we have. I think that I’m dabbling more into it. I don’t think I’ve even told you this, Tim. But I’m dabbling more into like stoicism, so reading some books on stoicism and Marcus Aurelius. One of the big things that I’m pulling out of that is like you can really only control what you can control. A lot of our thoughts and a lot of the things that preoccupy us are things that are completely out of our control. 

It’s kind of what she was saying. You can think about your upbringing and how you were taught, and you can hold on to that and not let that go but probably to your detriment. It’s really about what are you doing today. What are the intentional actions that you’re doing today to better yourselves? That could be financially related. It could be something completely outside of that, just general wellness. 

I think that part of, again, working with a therapist, an advisor, whoever that is, is to kind of pull back some of that façade. Ask good question. Ask pointed questions. Challenge you to say again, are we really where we want to be. Or when you said this, let’s dissect that. Where’s that coming from? What is this? How is this serving you or not serving you? What are the limiting factors? 

We see this, I think, more often with people that are wading into spaces that they’re completely unfamiliar. So I’m thinking about like a business, and we hear things like impostor syndrome or – but it is true for that individual that is working a shift at a hospital or like a farm. All of that is there. So to me, again, it’s about reflecting on these behaviors and then questioning, does this serve me today. If it doesn’t, let it go, and then move on. I think building that as part of the plan is important. 

I was talking with one of our lead planners who’s doing a certification on financial like kind of psychology counseling. A lot of that is to kind of, again, uncover some of the things that she sees in clients to be able to better serve them or challenge them, when they utter X or Y in terms of how they approach their finances. So it’s really, really important the behavioral aspect of it. I think having the pulse on your own, which is very hard, is, I think, part of the building blocks of creating a plan that serves you and not others. So great episode.

[00:40:49] TU: Tim, as we’ve evolved in our own journey as entrepreneurs and have had the opportunity to connect with various pharmacists that are falling in a similar pathway, we quickly came to the realization that finance is a threat across so many not only individual stories but so many business stories. Whether it’s people that are dreaming about their idea, those that are in the thick of launching something or those that are looking to scale, it’s really hard to separate out our personal financial plan and goals from the business. 

That’s in part why we started featuring more and more of the show, I would say, over the last 100 episodes or so on pharmacy entrepreneurs, knowing that personal finance is a common thread to pharmacy entrepreneurship to that community. But also, given our personal passion for entrepreneurship, we wanted to give some examples and on some level inspire others with the many different ways that a pharmacist degree and license can be valuable. 

Let’s take a listen back to one of these pharmacy entrepreneurs’ interviews that we featured in 2022. That was Kun Yang, the Co-Founder and CEO of Pricklee Cactus Water, and he was featured along with his co-founder on Shark Tank.

[00:42:02] KY: I think there were a lot of moments. When I look back, it wasn’t like I think one specific – I mean, I do have a specific moment that I’ll share. But I think there were a lot of feelings that I think that felt familiar to me, even in that moment that I can kind of trace back and say, “Okay, this kind of makes a lot of sense.” So the moment really was walking into – I just finished our fellowship and program, and had started a new company. It was a spin-off of our existing fellowship business. I kind of just walked in and had really, really fallen in pretty deep appreciation for the opportunity and the people that I was working with. 

But I think one of the days I kind of walked in, and I looked around, and this was still pretty early on in our journey. But something hit me that I had always thought that through all the different career changes and exploration of getting to that point, that going this “non-traditional” path would have led me to move away from this feeling of “impostor syndrome” or feeling like everything that I was doing was actually getting more and more specific. It was because it was leading me to a point of clarity, right?

Really, over time, I realized that impostor syndrome and point of clarity had a lot to do with an understanding of who I wasn’t, as opposed to understanding of who I was. I think that’s something that probably a lot of us can relate to is growing up in your 20s and even maybe sometimes early 30s, you have a lot of ideas of maybe what you don’t like to do, right? Or what are some of the things that don’t excite you? What are some of the general things that do excite you? But you may not really understand specifically why or what you’re really good at to allow you to succeed in those roles. 

Again, all those feelings led to that one moment I walked in. I looked around in this open office setting, and I was kind of like, “Man, there’s a lot of incredibly talented and smart individuals around me. If I work really, really hard here for another 15, 20 years, I can really be like one of them.” These were at the time, again, all my heroes I looked up to that kind of forged the pathway for us before. 

I guess it hit me in that moment that there wasn’t a specific role that I could look at and say like that is exactly in specific what I wanted to do. I think that that was my – I call it a quarter-life crisis moment of all that impostor syndrome bubbling and kind of blowing up all at once, realizing that, “Wait a second. How could I have done all this and pursued all this specificity, only to feel this still in this moment?” There’s not much more specificity I could pursue. That was when it really kind of became an introspective question of like, “Is there something outside of pharmacy that I can apply my skills to still within the health and wellness space that we’re really passionate about, that I could find truth and clarity?”  

[00:44:37] TU: Tim, that was one of my favorite episodes of 2022 and just the opportunity to cross paths with Kun. We would later find out we’ve worked at the fellowship program. Shout out to the MCPHS fellowship program, Amee Mistry, who’s been our collaborator now five-plus years and some really incredible graduates that have come out of that program. One of which is being Kun. But just to hear his reflection on that episode of his quarter-life crisis of coming to this moment of, hey, my pharmacy degree and the experiences I’ve had are valuable. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I have to be identified by that or be identified by a traditional career path. I suspect maybe that connects a little bit with you as well on your own journey.

[00:45:21] TB: Yes. I think going back to Cory, like I think early on, Cory Jenks, like we definitely wanted to give a voice, more of a non-traditional path. I mean, you yourself, Tim, since we started the podcast, again, what’s changed? You’re no longer full-time in academia. You’re full-time with YFP, so more of a non-traditional. So I’ll preface this by saying like being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. I think that that’s important to say out loud because there’s a lot that goes into that. It’s not necessarily for every personality type. 

But I do think that, for me, personally, being an entrepreneur, I get a lot of juice and a lot of just energy listening to other entrepreneurs kind of share their story. This one in particular, obviously, we had them on the podcast and watched their Shark Tank episode. It’s very inspiring. I do think that one of the common things that comes out with a lot of these sources is the financial piece. That is a financial thread, whether it’s before, during, or even after the whole journey of being an entrepreneur. 

So I think, selfishly, we highlight some of the stories because like it’s part of the things that you and I are both interested in. I can hear my own story when I listen to Kun in this episode, and I’m sure a lot of other pharmacists that are going down this path. But I think that it’s another thing that for us to kind of give voices or to highlight. You don’t have to necessarily color within these lines. There’s a life outside of this. For some people, that clicks. For some, it doesn’t. These particular types of episodes, for me, personally, being a fan of the show, are just super inspiring. Again, I can hear my own story in a lot of them, so.

[00:47:13] TU: Yes. Tim, one of the things that comes to mind here is when we started doing more of these interviews, I’ve often shared with folks. I grew up in small business. We’ve had a family business. My dad’s been in business, advise businesses. I think that probably has stayed with me over time. But I just can’t get enough of talking with other entrepreneurs. What are you building? Why are you building it? What’s working? What’s not working? What are you learning about yourself and the journey? It’s incredible to have those conversations. 

One of my goals with these conversations was, hey, I’m not necessary expecting that any listener is going to listen to Kun’s story. Or I think about Allyson Brennan, the Founder of Emogene & Co. or Karine Wong, who founded My Guiltless Treats we had on the show, Victoria Reinhatz with Mobile Health Consultants, and the many stories we featured, Kelley Carlstrom and the awesome work that she’s doing. Not that a listener is going to say, “I’m going to go do exactly what Kelley’s doing.” But rather, it’s going to give them a different way of thinking, perhaps a source of inspiration or motivation of like, “I had no idea, like a pharmacist went that same traditional path that I went at one point or I am currently in.” 

If students are listening, and they went and did something that was non-traditional, they colored it outside of the lines. Again, we’re not suggesting that path is for everyone. But we want to give a voice to that, and I think we’re in a really exciting/disruptive time in our profession. Depending on how you look at disruption, it can be scary. That’s fair. But it also can be exciting. It means there’s opportunity for new ideas, new innovations to come to – and we’re seeing that out in the pharmacy entrepreneurship community. It’s really exciting. 

[00:48:55] TB: Yes. I mean and I think the writing’s on the wall. I would love to have maybe when I answer the question of like, “What’s next, Tim?” I actually have more long-form discussions about this, like the profession of pharmacy. I know there’s some other podcasts that, obviously, are strictly focused on that. But, yes, I mean, I think the writing’s on the wall for a lot of the things that we’ve been talking about with AI and Amazon and different legislative things that are out there that I think it is ripe for disruption. You can be on, “Hey, you embrace that,” or you could be on the, “I’m going to dig my heels in.” 

Yes, I think that when I look back at my journey before even meeting you, it was a podcast that I listened to over and over again. It was about financial planners that had a very similar story to me that were kind of leaving the traditional big siloed firm and doing it themselves. I’m like I remember having that like aha moment of, “I’m a pretty smart guy. I feel like I can figure this out.” I just took that leap. 

For me, and you see this in a lot of entrepreneurs, because unlike you, I didn’t grow up in that environment. I grew up in the environment of kind of what I was saying like, “Get the best job, i.e. the safest job.” Why would you ever like leave a steady paycheck to go start from zero? That’s a completely foreign concept in my family. I think for me is like once I made that switch, I kind of want to say like the chemistry of my brain change because, again, like I always talk, I said this on a recent post that you had, I was definitely that. A lot of pharmacists can relate to this. Every decision that I made, it was I’m going to dot all the Is. I’m going to cross all the Ts. I’m going to analyze every angle of this decision. Time will go by and I’ll be paralyzed by what should I do. 

Now, since becoming an entrepreneur, it’s really like I’m going to cannonball in and figure it out. I might swallow some water, but then I’m going to iterate, right? So I’m going to figure out what works or what doesn’t work. I’m going to save a lot of time doing that, and I’m still going to do a general analysis. But I think that mindset for me, I almost kind of equate it to like the chemistry in my brain. It’s like changed because and, again, I think you talk about entrepreneurship comes in a lot of forms. But it could be a side hustle. But it could be where you’re leaving your job in academia, and you’re doing this full-time. You’re uncapping your income potential. 

There’s just a lot of things that are attractive about it to me. Again, as a fan of the show and highlighting the stories, one, part of it is like I’m interested to see like what are people doing with our PharmD that’s related or even unrelated to the profession of pharmacy. What are some creative things that people are doing, and how is the profession going to pivot? Because I think to your point, it is ripe for disruption. 

So, yes, just super grateful to have, like I said, the individuals that you mentioned come on and share their story. I’m hoping to do much, much more of these in the future because they’re inspiring in the least, so. 

[00:52:14] TU: Yes. It’s so fun to give a voice to the stories here, the passion that comes through. One of the things I think I’ve shared with you, Tim, before, when I think about the traditional pie chart of the profession of pharmacy, right? You’ve got half or so that are in community practice. Maybe 20% or so that are in hospital practice, a smaller segment that’s an industry, smaller segment that’s in academia and research. Then that final five percent or so is very splintered between all these different opportunities. 

I think, if I had to put a crystal ball in the future of the profession, we’re going to see that splintered part of the pie chart become bigger and bigger with pharmacists pursuing more and more non-traditional options, which is exciting. The role of the pharmacist is an important one in our healthcare system. I think we’ve got some really cool ideas of things that our people are doing, and I have a feeling we’re going to reflect upon this period as one that was really disruptive in a good way for the profession.

[00:53:07] TB: Absolutely. 

[00:53:09] TU: So the last clip I want to share centers around the giving part of the financial plan. Let’s hear from pharmacist educator and Rising Suns Pharmacy Founder, Sarah Adkins, who came on episode 276 to talk about her why for giving, including the journey of starting a nonprofit pharmacy in Southeastern Ohio. Let’s hear from Sarah Adkins.

[00:53:30] SA: I was raised in the church. I think regardless of the spiritual realm in which you’re raised, a lot of my upbringing was about giving and making sure that those who were not as fortunate, that I gave to those people who were not as fortunate. I was taught that, I mean, since a young age. I think that, for me, that is – I don’t have a lot of money right in my – I never have needed that or wanted that. But I have time. Do I have time? That’s the question. 

[00:54:05] TU: That is the question. 

[00:54:07] SA: I think I don’t have time. But I definitely give wholeheartedly of my time is what I give. So I have given – it makes me feel good, truly. When I am at the free pharmacy, it is a lot like community pharmacy, right? It’s a lot. You’re on your feet. You’re taking phone calls. You’re answering questions. You’re trying to figure out cost of medications, spending a lot of time on the phone, asking patients about their insurance coverage or why are you not eligible and how much is your copay for this. 

I have a couple people, just because it’s come to my head. I have a woman who has an $8,000 deductible on her plan, $8,000. That always comes to my head about people with their deductibles. So why giving? Because I can, because I can. I’m bright. I have a good job. I have a lot of support from my family and my community. I can and I’m able, so why not? It makes me feel good. I feel like I’ve done something to make myself proud and to make my community proud and my family proud.

[00:55:14] TU: Because I can. All the fields there from Sarah, someone I have a great amount of admiration and respect for. Tim, her passion and mindset around giving of time and money is contagious. I know one of the things you and I are both excited about is as we work with thousands of pharmacists across the country and have the impact I think that we hope to have on improving the financial wellness, pharmacists working through paying off their own debt, getting a solid financial foundation in place, I think that, naturally, the next question for many pharmacists is how can I help. How can I help in whatever capacity means most to me? 

That might be something that’s more traditional in giving; nonprofits, churches, organizations. It might be family members, friends that are in need, other types of areas. But we really see this when we talk about the evolution of YFP and kind of the next phase of the podcast and other things we’re doing. I think the giving part of the financial plan is going to be a really important one.

[00:56:16] TB: I think sometimes there’s a little bit of guilt around this, especially kind of going back to the money scripts. I think this is a good money script to have is to give back. But sometimes, you got to put your own oxygen mask on before you can do that. So, yes, I think that this is one that I think naturally as people, again, kind of continue on their journey. They’re going to be looking for ways that they can kind of give back because a lot of people have been helped along the way as well. It’s something that you and I, again, have talked about in terms of like where does YFP fit in in this whole realm of giving. I think there’s going to be some things that we’re going to announce here in the future around that, which I’m really excited about. 

But, yes, it is one of those things that I’m hoping that we can shine more of a light on of stories like Sarah’s because I think it is so important, and it goes back to like what’s the point, right? She mentioned it, how it makes her feel. I think if you can incorporate that into your own financial plan or kind of the vision of what you’re trying to achieve, I think kind of all boats rise. So love the stories as well. I definitely want to make sure that we highlight more stories like this in the next 300 episodes. 

So, I guess, Tim, I guess, I’ll ask the question as like what do you think? What’s going to – what do the next 300 episodes have in store for us?

[00:57:45] TU: Well, this is the last – No, I’m just kidding. I think that there’s so much opportunity here. One of the things we’ve talked about is bringing this community together, right? Pharmacists empowering one another. This is not something that just Tim and I are leading or even our team at large. We really feel this vision and work around financial wellness for the profession of pharmacy is ongoing. The work needs to be done. That’s only going to happen at the level it needs to happen with the impact that it has the potential to have, if we can bring that community together to help one another empower one another share stories. So more stories are definitely on the horizon. 

Another thing that I have as a vision for the future is more voices on the show. I love doing this. But I recognize that there’s a ton of value and other perspectives, both internally and externally. So we’re going to have folks externally that are really passionate about certain topics. We’re working on this year with Corrie Sanders, Founder of Huna Health, leading our new pharmacy innovators series, featuring pharmacy entrepreneurs but also internally with the team, having more of the expertise of our certified financial planners, our tax professionals, other members of the YFP team to bring some other voices to the show. 

Then I think from a content standpoint, Tim, we’ve already started to make this transition that we want to make sure we’re representing the gamut of the pharmacy professional, right? From student pharmacist, new practitioner or mid-career, pre-retiree, retiree, we really feel like this topic of financial wellness in the profession of pharmacy is not narrowed into any one of those groups. It really spans the entirety because those topics are changing naturally as our phase of life evolves. So that will be done in content that we’re bringing to specifically more on that mid-career, pre-retire, retiree, as well as stories in those phases of life about that transition into retirement. 

I was just having a conversation yesterday with a pharmacist who’s mid-career. Kids are starting to get to the point of getting out of the house, was taking care of elderly parents. Totally different challenges and opportunities in different parts of the financial plan and wanting to make sure we’re bringing a voice to that as well. So that’s the future I see. We’ve been doing this long enough to know that you can only plan so much, right? There will be some pivot points that will naturally happen and, hopefully, some opportunities that come as well. 

Then we don’t have specifics on this yet, Tim, but both you and I share the vision of some more long-form content, bringing some more video in. We’d love to deck out YFP HQ with the studio and do some more video as well. So stay tuned. We might crack that down here in 2023. But what are your thoughts on that, other ideas you have for the vision as well?

[01:00:30] TB: Yes. I mean, I think we kind of follow the – At the time, when we launched the podcast, it was like keep it to like a commute, so like 30 minutes. We’re seeing a lot of successful podcasts go where – you just kind of turn the mic on and you’re just talking about a subject. A lot of the podcasts I listened to are an hour, an hour-plus. So I’m not necessarily advocating for us to kind of drone on about HSAs or things like that. But I would like to be talking more about – when I was looking at some of the statistics, some of our most listened to episodes are more or less about money and more about the broader profession and things like overall wellness. I think that is really important for us to discuss. 

I’m fortunate enough to be able to sit in our conference room here with you, Tim, and just kind of talk about broader issues. I think that some of those discussions, if we actually record it and put those out to the masses, would be valuable. Kind of getting your perspective, obviously, my perspective and kind of how I’ve worked with pharmacists over the years and even an outsider. So I think if you’re listening to this, we’re definitely open to feedback, whether that’s more long-form, broaden our scope a little bit. 

Are there people out there that are like, “Hey, I’ve been waiting for you to interview X, Y, or Z.”? Nominate yourself. We’d love to get more voices on the podcast and really make the next 300 episodes better than the first 300. Like I said, I want to do more. We talked about more shift in mid-career and retirees. I want to do more for my own kind of education on like money and kids and how we should approach that and what are some of the things that we should be teaching our kids. So we don’t kind of imprint some of these money scripts on them. 

There’s lots of things that I think we still are – we need to dust off and really work through. There’s probably a lot of guests that we need to have back on and get updates. So all of that is on the table. But, yes, I’m just super bullish about the work that we’ve done on the podcast, but also the work that’s yet to be done. Excited about the conversation and excited about the journey and continuing to learn on my end. Like I said, I’m a huge fan of the show myself. Yes, just excited for the next 300 in store.

[01:02:53] TU: I am too. It’s going to be a fun journey. It has been a fun journey. As we wrap up, I just want to, again, say thank you to the listeners. Tim, a thank you to you for the many hours you have put into the show, to the planning team, as we’ve had folks from there come on to the show, the many guests, just a few that we featured today. Again, a huge shout-out to Caitlin and Rose from the YFP team that are really the engine behind us putting out this content each and every week and being able to make the show go on. So big thank you to them. 

As Tim mentioned, and I’ll reiterate again, if you have an idea for the show, topic, guests, format of the show, we would love to hear that. You can email us, [email protected]. Last but certainly not least, if you’ve been a listener and you’ve liked the show, do us a favor. Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. That will help others find the show as well.

Tim, great stuff. Looking forward to the next 300. 

[01:03:46] TB: Oh, yes. 

[01:03:47] TU: Before we wrap up today’s episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast, I want to, again, thank our sponsor, the American Pharmacists Association. APhA is every pharmacist’s ally advocating on your behalf for better working conditions, better PBM practices, and more opportunities for pharmacists to provide care. Make sure to join a bolder APhA to gain premier access to financial educational resources and to receive discounts on YFP products and services. You can join APhA at a 25% discount by visiting pharmacists.com/join and using the coupon code YFP. Again, that’s pharmacist.com/join using the coupon code YFP. 

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[01:04:27] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog posts, and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist, unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements that are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you, again, for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week. 

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YFP 299: Home Buying for Pharmacists: What to Know, How to Determine If You’re Ready, Finding an Agent, and More!


On this episode, sponsored by The Real Estate RPh, Nate Hedrick, PharmD, The Real Estate RPh and co-host of the YFP Real Estate Investing Podcast, discusses home buying for pharmacists, how to determine if you are ready, how to find an agent, and much more.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, has a chat with Nate Hedrick, The Real Estate RPh and co-host of the YFP Real Estate Investing Podcast, about home buying for pharmacists and the many considerations that should be taken into account when pursuing home ownership. With a focus on first-time home buyers, Tim and Nate cover knowing when you are ready to buy a home. They share the importance of having a solid financial foundation so that when you purchase your home, it doesn’t become an additional stressor on your financial picture. Nate shares his checklist for home-buying readiness, including tackling bad debt, having an emergency fund, building a down payment fund, and understanding why you want to buy a home. With many pharmacists impacted by the student loan pause, there is a discussion on preparedness for when that ends and how home buyers will have to plan for that change to the financial plan, including changes in the affordability of home buying. Nate touches on additional costs of home ownership that first-time buyers should be aware of and plan for, taxes, utilities, maintenance, and capital expenditures. First-time home buyers should also consider assembling a team for the home-buying process, starting with an accountability partner, a lender, and a real estate agent. Listeners will hear about lending options and words of wisdom from Nate on the real estate landscape in early 2023. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hello and welcome to the YFP Podcast. I’m Tim Ulbrich, and it’s great to have you here, as we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom. 

Today, I’m excited to welcome back a friend of YFP, pharmacist, real estate agent, and real estate investor, Nate Hedrick, aka the Real Estate RPH. In this episode, we’re going to delve into the world of home buying for pharmacists. We’ll discuss what you need to know, how to determine if you’re ready, considerations for balancing a home purchase for student loans, the differences between lending options, and the various members to consider on your home buying team. Stay with us until the end of the show when Nate and I talk about the current economic environment that first-time homebuyers find themselves in and what to expect going forward. 

Are you planning to buy a home in the next year or two? With the state of current home prices and mortgage rates, the home buying process can feel overwhelming. But what if you can leverage the knowledge and ongoing support of someone who has worked with dozens of other pharmacists through their home buying journey all at no cost to you? I’m talking about Nate Hedrick at the Real Estate RPH. 

Nate is a pharmacist who has been a partner of YFP for many years now and offers a home buying concierge service that can help you find a high quality agent in your area and support you throughout the entire process. So head on over to realestaterph.com or click on the link in the show notes to schedule your free 30-minute jumpstart planning session with Nate. 

[INTERVIEW]

[00:01:32] TU: Nate, welcome back to the show. 

[00:01:33] NH: Hey, Tim. Always great to be here.

[00:01:35] TU: So today, we’re going to focus specifically on first-time homebuyers. Few areas we’re going to cover, how to determine when you’re ready, including rent versus buy, how to potentially balance a home purchase with student loans. I think, Nate, this is a timely topic, although we’ve addressed it in the past. We’re getting ready to come out of this freeze period. So I have a sense that this is going to be a topic that is top of mind for many folks again. Then we’ll also talk about the key differences between some of the lending options, a common question that we get. Hey, I’m looking to buy a home, looking for an agent. What are the loan options that are available? So we’ll tackle that as well. 

Nate, we have covered this topic before. But you and I talked and really thought this is worth bringing back for a couple reasons. One, first-time homebuyers, we recognize that at the time we publish that content previously, they may not have been in a position to buy at that point. So we wanted to reach them in this moment. But also, there are just some factors right now that are unique. I mentioned one with the student loans coming back on board, waiting to find out when that will be and then also just the reality of the market. 

We felt like this was worth coming back to, and I think that we want to make sure that we’re covering this topic well, especially for those folks that are looking to buy for the first time.

[00:02:47] NH: Yes. There’s been a lot of changes, just in the last six months, in market conditions and interest rates. Like pharmacy, right? It’s a dynamic space, real estate. So you can’t just set it once and forget it.

[00:03:00] TU: So let’s start with the elephant in the room, I think, when we talk about first-time homebuyers, especially relevant to today’s market. Should I rent? Should I buy? I think this is timely, not only because of interest rates, but also because of rising rent rates. I think that this is a topic we know we hear often from our community. So my question for you is in today’s market, how do you advise someone to think through this question, should I rent, should I buy, and really to keep the home purchase within the context of the rest of the financial plan?

[00:03:34] NH: Yes. You hit the nail on the head right there, Tim. I mean, this is such a – like any financial decision, you’re not going to make it based on one factor, right? You have to look at a number of factors. So things like how long do I plan to be in this area might be just one piece of this bigger picture of, well, is it worth it to buy here because I’m only going to be here for two years of residency or whatever. 

Other questions become what is the local rent rate. Like you said, the rents have been going up just about everywhere, to the point where now mortgages are looking a lot more attractive. But you’ve also got this higher interest rate you have to deal with. Things are just getting pricier. So I think there are lots of different pieces that go into that financial decision, and it’s not just a one-size-fits-all. But really taking a step back and truly evaluating it.

I think the one thing that I see more often than not is people just kind of put a feeling into it and say, “Well, it’s probably cheaper to buy. So I’ll just do that.” Or, “It’s probably better for me to rent right now. So I’ll just do that.” But I really encourage clients and anyone I talked to to take a minute, sit down, figure it out. Look at actual numbers and then help make the decision using that information, rather than just kind of a gut check.

[00:04:39] TU: Yes. I love that, Nate. You and I have talked about this before, but I think there’s a underlying tone of like rent is bad. Buying a home, equity is good. We’ll talk about all the costs involved. But I think what you’re saying is really astute, which is like, hey, let’s put some numbers to that, that feeling, and that statement. Maybe that ends up shaking out to be true. Maybe it doesn’t, based on how loans are structured, based on how much we’re putting down, based on what else is going on in the financial plan. 

Sometimes, it does make sense to stay where you’re at renting-wise. Especially, we see this in higher cost of living areas. We have a chance to work with a lot of fellowship programs, folks that are based out of Boston and the northeast. Buying a home is not a possibility as they’re getting started. Or if it is, they might be giving up, “Hey, I’m going to have to move an hour, hour and a half out, and then commute in.” So everyone’s situation is different. An important piece to keep that in mind. 

What would you say makes your checklist? So if I’m talking with you, Nate, help me out, first-time homebuyer. I want to make sure I do this in a way that is wise, considering the rest of my financial plan. You’ve been through this. You get the chance to talk with prospective homebuyers all the time. What is that checklist that says, “I’m ready to buy a home.”?

[00:05:48] NH: Yes. It’s a great question. Like anything else, this is going to differ by person. But I think there’s kind of a core set of things that you should be looking at before you say, “Okay, yes. We’re ready to start down this road of buying.” The first thing I would look at is looking at “your bad debt,” right? So making sure that if you’ve got a lot of credit card debt or other bad debt sitting out there, don’t let that rule your financial plan, right? Don’t try to work around that to buy a home. It’s going to be a lot more difficult, and you can set yourself up for a lot more success if you get that bad debt going first. So that’s kind of an easy – I say easy, but it’s a good first step, at least, to get started. 

From there, you really want to make sure you’ve got an emergency fund. This is more important now, more so than ever, because the way that the economy has been changing, the way the market has been changing, there’s a potential for more disruption, right? More chances for either a layoff or changes in hours or all the things that can happen that constitute an emergency. Those expound when you buy a house, right? You might have a furnace go out or a roof that needs to be replaced. There are lots of different things that can pop up. So making sure you’ve got that emergency fund as kind of your core, and it’s separate from your down payment fund, which is kind of the next step. But making sure that emergency fund is there first, and then start saving separately for down payment. 

This is where I get the most resistance from people that I talk to is, “Well, that’s so much money to save up, Nate. You’re talking about maybe a $20,000 emergency fund and then another $50,000 down payment. How am I supposed to do that? I want a house now.” But truly, to really make sure that you’re ready, making sure those pieces are in place ahead of time is a key to success. 

Then ultimately, once you’ve done all that and started down figuring those pieces out. Throughout that, you should be keeping your why behind buying in mind, right? This is not a decision, like I said before, that you can take in a silo. It shouldn’t just be, “Well, I want a house, so let’s go buy it.” Figure out what that why is. We want to set ourselves up for financial success. We want to rent this house out in the future. We want to be in this area for 10 more years. So it makes a lot of sense. What is that why? Then allow that to support all those other pieces before you ever start clicking through Zillow and looking at pictures.

[00:07:58] TU: Yes. You and I both know, right? Well, once that point comes, like we may say, “Hey, we’re going to buy in 6 to 12 months, 12 to 24 months.” Start looking on Redfin, Zillow, realtor.com, whatever. Man, three days later, we’re looking at homes, putting in offers. What just happened? 

What I really hear there, Nate, is a theme of having a strong base, having a strong foundation so that when you move into a home, right? We’ll talk about additional costs here in a moment, but things will happen. Things will pop up, whether it’s unexpected costs, expenses, remodels, additional furnishing, or just life changing. We don’t want the home to become another stressor exactly of the financial plan. 

So, yes, this takes discipline. We’re not suggesting that every penny of debt needs to be gone. We’ll talk about how to balance this with student loans. We’ll talk about different down payments that may exist. All of those are nuances and details that are really important. But more than anything, we want to be able to move into the home, have peace of mind. Let’s be frank. That’s becoming challenging in today’s market, right? Home prices are going up, which means down payments are going up accordingly. Interest rates are going up, which means monthly payments are going up. So we recognize the challenge with this. 

But we’ve seen it in our own situations. We’ve seen it with thousands of pharmacists we’ve talked with and worked with, is that if we can keep this home purchase in check and in consideration with the rest of the financial plan, it’s going to give us a lot. Not only a peace of mind but also breathing room, as we look at accomplishing other goals. You said something earlier that I want to come back to in this checklist, which is potential timeline of being in the home. I underestimated that. I suspect this is common for first-time homebuyers. We look at a home. We say, “Yes, I think we’ll be here forever.” Then job opportunities come. Kids come into the equation. Things shift or change. 

Really, when you look at the profitability, if you will, or the return on investment of the home, it really comes with a long time period of being in that home. So what advice would you have for folks that are thinking about the timeline, knowing every market is different? But is it five years? Is it seven years? What might be that timeframe when we think about closing costs and other things, that transition if it does happen isn’t going to set us back financially? 

[00:10:17] NH: Yes. It’s, like you said, very specific, based on location, right, that there’s a common phrase? Real estate is local. So it definitely matters where you’re buying. I think the average in the United States is something like 2.8 or three years, something like that, is the break-even point, right? If you can stay in that house longer than three years, you’re good. If it’s less than three years, you’ve probably lost a little bit money. 

That totally gets thrown out the window, though, when the market shifts like it has, right? If you bought at the beginning of 2021 and sold at the beginning of 2022, just a year later, you probably made bank, right? Appreciation was going through the roof, and so you did fine. Similarly, you might buy today and have to sell in six months, and you might lose 10% of value, right? There’s no way for us to know. 

So you can prepare. You can plan. But as you said before, things are going to change, right? You might find a new job in two years that you had never anticipated. Now, you’re moving across the country for that, right? So you can try to set this up as best you can. Definitely look and use what information you have to make that decision. But don’t get so hung up on we have to plan to be here for five years. If we don’t, it’s not worth it, right? Because that’s just going to make the decision more stressful. Plan with the information that you have and then kind of roll with the rest.

[00:11:28] TU: I think this is another vote in the bucket of making sure that we’ve got a solid savings plan and solid emergency fund, additional savings. Because from personal experience, when you move, it’s not just the closing costs. It’s not just, obviously, the fees that are associated. But it’s the physical move. It’s the, “Okay, we’re in a new home. We want to make some updates. We need some new furniture.” Depending on the size of the property and so forth, taxes may change. Insurance policies may change. 

That takes me to my next question for you, which is around some of the additional costs of homeownership that I think, speaking from personal experience, when you’re going in this as a first-time homebuyer, you tend to overlook these because there’s so much excitement around getting in the home. Personal finance, author, speaker, podcaster, Ramit Sethi, talks about estimating an additional 40 to 50 percent of the mortgage payment for these additional homeownership costs, things that he calls phantom costs, right? Taxes, insurance, maintenance, furnishing, utilities, lawn equipment, et cetera. What are your thoughts on that number, and what folks need to be thinking about here?

[00:12:32] NH: Yes. That’s probably not far off. I mean, if you look at the average mortgage payment, just the mortgage payment by itself, it’s right around 25 to 28 percent of the typical American’s income. That’s what they spend on just their mortgage payment. If you look at what they’ve spent on housing expenses, it’s closer to a full like third or more of their full income is going toward their housing expenses. So there’s a big chunk of that other stuff that’s not just in a net mortgage payment. 

I know when I was buying my first home, the things I missed, just because, I don’t know, I didn’t know what to look for, were the simple stuff like property taxes, right? I never paid property taxes in my life. I’ve rented forever. Now, I’m 22 years old or whatever, buying a home. All of a sudden, I have this every six-month bill I have to deal with, right? I didn’t expect that. Something simple like utilities too. Those might be baked into your rental costs today, right? You might have to cover sewer or water or trash or electric. Or maybe you’re just paying for Internet today, right? All those utilities become yours. 

Then the biggest thing, maybe the most obvious but also the most expensive is the maintenance and capital expenditures. So this is the regular everyday stuff that breaks and you have to replace, but also the big ticket items, right? The roof, the driveway, the furnace, all these larger dollar expenses that can pop up. I’ll give you an example from our own life. We were sitting having dinner the other day. Our like sort of dining room/kitchen area has this big, gorgeous window that looks onto our backyard. It’s like five-foot by four-foot, this huge window. In the bottom left corner, I saw a crack in the window, like in the actual glass itself. I’m like, “Oh, my gosh. We need to look at that.” 

So then the next morning, we get up and the crack is clear to the middle of the window. It’s like, “Oh, shoot.” So we were like, “Okay. Well, I guess we have to replace this window,” which I hadn’t done in our house before. We got a couple of different options. One person that wants to replace the glass, somebody else that wants to take out the whole window and install new windows, right? All these different things. It’s anywhere from like 1,000 to 3,000 dollars, depending on what thing we pick. 

It’s like, “Whoa.” Okay, this just went from a small crack we noticed at dinner to, “Here’s $3,000 expense, potentially.” So those are the kinds of things that can spiral. If you’re not planning for it, it can really make or break your budget every month.

[00:14:41] TU: That’s such a great example. Sorry, you guys had to go through that. But that is the things that just happen, right? I think we think about objectively looking at the numbers. Speaking from personal experience, when we made that decision to go from rent to buy, I looked at the mortgage payment. I looked at the interest. I looked at the taxes. I looked at the insurance, which is a good start. But I vastly underestimated all these other things that we’re talking about. 

Some of them are things that we just have to expect are going to happen, right? You mentioned the big ones; the roof, the furnace, et cetera. But then there’s just kind of the normal wear and tear or, “Hey, we want to make some updates and upgrades.” As much as we tell ourselves like, “Hey, this is the home as is. It’s our forever home,” like human behavior is you’re going to want to make some updates. You’re going to want to make some changes. So if we can plan for these and have margin in the budget, going from a rent to buy situation. 

Does the budget not only allow for the principal, the interest, the taxes, and the insurance? But does a budget also allow for some of these other expenses and planning for these things along the way? Again, we want to be in the home, enjoying that large biggest purchase we’re going to make without having the additional stress of like, “Ah, cracked a window. This is now a headache.” 

[00:15:57] NH: Something we stole from Tim Baker, actually, and that has been really helpful for us is we have a bucket in our ally accounts. One of our ally accounts is just for home stuff. There’s something powerful about seeing that money go in there and seeing that fund kind of increase and then ultimately decrease when you have to fix something. That makes it more realistic. If you just kind of roll those expenses into your budget every month, it’s easy to overlook them. But if you can plan ahead and actually see those dollars going in and out, it makes it a lot more real.

[00:16:23] TU: Yes, absolutely. All right. So we’ve talked about the expense associated with the home purchase, some of those that are obvious. Maybe some of those are not as obvious. We’ve talked about the readiness to buy, evaluating that rent versus buy. Let’s talk about putting together a team, Nate. I think this is a piece that we get on. We start driving around neighborhoods. We start looking on websites and looking at homes. All of a sudden, we’re off and running. We may not take the time to step back and say not only what is the why, right? What’s the big picture? What are we trying to accomplish? But who do I need on my team before I get too far in the process, and things kind of take off?

When you think about assembling a home buying team, why is it important to have that team in place? Ultimately, who is on that team? Who are the members that are part of that?

[00:17:11] NH: Yes. This is something that I know when I bought my first house, I sort of overlooked or kind of ignored. Probably because even though it was being recommended to me like, “Hey, Nate. Make sure you assemble your team before you get started,” that just sounds overwhelming. It sounds like it’s something I don’t know how to do. What I do know how to do is go on Zillow, see a house that I like, and show up at an open house, right? That’s easy. I can do that. 

But what I encourage and what I talk to a lot of my clients about is try to build this mini team in advance, and it will just make the whole process that much easier and smoother. It doesn’t have to be a big ordeal, right? Start with just an accountability partner, right? That’s the first member of your team. This could be a spouse. This could be a parent. This could be a sibling. Somebody that maybe either is or is not involved in the transaction that can be that accountability piece. 

I told the story before. But when my wife and I bought our first house, one of the first houses that we really liked was this gorgeous property on like 15 acres, right up, backing up against Cuyahoga Valley National Park here in Cleveland, just absolutely gorgeous property. We fell in love with it. It was way outside our budget. The house was literally falling down. Until we brought our parents out to come like see it for a second showing, and they clearly thought we were insane, we couldn’t see it, right? It was just too easy to get enamored by the vision that we had rather than the reality. So get that accountability partner first because that can really make decision making easier and get you back on track. 

From there, the biggest pieces you need from there are really a lender and a real estate agent. I typically recommend people get one or the other first. Then you can kind of expand from there. Good agents are going to know good lenders. Good lenders are going to know good agents. But the agent is the one you’re going to be working with on a daily basis. So if you have to pick one, I generally recommend going with the agent first, and then letting them recommend several lenders and shopping around for that. 

That’s typically where the team starts. Then you can expand with needs beyond that, right? You might need a financial planner. You might need a lawyer. You might need a tax professional. All of those people are people you can add on to the mix. But for truly the initial process of buying a home, start with that agent, get that lender, and then start to expand the team from there.

[00:19:16] TU: Nate, I love what you share here with starting with an accountability partner, whether that’s someone involved in the process or not, right? Because I think that reinforces what you’re saying earlier about defining the why, someone who can really help ask good questions, get you thinking more about that. But that also maybe can be a little bit prodding where needed about, “Hey, we’re looking at this beautiful property in Cuyahoga Falls. Yes, the land is perfect. We have this amazing vision. Hey, Nate and Kristen. Have you guys thought about like what it’s going to take the managers to repair it, remodel it? What does this mean for the rest of the financial plan?” 

We had a very similar experience. We looked at a property up in Northeast Ohio. I remember vividly. Jess and I walked in. It was kind of a huge lodge type of property, really open. As many warts as there were and the costs that it was going to take to get it up and running, of which we have no – not only that financial means. We have no handiness in any bone of our body, let alone wanting to kind of manage that and take the time. But we just went in eyes wide open of like what this could be. 

Thankfully, we kind of eventually got off that ledge and looked at something that was a little bit more reasonable. But I think that speaks to some of the emotional sides, especially on the first-time homebuyer, and how important it is to have that partner. That, once you then define the framework of, “Okay. What are we looking for? What’s the budget? What’s the game plan? How does this fit within the financial plan? Okay. Now, let’s move forward with selecting an agent. Let’s move forward to looking at lending options.” 

Because I think we see this over and over and over again because of good marketing practices and other things. Someone is often running with a bank. We have to remember that that bank, that institution, as nice of a person as they are, they aren’t asking you all the questions about how is this best going to fit in with your long-term financial plan, your long-term goals. Sure, you might get approved. We’ll talk about lending options here in a moment. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good fit for your personal situation and the overall financial plan. I can’t say enough about the team and making sure you’ve got that accountability partner and that the folks are there that are going to help you ensure that this lines up with your long-term plan. 

Nate, let’s talk about the loan piece. I think for many pharmacists, this is where we’re itching to get started. We want to know what’s the best rate, how much do I have to put down. Conventional approach is 20% down, which allows for no PMI, no private mortgage insurance, a healthy cushion in terms of equity in the home, if for whatever reason the home drops in value, or you end up moving, needing to tap into equity. But it feels like more and more borrowers are seeking an option that is less than 20% down. I suspect this is coming from a few different areas. 

One, the desire to buy a home. We’ve talked about that, right? To get out of a rental situation. The second, I think, is that because of rising home costs, that means that if we hold true to that 20%, that’s going to take more to save for that down payment. It’s going to take longer. Then the third is, I think, for many pharmacists, first-time homebuyers, student loans are eating away at their ability to be able to save for that down payment. So home prices are going up, 20% takes longer to save. Because I have these pesky student loans, it’s harder to save for that down payment. So would you agree? Is this a trend that you’re seeing in terms of a shift away from that conventional 20% down?

[00:22:38] NH: Yes. I do see quite a bit that he’ll move in that direction. Some of it is simply because, like you mentioned, the rising depreciation we saw over the last two, two and a half years completely outpaced people’s ability to save. I mean, if you were – let’s say you were saving $1,000 a month, right? That’s a really nice chunk of change you’re setting aside every single month for a down payment. 

But home prices are appreciating at 20% a year in 2021 and about 22% a year in 2022. Unless you’re adding another $200, another $200 every single year on top of those monthly payments, you’re not going to catch up. You’re actually losing money toward your down payment, just by appreciation outpacing you. So that alone is forcing a lot of people in all buying points, at all price points to say, “Well, what other options do I have? Can I spend less upfront and then just ride the monthly payments out over the long period?” Yes, we’re absolutely seeing that, and people are just looking for new options.

[00:23:38] TU: Let’s get to that here in a moment. What are those options? What might be the pros, the cons? What do we want to be thinking about? But I want to first address the student loans. This has become – prior to the pandemic, I would say this is an issue we’ve heard over and over and over again. Hey, I’m itching to getting a home. I’m looking to buy a home. But the student loans are really a big barrier to allowing myself to either fit this into the budget or be able to save for that down payment.” 

That tone has shifted because of the pause now for three years. Obviously, that’s going to be ending here in the foreseeable future, unless something changes, which it could. But I want to talk about this balance. You wrote a blog article on this topic, balancing student loans with the home purchase. We’ll link to that in the show notes. But what advice at a high level would you have for our listeners, as they evaluate their options with buying a home with student loans, also knowing that we might have folks that haven’t been used to making payments for the past three years that are now going to be entering back into those payments?

[00:24:35] NH: It’s actually something that I’m worried is the wrong word but I’m concerned about because there are so many people out there today that either have bought a home, where they have entered into a rental situation sometime in the last three years and have not taken stock up their loan payments or what they’re going to be. I think if there’s one thing that people are missing more than anything right now, it’s that they’re pretending those don’t exist because they don’t exist today. I think that’s really dangerous. 

If you look at how the lenders were handling these over the last couple of years, most lenders were basically taking your loan balance. Let’s say you have $100,000 in loans. They were saying, well, one percent of that is going to be your payment, right? We’ll just guess one percent. Some lenders were guessing half a percent, and they didn’t even look at what your actual payment was. They just guessed, right? They just picked a number and rolled with it. 

Again, I think that if you’re not paying attention to that and then you suddenly restart, you could find yourself very, very house poor or just in a situation where you’re not prepared for that level of financial strain. So if there’s one thing you can do in terms of the loans right now, it’s look at what your actual payment is going to be, figure out what that number is, and build it into your budget. If you really want to stress yourself out and stress the finances a little bit before you make that home purchase, put that money that that loan payment is going to be into account that you that you can’t touch, right? Just throw it into a new ally account or a new bucket, and pretend you can’t touch it at all. 

Make sure everything still works without you being able to touch that because it’s coming back, right? Just banking on the fact that it’s going to go away is not going to set you up for success. So that is definitely an important piece to keep in mind.

[00:26:07] TU: Yes. We got to build that muscle right now, right? I think what’s happened is it’s been an incredible benefit. Zero dollar payments, zero percent interest has been incredible, if we’ve been allocating those dollars to other parts of the plan, expecting it to come back at some point, budgeting accordingly. But I think the unintended consequence has been with multiple extensions of the pause. With each one, it’s becoming more and more, as you alluded to, like pretending that they may not be there. 

This is the moment to start building that muscle back up if we haven’t been. For those that are looking, I think there’s the consideration for those that are in a home, that bought a home when the pause was happening. Then I think there’s a consideration for those that are looking to buy a home and have yet to have their student loans start back up or start for the first time as well. What you’re saying is just such a classic example of trying to avoid the trap of looking at any one part of a financial plan in a silo, right? So we’re looking at the overall budget. We’re looking at the impact of the student loan payment. How do we address those student loans, right?

Someone who pursues a loan forgiveness strategy, income-driven repayment plan, what they may or may not be able to do on a home is very different than someone who’s looking at an aggressive debt payoff period. So how you tackle your student loans and the repayment plan you choose is going to have big implications on what that means to the budget, which, of course, connects to what you’re going to be able to afford and look at on the side of the home buying. Great reminder. We’ll link to that article again in the show notes. I think it’s really relevant, as folks start preparing for this pause to pick back up. 

[00:27:42] NH: Yes. Keep in mind, something – I don’t want to sound all doom and gloom, right? You can absolutely purchase a home with student loans. Just don’t ignore them, right? We bought our first house and had tons of student loan debt still. It’s absolutely doable. What I’m concerned about is people that are ignoring it and pretending that it’s not coming back. That’s where you can fall into a trap.

[00:28:00] TU: Yes. We got to look at the numbers, right? Look at the budget. Kind of objectively see what’s there. So at a broad level, Nate, define the different types of loans that are available. We talked about conventional 20% down, no private mortgage insurance. But again, we see more and more folks are pivoting away from that. So that certainly is one option. What other options are out there that individuals should consider before they kind of get off and running with any one individual lending institution?

[00:28:27] NH: Yes. I think, typically, when I’m talking about loans, I break them down into three types. Obviously, not a lender, right? Real estate agent and pharmacist but not a lender. But the three basic types that you’re going to deal with are what we call conventional loans. This is typically your 20% down, maybe 10% with PMI. But these are kind of your good credit score, run of the mill. Every bank has them type of loans, right? Conventional loans, and they’re backed by Fannie and Freddie Mae or Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Excuse me. Those are going to be just, again, standard underwriting practice, right? 

You’ve also got government-backed loans. These are those that are attached to some sort of government-backed program. Either these are FHA loans, or these are USDA loans or VA loans. But there’s some sort of government-backed entity with these, and you might need to qualify for those, in the case of like a VA loan. Or you might just be able to offer this up through a certain type of lender. So those are available. Typically, the advantage of these loans is a lot lower down payment. But you might have different terms and a higher interest rate. Or you’re paying private mortgage insurance or things like that. 

Then the third type is kind of a hybrid. Really, it’s closer to a conventional loan, but that is a professional loan. We’ve got lots of different types of these. The ones that most of our audience would be dealing with as a pharmacist is home loan, but they’re also called physicians’ loans or doctors’ loans. The idea is that you’re taking the conventional loan product, and you’re underwriting it using the fact that the person buying the home is going to be a physician or a pharmacist, right? There’s a lot more earning potential there, a lot more stability in their career, a lot more income-earning potential down the road. So they underwrite those a little bit differently. 

Typically, what that means is that you can get the lower down payment of a government-backed loan, but you get the conventional terms that come with a conventional loan. So you get no PMI, for example. Or you get the lower interest rate that others are getting. So there are some advantages there. Each one of those loans has an advantage and a disadvantage in certain situations. It’s really on the individual to evaluate those with somebody that knows what they’re doing to make sure that you’re finding what the right product is for you.

[00:30:28] TU: Which comes back to the advocate or an agent like yourself that really has a good look into these different types of options. It can be a third party to have you thought about this because there’s really, you said earlier, the suggestion of looking at multiple lenders, which I certainly would agree with. I would add on to that looking at multiple lending options with multiple lenders, right? 

We’re talking about conventional loans, government-backed loans, pharmacist home, doctor type loans. All of those differ, as you alluded to, in terms of down payment, potentially the interest rates, the nature of loans, it fixes a variable, and then, obviously, credit scores, other factors as well. So I think what I’m trying to advocate for is to really do that homework. Work with someone that can help you understand those options. Do your research because once you’re running off with a lender, at that point, you’re starting to really kind of box yourself into one option. So making sure you’re looking at the full spectrum of options before you move forward.

[00:31:28] NH: This is where a really good agent can start the conversation in the right direction too, right? As real estate agents, we are not lending experts. But we know a ton of lending experts, right? So if a client comes to me and says, “Hey, Nate. I’m thinking about buying a home. I’ve only saved up $10,000 for my down payment, and my credit score is not that great,” well, that’s fine. Let’s see if we can make that work. I’m going to get you in touch with three of my favorite FHA lenders. Talk with each one of them, explain your situation, and let’s see what that looks like, right? We can guide people to the right individuals to get that information, rather than having them just guess and start Googling things. 

A good agent, if you’re not sure what the lending process or not sure which the next step is, start with a really good agent. Explain your situation. While they are not going to be able to give you all the answers themselves, they’re going to know the right people to talk to so that you can get those answers from the right individual.

[00:32:16] TU: For folks that are going through this right now or looking to get started here in the near future, as we mentioned on the introduction, Nate can really be that advocate for you. So we built through the home buying concierge service. Nate can connect you with an agent all across the country. So you don’t have to live just in Northeast Ohio to be able to tap into Nate’s expertise. Regardless of where you’re buying a home across the country, he’s vetted agents in certain areas is there to be alongside of you in that journey to talk about lending options, to answer questions that you have, and to be the advocate that he talked about earlier. 

We’ll link to the page. You can get in contact with Nate in the show notes. You can also email him directly. We’ll link to his email address. I think that’s a great first step for folks that are getting started on this journey. Or as we talked about before, even if you’re thinking, hey, six months out, 12 months out, we know that timeline can collapse. So it can’t hurt to start the conversation now as well. 

Nate, let’s wrap up by talking about some current trends, right? The past couple of years, since the pandemic, I would say is an understatement, have been a whirlwind, limited supply, high demand. You talked about the appreciation rates, rising interest rates. I think this creates an overwhelming situation for many first-time homebuyers. Here today, we’re recording today. We’re expecting an announcement on a jobs report, which the Fed is looking at, based on that what they’re going to do to be more or less aggressive on interest rate hikes. 

There’s news that’s coming out daily that I think for first-time homebuyers, it’s like, geez, not only is the price going up. The interest rates are going up. We’re talking about student loans starting. So my question is if you had to look at your crystal ball, we won’t hold you to it, what is the outlook potentially? I’m a first-time homebuyer. I’m listening. I’m looking maybe this spring, this summer, next fall. What words of wisdom would you have for them, as they look at this pursuit of buying a home?

[00:34:05] NH: Yes. Like you said, no crystal ball, but at least the pulse that I’m getting. David and I on the YFP Real Estate Investing Podcast are lucky enough to talk to individuals from all over the country in all different walks of life, and understanding the lending and the markets and different agents from different locations. So that helps to give us a better perspective on kind of nationally what’s happening. 

What we’re seeing right now is that most markets in the last three to six months have pulled back in their valuations. Some have been flat. Like here in Cleveland, we’re actually flat to up. I think we’re up like two percent year over year or something like that. So we’re very, very small increase year over year. But then there are some markets like Houston who pulled back 20% or more. It’s just incredible. 

So a lot of that, again, goes back to what I said earlier about real estate is local. So understanding your local market can help you make a decision moving forward. What we’re seeing right now is that pullback or that flattening is making it a little bit more affordable, as the people save up more money and the appreciation isn’t outpacing them nearly as much. It’s making it a little bit more affordable to buy. But there is still a supply issue. We’re still dealing with a lot of people that aren’t ready to sell because if they sell, they have to go buy something else with a higher interest rate. 

We talked about this on the show before, you and I, about if you had a three percent mortgage today, and you switch to a six percent mortgage somewhere else, you could have a much, much less expensive home but the exact same monthly payment, right?

[00:35:32] TU: Yes. There has to be a really compelling reason to move, right? When you’re going for – yeah.

[00:35:35] NH: Exactly. That’s hurting supply a little bit. I don’t think I see that getting considerably better until the end of the year. So what we’re seeing right now, and again it varies based on location, is that houses are still coming on the market. They’re a little more affordable, just because their prices have not continued to skyrocket. But the limited supply is still creating competition out there. I wish I could say it’s 100% better than it was last year. It’s better and it’s still not a bad time to buy. But the competition is still out there.

I mean, I offered on a house yesterday with a pharmacist. It came on the market two days ago. We put an offer in. There was a three o’clock deadline. We were almost six percent over listing price on our escalation clause, and we still lost it to somebody else who waived inspections. So like that’s still happening. It’s still out there. It’s getting better, but we’re not quite there yet.

[00:36:25] TU: Yes. I’m glad, again, to your point. Everything’s local. But that one example really highlights, I think, something important for folks that are on the front end of this journey as you’re looking. I’ve almost now, Nate, as I just observe homes and kind of keep an eye on what’s in the market, whatever I see is the list price, I just increase in my mind, right? I think that maybe that’s true in some markets, more so than others. But what I’m getting at is there can be a very creepy and effective looking of, “Here, our budget’s 300. Well, why don’t we put the search range like up to 350?” Then we go see the home that’s 350. Really, it’s going to take 380, 400 to get that home, right? All of a sudden, we’re $100,000 off what we had budgeted. 

Again, I think finding someone on your team that can really help you understand the local market, what is happening in terms of putting together competitive offers, how far above our homes typically go into value, and then working that in your plan to make sure you’ve got a realistic view of what it’s going to take as you make that purchase. 

[00:37:21] NH: There are opportunities out there too. I mean, we’re still seeing deals where a house is sitting on the market for a couple of weeks because maybe they overpriced it to begin with. It loses that initial flurry of activity. I mean, we as agents know that the first three weeks of listing a home are the most important, right? If you don’t sell in that first three weeks, right now anyway, your chances of selling it list price go down dramatically, and they just drop and drop. 

If you’re someone out there looking for a home and you’ve not had success so far, and again this is going to vary by location, but what I’m encouraging some of my clients to do is look at those houses that have been in the market for two months. Those are the ones where you can potentially go find a deal because they initially overpriced it. They thought they were going to sell in a week. Now, it’s eight weeks, right? That’s where you can come in and make a deal. 

I’ve had success with clients offering on those properties and actually getting quite a bit off of that listing price. So it’s softening, but it’s not anywhere near where we want it to be yet for the buyers that we’re working with.

[00:38:13] TU: So stay tuned. We’ll have Nate back on the show this year as well. Again, we’ll link to his information in the show notes, his email address. You can go to yourfinancialpharmacist.com. You can click on home buying. You can get to Nate that way as well. 

Nate, as always, great stuff, and I appreciate the perspective you bring on this important topic to our community.

[00:38:31] NH: Yes. Thanks for having me on, Tim. 

[00:38:33] TU: Nate and I have covered a ton of information in this podcast. So imagine working with Nate one-on-one through your home buying journey and having his support to give you much needed peace of mind. We know many pharmacists want to feel confident about big financial decisions, including a home purchase. So if you have fears of being house poor, concerns about the impact a home purchase might have on your other financial goals, Nate and his home buying concierge service can help, all at no cost to you. You can visit realestaterph.com or click on the link in the show notes to schedule your free 30-minute jumpstart planning session with Nate. 

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[00:39:12] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog posts, and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist, unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements that are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you, again, for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week. 

[END]

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YFP 298: Preparing for Retirement with Dean Emeritus Dr. Gary Levin


Dean Emeritus Dr. Gary Levin dives into the details of preparing for retirement. He shares how his career evolved from serving in the Navy to a career in pharmacy and then nearly 30 years in academia. He talks through how early investing and saving in his first job laid the foundation for his retirement, how he dealt with market volatility throughout his career, and why he started a charter company in retirement to supplement his income. 

About Today’s Guest

Dr. Gary M. Levin is retired following a career in academia moving up the ladder from Assistant Professor at Albany College of Pharmacy to Founding Dean and Professor of the Larkin University College of Pharmacy in Miami, Florida. He was recently awarded emeritus status upon his retirement. Dr. Levin has worked in numerous Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine including his alma mater the University of Florida where he also completed a residency in psychiatric pharmacy with the Gainesville VAMC and a Fellowship in Psychopharmacology and Pharmacokinetics at the UF College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Levin has been board certified in psychiatric pharmacy practice (BCPP) since 1996 as a member of the inaugural group to become certified. He is an elected fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP). He is a founding member and was the first elected president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP). During his career, he precepted students, post-doctoral residents, and research fellows in pharmacy and psychiatry. This has been his greatest professional passion, to introduce students and other learners about the impact a psychiatric pharmacist can have on improving people’s lives.

Dr. Levin has been active in many professional pharmacy organizations and has held various appointed and elected positions. He has reviewed for many journals in both pharmacy and psychiatry and has served on several editorial boards. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and scientific abstracts and has received close to 1 million dollars in research and training support over his career.

His research interests have included improving outcomes in patients with psychiatric disorders, pharmacokinetics of psychoactive agents, and pharmacogenomic applications in patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Since 2013, upon becoming a CEO Dean, his research interests shifted to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

In his retirement he is enjoying spending more time with his wife, Toya Bowles, Pharm.D., MS, BCPP who works as a principal MSL for the Janssen neuroscience division of J&J, more time boating, traveling regularly to the Florida Keys, The Bahamas, and Mexico, and working with a private tutor to become fluent in Latin-American Spanish. He is also preparing for his US Coast Guard Captains License. He trains in Pilates and weights and has a 47th-floor balcony garden including many fruits and vegetables and a Key Lime tree that is producing too many limes in his home in Brickell Miami Florida.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, chats with Dean Emeritus, Dr. Gary Levin, on preparing for retirement. In their discussion, Gary explains how he found his way into pharmacy, ultimately pharmacy academia, from his early start in the Navy. He walks the listeners through the early stages of his career to where he is today, with guiding advice for pharmacists in all phases of their careers. Gary shares how investing and saving while working in his first faculty position laid the foundation for his retirement and how even small investments can profoundly impact the retirement paycheck.  

Throughout the episode, Gary provides his top tips for those pharmacists in the first half of their careers, experiencing market volatility and how to keep a long-term mindset in preparation for retirement: 

  1. Don’t panic.
  2. Recognize the value of having a good coach, trusted advisor, or financial planner. 
  3. Start planning for and investing for retirement as early as possible.
  4. When you get a raise, save the raise. 
  5. Minimize withdrawal.

In closing, Gary dives into the story of how he started his charter company, how he plans to utilize the company as part of his retirement strategy, and the services used to automate the process so he can fully enjoy his retirement.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[0:00:00] TU: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here, and thank you for listening to the YFP Podcast, for each week we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom. This week, I had the pleasure of welcoming onto the show Dean Emeritus Dr. Gary Levin. Some of my favorite moments from the show include hearing his career journey from the Navy, the choosing pharmacy to spending nearly 30 years in academia, how early investing and saving in his first faculty job laid the foundation for his retirement nearly 30 years later, how he dealt with the market volatility throughout his career, to avoid panic and to keep that long-term mindset and why he decided to start a business, Captain G’s Charter Company in retirement to supplement his income and to help build his retirement paycheck.

Now before we jump into the show, I recognize that many listeners may not be aware of what the team at YFP Planning does in working one-on-one with more than 280 households in 40-plus states. YFP Planning offers fee-only high-touch financial planning that is customized to the pharmacy professional. If you’re interested in learning more about working one-on-one with a certified financial planner, may help you achieve your financial goals, you can book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com.

Whether or not YFP Planning’s financial planning services are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. Okay, let’s jump into my interview with Dr. Gary Levin.

[INTERVIEW]

[0:01:26] TU: Gary, welcome to the show.

[0:01:28] GL: Hi. Thanks, Tim. Thanks for having me.

[0:01:30] TU: I’m really excited to dig into your pharmacy journey a little bit, how you planned for retirement and how you’ve thought about the financial journey throughout your career, and then we’ll wrap up and talk about the business that you recently started in retirement as well. I have a feeling just based on some back and forth conversation that we had on LinkedIn and email that you’re going to have a lot to share in terms of pearls of wisdom for our listeners, whether it’s new practitioners that are listening, that are just getting started, maybe it’s some mid-career pharmacists that are feeling they’re in the thick of it as they look ahead towards the future, or perhaps folks that are nearing retirement and are able to gain something from someone who has recently made that transition. Let’s start with your career journey. What got you into pharmacy and where did you end up doing your pharmacy training?

[0:02:17] GL: Interesting story, but I was in the Navy for seven years right out of high school. I had just really been done with school. I didn’t really like school. Once I graduated, I was just working at local restaurants. I was working at a gas station back when you had an attendant pumped your gas. I mean, still New Jersey has that, but it was everywhere and I was in – I grew up in Philadelphia. Really just wanted to get out and do something completely different.

My best friend said, “Hey, let’s join the Navy on the buddy program.” We did. We went to boot camp together. Right after boot camp, we were separated. He ended up on a ship out of San Diego. I ended up as an airdale, so I actually in seven years in the Navy, I never saw a ship, except from the air. I flew on a plane that was too big to land on an aircraft carrier. When I say I flew, I didn’t fly the plane. I was back in the middle of the plane. They called us a two rat back in the middle of the two. I operated the equipment that helped us hunt Soviet submarines. My job was actually aviation anti-submarine warfare operator.

I liked it so much that I started college during some off time at – and I was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. What we would do is we would train for about 10 or 11 months in Jacksonville for the next location that we were going to go to, and then our whole squadron of 11 planes and about 400 people would just move to a new location for six months, and then we would operate out of that location. I really got to talk about enjoying the world. I got to live for six months at a time in Sicily, in the Azores, which are Portuguese islands in the north Atlantic, Bermuda, which I was there during the height of vacation season. Was in Bermuda from April to October. That was an amazing – Not a tough deployment place to be. Okinawa and the Philippines and Spain.

I really did get to see the world. From all of those places at any given time, they would send us to another location. For example, when I was in Spain, they said, “Well, Greece wants to play some more games.” We’re going to go try and find their submarine, so we would go to Greece for a week at a time, or we would go to France for a week at a time. I really did get to see almost everything. While I was in though, I knew I wanted to go to college. I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian and that was always my plan. My classes were pre-vet. After four years in the Navy, they wanted me to re-enlist. I had really just started to take classes. While I was in at my particular rating, as long as you got an A or a B in your class, they would pay for 90% of the tuition.

I took two classes while I was in Jacksonville. At the time, it was Jacksonville Community College. I think now it’s Florida State College in Jacksonville. I took two classes and just really loved it. When I re-enlisted, my squadron was going to Keflavik Iceland for a full winter deployment. I thought, Iceland is a place where people now go on vacation. My wife said, “I can’t believe that you didn’t go to Iceland.” I said, “Well, when people go on vacation, they go for two weeks and they go in the summer.” This was six months solid winter. I think it was September to March, maybe. Full winter I said, “No, I’ve done enough of my sea duty time. I’m ready to go to shore duty.”

Because they didn’t want me to leave the squadron, they wanted me in Keflavik, Iceland, they said, “Well, the only place we can send you is Memphis.” I said, “Well, that’s fine. I’ll use that time to go to college full-time.” I did go to college full-time while I was there and still doing my pre-vet. I went to Memphis State University, which is now University of Memphis. Anyone who is a former student of mine, or interviewed at any of my colleges that I’ve worked at as a dean, probably have heard this story, because I would tell it before the actual interview day started, what my background was. I apologize to any of those that have already heard this story.

I finished my sophomore year as a pre-vet, but pre-vet, pre-pharmacy, pre-dental, pre-med, they’re all the same courses. I had friends that were going to pharmacy school. At the time, this was the early and mid-1980s. Most people, really it was the BS in pharmacy that was the predominant degree. If you were not in California, there were only about four colleges in the country that offered an entry level Pharm.D degree. My wife was in pharmacy school about the same time and she went to University of Kansas and it wasn’t even an option. She had to do her BS and then she worked for a year and then applied and went back to get her post-back Pharm.D.

We didn’t know each other at the time. We didn’t meet until 15, 20 years later at University of Florida. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to go straight through. Because I was already a resident in Florida by being in the Navy there, I went back to Florida to go to University of Florida. I thought, “Okay, what do I do? I’m now halfway through my junior year and I’ve been pre-vet the whole time.” I went and talked to a health career advisor. Of course, the first thing they say is, what about medical school? Oh, I didn’t say why I didn’t want to be a vet. I worked for a vet in my last year at Memphis part-time. If you’re not an owner and nobody can own a practice right out of vet school, you could do residencies if you want to specialize, but they don’t pay well. We had an associate vet, so he wasn’t one of the owners. He was just working for them full-time.

Now, again, this was 1985. At that time, pharmacists were making about 35,000 a year. I said, “Do you mind me asking, what do you make?” He said USD 18,000. He paid about a 100,000 in tuition. I said, “I mean, how long is it going to be for you to pay off your student loans? USD 18,000, that wasn’t much really more. It’s a little bit more than minimum wage.” He said, his goal was to work there about five years, build up enough of a clientele that ultimately, he can own his own practice. Very similar to what dentists do and even physicians right out of training oftentimes. That was really why I decided, vet school wasn’t for me. I wasn’t going through all these years of college to make at the time, what was just half of, or a third of what a pharmacist can make.

I still didn’t think pharmacy was for me though, because a lot of my friends that were in my classes in college were going to pharmacy school, and they were going at the time, it was the BS degree. At the time, they would even say, I would say, “What is your job going to be?” They would say themselves, “Well, we take it from the big bottle. Count by fives and put it in the little bottle.” I said, “You’re going to go to school for five, six, seven years and that’s what your job is going to be for the rest of your career?” They would tell me that there’s other things to do, but you have to do advanced training. Typically, you have to get a Pharm.D.”

At the time, Florida was transitioning to – I never even thought of pharmacy school. When I talked to the health care advisor at UF, they set me up to meet with a few of the faculty to explain that there were other jobs. It doesn’t mean to say that I didn’t want to work in the community. I actually worked in the community many times as a pharmacist in my residency, in my fellowship as an assistant professor, ultimately when I got to that point. I really enjoyed working with patients.

Med school was out, because I didn’t want to do another three or four years of residency. I said, when I graduate, I just want to graduate and be able to go into practice, or training, or into my career. UF was just transitioning from the post-back Pharm.D to the entry level Pharm.D. We had to make our decision after our first year. Everyone was together in one class. After our first year, we had to decide, okay, are you going to go into the Pharm.D track, or the BS track? It was about in my year, about 40 students went into the Pharm.D track and about 60 went into the BS. Interestingly enough, probably half of those people that went into the BS track ended up doing the program that Florida had, which was the working professional Pharm.D program, because they wanted to do something different, or just advance their career, beyond a chain, or a independent pharmacy.

They wanted to move up. Even if they wanted to stay with the chain, they wanted to move up into administration. They wanted to do something different. I went the Pharm.D track. Really, my goal was still at that point, to get my Pharm.D and to work as a pharmacist, not to do any post-doctoral training. A friend of mine was working for an independent in Tampa that had three different pharmacies. He had contacted me and said, “I would like to hire you. I don’t have any Pharm.Ds at the time, but I would really like to promote the fact that you can work with patient counseling, that you could do things beyond what are behind the counter pharmacists are doing, and we’re going to promote that we have a doctor of pharmacy. You would be probably one of the few in Tampa at the time.”

Again, because most of the people that were doing – that did the post-back program, a number of them are my friends now, went into hospital pharmacy, or they went into industry. Very few were doing community pharmacy. It sounded great. After I graduated, I went to do that and nothing was any different. I was doing the exact same job as all the “retail pharmacists,” and I was working behind the counter, not doing anything different. I did that for about six months and I left to go to the VA in Tampa.

While working at the VA, a number of my friends and colleagues, and by the way, I encourage people, I always encourage people to join, either be active in your student pharmacy organizations. For me, I was most active in Kappa side. That has really helped me throughout my career. A close friend of mine, who probably many people at least in the Florida area know, Doug Covey, was working as a clinical specialist at the VA in Tampa. I said, “Doug, I want to do what you do. I want to be a clinical specialist, not just working in the pharmacy.”

The VA had said, “We want to do an experiment. We have clinical specialists who are Pharm.Ds that have either been a Pharm.D for a long period of time and have either done a residency, or if they haven’t done a residency, they’ve been a Pharm.D for a while and they’ve built up trust with the clinicians that they work with. But at your level, you’re going to be in the middle.” I got to work with him in a cardiology clinic in the Coumadin Clinic and in a refill clinic. People that ran out of their medication, but they couldn’t get an appointment with a physician for probably three months. They would meet with us. It was me and three other Pharm.Ds from my class and we would actually review their chart, make sure that everything was stabilized so that we can actually write a prescription for them. This was before pharmacists actually wrote prescriptions in the VA.

What we wrote was a recommendation and the physician had, I think, about 72 hours to review it and say that he agreed with it. In all sense, we were writing prescriptions and this was in 1990. I really enjoyed doing that, but it was really only one day a week and then a half day a week working in the cardiology clinic with Doug and a half day a week doing the Coumadin Clinic, but I wanted to do that full-time. His best advice was, “Gary, you really need to go back and do a residency.”

The two things that I enjoy the most in pharmacy school, at least through my rotations, actually three. One was emergency medicine and toxicology. A friend of mine, who many people know in Florida and around the country is Joe Spillane. Joe was a year ahead of me in doing a two-year program in Jacksonville. It was considered a two-year fellowship. Another was ambulatory care, that was with John Gums at the University of Florida. Again, it was a two-year fellowship and probably, my favorite thing was psychiatry.

Now, psychiatry was a one-year residency at the VA in Gainesville. I got along amazingly with the preceptor. I got to know him during my rotation. They basically, this was before, if you did a specialty residency, you didn’t have to apply for a PGY2. This was before the time of PGY1s and PGY2s. Pharm.Ds could either do either a general clinical residency, which was pretty much what a PGY1 is now, or a specialty residency, what a PGY2 is now. But you could go into it right after your Pharm.D degree.

I wasn’t prepared to make a two-year commitment, so I did the one-year residency in psychiatry, or psychiatric pharmacy practice. Now, of course, actually, it was probably 1994 became the specialty board certified psychiatric pharmacy and I was in the first group of people to do that and I’ve maintained it ever since. I’ve re-certified four times, the most recent being for 2022. Three times, I did it by exam. The last time, because I was so far out of practice and I really wanted to do it just to keep my specialty, because I was the founding president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacy, which this year will become known as the American Association of Pharmacy Practitioners, I think. AAPP.

[0:17:55] TU: Oh, cool. I didn’t know that transition was happening. Okay.

[0:17:57] GL: This year is the transition year. Anything that you see about them, it’ll say CPNP/AAPP.

[0:18:05] TU: Yeah. Okay.

[0:18:06] GL: Because of that and because of still being known with them and associated with them, I’ve gone to every meeting, I think, since they started in 1992 and I helped found that original meeting. I kept my board certification. This will definitely be my last one. That’s a long background, but that’s how I got into psych. When I first started, my residency preceptor asked me, “Okay, do you want to do a fellowship?” His name is Lindsay DeVane. He is the editor. He’s retired, but he’s the editor now of The Journal of Pharmacotherapy. He’s been the editor-in-chief for probably about five years, six years. He still has some practice with research at Medical University of South Carolina. He asked me that my first day in. I said, “I really want to practice as a clinical psychiatric pharmacist.”

After about three months with him, I realized that I wanted to do what he did, which was academic pharmacy, have a clinical practice, have a research practice, had an academic practice and teach. When I said I didn’t know yet, he said, “Well, you do need to decide by your third month, because if you want to do a fellowship, we need to start applying for grants now.” At three months, we did. But I said, “Lindsay, but I don’t want to do a two-year fellowship. I want to do a one-year fellowship.” He said, “That’s fine, if you’re willing to do fellowship work as a resident. It’s going to be a busy year, but you’re going to be a resident, but you’re going to be starting, laying the foundation for the fellowship, basically, by writing grants.” I said, “I’m fine with that.”

I ended up doing a residency in fellowship, which is a total two years post-doc at University of Florida and with the VA in Gainesville, Florida. Really, that was it. That’s what took off as my academic career. At that point, I’d been in Florida, I think a total of 11 years, between being in Gainesville, in the Navy. Well, more than that, as you count my Navy time, UF time. I was ready for a complete change. I applied for a number of positions, but ended up as my first academic position at Albany College of Pharmacy, which I think now is Albany College of the Health Sciences. I was there for seven years.

Then, I won’t go through my whole academic history, but my mentor left to go to MUSC and the department chair at the time, Larry Lopez, called me and asked if I had any interest in coming back to University of Florida. I was already an associate professor, so I’ve made that first academic step. Ultimately, I did go back to University of Florida as an associate professor. That’s my career from there.

[0:21:04] TU: That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing. Most recently, you were the founding dean at Larkin University down in Miami. Since you made that transition into retirement, I want to talk a little bit about that transition and some of the planning that you did leading up to that. I think for many pharmacists in the first, let’s just say, decade, or the career that I talked to, for good reasons, they’re feeling overwhelmed with over six figures of student loan debt. Average right now is about a USD 170,000. Obviously, we’re dealing with high inflation right now, a pretty crazy housing market, uncertainty and volatility with the with the stock markets.

All that to say, I think the idea of saving for retirement and getting to that point of, “I’ve made it,” and we could talk about what that means, can feel overwhelming. To some, it probably just feels out of touch. It’s so far away. It feels so big, so scary and, “Am I really going to get there and what planning do I need to do?” My question for you as we get into a little bit of your strategy of preparing and getting to the point of being able to be in a financial position to retire, at what point in your career did you start thinking, “I need to start planning and saving for retirement”? Was that something that you were doing all along? Was there a mentor, or a guide that you had? At what point were you beginning to think, “Hey, I’ve got to really be planning for the future”?

[0:22:28] GL: I think I was very fortunate in my first academic position, Albany College of Pharmacy, because people there had a mindset of preparing for retirement. It was actually the only place that I’ve ever worked at that – I mean, Albany College of Pharmacy was the fourth College of Pharmacy in the nation. They’ve been around since the 1800s. Therefore, I mean, they have a, for just being a College of Pharmacy, as opposed to a large university with many colleges, I think they are very, very well endowed, because they have hundreds of – well, not hundreds, but well over a hundred years of alumni. Now many of those alumni have passed away. But they’ve had alumni for many, many years.

One of my favorite things to do when I had a break was to walk through the administrative wing and they had pictures, like most colleges do, of their – somewhere near the dean’s office is the big picture of all the graduates in a composite picture. One of my favorite things to do was to go and look at the founding, well all the classes, but look how the styles changed, of coats and ties, and the number of women that came into –

[0:23:46] TU: Demographic.

[0:23:46] GL: Yeah, the demographics of the program. But they had pictures going back to the first class, which I don’t remember the exact year, but it was somewhere in the 1880s. Looking at what that class was like. It was maybe 18 students, all male for 30 years and then you see the first female. But because they had this large endowment, they were really able to have a great benefits package. Their benefits package for all employees, faculty, or staff, or anybody was that they gave you a 10%, not match, but they just gave you 10% of your salary every year into your retirement fund, which was TIAA-CREF, which is the majority of colleges, universities and I think hospitals, probably have TIAA-CREF as an option.

It was their only option. It’s been at least one, or the only option at most of the colleges I worked for. I think I worked for seven colleges, or pharmacy, or universities. They just put in 10% right off the bat. I’ve never heard of that. When I was at University of Florida, they had a 10% match, but of course, it was a match. If you put in 2%, they put in 2%. But they go up to 10. The fact that Albany right off the bat gave you 10%, the first year that I was there, I was concerned about student loans. My wife had student loans.

Actually, I take that back. She didn’t have student loans. She had a different profession before pharmacy, so she was able to pay for her pharmacy degree all the way through. It was really just me. Now, I ended with about close to USD 30,000 of student loans. You’re probably better at this than me, USD 30,000 in 1990 –

[0:25:44] TU: Just thinking that. Yeah, yeah.

[0:25:45] GL: Then for two years, I didn’t pay back for my residency and fellowship and interest accumulates. Interest at that time, most people probably don’t remember, but in the eighties, I know housing interests when as hot housing to buy a house. I bought a house when I moved to Gainesville in 1986. My mortgage interest was 12%. That was an owner financed, because they did a lot and they said, “If you go to the bank, it’ll probably be 14% or 15%.”

[0:26:19] TU: That’s right.

[0:26:20] GL: People right now that are faced with 5% –

[0:26:24] TU: Five, 6% looks good, right?

[0:26:26] GL: Five, six. I think last week, it actually dropped a little bit when the Fed raised three quarters of a point, rates dropped below five. People should jump on that. Because we’re probably never going to see two and a half, or 3% again.

[0:26:42] TU: Yeah. That’s something I talked about on a recent show. I graduated in 2008, as our listeners know. We’ve been spoiled for those that are in or since that time period, we’ve been spoiled with extremely low historical interest rates. I think we’ve been accustomed to this is just the way it is. 0 percent car financing, 3%, 2.8%, 30-year fixed rate mortgages on homes. Student loan interest rates, especially for those that need to refinance on the private side, really low. That’s not what it’s always been. I think, I’ve talked to my parents about this and other guests as well, but there certainly have been time periods of higher inflation and will we see those lower rates again or not? We’ll see in the future.

It’s interesting you mentioned how impactful that early contribution from Albany; them providing 10%. Even when you got to Florida, the 10% match. I mean, outside of academic institutions, those are unheard of today for many of our pharmacists, especially that work out in the private sector. They’re going to have to work a little bit harder on their own. You’re not going to see 8%, 10% matches and you’re certainly not going to see a whole lot of contributions being made without a match.

My question for you and I think one that probably a lot of listeners are struggling with in the moment is dealing with the current volatility, and especially for those that have not been through this. I go back to my experience. 2008, just graduated. I was doing residency at the time, making a whopping USD 31,000. I didn’t own a home. Outside of gas being expensive, I didn’t feel that recession. If anything, I was able to start my investing career, buying low and really saw the upside of that for almost 14 years, until we had the recent dip. Even the dip in the pandemic, back to March 2020, it was so short-lived, I’m not sure we saw the impact, like a 2008 recession or others before, where maybe we have people that have now been 10 to 15 years into their career, have never dealt with this kind of volatility. Maybe they’ve accrued three, four, five, USD 600,000. This is the first time they’re looking at saying, “Yeesh. I just lost 30% to 40% of my portfolio.”

This is the first test, I think, for many of like, “Am I really in it for the long-term? And making sure I don’t make any decisions in the short-term that are going to hurt me.” What advice would you have for folks that are – especially on that first half of their career that are experiencing this volatility, that are questioning their investment strategy and are maybe even wondering, is it worth it when there’s other competing expenses where I could be putting these dollars? You’ve lived through some of these cycles and obviously weathered them. Tell us your thoughts on that.

[0:29:26] GL: My first recommendation would be to never panic. So many people took money, or took their money that they had invested in especially the 2008, which was the biggest. 2007 leading up to that. So many people took their money and just put it into cash, or money market, which probably pays 1%. Or you can move it into annuity which pays 2% or 3%. But me and my wife, we looked at it as, this is an excellent opportunity to buy low, because we’re continuing to put in every paycheck, so we’re buying as low as possible.

Anybody that follows the stock market and if they don’t, then I encourage that everybody have a financial planner. As a department chair, I’ve been a department chair twice and a dean twice. In both of those positions, I saw myself not just as an employee mentor, but as a life mentor as much as I could be, because I went through having – I have one son, he’s 27 now. I went through having a child, or a baby while I was in academia, changing jobs, spouse changing jobs, all the sorts of things, buying houses, all the sorts of things that they’re going through, we’re going to go through. I encourage them to start putting money away as early as they can.

I have had, and here’s the part where I would never name names, but I have had faculty, many of them say to me, “I have been told by my financial planner, or advised to pay off my student loans first before I put money away.” I personally disagree with that, because you will get your student loans paid off long before you retire. But I don’t know, but compound an interest, if you put a USD 100 a month away at age, let’s say 25, at age 65 or 70, that USD 100, if you go by the general rule and the general rule is every seven years, your money doubles. That includes ups and downs in the markets, that every seven years. If you have a longer period of no downs and there’s definitely more ups than downs, that USD 100 – I mean, I don’t know how many sevens that is, but that USD 100 is probably several thousand.

If you’re doing that once a month, I mean, you’re talking about getting into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s not uncommon for people that do that, to retire with well over a million dollars. A lot of pharmacists are married to pharmacists. If they’re not married to pharmacists, they’re often married to other people doing very well in the health care, like nurses, physicians, nutritionists, any other health care practitioner that’s making 60,000 and up. These are people where both of them could be putting away.

The way I started when I had that 10%, I realized that it was 10% of not much and I didn’t know that pharmacy salaries – as a faculty member, I started at 48,000. I didn’t know that that would go to well over a 100,000. I looked at it as it’s 10% of not very much, but it’s USD 4,800 a month going in. The first year, we focused on buying a house. We really decided, okay, we’re not going to put anything away. I plan that every year, I’m probably going to get a raise. That’s another benefit of Albany College of Pharmacy. We had good raises. Many people that work for state universities, they might not get a raise like privates will get. Private universities will typically look at what is the consumer inflation index and the average, I mean, I realized this year is not a normal year, but the average is around 2%.

What they’ll do is most company, or most private universities will take that 2% and add 2% to that and they’ll say, “Our average raise this year is going to be 4%.” Depending on merit, it’s going to vary between the very worst person is going to get 2% and the highest might get 6%. At Albany, I typically ranged between 4% and 6% and 2 years in a row. I got the highest raise in the university. That’s great, but not normal. It wasn’t that way my entire career, but it was two great years.

My goal was always, whatever my raise was, if my raise was 4%, 2% I was going to enjoy in my salary and 2% I was going to put into the match. I did that every year, so that by the time I left Albany after seven years, I was matching that 10% that they were putting in. Again, that was 10% of a relatively no number, even though I was there seven years with some great pay raises. When I left there, I was making, I think, it was 67. Then I went to University of Florida as a associate professor in 1999 and started at 75.

Pharmacists coming out were making more than that. They were making about 80. It was not until I became vice chair for the department at University of Florida and the stipend that I got for being vice chair. At that point, about nine years in academia, vice chair for the department and I’m finally making as much as one of our graduates.

[0:35:09] TU: Yeah. I think there’s so much wisdom in what you shared of the habit that then has a compound effect. You mentioned your example of 4%-ish, maybe a little bit higher at Albany. Taking a portion of that and building the behavior of I’m going to save it and invest it. Because salaries go up if, you’ve built that behavior based on a percentage that not only is that number going to go up, but then the compound effect of that number is going to go up, even more over time. I think that’s a really good strategy.

I’ve been recording some of the lessons that you’re sharing here, and I’ve got four so far. Number one we talked about, don’t panic. We’re going to experience volatile periods in the market as we are right now. Number two is –

[0:35:49] GL: I guess, with don’t panic, try not to look every day if you’re invested.

[0:35:54] TU: Be informed, but not in it so much that you’re panicking.

[0:35:57] GL: Right. Because you’re not in it for day to day. You’re in this for 20, or 30 years from now. There will be ups and there will be downs, but no matter what, if you look at the market from the date they started recording, it goes like that.

[0:36:11] TU: Yup. That’s right.

[0:36:12] GL: It’s a mountain slope.

[0:36:14] TU: Number one, don’t panic. Number two is the value of having a good coach, a trusted advisor and planner. I think that relates to number one, because a good coach and a planner is going to talk you through some of the volatile time periods to make sure we’re looking long-term. Number three, you mentioned start as early as possible and you gave some good examples and numbers of what, it’s a USD 100 a month equal over time. Then number four, we just talked about this concept of save the raise, is what I call it. If we get raises over time, if we can build the discipline to put away a portion of that, that’s going to have a huge impact over time.

My last financial question before we transition and wrap up by talking a little bit about what you’re doing on the business side of retirement, is that saving for retirement is one thing. We talk a lot about building a nest egg. We talk a lot about how much might someone need. Is it one, or two, or three million dollars, but building a retirement paycheck and determining how you’re going to actually withdraw that money and the strategy for doing that is a completely different thing. We don’t talk as much about that, I think, in the financial services world. We talk about the accrual phase a lot, but we don’t talk as much about the withdrawal strategy. This is really where a lot can happen in terms of mistakes made, or opportunities, if we can optimize this phase. Can you can you share, especially for those listening that are getting ready, or see on the horizon that retirement phase, what your strategy has been thus far, or what you’re planning to do for withdrawing these various funds that you’ve accrued throughout your career as you begin to build that retirement paycheck?

[0:37:51] GL: I try to take out as little as possible. I’m very fortunate in that my wife is younger than me and she will probably work about five to six more years before retiring from J&J. She has a very healthy income, too. That allowed me to retire and really not have to touch any of my funds. However, I’ll try and make it for anybody that still has either a spouse retiring, or you both retired at the same time. Social Security, we have to mention that. Right now, they say, I think that there’s about 30 years left. This is just something I believe as a core in my heart that Social Security will not go away. I mean, it’s a promise –

[0:38:36] TU: I agree.

[0:38:37] GL: – that the government has made since what, FDR was president, when it started.

[0:38:42] TU: It would be catastrophic if it does.

[0:38:44] GL: I believe, it would lead to something like a civil war. Much, much worse than the January 6th insurrection. Because you’re affecting tens of millions of people, not a couple hundred thousand that are upset. Tens of millions of people. And that have been putting away. When Obama was president and they first started to talk about there being potentially an end, or a lifetime of Social Security that it has to come to an end. Well, if it has to come to an end, you have to stop taking from people. Social Security, and say, take this money and invest it on your own, but we can’t continue to take it and make money off of you and then say, it’s gone. It’s not. For those that don’t know, it’s seven and a half percent, I think, or 7.55% and your employer pays 7.55%.

[0:39:44] TU: That’s right.

[0:39:45] GL: If you’re self-employed, it’s double that, so you’re paying the entire 15% yourself. That’s a lot of money to take from somebody for 40, 50 years and then say, we’re not going to give you anything. Even the people that are billionaires, they took that money from them I think they owe them something in return. Now, I do believe that they can move to a sliding scale. People that are billionaires probably don’t need to get USD 2,000 a month. I’m very supportive of a sliding scale. But that sliding scale should not be the number that I’ve heard talked about, like 200, or USD 220,000, because two pharmacists could be making over USD 220,000 that are partners. Maybe not after they retire, but they might have more than that, a lot more than that in their retirement funds.

We all live, and I have this other – This is just the rule of Gary. Everybody lives to about a half a percent, or 1% beyond their means. If we didn’t, we would have no need for credit cards, lines of credit. We all tend to live at our means, but just a tiny bit over that that we’re always comfortable. We shouldn’t have to change that, because social security goes away. I don’t think that, again, that’s not a promise. That’s just my opinion. It’ll never go away. It may change, but I don’t think it’ll ever go away, that would lead to, I believe, something as big as a civil war, that catastrophic.

I’m one of the last few years. I’m a baby boomer, but on the last few years. I was born in 1960. I was eligible to start Social Security at ’62. Every year that you wait in not taking it, that goes up 8%. If I took it at ’63, it would be 8% more than when I was ’62. I’m not. If I wait till ’64, it’s another 8%. When we look at market volatility over time, we consider 8% per year over say, a 10 or 15-year of good, or average years. Six percent if you want to be conservative, 8% if you want to meet what the S&P has generally done over time and 10% if you want to say, “Well, I feel like I’m retiring, or the next 10 years should be pretty good.”

I have not started taking my Social Security, because there’s nothing in life that’s guaranteed, right, other than death and taxes. This is something that’s guaranteed. There are three things is that every year, you don’t take your Social Security. It goes up 8%. My goal is to not take it at least until my wife retires. If that’s in five years, I’ll be 67 and that would have gone up five times eight, 40%. Right now, my retirement check would look somewhere around, I think, USD, 2,200. I think it would be 3,000 or over at 67.

[0:42:55] TU: Let’s shift gears here and wrap up with the work that you are doing in your own business. You’re retired from pharmacy, still working though not as a pharmacist, but have decided to start your own company. Tell us about Captain G’s, what the business is all about and what you’re working on.

[0:43:12] GL: Great. I still want to mention that I’m still licensed. I don’t know why I’m still licensed as a pharmacist. It’s just something we work so long on and have for so long. I don’t know if it’s a safety net. I think most places would rather hire someone that has a lot of a career left than somebody like me. But if I had to do per diem, I certainly would. I always said that I’d work behind a counter before I would live under a bridge. But I wouldn’t be behind the counter. Like I said, I’d be out there helping patients and hope all the pharmacists that are listening to this do that, or counseling, or anything else that you would consider helping their quality of life.

I retired about a year and a half ago and I really never planned to do this. Well, actually, I had planned to do it. That was creating a charter service with my boat. We had a larger boat. We had a 45-foot boat when I retired, with a fly bridge, which is a pretty big boat. Three state rooms, two heads or bathrooms on it, a full galley, an outdoor kitchen and grill. I probably could have lived on that boat. We tried it. We actually, when we lived in Coconut Grove, which is a very popular area in Miami, we did Airbnb for one week a month –

[0:44:33] TU: Oh, cool.

[0:44:34] GL: – for our house and lived on the boat to see if we enjoyed living on a boat. Because that was always my goal, to try and get my wife to say, “Let’s not have a mortgage on the house and a boat. Let’s just get a big boat, big enough to live on.” It probably would have been a 60-foot boat. That experience though, she said, “I can’t live on a boat. I just can’t do it. Too small of a space. Not enough closet space, etc., and not a bathtub. My wife loves a bathtub, not a shower.” But we still owed a couple 100,000 on that boat when I wanted to retire. She said, “Look, we’ve got a lot of equity in this boat. Why don’t you sell it?”

It was right around the time that quarantine had ended and people wanted to get out and the boating market and the housing market, that’s when they both really started to skyrocket. Boats were selling literally in a day, just like houses. I hired a broker. We had literally three cash offers. We had three cash offers before COVID. Then the pandemic hit and it cooled down. The same people that had an offer on the boat when the quarantine ended came back and said, “We’ll buy it.” They tried to offer us a lower amount. I said, “No, we have two other cash offers for one day. No survey. We’ve already done all this with you, a marine survey. Take it as it is,” and they did.

Then, I ended up with about USD 250,000 in equity. My wife said, that was the original plan was take what you get in equity and just buy a boat outright. I did that. I looked around for a while and found an amazing boat that if anybody’s interested in a boat, buy a used one and typically, look at three years. Boats depreciate at 20% the first year like a car, 12% the second year and 8% the third year. After that, they plateau and appreciate about 2% to 3% a year.

Really, 40% of depreciation is in the first three years and it hasn’t been used that much. We were fortunate to find one that only had a 100 hours on the engine. Two state rooms in it, full galley. We went to one bathroom, but a separate shower. I had thought about chartering it and I didn’t want to put all those hours on it. I talked to a couple charter companies and they said, “You know, when we do charters, it’s really about the people being in the water. You’re not really taking them on a tour of Miami and the Keys. You’re not cruising at 30 knots, or 30 miles an hour, which uses a gallon pretty much every mile, you’re burning about a gallon, which is a lot of money.”

I mean, when we go to Bimini or the Keys, it costs about 60 gallons to get there. Well, marine fuel is less expensive, especially marine diesel, it’s still about USD 4 a gallon. It’s a lot of money to get to Bimini and back. That’s what I was thinking is that’s a lot of fuel, that’s a lot of hours. That means more maintenance I’m going to be paying on the boat, everything. In talking to a couple of charter companies, I realized that the ideal charter is four hours in length. It’s basically an hour of cruising around and you’re cruising relatively slow, eight to 10 knots, which burns maybe one gallon during that time period. One, maybe one and a half gallon. That was about USD 6 of fuel during that first hour. Showing them around. Then typically, they want to anchor and go out in the water and swim. We let them do that. They typically play in the water for two hours and then it’s about an hour to get back. It doesn’t put a lot of time. Each charter puts about two hours of engine time on my boat, but the amount of money that people pay for a charter for a boat of my size is great.

[0:48:27] TU: Makes sense. They don’t want to own it. They want to enjoy it.

[0:48:29] GL: They just want to enjoy it. My company is Captain G’s. Www.captain.gs, g for Gary, S for Captain G’s .net.

[0:48:43] TU: We’ll link to that in the show notes, so people can see that.

[0:48:45] GL: Okay. If you see anywhere on that page, I also do a second job and that’s because I’ve had a number of people call me and say, I just went up from a single engine to a double engine, or I’ve moved to a boat that has an air conditioner, or a generator, or I’ve went from gas to diesel, there’s just a lot of new things that I don’t know how to manage. I’ve owned everything, from an 18-foot to a 45-foot, all over 30 years. I started with an 18-foot bow rider right out of my fellowship and I’ve owned a boat ever since. I’m on my 11th boat. This will be my last boat. No sense in getting a bigger boat, because I like the number of people that I take out on the charter. Maximum is eight people and average is going to be typically, anywhere from two to six.

My first three charters, two were last week. Two were two weekends ago and one was this past weekend and we’re in low season. They said, I’ll probably get five to seven a month in low season. Then in November, we pick up into high season and they said, I’ll probably get around 11 to 15.

[0:49:51] TU: Wow. Wow.

[0:49:53] GL: Now, that’s a lot of work for me. I don’t want to do all that work. I want to enjoy the income that it brings. I like getting out on the water. My goal is to do about four charters a month. I get one so far. I was on a vacation to Asheville, so I have a backup, Captain Natasha. She’s relatively young, but extremely experienced and she captains boats up to 75 feet. She does – handling mine is like me playing with a tinker toy. She doesn’t even hire a mate when she does mine, when she charters 75-foot boats, she’ll have a mate with her too, to help getting the drinks, helping with the water toys, all that. I had my first one where I captained it, just this past Saturday for four hours.

Because we were coming back at night, I had my wife with me, because Miami can be pretty busy even at night. She just helped as a lookout and helped me dock back in. She served as the first mate. We bought a pair of walkie talkies, so we could seem very professional.

[0:50:59] TU: That’s cool.

[0:51:00] GL: She had it in her ear. It looked pretty cool. It was great. It was just a couple and we dropped them off at a restaurant when we were done. If it makes enough money to pay for my slip, slips are not expensive, or not cheap, especially in Miami. I have a type of slip where it’s called a full-service marina. You can get fuel there. They do minor repairs for free. Major repairs, they’ll bring somebody in, but I haven’t had any major, knock on wood. Minor things, they’ll do for free. If it’s anything that a charter customer did, like let’s say, they put a hole in a seat, then the charter – the company that I work with, or partner with, which is called theadvantaged.com. It’s www.theadvantaged.com. If you click anywhere on my website to do a charter, it’ll go directly to my boat on their website.

[0:52:01] TU: Got it.

[0:52:03] GL: The reason for that is, I don’t want to deal with the clientele. I don’t want to deal with people saying, “Hey, I want it for USD 200 less. I want this. I want that.” I want another company to do that, so theadvantaged does that. Do they make a fee? Yeah, they make 50% after the captain is paid, which is either me or Natasha, but we get the tip 100%, which is typically 20% of the full charter price and we each split 50% of it at the end. It’s very good.

I probably figure that I will need a service more often than once a year, maybe once every eight or nine months, especially once we get into season. A service costs about USD 4,000. I do expect that I’ll have additional expenses, but things that I was paying for already. My slip is 1,295 a month. That fuel, these are things that I’m paying for already, regular upkeep. All this can be written off now as an expense of the company. I hired a company called Zen Business, which is an ideal company for people that want to start small businesses and don’t want to do all the paperwork themselves.

They’ve handled my Florida S Corp, creating an S corporation. They’ve handled getting my EIN number, which is basically the social security number of a business for federal purposes and taxes. They’ve handled everything. Theadvantaged handles everything with the clients. They actually even take the money, I deal with nothing unless somebody hands me a cash tip. It’s been great. I mean, I like to get out on the water. Like I said, I don’t want to be out there every day of the month, or even every other day, because I want my time to go out with me and my wife and our friends also. We take friends out, probably once every other weekend. Again, I’ll do it about four times and Natasha can do the rest, or second backup.

[0:54:08] TU: I love that. I mean, you’re already building the system of the beginnings, at least of the business and having other people involved, doing what you want to enjoy, but not taking up so much time. I think that fits in so well to that fifth lesson we were talking about minimizing withdrawal, because obviously, there’s an opportunity there for additional income that can further allow that delay of social security and other type of withdrawal.

[0:54:32] GL: Exactly. We were, without me starting social security, I was having to take out about USD 20,000 twenty a year. I don’t think I’ll have to take out anything, which again, just let’s continue to build.

[0:54:44] TU: Yeah, that’s right. Yeah.

[0:54:47] GL: I only wish that I had additional money to put in during this low time.

[0:54:50] TU: I know.

[0:54:51] GL: I don’t. If it gets big enough, I will continue to put money in. Because my wife’s still working, she’s still putting in –

[0:54:59] TU: Contributing at the low.

[0:55:02] GL: Yeah, at the low amount, knowing that it’s going to grow.

[0:55:04] TU: Yeah. Well, this has been great. I really appreciate your time and sharing some of your journey here with our listeners and especially for those folks that are looking ahead and thinking about the journey over the course of their career, I think this will be really insightful. Thank you, Gary, for taking time to come on the show. I appreciate it.

[0:55:21] GL: Tim, if there’s one biggest thing that I can say, especially for those that have student loans, by all means, don’t forget your student loans. But take something, even if it’s a USD 100 a month, USD 50 a month, USD 10 a week, anything. Just start it. Make it as an auto withdrawal, so you don’t even notice it. Remember, when you take it out if your paycheck to put into retirement, you’re typically going to do it where you’re not going to pay taxes on that amount. If you take out a 100 a month, it’s only going to look like you’ve taken out USD 70 a month.

Now, there’s a whole other option that you can do where you do it after taxes and put it in as an IRA. That’s probably a whole another session for Tim to talk about. That wasn’t an option when I started my career. That only started about seven years ago. If it was, I would have done that, because I’m going to be taxed on everything that I take out. Whereas, if you do this relatively new option, yes you’re going to pay taxes now, but not when you need it in retirement.

[0:56:24] TU: That’s right. That’s right. Many folks now have access to a Roth. Not just the Roth IRA, but also a Roth 401k, or Roth 403b.

[0:56:31] GL: Right, right. If you do a whole show on that, please let me know. I’d love to listen in on it.

[0:56:36] TU: Yeah. Awesome. Thanks so much, Gary. I appreciate it.

[0:56:38] GL: Thank you, Tim. Thanks, listeners.

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[0:56:41] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment, or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding material should not be construed as a solicitation, or offer to buy or sell any investment, or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment.

Furthermore, the information contained in our archive, newsletters, blog posts and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of your financial pharmacists, unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements, which are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer.

Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

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YFP 297: Introducing The Pharmacy Innovators with Corrie Sanders of Huna Health


YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, introduces the new series, The Pharmacy Innovators, designed for pharmacists navigating the entrepreneurial journey, featuring founder stories and strategies to help guide current and aspiring pharmacy entrepreneurs. In this first episode, Tim interviews Corrie Sanders, PharmD, before handing over the lead to her for the remainder of the series. 

About Today’s Guest

Dr. Corrie Sanders joins us from Oahu, Hawaii as President of the Hawai’i Pharmacists Association and founder of Huna Health, Hawaii’s only pharmacogenomic consulting company. After five years of practicing in private and government settings, Corrie transitioned to solopreneurship and is passionate about sharing the intricacies of that journey with other healthcare professionals. Dr. Sanders enjoys educating pharmacists and students about consulting opportunities and how ‘thinking outside the box’ will be integral to the pharmacy profession in the future.

Episode Summary

This week, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, announces a brand new series of the YFP Podcast, The Pharmacy Innovators. This series, designed for pharmacists navigating the entrepreneurial journey will feature individual founder stories and strategies to help guide current and aspiring pharmacy entrepreneurs. Tim kicks things off by interviewing Corrie Sanders, PharmD. Corrie is a pharmacy entrepreneur with a passion for innovation in pharmacy. During their discussion, Corrie shares what excites her most about pharmacy entrepreneurship, the pharmacy journey that led her to this point, why she chose to walk away from a desirable position in pursuit of entrepreneurship, and how she prepared in advance to transition from a W-2 job to running her business, Huna Health. Tim and Corrie talk through the creation of Huna Health, how Corrie developed the idea based on solving problems in her market, and the services offered by the pharmacogenomic consulting service. Listeners will hear practical advice and resources that helped Corrie early in this journey, how her role as president of the Hawai’i Pharmacists Association played a part in helping her grow as a business owner, and how she works through “head trash” as a small business owner. Tim wraps up by sharing what listeners can expect from The Pharmacy Innovators series and hands the series over to Corrie for the next four episodes. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hi, guys. Tim Ulbrich here, and welcome to this special episode of the YFP podcast. Today marks the beginning of a journey that has been in the making for some time, and I’m thrilled to be kicking off a new series on this show, The Pharmacy Innovators.

Now, if you’ve been listening to this show for some time, you know that over the past couple of years, we’ve been featuring a handful of pharmacy entrepreneur stories of individuals that are blazing paths to monetize their clinical expertise, evolve our profession, and improve patient care. It’s an exciting time to be in a profession that is ripe for innovation and disruption, which means there are opportunities all around us. As we see more pharmacists embrace these opportunities and enter unchartered territory, we want to create a space to learn more about who these innovators are, what they’re working on, why they took the paths they’re taking, and what makes them tick. That’s exactly what we have planned for this new series, on the YFP podcast, The Pharmacy Innovators.

This series is really designed for pharmacists that are navigating the entrepreneurial journey, whether that be for individuals that don’t yet have an idea but are looking for inspiration, or those that have an idea and just getting started, or perhaps those that have been at it for a while and are looking to continue to improve, to grow and to scale. In this series, we’re going to feature individual founder stories and strategies that will help guide current and aspiring pharmacy entrepreneurs.

Today, I kick things off by interviewing Corrie Sanders, and I’m going to play my usual role of host and interview Corrie about her career and entrepreneurial journey. But here’s the twist. Here’s the exciting part. After today’s episode, she is going to take the mic for four more of The Pharmacy Innovator series podcasts throughout 2023. She’s been planning and scheming with some awesome guests and content to feature throughout the year.

Now, for those that don’t already know Corrie and the work she is doing with Huna Health, stay tuned. That’s what we’re going to talk about on today’s episode. But let me give you the short story of why I thought she was such a great fit to serve as host of this series throughout the year. Lots of reasons. But three that really stood out to me. Number one is she has a passion for pharmacy entrepreneurship and innovation. Both for those that are starting their own thing, but also for those that are looking to innovate and disrupt within their own organization.

Number two is she has made the jump from employee to entrepreneur and being towards the beginning of that journey she has a lot to share about how and why she made that transition and what she’s learning as she grows her business. Of course, while interviewing others, she’s going to bring that perspective, as one that is curious, that is getting started as an entrepreneur, which I think it’s going to be so helpful to others that are on their own journey.

And number three, she is contagious with her enthusiasm and energy. We need that in our profession at a time when there’s a lot of pessimism. We need that to be a realistic, enthusiastic, and energy, and I think Corrie brings just that. All right, let’s jump into my interview with Corrie Sanders as we kick off The Pharmacy Innovator series on the YFP podcast.

[INTERVIEW]

[00:03:02] TU: Corrie, welcome to the show.

[00:03:04] CS: I’m excited to be here, Tim. Thanks for having me.

[00:03:06] TU: Well, this is an exciting time, one for our profession, I think lots of disruption and innovation, and we’re seeing many pharmacists enter into some really cool ideas and intrapreneurship, entrepreneurship. We’ll talk about those throughout this series that we’re featuring in The Pharmacy Innovators. But also, an exciting time, as we’re going to feature your story, your career journey, your journey into pharmacy entrepreneurship on this new series, The Pharmacy Innovators, and then I’m going to pass the mic, as you’ll interview others throughout 2023. I think there are lots of exciting pharmacists, founders, stories, and ideas that are out there that we’re going to explore in much more detail.

My first question for you, Corrie, is what excites you most about diving more into pharmacy entrepreneurship? It’s a topic that I’ve since, as we’ve talked over the last six or so months, that you’re just as energized and enthusiastic as I am and what’s behind that?

[00:04:02] CS: I think we’re seeing pharmacists leverage their clinical skill set in a way that we haven’t seen before. And this is just varied across the country, whether it’s access to care or quality of care, and we’re seeing a lot of expansions and pharmacists’ scope of practice at the state level. So, I think the legislation is really setting the foundation to get pharmacists to be thinking outside the box of alternative revenue streams and traditional care settings.

[00:04:27] TU: Awesome. Awesome. We’re talking about what you’re doing with the work at Huna Health here in a little bit. But I want to start with your journey into the profession. Where did you go to pharmacy school and what ultimately led you into the profession of pharmacy?

[00:04:40] CS: Sure. So, I went to pharmacy school at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. I’m born and raised in Virginia, and I went into pharmacy because I love the clinical care setting and the impact that you can have directly on patient care. So really, just a nice hybrid of science and medicine, but still retaining a lot of the interpersonal relationship that you can have with your patients and other healthcare providers. It was just a really perfect combination for me to step into the pharmacy practice area.

[00:05:09] TU: So, from Virginia, graduated from VCU, you would then go on to do a PGY1 residency. Tell us more about that experience and then what led you to your first job after that.

[00:05:19] CS: Sure. And I joke all the time, I feel like I’m 30 years old, and I’m on my third pharmacy career already. But I did a general PGY1 at a healthcare system called Sentara, based out in Norfolk, Virginia, and I was really critically care focused there. But then, my husband was in the Navy for seven years, and his orders took us out to Hawaii. So, I made a complete 100 Navy pivot. I had to switch from a critical care focus to an ambulatory care setting, just based on the job opportunities that were out here in Hawaii. Then, after spending three years with the Department of Veterans Affairs, I’ve now transitioned into independent entrepreneurship and pharmacogenomics.

[00:06:00] TU: Corrie, by all accounts, outside looking in, the VA is a pretty good job in our profession, right? Great compensation, good benefits, expanded scope of practice for many folks. So, I think the question is, what led you to the point to say, “I’m willing to walk away from that. Maybe this isn’t, for me, maybe there’s something else that’s out there.”

[00:06:20] CS: Sure. I think that’s such an important question is really taking a look at yourself, and what makes you happy and what you get job satisfaction from, and I just wasn’t feeling that within the department that I was in. So, looking long term, and being able to grow in leadership positions, or being able to really practice towards the top of my license, despite having expanded clinical scope at the VA baseline, just the innovation and the growth for me wasn’t there.

On top of that, I didn’t like the person that I was becoming because of the work culture that I was practicing in. I just felt like I was carrying such an emotional and mental weight stepping outside of work and that was really taking a toll on me mentally, and I just wasn’t willing to sit in that space for the rest of my career. Then, ultimately thinking about, I learned so much about what work can be from my parents. I did not want my kids to think that this is what work looks like, is that their mom comes home, they’re tired every day, they’re complaining about their job, it’s not invigorating them in any way, shape, or form. And I just projecting a couple of years ahead, my husband and I all have kids, hopefully in the next few years, but that’s just a lesson that I wanted to teach my kids to is like, work can be amazing, and it’s not worth sacrificing your mental health to say in a position just because it’s a good position from the outside or it meets a certain paycheck metric.

[00:07:48] TU: Corrie, that’s really powerful. And I think many of our listeners are going to resonate with that of, maybe there’s something more, something else out there. I think, for many, that emotional side of what we often say is living a rich life, not just dollars and cents, but living a rich life in terms of the work that we’re doing, the contributions that we’re making, the relationships that we have is so important. But I think, what often is the struggle is translating that emotional desire with some of the Xs and Os to actually make a transition or make it happen.

I talk with pharmacists every single week that says, “Hey, Tim, I would love to do X, Y, and Z, or that are feeling some of the emotional pains that you brought up. But… I’ve got $200,000 in student loan debt. I don’t really feel like I have a good foundation investing. I’ve got a young family. It’s a busy phase of life. I’m not sure how I’m going to replace my income. What about health insurance?” All of these things that we have to think about when we’re starting our own business, and they’re all real, but they’re big barriers to overcome.

I know you and I have talked about this before, as we’re planning for this series that, “Hey, this is a topic we don’t talk enough about and transparently enough of how do we actually make and prepare for this financial transition from a W-2 that pays well and great benefits, to a path where you’re out on your own.” Tell us more about what that looked like for your own journey?

[00:09:13] CS: Sure. There are so many components of this question, right? So, at the core of it, it’s really you need to have a skill, and what skill are you confident that is going to translate outside of whatever practice setting you’re in, that you can monetize after you make that transition? It’s one thing to think about wanting to be in a different care setting and all the opportunities that exist and really, it can become overwhelming, if you really start tapping into the pharmacy entrepreneurship community. There are a lot of things that pharmacists are doing. But really what is that skill? And what skill are you passionate about? And that is really the core of being able to make that transition tangible.

For me, it was getting a certification in pharmacogenomics. I had heard about pharmacogenomics, because I also majored in nutrition and undergrad, and so I was familiar with nutrigenomics. So, that was just an amazing hybrid when I learned that you could apply that to the pharmacy practice setting. But one, really honing in on that skill, and then two, preparing financially and leveraging the finances and the opportunities that your current position provides.

For me, it was staying within the VA for X amount of years to retain the match on my 401(k). It was planning ahead and really leveraging some of the costs in my home life or in my personal life. My husband and I had spoken for almost — about a year, about what our savings should look like and what marks we wanted to meet, and how many months of savings we needed to have added up. You and I can dive into that a little bit deeper, too.

But I would say the two biggest takeaways are, one, leveraging that skill that you’re going to be able to utilize outside of your care setting. Then, two, really diving deep into those finances, with your significant other or your family or if it’s just you, and being honest with yourself in real about what’s going to make you feel comfortable. And that’s different for everyone, just depending on your risk tolerance.

[00:11:03] TU: Yes, I think risk tolerance is different for everyone. That’s a great, great point. I think leveraging that skill, and really having – nothing is known, right? When you’re starting entrepreneurship, but obviously doing some of your background, and your homework, you’re planning to understand what is your skill set and your ability to monetize it. What’s the potential market look like?

Something I heard from you, which is really important, is this concept of a runway. I think we often think about entrepreneurship as like someone jumping in the deep end. The vast majority of people that you talk with, I think share a story similar to yours, which is, I’ve been planning this for a while. Sure, there was a point, there was a decision point where you made a jump. And of course, there are those stories here or there where people just truly jumped in the deep end. I think often those are because of job loss or other things that might happen or life events. 

But more often than not, there’s some strategic thought and planning and work that’s been done. I think about it more like an exit ramp than literally jumping off the diving board into the deep end. Financially, of course, that’s so important for many reasons. One of the things I share often, Corrie, with folks is partly from my own journey, and just talking with so many pharmacists is that if you aren’t able to approach your business with a perspective of having a strong personal financial foundation, your business is going to suffer. Because you’re going to get into short term thinking. If you’re stressed with, “Hey, I don’t know what to do with my student loans. I don’t have the right reserves.” You mentioned that. “I’m worried about X, Y, or Z.” I’m not suggesting you have to have it all figured out. But if we at least have thought through these, and we’ve considered some of the potential pain points, and we have a plan in place, that’s going to be better for the business as well as your sanity.

I think, the reserves, tell us a little bit more about that. Because that’s an important piece of how much is enough? What are we comfortable with? I mean, if we just be kind of direct for a moment. If a pharmacist, let’s say is making, I don’t know, $120,000, $130,000, you multiply that by 1.25, 1.3, when you factor in benefits, probably even more when you consider purchasing health insurance on your own. That’s a pretty big number that I think scares people of how am I going to replace that. And then, what happens if I can’t replace that, which is where the emergency fund would come into play? So, how did you and your husband think about the reserves that you are comfortable with in making the transition?

[00:13:21] CS: What you said is completely correct. You can’t just consider the financial benefit. You also need to consider some of these background finances that are being flown from your paycheck that you may or may not even think about anymore. So, really important to be honest with your contributions and your investments. Really, the salary for us after benefits came somewhere around $160,000 or $170,000.

From there, we really dove into three different areas. Our reserves, our investments, and then our loans. I’ll work my way backward from those. Student loans, I still have a significant loan burden, so I didn’t pay that off completely. I was on a really aggressive payment path. I was on a payment path to complete my loans in five years, and I had close to $150,000 in loans when I left pharmacy school. So, I’m less than $100,000, which is significant in a short amount of time, but I’m still pretty high up there.

[00:14:16] TU: Which makes sense, right? The pandemic and $0 payment.

[00:14:19] CS: Totally. Yes. So, one thing that we did with the loan forgiveness, or the loan forbearance with COVID pandemic, is that we put a lot of those student loan payments into either going into a house account, so we purchased the house last year, and really cushioning the savings or building up the savings for our house account. And then everything else because I’ve been talking about making this transition for my career for about a year, went into building up the savings and reserves for going into entrepreneurship and really making that career transition.

So, for us, I have just about eight months of reserves saved up to give myself some grace between jobs, which I have some grants now that I haven’t had to tip into the reserves yet, and we can talk about those grants a little bit later. But that was our plan, is that eight months of savings. And then another thing I think is really important is having a plan B. So, what is your exit strategy going to look like if this is not a successful move for you? I think you really need to have that conversation before you make the jump and before emotions get tied into making that decision. Otherwise, it can be really messy down the line, when you’re already emotionally invested, and that you’re dipping into things you shouldn’t be dipping into financially, or you’re looking to offset different assets when maybe your business plan just isn’t working, or you need to pivot.

Having those conversations, knowing what the plan B is, knowing if you’re married, who’s going to jump into a higher paying job or make a transition, if you are going to continue down this path to make it work. Just really having the emotional conversations upfront before your back is against the wall, I think is really important to do.

[00:15:58] TU: I think that piece, right there, is so important. Having those conversations before the issues come to be. So, you’ve already kind of thought about them in a less stressful environment. Then, what I’m hearing a theme of, is that there are a lot of conversations that are ongoing between you and your husband, which separate topics for another day. But the health of an open financial conversation and making sure that we’re working on this plan together and beating up both the challenges that may exist and obviously being excited about the opportunities of, “Hey, if we are very successful in business, what are the priorities? What do we want to work on? And how do we allocate those dollars accordingly? How much are we going to reinvest in the business? How much are we going to take out?” So important to think about some of those things in advance.

Corrie, tell us about Huna Health. What problem are you trying to solve? What are the services that you offer? I think, at the foundation, every business is really trying to solve a problem that is one, that people care enough, that they’re willing to invest and pay for it. So, what is that for Huna Health? What are you trying to solve?

[00:17:00] CS: Sure. I think, there are maybe two components that you can think about when you’re trying to solve a problem, and then what that really means to you. One, what is your why? And are you passionate about what you’re doing? Because that is going to make the entrepreneur transition really makes sense, even when you’re in these tough times, and having to make hard decisions. If your why is something that you’re passionate about, that will keep you going long term.

But the second thing is, know your market. So, I have spent three years in Hawaii. I know the pain points of this healthcare system. I know how pharmacogenomics can really serve as a solution to a lot of those problems. It all just kind of came together perfectly for me.

In Hawaii, we have a lot of barriers to care, and a lot of access to care issues. We’re in a huge physician shortage. We are not leveraging pharmacists to practice toward the top of their licenses, which is something that I’m working on with the state association. But it’s just this perfect storm of we’ve got a lot of access to care issues, and pharmacogenomics can help to bridge that gap by reducing overall costs of medication, reducing the amount of touchpoints that you need to go back and follow up with a physician, just really providing personalized care that will reduce the burden on an already overburdened healthcare system.

On top of that, we’ve got a really unique patient demographic here. We’ve got a lot of minority populations that statistically process medications a lot differently than the Caucasian population. So, it’s really just, again, knowing that market, but also having that passion for why this makes sense here in Hawaii, and being able to bridge that gap and use the pharmacists to be able to do it.

[00:18:40] TU: What I’m hearing there, Corrie, is that we know there’s significant demand for pharmacogenomics services across the board. But it sounds like in Hawaii, even more so, for the reasons that you mentioned. The diverse population, access to care with shortage of primary care physicians, underutilization, and the role of pharmacists. You and I’ve talked before offline that there’s a huge opportunity, one that you’re pursuing, as a president of the state association to really advance the scope of practice to what we’re seeing other states do across the country.

It feels like if I’m reading correctly, kind of the business opportunity really sits in the center of this perfect storm. The pain and the problem to me is evident. Tell me more about the service. What does that look like? Or what are you building it to look like? Is it a standalone service? Is it in partnership with other care providers? Tell us more about what that offering looks like.

[00:19:32] CS: Sure. It’s a little bit of both. In my ideal world, I’ve got two arms to the business. One, unfortunately, pharmacogenomic tests aren’t covered by insurance, and there’s got to be a lot more data in order for that to begin to happen. So, in my heart of hearts, I really want to be serving a population that I know can’t afford these tests. I’ve started pursuing different grants. I’ve got two grants right now, through different state entities, to be able to provide pharmacogenomic tests to underserved, really complex care populations that are more expensive to the state as they would see it.

Those grants, I’ve partnered with physicians and different healthcare settings, to act as a consultant pharmacist to come in, give the tests, interpret the tests, and then streamline patient care. The second arm of my business is direct to consumer for patients that have the funding to be able to pay for these tests independently outside of insurance, and just want a really high standard of care, and want to tap into personalized medicine in a way that insurance coverage doesn’t make a difference to them. It’s just that important. So, really going off of those two arms of serving the people that I know needing it most, or serving the people that I know need it most with the grant funding, but then also being able to tap into a community that wants it at the moment through direct to consumer.

[00:20:54] TU: This is such a great example. Let’s pause for a moment here for the listeners. What I’m doing is really dissecting kind of the thought process behind how the services have developed to where they are. Many people I talked with, that are trying to start thinking about starting a business, they want to focus on the service they’re offering first. What I’m getting to is that is typically not where we want to start. We want to start with what is the problem that needs to be solved. What’s the pain?

One of the things I always encourage people is like, go through your everyday experiences. Where are the inefficiencies? Where are the problems that need to be solved? Good or bad, when you think about healthcare and pharmacy, they’re all around us. They are all around us every day of problems that need to be solved.

So, what are those things that, number one, there’s pain? Number two, that really interests you, Corrie, you mentioned your why, something that’s going to really fuel your passion, keep you motivated, keep you going. And then we start to back into, okay, under that problem, what is the avatar? What does this person look like that might be struggling with this problem? And to be as specific as you possibly can be. This is where I think folks often struggle, Corrie is where they want to try to build something that, I don’t really want to narrow myself into this specific demographic. It’s too narrow, it’s too niche. There’s always room to expand. But there are way too many examples of businesses that start broad, and they’re trying to serve everyone. And by doing that, they’re not really serving anyone at the end of the day.

What is your ideal customer within that problem? Within that potential solution that you’re going to offer? Painting a very specific picture in terms of naming them, age, what are they doing? What’s their profession? What’s their income level? All those types of things. And then from there, you’re aligning the solution with the problem and the person. I think you have done this so well, and we’re going to dissect this further with other people that come on to this series, of we focus on the solution. I think that’s maybe a little bit hardwired, of who we are as pharmacists of like. “I have this great idea. I have this solution.” Is it even aligned with the right population addressing the right problem?

This is so key, because all of your marketing, your storytelling, how you position this, all of this is going to be speaking to the pain and the problem that someone has and how this solution is addressing this pain. I just want to pause there for a moment, because I think it’s a great example to walk through how you’re developing this, and kind of the system to think about along the way.

I want to shift gears and ask you a question. I know you’re early in the business, but one of the things I see people struggle with is this question of should I pay myself? Or should I invest back in the business? I think this is really challenging, especially for folks that are transitioning from a high-income profession, like pharmacy where they want to, as quickly as possible replace their income. That’s different from other areas where you hear the startup stories where, maybe somebody lost their job, or they were very young, making a small income. So, that jump to zero wasn’t as significant, right? There wasn’t as much pain.

I think this pressure is even greater with pharmacists where they’re like, “Ah, I want to pay myself. I want to pay myself.” But they’re feeling the tug of should I invest this back into the business? Whether that’s systems, people, or resources, to really give this the fuel and the life that it needs. How have you approached this balance and this question so far?

[00:24:19] CS: Tim, I think this is such an important question because you can really put yourself into a hard-financial position. Like I said if you’re not having these conversations, and you haven’t set these boundaries for yourself before you get into the business, I just think it becomes way more complicated to answer them once you’re already up and moving. So, something that I did was just a really deep comprehensive analysis of my baseline expenditures every month, my fixed costs, my variable costs, and knowing what I would need to pay myself to live and maintain a lifestyle that I’m comfortable living throughout this transition. And that definitely involves streamlining some things and making cuts where I could. But I pay myself that amount of money every month, and then the rest of it gets circulated either back into the business or toward my student loans.

Again, I just came in with that number in mind, and it’s so important, that’s going to look really different for everyone, depending on the chapter of life that you’re in. Do you have kids? Do you have a significant other that has loans that you’ve got to prioritize? But really, being honest and upfront with yourself, and that’s just how I do it. I pay myself the baseline that I need to continue to maintain the lifestyle that I want. And then the rest of it is circulated into other financial vehicles.

[00:25:32] TU: If I can connect the dots too, because of what you shared earlier, that eight-month reserves, setting up a good financial foundation, having other revenue streams, that help to diversify, allows you, I would think, to keep that number within range that it’s not suffocating your business. Whereas if you said, “Hey, because of those other things not being in place, I have to have this income to be able to do all these things.”

I think that planning, as you’ve alluded to, a few times now is so important, and you kind of mentioned this. But we don’t objectively evaluate our business. That’s just human behavior. When you build something that you create and you’re passionate about, a lot of the objectivity goes out the window. It becomes very emotional, right? These are why you hear the stories sometimes of founders sharing what they’re doing, what they’re working on, and the money, they’re investing into it, not making money, not being profitable. You’re like, “How in the world are you continuing to run a business?” It becomes very subjective and emotional over time.

I think, having accountability, talking this through with a partner or preplanning, maybe having a coach involved, whatever be the case, is so helpful, because yes, that passion is going to serve you when you’re building the business and the mission. But it also can be blinders sometimes, as we’re not able to see clearly some of the challenges that are in front of us.

Corrie, let me ask you about resources that have been really instrumental to you early in this journey and going through the transition. So, whether it’s paid or unpaid things I’m thinking about, whether it’s programs that support pharmacy entrepreneurs. I know, you talked before we hit record on some of the work that you’re doing, an accelerator program, whether it’s coaching services, books, podcasts. What have been a few of the resources, whether paid or unpaid, that had been most instrumental in your journey of making this transition?

[00:27:21] CS: Sure. I think I’ve got two that come immediately to mind. One, I’ve found it very impactful to be surrounded by pharmacists that are also making this career transition. I am a part of one of the online academies that’s offered from another pharmacist to really just surround myself with other professionals, specifically in the pharmacy care setting, to be able to just provide a community of support and understand the transitions and the intricacies of pharmacy and have those conversations that are maybe a little more specific has been really, really great for me.

The second resource that I’ve tapped into is the Small Business Development Center here in Hawaii, and I would recommend that anyone that’s making an entrepreneurial transition do that. Because the small business community in your state is aware of your state specific laws. They’re aware of the needs of your state. They’re aware of the local resources that they can point you to. So, it’s one thing to have this pharmacy group and have a lot of people that you can maybe comrodorize with about what’s so specific to the profession and maybe bounce ideas off of them. But, I think, the most instrumental piece has been the Small Business Development Center locally in Hawaii.

Something that’s tapped me into is, I’m now going through a business accelerator program or a business incubator program that’s funded locally by the state. But it’s essentially a really intense one-month workgroup. They tell you to dedicate somewhere between 30 and 40 hours in a week. But basically, we go through every single aspect of business that you don’t touch in pharmacy school in a traditional care setting unless you had traditional training with an MBA or some kind of other entrepreneurship experience in your past. But we go through everything, branding, marketing, advertising, strategizing, scaling, and being able to not only have those resources provided to me and have conversations with local leaders. It’s just been an amazing, amazing growth and connection platform that’s local to the state.

[00:29:24] TU: What I love about that experience accelerator program is you’re in it while you’re building something. It’s the best time to learn. I mean, I’ll knock on MBAs for a moment. But I think often those courses are taken in the context of maybe a future idea or you’re already working with an organization more geared toward folks that are in a management role. When you are in the thick of trying to start and build a business and you’re learning, that’s power. That’s where I think the magic really happens. As you mentioned, Small Business Development Centers are located all across the country. I believe they’re partially or fully funded by the SBA. We’ll link to the SBDC in the show notes. I’ve had some experience with them in the past. A great resource, as you mentioned, to really help you with some of the foundations, to have a point of contact, basics around business plans, starting an organization, the early steps of the business, connecting you with other entrepreneurs, resources, illegal resources, et cetera in the area. I think they do a fantastic job and it’s free, which is a huge benefit, something that other resources do as well.

[00:30:25] CS: I have found that the small business community is so supportive of one another, and just really interested in helping each other out and pointing each other in the right direction. And it’s kind of like this camaraderie that you’ve got that maybe you don’t fit into a traditional work mold that everyone just likes to focus on, and really pull each other out of the weeds and support each other and be there.

I’ve also really found a lot of opportunity, just in the last year, just speaking into existence that, “Hey, I am a small business owner when I introduce myself in groups now.” I’m like, “Oh, my name is Corrie. I work as a pharmacist and I transitioned from a traditional role, I now own my own consulting company.” That’s how I introduce myself in various settings. But you would be so surprised, I’m not even doing and like a salesy way. I don’t want anyone’s business. But how many people approached me with, especially when they’re in health care? What are you doing? How are you doing that? What does that mean? What does your business look like? I found such a unique group, within the small business community itself. It’s been really refreshing.

[00:31:28] TU: Yes, let me introduce you to so and so, or have you thought about this? It’s an incredibly collaborative group and I think, especially when it’s authentic, and you’re there to learn, you’re there to contribute to the network as well. Obviously, there’s value to be derived from that also. Corrie, what role has your presidency of the Ohio – not the Ohio, of Hawaii —

[00:31:51] CS: We should leave that in there.

[00:31:53] TU: We are. We are going to leave that in there. The President of the Hawaii Pharmacists Association. How has that helped you grow as a business owner as well see the opportunity that’s out there?

[00:32:04] CS: Yes, that has been truly instrumental in having a successful transition. Like I said, my husband and I were really planning for financially about a year, but I knew that I was going to leave my job somewhere around that three-year mark with the VA. So, I started tapping into my resources within the state association, almost immediately after making the decision that I would be making a transition.

A lot of people that I work with, that are directors of pharmacy, or really impactful in the state just saying, “Hey, I’m going to make a career transition. This is what I’m looking to do.” And get them thinking about what opportunities they can provide for you has been amazing. That’s actually how I got pulled into two other grants that I have right now, is just having those conversations really early on with some people that were influential in the state association. 

Hawaii is also really unique. I mean, our state association, it’s very small. Our state is very small. So, I can make a pretty big difference on a pretty big scale just because of how small the state is. But tapping into your state association is an amazing community, an amazing resource. They’re up to speed on the law. They can normally tell you where there are other weaknesses in areas where maybe they’re getting different things pointed to them from pharmacists in the state.

So, I’ve loved working with the state association. I’m obviously also biased because I’m the president. But that is another really huge way to impact pharmacy practice, that I don’t think is taught well in pharmacy schools, in general, is provider status. We’ve been hearing about it since we were in pharmacy school at the national level. But really, where you make a difference is looking across the map at the state level because that’s where your local legislators are able to cater different statutes based off of the needs specifically of your state.

One, it’s just the connections. But two, if you really want to make a difference fast, changes made at the state level. And so, being familiar with what the opportunities are. And then again, like you said, being able to change legislation to make that happen, it’s something that I don’t think we talk about enough.

[00:34:10] TU: Yes. I’m seeing the power of networking being involved, obviously, across the state with not only the Small Business Development Center here, you’re talking about the Hawaii Pharmacists Association. You mentioned you’re part of that pharmacist’s network of a community of individuals and other entrepreneurs. So, great touchpoints and connection points to learn from other people to contribute and to be at the forefront of what’s happening, obviously, in the profession and the opportunity that’s out there.

Corrie, I want to ask you about head trash, okay? And credit to my coach, my coach who talks a lot about head trash and the stories that we tell ourselves, and often it’s not objective when we can really shine a light on what it really is. But it has such an impact on what we do or don’t do in terms of the actions that we take. As you look at this transition, you’ve made this transition for from employee to entrepreneur, what head trash, if any, have you had to get over, that you’re working through, that you really see as either was a barrier or is a barrier to you growing your business?

[00:35:16] CS: I’m laughing because it’s so easy to get derailed in your own mind with what you’re doing. So, you could be doing something as simple as like filling out a form that you’ve never filled out before and you get frustrated, and then you’re like, “Why am I going into entrepreneurship?” I don’t know what I’m doing. It becomes really easy to derail yourself mentally. I think that’s a great question and it’s very real.

But you have to remember, most people that are really successful entrepreneurs, own one skill. They know one thing. They are not trained in all of these other aspects of the business. So, you are not doing anything that is out of the ordinary. And just having that perspective of so many business owners that are really successful, had no idea what they were doing when they started. They just knew they had a really good idea and they had a really powerful connection to what they were doing.

So, I think it’s just being aware of the head trash is probably step one, because it’s going to creep into your head at some point. You’re going to start second guessing yourself. Just being able to hone back in on your why, and what you’re doing, and who you’re doing it for, is something that’s really been powerful to me. And then, I will also say, having a support system is really instrumental. And whether that’s your spouse, or tapping into that pharmacy community, or tapping into the small business community, it’ll really help you get through the weeds and the head trash pretty quickly. You can talk yourself out of it mentally and you can write some things down and focus on your why. But when you’ve got another physical person that you can really have those conversations with, that just becomes a little more real. So, that’s helped me too.

[00:36:48] TU: It’s fascinating, I think how fragile this can be early on, right? You mentioned the example of, “Hey, I’m filling out a form and I get frustrated. And all of a sudden, my mind goes to like, second guessing. I am I cut out for this? Am I going to fail?” Like, whoa, like we’re filling out a form. What just happened?

[00:37:05] CS: It escalates really quickly.

[00:37:06] TU: It does. I think, with more time and even stepping into some of those “failures”, and realizing like, “Hey, it all worked out. I’m willing to put myself out there and kind of learn from that, grow from that, build a team.” I think some of that gets mitigated. I don’t think it ever goes away. But I think it is a fragile period where that community, that support, resources you mentioned is so helpful, especially early on in the journey.

[00:37:29] CS: Something else, Tim, I’ve also done, is I’ve started writing things down. I was never really into journaling. But when I left my job, I just had so many pent-up emotions, I just started journaling. But I’ve also started journaling some of the wins that I’ve had just with my career and in my personal life in general and being able to flip through some of those wins when you’re having a bad day or you have a loss because you’re probably going to have a million losses, that’s just inevitable. But being able to reflect back on some of those wins too, in a tangible way, has been really helpful.

[00:37:59] TU: Corrie, I want to wrap up by hearing from you, as you’re going to take the host seat of this series that we’ve got planned out through 2023, and I expect, beyond that as well. As you think about this series, who it’s for, the focus of it. What can people expect as they tune into The Pharmacy Innovator series throughout the year? What are you hoping to accomplish?

[00:38:25] CS: Yes, I think there are so many amazing resources out there for pharmacists that are looking to make a transition. We know it’s possible. We know that there are different care settings or areas or specialties or ways that you can monetize your knowledge. We know it’s possible. But what I really want to make real is having some of the conversations that will make those transitions seem tangible. I just think that the YFP community is a great place to answer and ask some of these harder questions that have to deal with finances, which no matter how you put it, you have to talk about finances when you’re going to make a career transition. I mean, you can have amazing ideas. But I know some of these academies and some of these support groups, they don’t want you to talk about finances. And I just think that’s totally unfair to people because you just can’t make a transition without having those hard conversations.

So, I think that this is a really great community because it’s built around finances and really diving into some of those questions in a way that’s not taboo or intrusive. But then, also, just hearing different perspectives from pharmacists that have been really successful, or maybe not even pharmacists, but just have made successful career transitions. And really, some of those hard-hitting questions and the planning process and making it all just seem more transparent and possible and hopefully, give some hope to some of the listeners that are looking to make those transitions and providing them with contexts to do it in a successful way.

[00:39:51] TU: I love that, Corrie. I think you and I both share the enthusiasm for – when there’s a period of disruption, you mentioned kind of a crossroad earlier in the show. There are two ways of looking at that. There’s kind of a gloom and doom of, “Hey, some of these traditional roles are being disrupted. Maybe perhaps some contraction is happening.” Or the other way is, “Hey, this is an opportunity that through that disruption, it means we’re ripe for innovation, for new ideas.” That is scary. That is big. That is, “Hey, what does this mean? And what does the role of pharmacists look like going forward?” I think it means it’s probably a lot more diversified and broader than we think about it today, or at least how I thought about going through pharmacy school as a student.

But I think that’s exciting. One of the purposes that we’re hoping to accomplish is to feature other stories, not necessary – so if someone can say, “Hey, I just heard from Corrie. I’m going to go do exactly what she did.” But rather, “Hey, that’s an interesting way. I haven’t thought about how pharmacists might leverage their training and their clinical background and expertise to be able to go solve this problem or that problem.” I think, our hope is some of that inspiration and motivation through hearing these stories. And also, to connect these folks together to the concept of community. We’re going to have a lot better outcome if we can all be helping and supporting one another.

This has been a great start. I hope the listeners will stay tuned to hear from Corrie throughout the rest of the year. Thank you, Corrie, so much for coming on to share your journey.

[00:41:17] CS: I feel the exact same way. I’m so excited to be able to bring some of these stories to light, and like you said, to just be able to inspire and motivate pharmacists to really step into different areas where maybe we hadn’t thought about stepping before, and really embracing the innovation and the future of the profession.

[00:41:32] TU: Awesome. Thank you so much, Corrie.

[00:41:33] CS: Thanks, Tim. 

[OUTRO]

[00:41:35] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and it is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog post, and podcast is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analysis expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist unless otherwise noted and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward looking statements, which are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you again for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week.

[END]

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YFP 296: 5 Key Decisions for Long-Term Care Insurance


YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, is joined by YFP Co-Founder & Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, CFP®, RLP®, RICP®, to talk about long-term care insurance. During the show, they discuss what long-term care insurance does and does not cover, common misconceptions about long-term care policies, and five key considerations when purchasing a policy.

Episode Summary

This week on the YFP Podcast, YFP Co-Founder & CEO, Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, is joined by YFP Co-Founder & Director of Financial Planning, Tim Baker, CFP®, RLP®, RICP®, to discuss long-term care insurance. Tim Baker explains what a long-term care insurance policy is and what it does and does not cover. Tim and Tim move through some of the top reasons why someone would need long-term care, necessitating a long-term care insurance policy, and how that policy is triggered and paid out. Three common misconceptions surrounding long-term care insurance policies are mentioned, including thinking that medicare will cover all long-term care needs, optimism bias, and the belief that long-term care insurance policies are too expensive. 

In the second half of the episode, Tim and Tim address five key considerations when contemplating a long-term care policy, including when to look to purchase a long-term care policy, choosing a monthly benefit, choosing a deductible, deciding how long the benefit will be paid, and determining whether or not to have inflation protection on a policy. Tim and Tim wrap the episode with examples of different deductibles, benefit details, and policy costs. Listeners will hear realistic examples of long-term care policy details and may be surprised about the outcomes.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Episode Transcript

[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] TU: Hey, everybody. Tim Ulbrich here, and thank you for listening to the YFP Podcast, where each week we strive to inspire and encourage you on your path towards achieving financial freedom. 

This week, Tim Baker and I talk through a topic which we have not yet covered in detail on the show, and that is long-term care insurance. During the show, we discuss what long-term care insurance is, what it does and does not cover, and common misperceptions surrounding these policies. We also discuss five key considerations when purchasing a policy, including when to purchase one, what to consider in terms of a monthly benefit and deductible, whether or not it’s worth having inflation protection on a policy, and how long to determine that benefit will be paid. 

Before we jump into our discussion around long-term care insurance policies, I recognize that many listeners may not be aware of what the team at YFP Planning does in working one-on-one with more than 280 households in 40-plus states. YFP Planning offers fee-only high-touch financial planning that is customized to the pharmacy professional. If you’re interested in learning more about how working one-on-one with a certified financial planner may help you achieve your financial goals, you can book a free discovery call at yfpplanning.com. Whether or not YFP Planning’s financial planning services are a good fit for you, know that we appreciate your support of this podcast and our mission to help pharmacists achieve financial freedom. 

[INTERVIEW]

[00:01:21] TU: Tim Baker, welcome back to the show. 

[00:01:23] TB: Thanks, Tim. Happy to be here. What’s going on?

[00:01:25] TU: Excited to be continuing this journey on covering some of the topics for pharmacists that are listening in the second half of their career. We’re going to do that breaking down some of the long-term care insurance in terms of who needs it, what does it cover, how do you evaluate different factors when purchasing a policy. 

Tim, we’ve talked a lot about insurance on the show, health and home, auto, life, disability. But we haven’t really discussed long-term care insurance in detail. Our hope is whether someone’s at the front end of their career and they’re listening, just to gather some more information or learn about what this may entail later in their career, later in their life, or perhaps folks that are in the position of purchasing these policies right now or soon to be, that they’ll be able to take away an important part of the plan that probably is not talked about as enough. Would you agree?

[00:02:18] TB: It definitely is, and I think even my own thoughts have kind of evolved on this. I kind of came into the industry where we would have long-term care insurance policies in place, and they were just – The premiums were crazy, and there’s a lot of reasons why this type of insurance has kind of evolved over time. A lot of it’s like just there wasn’t a whole lot of information out there. We can kind of talk through that, but it is an important thing. 

I think when people live in longer, it’s definitely one of those things that I think at the fall, a lot of people are like, “Ah, it won’t happen to me,” or, “I don’t need that.” But as we’ll talk about, it is going to be a major part of the financial plan, and there is long-term care planning, which a lot of people, it’s kind of family and the money that I have. But hopefully, we take this conversation a step further. We talk about long-term care insurance. So I think that’s kind of the point of the conversation today.

[00:03:11] TU: Tim, insurance feels like one of those topics. You and I have talked about this before that when we speak with a group of pharmacists and we bring up the topic of insurance, you can just see eyes gloss over, right? I think that’s natural. I mean, who wants to think about – Whether it’s something like life or disability, it’s not an exciting thing to think about. Same thing here, being in a place where we might need long-term care insurance. Not a very rosy thought, right?

I think also just this concept of playing defense with the financial plan. Even though we know it’s important, it may not feel as exciting or as motivating as some of the investing parts of the plan, for example. So this feels like, Tim, a topic that we know is important. We’ve got to really translate that knowledge and perhaps have some accountability from a planner and someone that’s helping us to implement this, knowing that our tendency might be to mitigate and underestimate the risk and not focus on it as much as we do other parts of the plan.

[00:04:08] TB: Yeah. It’s just like, yeah, anything that we kind of put under like the wealth protection, whether that’s estate planning. Nobody wants to talk about their premature death or what’s going to happen to their kids or that type of thing or life insurance or even the disability insurance. They’re just not fun topics. But I think we as fiduciaries, we get to have these conversations with clients and have them think about it at the end of the day, right? Like what we’re trying to do is provide options and provide a path forward for them to kind of get from A to Z. Z, hopefully, as a financial freedom in a lifestyle that works for them. 

But along the way, there are pitfalls, and life comes at you fast. This is definitely one of the ones where it’s like, “Hey, I wish I would have done that or –” Again, I think so many financial advisors themselves chalk this up to like, “Hey, we’re just going to plan for this as it comes.” But I think the way the policies are written now, they’re a lot more – They’re priced, I think, better, and I think they should be something that are considered as part of the financial plan in general.

[00:05:14] TU: So, Tim, before we break down five key decisions that someone should consider as they’re evaluating a long-term care insurance policy, let’s talk through some of the background first. What exactly is long-term care insurance?

[00:05:27] TB: It is a product that’s really meant to mitigate the major risks in retirement, one of the major risks in retirement, which is long-term care risk, which, Tim, is the inability to care for yourself. Again, we’ll talk about what triggers this in terms of the things that you do as a part of your daily life. But as you get older, cognitively, physically, there’s a chance that you can’t care for yourself. So then what do you do? By default, a lot of people will kind of fall back on their family and that type of help.

So what-long term care insurance is it’s a policy that provides for a broad range of skilled custodial and other services provided over an extended period of time, typically, to like chronic illness, a physical disability, or a cognitive impairment. So as I mentioned, the default is that a lot of people that don’t have these policies, they rely on unpaid family members. So 80% of care usually comes from a family member, which can be negative to that particular family member, their own mental health and financial resources, professional status. 20 hours on average per week is what an unpaid family member will get. Like I said, it can negatively impact the caregiver’s health and career, if it’s for an extended period of time. 

Probably, unsurprisingly, I would say, Tim, the top reasons that long-term care really is needed is due to Alzheimer’s. That’s the number one. But the second one kind of surprised me. Arthritis was the second the second one and then cancer stroke. Then the fifth one was nervous system conditions. So the insurance really is a product that is meant to pay out. Typically, it’s a monthly amount to the insured to be able to basically pay it for paid care, whether that’s skilled or unskilled. We’ll kind of talk about that in a bit, but that’s really what long-term care insurances is.

[00:07:31] TU: I think, Tim, the classic example I always think about here is Alzheimer’s, right? As you mentioned, number one on the list, right? This is a condition that many of us probably had a loved one that we’re familiar with. You see the impact in terms of the progression of the disease, the level of care that’s needed, both financially and time, as you mentioned, caregivers within the family. 

But also, unlike some other conditions that may have a shorter lifespan, folks with Alzheimer’s can live a longer period of time, in a state where there’s a lot of care that’s needed. So I know personally, that’s what I have to think about in terms of mitigating the risk financially to my family or my boys as they get older, if Jess or I were to have Alzheimer’s. That seems like the classic example where while there could be a long period of time where care is needed, both financially, as well as the time intensity to provide that care.

[00:08:22] TB: Yeah. I mean, that – I think that’s it. We’ll talk about misconceptions. But I think that is dead on. I think when most people think about long-term care, though, they think about being stuck in a nursing home. It being really expensive, which is true. But a lot of the industry, what we’re really trying to pivot to is kind of that aging in place. 

A lot of these policies that we’ll talk about more is the insurance companies, they recognize that the cheapest way to age is to age in the home. So they’re going to do whatever they can to kind of keep you in place. So whether that’s ramps, handles for your shower, things like that. A lot of these policies have these written in as almost like add-ons because the longer that you can stay in a home and age in your home, the better. 

I think that’s the direction that planners should really go is at a minimum, provide a benefit that really allows you to age in place, age in your home as long as possible. So you don’t have to be in the nursing home. That’s where care gets really expensive and probably from a cognitive mental perspective, the patient not in as good a place, so.

[00:09:26] TU: Tim, you talked about common misperceptions. What are some of the main ones that you see around long-term care insurance?

[00:09:34] TB: Yeah. I think one of them is that Medicare. We kind of talked about this with Social Security. Social Security can – It’s going to pay for everything. We’re good. We’ve been paying into this all our life. We know that’s not true. Another one is that Medicare is going to hook me up if I need to go into a nursing home or even aging in place benefit. That’s really not true. The Medicare is not necessarily meant to cover any kind of care that’s long-term and chronic. So this is where you really have to kind of either, again, self-insure or find your own policy. 

Now, Medicaid, Tim, is there to help people in that regard. But that’s where you have to kind of be destitute. But there are strategies that are out there where people will spend down their dollars to kind of qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, if they need it. So the first one is Medicare really doesn’t cover you for long-term care coverage at all. So one of the things is that a lot of people recognize this as a concern. Just like you said, you’re talking about the boys and Jess. 

Long-term care is a retirement risk and a concern, but it’s definitely one of these things where optimism bias takes hold, where it’s like that’s, “Ah, that’s a concern but not for me because that’s going to happen to somebody else.” So roughly 60% of the US population will need long-term care services. If you’re 65 today, 70% of people 65 or older will need long-term care services. So this is more than the majority, right. So like that’s important to understand. 

Again, if you think about it too because of medicine and advances, like we’re living longer. But sometimes, we’re living longer with a chronic illness that we need some help. So there’s a lot of reasons why I think this number will continue to go north. The last one I would mention is that most believe that long-term care insurance is too expensive. Or just like we talked about with things like education planning, we need 100% solution. We have to have all the bells and whistles that the care is only provided for you at a nursing home. 

In reality, again, what we’re trying to do is to establish a policy that pays for care in the home. A lot of the policies now, they used to distinguish between what kind of care you were receiving. But to simplify it, if you qualify for care, whether it’s nursing home or skilled or whatever, at home, it’s still going to pay that amount. So they’ve kind of streamlined these policies to make it easier to understand. 

At the end of the day, you don’t need 100% solution. Even if you can put yourself in a position where the benefit that you’re receiving is essentially a 50% coupon, like we’ll take that at this point because that just makes things a lot easier. So those are some of the misconceptions that I think people have with regard to this type of insurance.

[00:12:20] TU: Tim, I want to dig a little bit deeper on a comment you made about optimism bias that I think really gets at the prevalence and the need, right? Anytime we’re looking at an insurance policy, whether it’s long-term disability, term life types of policies, you’re doing this risk evaluation of what’s the cost of the policy, what’s the potential benefit of the policy, and what’s the likelihood that I’m going to need it. 

I think early on, I remember learning a lot about long-term disability, and I was caught off guard of, wow, the statistics from the Social Security Administration on the percentage of people that have a disability at some point in their career is much higher that I would have ever anticipated. I think that speaks exactly what you said of, “Hey. Well, I’m relatively young, getting ready to turn 39 tomorrow, relatively young, have been relatively healthy. And therefore, I can’t really visualize a scenario where these policies may be enacted. And, hey, I could use these dollars elsewhere in the plan.”

So same thing here and, of course, we have to mitigate that risk. We have to put that risk into reality, and that’s where, I think, a third party and a coach and a planner can really help. But break this down here. Like what is the true prevalence and need, and what’s the dollars we’re trying to mitigate against here in terms of costs?

[00:13:32] TB: So when we talk about the need, we said about 60% of US population will need long-term care. What’s interesting, though, is less than 10% of people aged 65 and older have a long-term care insurance policy. 

[00:13:44] TU: Wow. 

[00:13:46] TB: Yeah. We said the stat for that was approximately 70%. So we have 10% that have it. More than 70% age 65 and older are going to need long-term care insurance. So obviously, there’s a huge gap there. Men and women are different. So the average care needed for a man is about 2.2 years. So they’ll need – Once they kind of trigger that policy, it typically pays out 2.2 years. 

For women, it’s quite a bit longer, 3.7 years. This is where if you’re a woman and you have a partner, a male partner, this is might be where you link your policies or have a shared policy, which you can do. So it kind of mitigates maybe buying a policy that will cover you for four or five years. 20%, so one in five, will need care for five-plus years. Again, I think some of these numbers will continue to go up. 

So there’s lots of – It’s going to be dependent on your area, like where you live, because every state’s going to be different in terms of how much care costs. But one of the metrics that we use, and this is the 2019 metrics, so it’s a little bit dated with pre-COVID and, obviously, inflation being what it was, but a semi-private room in the US for a nursing home costs on average $90,156 a year. 

If I’m looking at policies, I’m probably looking at, okay, what will cost me for someone five hours a week, and we’ll talk about this when we talk about breaking down the policy, five days a week, eight hours a day, some type of skilled or intermediate care, what does that cost? Then build it from there. So there’s shades of gray here, Tim, is what I’m trying to say with regard to – We don’t necessarily need a policy that pays that 90k. But maybe a policy that, again, focuses on aging in place that will have people come into the home to assist. So that’s kind of the gist of it.

[00:15:35] TU: So, Tim, when we look at these long-term care insurance policies, my mind is going on a path of like, “Well, what does it cover?” You’ve alluded to a couple things and really like what triggers a policy to pay out. Again, we think about this with long-term disability, and we think about, okay, what defines a disability. There’s some considerations around that, and when would the policy actually get paid out, and what things should we be thinking about. So same thing here, what triggers a policy to pay out and what’s it tend to cover?

[00:16:03] TB: The big things to remember with long-term care insurance policy is what’s called an ADL, an activity of daily living. They’ve actually modify this recently with IADLs, which is related to cognitive function. So an ADL, to go back to that, that is things like can you on your own bathe, dress, keep up personal hygiene, use the bathroom, maintain continence, kind of walk around with what they call mobility inside the house, transfer in and out a bit of a bed or a wheelchair. Typically, if you can’t do two or more of these things, this is where a policy will trigger. 

For an IADL, like this is more of a functional thing. So these could be things like shopping for personal items, managing your money, using the phone, preparing a meal, managing medication, or doing housework. If these ADLs are kind of in question, then what happens is that you’ll have an assessment done by a professional that will say, “Hey, this person needs care,” and then the policy will start paying out per the kind of the contract language or the policy. 

Some people, they need skilled care kind of right away, where it’s kind of 24 hours a day, and that’s typically if there’s more of like a medical need. Sometimes, if it’s more some of the bathing or some of the cognitive things of like help paying bills, it might be an intermediate, so a couple days a week type of thing. Really, the skilled versus intermediate care is really going to come down to frequency of how much is needed. That’s where an assessment will be done on the person to see, okay, what needs to happen in terms of people coming to the house. Or it could be moving to a facility to get the right care needed.

[00:17:54] TU: Tim, before we transition to really the second half of this show, we’re going to break down some considerations when selecting a long-term care insurance policy. We’ll talk through five specific things here in a little bit. But I think this is a chance, and I didn’t plan for this in the notes, but it just came to mind as you were talking. This really highlights an area where having a fee-only financial planner can be really, really valuable, right? So someone who is helping you evaluate a policy for, hey, what do you need? What are perhaps some things you may not need? What does the rest of your financial position, situation look like? Is self-insurance a possibility? Is it not? 

Then, ultimately, when you decide if you’re going to purchase a policy, again, helping vet that and kind of cut through some of the weeds that can often be there in the insurance space, knowing that they aren’t making money off of recommending that policy. Again, I think one of many reasons we see value in the field and the environment where someone can really objectively look across your plan, and you know that there’s really – We’ll never say no bias, right? There’s always bias involved in any decision conversation, but really where you can mitigate those biases, right?

[00:19:01] TB: Yeah. I think anytime that you can separate the sale of a product from advice, that’s a good thing. Now, Tim, I would say that a lot of these policies aren’t being sold. I think a lot of that, it’s funny because Lincoln Financial did a survey on advisor attitudes about long-term care, and 99% of advisors think it is essential for families to discuss long-term care. 

However, only 57% of advisors say they talk about it with clients, and I can understand why that is. Again, from my own perspective, it’s like, hey, when I was around long-term care early in my career, it was like, “Man, these premiums are going up every year. It almost feels like your health insurance every year open enrollments like, “Ah.” Everything’s getting more expensive. 

Again, I think because of lack of data, but I think because of the low rate, low interest environment, because people were not lapsing on to these policies, all these reasons were why these policies were not good. So I think people or like advisors were a little hesitant to bring it up. 

Now, again, long-term care planning should always be discussed. Insurance, I think we’re back to a place where these policies should really be considered. So, yeah, I definitely can see why that is the case. But it’s interesting because, again, we believe that anytime that you can separate the advice from the product and the commission’s involved, that’s a good thing.

[00:20:25] TU: So, Tim, as we look at mitigating this long-term care risk, you mentioned that at the beginning of the show, really there’s two big buckets that I see. One is the potential to self-insure. Then the second is, obviously, to purchase an insurance policy that helps to provide that protection. It feels like, just based off of what you’ve shared so far, that perhaps we have the pie chart a little bit backwards in terms of the number of folks that may need the policy, relative to those that actually have a policy. Meaning that a majority of folks are likely self-insuring now, when, in fact, maybe that should be the other way around. 

So talk to us about self-insure. Does that make sense for some folks, and how would that be evaluated?

[00:21:08] TB: Yes. So I think the biggest thing, it kind of goes back to like what are the goals, and what’s the balance sheet look like. To me, this is the conversation. If we are self-insured, like what are the sources of funding that we could tap into and kind of the break the glass scenario? So obviously, looking at the balance sheet with all your assets on the left, all your liabilities in the right, and then understanding, okay, these are –

Again, by default, we’re, obviously, talking about things like cash accounts, retirement accounts, allocating the Social Security check in that way. It could be how do we allocate home equity. There could be government programs out there that do assists, depending on the state and where you’re at. But it, essentially, is like the self-fund is – Then, obviously, the social side of it is do you have family members that can care for you that can help assist with this and the like? 

The hybrid approach, which is technically probably not self-funding, but a lot of insurance policies like life insurance now have asset-based or link policies that will provide some type of like rider for long-term care. So although they’re not primarily focused on that type of coverage, there are more policy that do offer that or even like annuities. Sometimes, annuities have long-term care provisions. Those are essentially on the table. 

Then finally, the backup for plan for self-funding is Medicaid. So when the money’s gone, you’re kind of at the behest of the Medicaid program and to provide kind of the care that you need. Yeah. So I think the big parts here are what’s your balance sheet look like? Where is this money going to come from for long-term care and then probably where’s the family going to be in this whole picture are kind of the two things that I would focus on with regard to self-insure.

[00:22:54] TU: So for the rest of our discussion, let’s assume that we’re going to evaluate and decide to purchase long-term care insurance policy. Now, it’s really down to what are some things that we should be thinking about, so five key decisions to consider when purchasing a policy. 

Number one, Tim, which I think is probably top of mind for everyone is when, right? I’ve heard, generally, mid-50s, but that feels like kind of that blanket advice of is that for everyone. So when should someone be looking to purchase the policy, and why is there potentially this a window of time where it’s optimal?

[00:23:29] TB: Yeah. So probably the conversation should start happening. Believe it or not, Tim, in the decade that I’m in that you are not in as in your 40s, in your late-40s, I think that’s probably when the conversation should start happening amongst family members or even your advisor. 

To purchase a policy, probably you’re correct. In your 50s is preferable. The average age of a purchase for long-term care insurance policies is 57. So that seems to be the sweet spot. Once you get into your 60s and 70s, the number of people who are denied coverage quadruples, and that’s typically because things like prescription and medications for this ailment or that ailment kind of increase. So you’re either denied coverage because of things like that, or the policies are just that much more expensive. 

Yeah. I think conversation in your late 40s and then start putting the pieces together in your 50s and to get a policy in place at a minimal, minimum to cover kind of that whole aging in place idea. So that’s kind of where we’re at.

[00:24:32] TU: Sort of broad level, we’re trying to play this dance between too early. Maybe a higher likelihood of getting coverage but, obviously, paying premiums for a longer period of time, and there is potentially a too early and then, as you mentioned, maybe a too late, where the amount of people that are denied coverage goes up. So finding that sweet spot and then taking a step back because you’re talking about how does this fit in with the rest of the plan in terms of cash flow in that policy. 

Tim, number two is choosing a monthly benefit in terms of five key decisions to consider in purchasing your policy. So how does someone start to really determine what is the monthly benefit that I need? Obviously, that’s going to feed into what that policy is going to cost.

[00:25:15] TB: I think at a baseline, we should consider a benefit that covers the typical cost of like care in the home, since, again, that’s 80% of where care is provided. So if we say we need someone to come in to help eight hours a day, five days a week, we think that, on average, and again some of these numbers might be a little bit dated, but we’ll say we need a benefit that pays out 5,000 to 6,000 dollars per month because that’s the average cost for care like that. That’s, I think, where I would start, and I would look at it as a monthly benefit. 

Again, back in the day, they had – If you needed care on this day, they would say, “Okay, you have a daily benefit versus a monthly benefit.” Most people look at this as a monthly benefit. So we’re looking at 5,000 to 6,000 dollars per month to kind of provide that baseline. I think that would be where I would start.

[00:26:07] TU: Hold that thought. Obviously, this isn’t advice. There’s lots of factors that are going to go into what exactly is that number for you. But hold that number in mind in terms of benefit five to six. We’re going to come back at the end and talk about a couple of case studies and just kind of ballpark what these policies might cost to get a benefit near or somewhere around that level. 

Tim, number three is choose a deductible. So talk to us about making this choice and how the elimination period factors in and what that means.

[00:26:35] TB: Yeah. So just like a disability insurance policy, your deductible is paid in time. The time period is called the elimination period. So once someone kind of assesses that, me as the insured, I need help with one or two or more of the ADLs. That’s when the clock essentially starts. So let’s say it is January 1st. Then if my elimination period is 90 days, essentially, if it’s on a calendar day elimination period, then I start receiving my benefit April 1st. So 90 days have elapsed. 

The other thing that can be written as a service is it could be a service day elimination period, not a calendar elimination. So a service day is if I’m only deemed that I need three days of care per week, and I have a 90-day elimination period, that could take substantially longer to basically get that benefit. So if we’re trying to get care to stay at home, I think sooner is better. I think a 90-day elimination period is probably a good baseline to use. So that’s kind of how I would look at that as. It’s the time that you have to wait for that benefit to be paid out. You pay your deductible in time, not necessarily dollars.

[00:27:49] TU: So we talked so far, Tim, about when potentially to purchase a policy, how to choose a monthly benefit, how to choose a deductible. The fourth consideration is deciding how long the benefit will be paid. Again, we keep coming back to long-term disability. The time, length of the policy can vary. Here we’re talking about the same thing, which is what’s the potential total bucket of the money that’s needed. So tell us more about how to consider this. This seems like a hard one to predict.

[00:28:17] TB: Yeah, it is. Again, if we look at kind of the average day, and we say that a female needs 3.7 years, then we might price a policy out for her that’s four years, 48 months. So we take that as kind of our number of months, and then we multiply it by – We’re going to say we need at least a $5,000 monthly benefit based on how much that five days by eight hours cost in the area that I’m living in. So 48 months times $5,000 is a $240,000 bucket. Essentially, that is kind of the money that you’re drawing on. So that’s the way that I would think about it. 

I think a way to kind of really drive down costs is if you have – If you’re a couple, and this isn’t – You don’t even have to be a married couple. But if you’re a couple, you can kind of connect the buckets with a rider. Again, if I’m thinking as a male like, “Oh, I don’t really need this,” I can, essentially, leave my bucket to Shay as kind of a contingent plan when I kind of pass away. That rider allows you to kind of link your buckets together. So it’s an NF2 versus NF1, which is a beneficial thing when we’re looking at how long the benefit will pay the individuals on the policy.

[00:29:30] TU: Tim, would that be like I have a policy, Jess has a policy, and then we both have a rider that links them? Or is that the strategy of like one person has a policy, and the other is linked, but they also don’t have a policy? How does that work?

[00:29:43] TB: It’s more of the second one. It’s like you kind of are both named on the one policy. 

[00:29:47] TU: Okay. Got it. 

[00:29:48] TB: Then it’s kind of a shared bucket for kind of your gender and age. 

[00:29:53] TU: That’s cool. I never heard of that before. So I learned something new today. It’s awesome. All right, number five, which is timely, consider inflation and, as well, as we just talked about some of the inflation protection and the benefits of Social Security having that provision. So number five, determining whether or not we need inflation protection on a policy. Tim, is this worth the additional costs? How does someone evaluate this?

[00:30:15] TB: This is probably one of the most expensive things on a policy because as you can see, especially a year over a year, how much inflation we’ve kind of experienced. So this would be probably one of the first things that I would downgrade from a policy. If you look at homecare cost, usually, it’s about one to two percent per year that it’s gone up, believe it or not. So there might be where you’re not necessarily linked to like a COLA, but it’s a flat 1%, 2%. 

That known quantity of one or two percent or whatever you select is a lot easier to be priced into a policy versus an unknown inflation that we just don’t know about. So that would probably be where I would cut. Obviously, it diminishes your purchasing power in the future. But it’s usually one of the things that drives the premium up in a policy. 

So I would say that might be if you get the sticker shock with, wow, that’s a lot with the inflation protected, I would price it without it or price it with a moderate one to two percent, and then see how that affects the price.

[00:31:18] TU: And hope we don’t have eight percent, right, and inflation long term?

[00:31:23] TB: Yeah. Although on the flip side of that, typically, a higher inflation market is better for these insurance companies to keep these policy, that was one of the things that they had thought that the inflation was going to be higher than it was. But because a lot of this has to be secured, like how they’re investing this money is very conservative. So if you’re paying 7% versus 2.5 or 3 percent, it should be a little bit of a benefit to the policy holder because the premium shouldn’t be as expensive in a higher interest rate environment, if that makes sense. 

[00:31:56] TU: Yep, absolutely. Tim, let’s wrap up with a couple examples where we can start to bring this to life with individuals at certain ages and how much benefit they may need and for how long and then what that might actually look like in terms of premium costs throughout the course of the year. So you want to talk us through a couple of these?

[00:32:16] TB: Yeah. So I really have kind of an example that shows a couple. So one of the studies – I don’t know if this was Lincoln as well. But they kind of surveyed couples and asked like how much they would be willing to pay for long-term care insurance. The number was right in that kind of 2500 to 3,000 dollars per year. The example that I’m going to show, it kind of shows around that $3,000 like premium. So if we have a 55-year-old couple in this first plan, they had that shared care, so it’s a link benefit, it’s kind of a regular rate. So just like life insurance, you could be preferred, which is kind of top of the line. Regular rate is kind of average health. 

If we’re looking at a $9,000 per month benefit with no inflation rider, there’s four years of coverage, so essentially two per person. But, again, it’s linked. That gives us basically a $460,000 gross benefit, and the premium for that is just under $3,100, $3,094 per year. So again, if I’m looking at this couple, and I’m like, “Hey, there’s no inflation rider, but you get $9,000 a month for four years,” it’s almost a half a million dollar bucket. Like is that worth $3,100 per year? Studies show that most people would jump at that. 

[00:33:36] TU: That’s lower than I would have thought, to be honest.

[00:33:39] TB: Hey, when I was learning about this too, like learn about this, me too. Like I was kind of floored by that.

[00:33:43] TU: Is that fixed? Or does that go up, the policy? Can that rise? 

[00:33:47] TB: It can go up. Like the premium can go up. But I think because of – So like back in the day, this policy might cost like half of this. But then because we didn’t have the right data and all those reasons that we were talking about, the premium will go up substantially. We’re not seeing that as much in terms of the huge jumps in premium because of, again, they miscalculated the mortality and the morbidity risk back in the day. The lapse assumptions were they thought that 5% of policies would lapse was closer to like 1% back in the day. So now, because of the information is a little bit better, you shouldn’t see that jump covered. 

Now, that is one of the benefits, Tim. We talked about one of those hybrid policies with like a whole life policy. Those premiums are set. So one of the things that is the advantage of the hybrid policies that you don’t have those jumps in premiums that you would potentially in a more of a traditional plan. But I would say that they’re priced a little bit better from the jump, you’re not going to see that. So that’s the policy without that inflation rider. 

[00:34:50] TU: Tim, I’m wondering if many people are kind of having the thought I am in the moment. As I look at this and I’m kind of seeing this for the first time, as you’re talking about it, and we prep for the show, like that is lower than I would have anticipated for more benefit. I mean, you talked about some ranges, kind of a baseline floor, not advice, but generally speaking, 5,000 to 6,000 dollars per month. 

This policy here, if I heard you correctly, was a little bit higher right now, 9,000 per month, didn’t have an inflation rider. But it did have that benefit between the couples that you talked about, and that doesn’t seem crazy high. So I guess what I’m wondering is if many folks are listening, like myself that have parents either in or nearing retirement, like, hey, maybe this isn’t a decision for me right here in this moment. But, hey, what about my parents? Like are they adequately covered, and do they have maybe some of these common misperceptions around long-term care insurance? Could I, should I initiate a conversation, right? 

It’s reminded me back of when we had Cameron Huddleston on the show, who wrote Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk, all about engaging in financial conversations with our parents. They may not be comfortable. But if I think about where the care often may fall financially and time on the children like selfishly, like should this be a conversation we’re initiating?

[00:36:08] TB: Well, yeah, and a lot of the conversation that we’re having and a lot of that based on Cameron’s book that we’re having with the younger clients is, obviously, they need to get their own estate plan in place. But is your parent’s estate plan in place because, ultimately, that’s going to affect you. The same is true for this. 

So although my parents have always told me like they never want to be a burden and put me out on the ice flow, like that’s fine with us, at the end of the day, like we’re not going to not care for our family. We’re going to do the best we can do kind of either in time or dollars to make sure that they’re okay. So, yeah, I mean, it’s definitely something that it’s a conversation that we should have, and that’s so much about financial planning. 

Most people probably not even on the radar. As a professional, I would say, two or three, four years ago, this wasn’t on my radar, just because of the experience that I had with policies early in my career. But to me, I think it’s important to at least have the conversation with your advisor, with your loved ones about what are the options. 

[00:37:12] TU: Yeah. I guess what I’m thinking about here and, again, somewhat selfishly, and shout out to my parents who have done an awesome job, both tidying up this part of the plan, as well as communicating it with my brother and I, which I think is the other piece is like there’s the action or the inaction. But then there’s the actual conversations as well of like is everyone aware. So we have an estate plan or we have this long-term care insurance policy or we don’t. But are we all aware, and are we having an open conversation about it? I think that’s so helpful. 

But as I look at these numbers, and we think about maybe somebody who’s in their early to mid-50s, with elderly parents, and what may happen in terms of long-term care risks, like that could be catastrophic on their financial plan. But the amount of these policies is not catastrophic. So I think that this is just another great example. We’re actually going to bring Cameron back on the show, I think, middle of this year to have some more of these conversations about the emotional side of the planet. How do we engage in those conversations, especially when it’s with our parents? So this was a great reminder of that.

[00:38:15] TB: Yeah. Tim, if I could go down, I want to kind of use a similar example. But this this is with a policy that has an inflation rider, just so you can see the difference. 

[00:38:23] TU: Yep.

[00:38:24] TB: So a 55-year-old couple, shared care, regular rate. This time, they start with a lower benefit because they’re going to put the inflation rider. So instead of it being 9,000, whereas the one was higher because there was no inflation rider. So this is $4,100 per month, same coverage, four years of coverage, two per person. The starting benefit is not the 460,000. It’s the 210,000. But we know it’s inflation-protected. 

So that gross benefit, when you factor that in, it’s a 509,000 worth benefit, but the premium for this is just under 3,000, 2,956. So less than half of the benefits of 4,100 versus 9,000, but the premium was about level or about 100 bucks apart. So you can see how that inflation rider can really be expensive. It’s just a matter of like do you want to start with a lower amount of coverage with the inflation rider or maybe a higher amount to kind of get to where you need? But again, some of these numbers, again, surprising to me when I initially saw these. 

[00:39:25] TU: Tim, as I’m looking at the numbers here and the two examples, like it’s a really cool example and reminder, especially when shopping for insurance. Like design the need of what you want from a policy and then shop accordingly versus shopping from the monthly amount, right? Which I think is our tendency of what the budget might afford or might fit in. 

But here you have two examples where the yearly amount is, essentially, the same. It’s within $100, actually closer to like 50, 60 bucks. So essentially, the same over the course of the year, but two very different constructs and designs of these policies. So what do you need? What do you not need? Then going from there. 

Tim, [inaudible 00:40:01]. We talked about it in kind of a siloed approach of, hey, you may self-insure, or you’re going to buy a policy. But probably for many folks, it’s maybe a little bit of both, right?

[00:40:11] TB: I think it often comes down to kind of, yeah, a hybrid approach, where it might be a mix of self-funding, maybe some creative housing decisions in terms of how to use equity in the house or maybe moving in with loved ones. It could be, again, what is the family support. But then, hopefully, at a minimum, maybe a baseline long-term care insurance policy. So I think that’s often the case with a lot of things. It’s not kind of a binary A or B choice. It’s kind of a mix of a lot of things. 

Again, I think that’s where these conversations are so important. Having a handle on the balance sheet is so important, and then having a handle on what your goals are, what are the resources that are available to you to kind of allow you to age gracefully, so to speak, and make sure that you’re cared for, and you’re living a wealthy life. So, yeah, I think, hopefully. Like you said, we haven’t talked about this a lot. I think it needs to be talked about more, and just figure out what is best for you and your family.

[00:41:11] TU: Great stuff, as always, Tim, and yet another example of a part of the financial plan where, ideally, we’re not making these decisions in a silo, right? We’re looking across the spectrum of the financial plan. You mentioned several examples throughout this episode, where determining what we do or don’t need with long-term care insurance, which, of course, we’re looking at just one sliver of the whole plan, is dependent on what else is going on. So I think just another reminder, the value of having a coach, having a planner in your corner. 

Whether you’re someone listening who’s on the front end of your career and you’re thinking about this way off into the distance or perhaps thinking about this for your parents or for folks that are in the middle of evaluating shopping these policies, we’d love to have the chance to talk with you, to talk more about our one-on-one comprehensive financial planning services, what they are, how insurance among many other parts of the financial planner included in that engagement. 

For folks that want to learn more, you can book a free discovery call with Justin Woods, a pharmacist on our team, by going to yfpplanning.com. We’ll also link directly into the show notes the link where you can book a call with him. 

Tim, thanks so much and looking forward to continuing this conversation. 

[00:42:19] TB: You got it. 

[END OF INTERVIEW]

[00:42:20] TU: As we conclude this week’s podcast, an important reminder that the content on this show is provided to you for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for investment or any other advice. Information in the podcast and corresponding materials should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any investment or related financial products. We urge listeners to consult with a financial advisor with respect to any investment. 

Furthermore, the information contained in our archived newsletters, blog posts, and podcasts is not updated and may not be accurate at the time you listen to it on the podcast. Opinions and analyses expressed herein are solely those of Your Financial Pharmacist, unless otherwise noted, and constitute judgments as of the dates published. Such information may contain forward-looking statements that are not intended to be guarantees of future events. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit yourfinancialpharmacist.com/disclaimer. 

Thank you, again, for your support of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast. Have a great rest of your week. 

[END]

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