Name: The Black Hole of Disability Insurance by M Advisor
Duration: 10 min 24 s
Description: For most physicians, purchasing disability insurance is an easy decision; however, there is one investment that disability insurance companies do not support. Wait, do your investments and disability insurance policies coincide? To some degree, yes. Here I give an example and explore a potential blind spot in doctor's income protection: unearned income.

We leave a different kind of legacy in various aspects of our lives. We leave a legacy for our spouses, our kids, and our clinics, among others. We'll explore some of the conversations and experiences that impact our legacy.

Legacy Buckets

Some investment assets warrant the formation of a holding company, usually for liability purposes. Real estate, private equity, and franchise agreements are great examples of these assets. Learn how a physician may structure a holding company, and let's take a deep dive into how it works.

Investment Holding Companies

For most physicians, purchasing disability insurance is an easy decision; however, there is one investment that disability insurance companies do not support. Wait, do your investments and disability insurance policies coincide? To some degree, yes. Here I give an example and explore a potential blind spot in doctor's income protection: unearned income. 

The Black Hole of Disability Insurance

I ran across a thoughtful quote credited to Confucius, and it made me think about it from several different angles. The quote is this: "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one." This podcast examines this quote from a financial planning perspective and a bit beyond. Enjoy this episode, and maybe you can examine it from different angles in your own life, too!

We Have Two Lives...

So I was reading "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek, and there's a moment in the book where Simon gets to attend a conference with select business leaders, and the conference began with these two questions: 
"Raise your hand if you have reached many or all of your financial goals."
"And Raise your hand if you feel successful." (and many of the hands went down).

I wondered how this would apply to physicians. Many of us see physicians as being successful just by being a physician, but I wonder how many physicians, whether they have achieved a number of financial goals or metrics, actually feel successful. 

What is success for a physician?

As parents, we are all willing to support our kids. As our kids grow up, they'll need some support, both emotionally and financially. Sometimes financial support for adult children can create a sort of financial enablement where the "child" is unable or unwilling to take care of their own responsibilities. This can put the parents' finances in a tough spot as well as create division in family relationships, such as sibling relationships. In this episode, we'll explore the impact of this situation and a few different ways of dealing with the bigger picture of this scenario. 

Impacts of Financially Supporting Adult Children

This episode explores a goal-setting exercise that's a great checkpoint for review and evaluation on the trajectory of our lives. You are currently the midpoint between the "past you" who wanted to achieve a career in medicine and a "future you" who is an ideal or refined version of this current you. Comparing these two people is a great way to explore your values, your accomplishments, and the direction you're headed.

A Goal-Setting Exercise

What if you make a plan, and it doesn't work? There may be nothing spookier than that! The results of a plan not working can be catastrophic, leading to family division for generations. Don't let this happen to you! Learn how to avoid pitfalls in your financial plan. Here are three spooky reasons your plan won't work! 

3 Spooky Reasons a Financial Plan Won't Work

Explore and review the most common benefits associated with hospital employees. I'll frame each benefit with how I help other physicians make benefit enrollment decisions. Remember to always enroll in your benefits with your current financial plan in mind! 

Here is a guide to hospital benefits enrollment, based on the information in this podcast: https://www.m-advisor.com/blog/a-guide-to-hospital-benefits

Benefits Enrollment

This is my conversation with Dr. Kevin Pho when I had the opportunity to speak on KevinMD. The conversation is based on this article: https://kevinmd.com/2025/08/physician-practice-ownership-risks-rewards-and-reality.html

Physicians and Clinical Ownership with Kevin Pho on KevinMD

Financial Planning for Physicians.

Registered Representative: Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA-SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative: Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. a Registered Investment Advisor. M Advisor is not an affiliate of Cambridge Investment Research.

The Black Hole of Disability Insurance

M Advisor

Related tracks