The Dentist Money Show | Financial Planning & Wealth Management

Do you ever wonder if you're overlooking simple business fundamentals that could take your practice to the next level? Do you struggle to articulate your priorities as a business owner? While the decisions you make throughout your career are endless, there are basic principles that give the best business leaders an edge over the competition. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese welcomes Tanner Milne, founder of Menlo Group, the largest dental real estate brokerage firm in Arizona. In this interview, Tanner takes off his real estate cap and speaks to dentists as a business owner who understands the growing pains of entrepreneurship. He offers insights for better hiring, better planning, and better marketing to keep your practice thriving.

Did you know the average American wastes 55 minutes a day, or about 12 days a year, looking for things they own but can't find (Newsweek)? If it's lost keys, you could be late for your morning staff meeting. If it's important financial information, the setback is likely more severe. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan discuss common ways dentists lose money simply because they don't know where to find the right information. They explain the preparation that should go into each decision-making scenario and calculate the cost of being unorganized.

Reese welcomes Denise Leleux, a leading expert on end-to-end client experience whose 26-year resume includes a position as VP of Global Customer Experience at eBay where she mentored top business leaders and managed a team of 6,000 employees. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Denise draws on her client-communication expertise and the observations she's made while in the chair at dental practices from Dallas to Denver and Louisiana to London. She offers priceless advice on dealing with difficult office managers, unifying your staff, and translating your business mission into unforgettable client experiences.

How much is an hour of your time worth? In terms of earning potential, it could be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand. You can quantify it with a little bit of math. But salary aside, how much value can you really place on your time? Afterall, once an hour is spent, you can't ever get it back. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan explain three core principles dentists can follow to maximize their time so they can build wealth more efficiently. They also describe dentists who have mastered the art of being an "entreprofessional."

Dentistry is what you do, but money is what you make. And unless you keep an eye on overhead, just making ends meet might be hard enough. In this episode of the Dentist Money™ Show, Reese Harper welcomes CPA, Andrew Schwartz who works with hundreds of dentists and understands the science of overhead distribution. He explains how much dentists should spend on staff, when you know your margins are too low, and common themes he's observed among practices who experience large growth. Show Notes: Schwartz & Schwartz, P.C.

Saving is only one part of the retirement equation. Whether you've already reached the end of your career, or are still in accumulation phase, you'll need to know how to spend down assets in the right order to get the most out of your nest egg. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan talk about which accounts to pull from in the early years of retirement, how to keep your tax rate down, distribution requirements on your 401(k), and how assets like your house and practice can be utilized to lengthen the life of your other accounts. Show notes: Survey link: dentistadvisors.com/benchmark

Do you know your net worth? Not just an estimate, but the actual amount? And do you know what it was last quarter? What about your personal spending? How much of your income is used to support your lifestyle every month? Unless you know the answers, your path to successful retirement will be left up to chance. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese and Ryan provide solutions for tracking the most important indicators of financial health. They also give instructions for participating in a short benchmark survey so you can compare your own performance to hundreds of other dentists. Click here to take the survey. Show notes: Survey link: dentistadvisors.com/benchmark

When is it time to get an estate plan? Or, if you already have one, how often should it be reviewed? And how do the requirements of an estate plan differ if you're a dentist? Wills, trusts, tax planning, asset protection—not the most exciting topics to bring up at family dinner. But the same people who join you at the table will be glad you planned ahead and kept them from having to track down all your assets. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese welcomes estate planning attorney, Andrew Howell, who explains why there's more to estate planning than most people think. He describes what happens if you die without an estate plan, three common fallacies about estate planning, and how a properly structured estate plan will protect your wealth while you're still living. Show notes: www.yorkhowell.com

Did you hear about the dentist who lost his shorts in a scam? No? That's because nobody likes to tell the world they got hosed by a con artist. But it happens—a lot. And unless you know the warning signs, you might get wrangled into the same type of deal and put your retirement on the line. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese and Ryan respond to a special request from a loyal listener who asked for stories of dentists who fell victim to bad advice from people they should have never trusted. They also share the warning signs to watch for so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

A few hundred here, a few thousand there. Overspending on insurance, loans, supplies, staff, benefits, and personal life may seem insignificant in the short run—a lot of dentists make enough money to cover the cost. But over the course of a career, those costs can add up to millions and downgrade the quality of what should've been a great retirement. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese and Ryan list the most common places where dentists overspend and how to make sure your hard earned money stays in your pocket.

Real estate can be an excellent investment. But many dentists delay their retirement by doing the wrong deal at the wrong time. What are the biggest mistakes that dentists make with real estate? In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan give five examples of real estate deals that often turn good investments into massive setbacks. They also provide a list of questions to ask before purchasing your next home, practice space, or investment property.

Student loans, practice loans, real estate loans. Dentists and debt go together like presidential elections and economic uncertainty. With speculation of rising interest rates, many are wondering if now is the right time to borrow money or refinance existing loans. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese welcomes Wells Fargo practice finance expert, Kent Murphy, who lists a number of factors to consider when shopping the lender market. He explains how low interest rates often lure people into bad loans and shares common factors dentists overlook before signing on the dotted line. Show notes: [email protected] practicefinance.wellsfargo.com/dentists/

How do you know when it's time to hire a financial advisor? For a lot of dentists there's a trigger that goes off ― a shortage of cash, an investment gone bad, stagnant collections ― and they wonder if it's time to call for help. But it's not always clear what's causing your pain or which professional has the right prescription. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan explain when it makes sense to hire a financial advisor, and when it makes sense to look elsewhere for solutions.

There are two types of people in the world: those who have heard a sales pitch about permanent life insurance, and those who will hear a sales pitch about permanent life insurance. And the way these policies are sold ― on the premise of guaranteed returns and tax-free withdrawals ― often give investors a false sense of security. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan walk through the stages of grieving that usually follow the purchase of permanent life. They also talk about the rare exceptions for justifying insurance as an investment, and how to unwind a bad policy if you already have one.

Do you know the difference between a stock and a bond? Maybe you do. But even if you grasp the concept of fixed income versus equity, you may not realize how complex the bond market is. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan describe the different types of bonds you can own, the risk levels associated with each, and how bonds can be used to lower your taxes. (And they make it through the entire show without telling a single James Bond joke).

Have you ever looked at your investment statements and wondered if your returns are as good as they could be? You've been told cheap index funds are the most responsible way to invest, but is it really that simple? What other funds can you buy? In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan list six factors to consider when building your investment portfolio. They discuss tradeoffs between active and passive investing, why some index funds underperform, and how to build a portfolio with the right mix of assets.

If your office has a qualified retirement plan like a 401(k), chances are you're paying fees you didn't know existed and taking on liability you didn't know you had. Matt Bradley and his company BenefitGuard help dentists fix their 401(k)s by lowering costs and offloading risk associated with compliance. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Matt explains where the fees are hiding, how to evaluate your existing plan, and the most common reasons employers get sued for mismanagement. He also lists the people you should have on your 401(k) team. Show notes: [email protected] www.benefitguard.com

IRA? 401(k)? Profit sharing plan? Pension? Mosts dentists know that choosing the right plan will put them on a faster track to retirement. But deciding which plan is best isn't always straightforward. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan discuss the most important factors to consider when choosing a retirement plan for you and your employees. They also describe how TPAs, advisors, fiduciaries, and custodians can help you optimize your plan and protect you from compliance violations.

Lisa Knowles opened her dental practice in 2005… two years before the recession... in Michigan. With economic conditions stacked against her, she built a thriving practice on a model of "making things right for patients no matter what." Driven by her passion for communication and coaching, Dr. Knowles started Intentional Dental to help other dentists grow referral pipelines using a more mindful approach to patient interaction. In this Dentist Money™ Show interview, she cites five keys to successful dentistry, offers guidance for living in the moment, and compares a dental office to a Broadway show. Show notes: Website: http://beyond32teeth.com/ Email: [email protected]

Dr. Mike Abernathy, founder of Summit Practice Solutions, joins the Dentist Money™ Show from his ranch outside of Dallas where he reflects on the most valuable lessons he's learned as a practice owner and consultant. Mike's approach to business management and personal finance allowed him to retire ahead of schedule and become a mentor for dentists all over the United States. In this interview, he talks about the one statistic to watch in your practice, what it means to embrace consumerism, and the pitfalls that keep dentists from reaching financial freedom. Show notes: Website: http://summitpracticesolutions.com/

Remember the personal bio you wrote for your practice website? You probably started with a paragraph about where you grew up, the schools you attended, and your involvement with dental associations. Then you added a couple lines about your family and personal hobbies, and emailed it over to your web designer. Now it sits on your website like a relic etched in stone. And in today's content-charged world, it will never be enough to drive traffic to your business. That's where video comes in — not just video, but great video. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Collin Kartchner of Tooth Media explains why dentists need to engage patients with better video content. He also describes the difference between videos that get results and those that harm reputations. Show notes: Website: www.toothmedia.com Email: [email protected] Article about video performance versus text content: http://www.fathomdelivers.com/blog/seo/videos-seo-more-likely-to-rank/

Morgan Hamon lives dangerously. He started his career as a fighter pilot and then became a tax accountant. The fight against taxes is real, and Morgan's firm, HDA Accounting Group, is the first line of defense for hundreds of dentists across the country. Because he works exclusively with dentists, Morgan has a deep understanding of tax issues faced by practice owners. In this Dentist Money™ interview, he answers the most common tax questions asked by dentists, explains the tax implications of owning a building, and specifies how much you should spend on staff and overhead to maintain sufficient profitability. Show notes: Website: www.hda-dental.com Email: [email protected]

Dr. Mark Costes is founder of the Dental Success Institute, Horizon Schools of Dental Assisting, and author of Pillars of Dental Success. He runs multiple practices, speaks at dental forums around the world, and coaches over 50 practice owners to help maximize profits. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Dr. Costes talks about the bumps and bruises he's experienced while acquiring multiple practices and expanding his entrepreneurial reach. He also offers a fresh take on work life balance, the truth about getting rich, and the personality traits that succeed in dentistry. Show notes: Website: truedentalsuccess.com Email: [email protected]

Is your website doing its job? Does it really drive new patients, or does it just sort of exist? Mike Pedersen, founder of The Dental Boost, helps hundreds of dentists showcase their practices with powerful websites that make it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Mike explains what it means to build your website with the user in mind, how to incorporate video content, and the best way to layout your homepage. He also describes the kinds of images you should never post on your website. Show notes: Website: www.thedentalboost.com Email: [email protected]

Perhaps nothing in dentistry is more important than surrounding yourself with the right people. It's also one of the most difficult things to do. Hiring is never an exact science, firing is no picnic, and outsourcing can feel like a crapshoot. So how do you put together a winning team? In this Dentist Money™ interview, Pat Rosenzweig, co-owner of Mosaic Management Professionals, discusses the process of elevating your human capital. Drawing from her 30+ years in the industry, she explains the mindset you should cultivate within your staff, the value to place on technical versus people skills, and how to maximize each person's contributions. Show notes: Website: www.mosaicmanagementpro.com Email: [email protected]

When Joseph McGregor was a young attorney in Cleveland, his friends in the Case Western Dental program started asking for advice about practice buy-in agreements. The questions kept coming, and before he knew it, Joseph had a side job through which he met several players in the dental industry. His experience led him to open a dental-focused law firm in 2009. (His desire to make it big led him to Texas). In this Dentist Money™ interview, Joseph highlights two of the most costly mistakes made by dentists during transition. He also offers a word of caution about the employee handbook that's been gathering dust at the bottom of your file drawer.

While working with his endodontist father, Chris Tayler became all too familiar with the inequities imposed by insurance companies on dentists. Seeing an opportunity to help other practice owners, Chris put his MBA and finance background to work and started a company called Cobalt Analytics, which specializes in optimizing insurance plans for dentists. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Chris explains the right way to factor insurance write-offs into profitability and how to make sure you're getting the best rates. Show notes: http://www.cobaltanalytics.net/

Consultant, coach, practice owner, professor, founder of the Thriving Dentist Show, internationally-acclaimed speaker. Dentists around the globe refer to Gary Takacs by a number titles. We simply call him The Legend. Having worked with over 2,200 practices, perhaps no one is better qualified than Gary to motivate and mentor dentists at every career stage. In this Dentist Money™ interview, he shares a collection of stories and experiences to illustrate how the most successful dentists thrive. Show notes: www.takacslearningcenter.com Thriving Dentist Show with Gary Takacs: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thriving-dentist-show-gary/id488260412?mt=2

Ben Tuinei, President of Veritas Dental Resources, has worked with over 6,000 dentists across the country to negotiate fair and reasonable reimbursements from insurance carriers. Using Ben's 7 Steps of Negotiation, dentists gain leverage against providers to get the highest fee schedules available. In this Dentist Money™ interview, he explains what it means to build an insurance profile, how to overcome payment objections, the procedures most commonly downgraded by insurance companies, and the biggest mistakes dentists make during negotiation. Website: www.veritasdentalresources.com Contact: [email protected] 7 Steps to Negotiating Fees video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt1R5UWTgm0

Jordon Comstock is founder of BoomCloud Apps, provider of in-house membership software for dental practices all over the country. Inspired by his deep knowledge of the dental industry, a passion for user interface design, and a book called The Automatic Customer, Jordon built a platform that allows practices to offer, manage, and track a variety of membership solutions for their patients. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Jordon explains how fee-for-service models can work alongside PPO plans to stabilize revenue, expand patient base, and improve retention.

Dr. James Anderson wasn't wired to follow the traditional path of dentistry. Within a year of starting a practice, he hired his first associate and caught the entrepreneurial bug (or as he calls it, "A.D.D."). Since then, he started nine successful practices, built one of the largest dental billing companies in the nation, and even opened an arcade. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Dr. Anderson recounts important lessons he's learned about practice expansion, managing accounts receivable, and incentivizing staff.

If you enjoy the charming sound of a Boston accent and getting advice from one of the dental industry's most experienced consultants, then you won't want to miss this episode of Dentist Money™ with Nancy Kagan. Nancy was a hygienist for several years, then formed a temporary dental placement agency before managing two successful practices for over twenty-five years. In 2004, she founded Summit Dental Partners with a mission to make dental practices more efficient and successful. In this interview she talks about keeping your staff accountable, protecting yourself from embezzlement, and what it means to be an "ostrich."

Social media marketing is an essential part of driving growth for a practice, but a lot of dentists struggle to understand the evolving digital landscape and how to implement a solid online strategy. In this Dentist Money™ interview, Seth Dahle of My Social Practice offers his expert advice for boosting patient counts using social media and other digital channels. He explains ways to improve your online reputation, the most common digital mistakes made by dentists, and how the best dentists get the most out of marketing.

CPAs (and father-son tandem), Don & Dave Mantyla, talk all things taxes and explain the most common mistakes that put dentists at odds with Uncle Sam. They discuss the primary tax problems faced by dentists, the ramifications of making extra debt payments, when equipment write-offs make sense, and how some dentists get caught in a downward cycle of tax avoidance.

Heather Colicchio is Founder & President of the American Association of Dental Office Managers — the largest association for dental business teams in the country. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Heather shares the philosophies behind her company's mission to strengthen dental practices by maximizing the talents of office managers. She offers considerations to make when hiring an office manager, explains the types of training you should invest in, and gives advice for empowering office managers to lead successful practices.

Reese interviews Dr. Richard Engar, former clinical dentist of ten years, and current CEO of Professional Insurance Exchange. Dr. Engar draws from decades of experience to explain how dentists can prevent unnecessary malpractice claims from putting their wealth and reputations at risk. He also offers advice for dealing with malpractice threats, describes the most common (and most expensive) types of claims, and highlights the one thing you should never do in the face of a malpractice settlement.

Weston Lunsford, CEO of Dental Intel and self-diagnosed "data geek," breaks down the numbers behind successful practices and offers a simplified solution for measuring progress. He also explains the meaning of proactive planning, four categories of money making, the impact of broken appointments, and why certain dentists struggle to reach standard benchmarks.

Practice transitions expert, Randon Jensen of CTC Associates, stops by to discuss the most important considerations to make before buying or selling a practice. Topics include managing expectations, structuring the deal, and getting proper representation. Randon also shares a few stories to highlight the most common mistakes he's observed in his 17 years of working in the dental industry.

Jason Wood is a partner at Wood & Delgado and one of the nation's premier attorneys for dentists. Having worked with thousands of dentists, he has become an authority on practice-related transactions. In this industry expert edition of Dentist Money™, Jason describes the role of a good attorney during acquisitions and transitions, the important considerations to make when buying a practice, and the monetary implications of a DSO career path.

Mike Alder, CEO of Unitas Dental, joins Reese for this episode of Dentist Money™ recorded on location at WRDC in Phoenix. Mike's firm specializes in helping dentists sustain viable topline growth through managing third party payor relationships. In this interview, he explains how to keep your rates in check, benefit from insurance company partnerships, and set your prices.

Great Britain's referendum to leave the EU triggered an historic week for financial markets and drove significant losses for some investors. There's no shortage of speculation about "Brexit's" long term ripple effect and the timeline for recovery. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan share reaction from some of the financial industry's top advisors and offer guidance for protecting your own portfolio against major downturns.

Dentist Money™ welcomes financial expert, Doug Carlsen, who retired comfortably from dentistry at age 53. Dr. Carlsen is a nationally renowned speaker and has been a regular contributor for publications like Dentaltown and Dental Economics. In this episode, Reese and Doug compare notes and discuss the biggest factors that lead to financial longevity for dentists.

In this special episode of Dentist Money™, Reese interviews industry thought-leader, Howard Farran — arguably the most influential personality in dentistry. Howard is a successful practicing dentist, MBA, CEO of dentistry's largest media company, internationally recognized lecturer, and bestselling author. In this interview, Howard gives his candid take on the most common financial mistakes made by dentists and offers some words of advice for managing debt, improving profitability, working with consultants, and achieving work-life balance.

Breaking news: if you're a dentist, you're smart. When the rest of us sit in your chair, it's nice to know your supercharged brain got you through all those science classes, entrance exams, and the rigors of dental school. But does that mean you should tackle every business and financial decision on your own? The most successful dentists build a team of experts to advise them regularly on matters of business and finance. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan provide a list of the most important people a dentist should have on his/her advisory board.

Dentists are often approached by life insurance brokers to purchase life insurance as a retirement savings plan. Whole life, variable life, or universal life. What are the arguments for using these types of policies? What are the arguments against them? In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese and Ryan provide a fresh perspective on how dentists can approach life insurance decisions with more confidence.

Unless you happened to live in 18th century Western Europe, you might not understand how the modern economy was born - or even who the father was. It's a fascinating tale of deception, greed, pirates, and a Scottish visionary who borrowed French vocabulary. Plus it provides a great foundation for understanding financial markets. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan discuss the evolution of public markets and how they can work in your favor.

According to a recent article in Bloomberg magazine, gold prices have rallied and investors are piling back into gold in droves. On the heels of a four-year price decline, gold seems to have regained its luster and many are enticed by the prospect of striking it rich. But do they know what's under the surface of all the media hype? In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan provide some valuable nuggets of wisdom about investing in gold.

What do finance and pianos have in common? Pretty much everything. As the composer of your financial future, you need the right instrument to unlock your wealth-building potential. But a lot of dentists are using models that are out of tune. In this episode of Dentist Money™, Reese & Ryan describe the sound of a well crafted retirement plan.

Famous economist, Josiah Stamp said, "It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities." Although most dentists acknowledge the value of good financial planning, busy schedules keep them from addressing the essential components of wealth management. In this episode of Dentist Money™, we discuss three of the most powerful actions you can take on a monthly basis to grow your net worth.

Making smart decisions with your money requires a certain level of sophistication. It can be difficult to understand the ins and outs of insurance coverage, investing, debt management, real estate, and practice finance. So how do some dentists make it look so easy to build wealth? In this week's episode of Dentist Money™, Reese and Ryan reveal a few basic fundamentals followed by the most successful dentists.