As a small practice owner or a partner in a medical or dental practice, minimizing taxes and building your retirement savings are two of your biggest financial goals. Many doctors and dentists have a relatively late start and often have significant student debt upon graduation, and they also may have a relatively short time horizon until retirement, with many opting to stop practicing in their late fifties and early sixties. So it is no surprise that saving more than what is typically recommended by financial experts is the only way that such early retirement can be accomplished. Even with a relatively modest lifestyle, those who retire early will need to accumulate a sizeable portfolio without much time to get this done. While it is important to set up various buckets (including after-tax, Roth and tax-deferred) and to fill them to capacity, doctors and dentists in the highest tax brackets will see the most benefit from maximizing the tax-deferred bucket first. A 401(k) with profit sharing is the best plan for those who have the time to build up savings. A defined benefit plan known as a Cash Balance plan can be opened in addition to your existing 401(k). A Cash Balance plan helps boost your tax-deferred savings if you plan to retire in 10 years or less and you would like to catch up quickly. This type of plan can also increase tax-deferred savings if you are making a lot of money now but are not sure whether this will last over the long term.
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