We talk a lot with students and new dentists about starting to save for retirement early. Without the proper discipline to save routinely as you start to work, dentists are left with much less at retirement than they had hoped for. Sometimes, it is hard to even know where to start. There are some great resources out there to educate you on retirement savings options, but many are not as comprehensive as one would like. I would like to share a simple link this month with all of you and ask you to visit it to at least see what it is all about: 360financialliteracy.org
This website is one of the best comprehensive resources that I have seen in a while. It provides easy-to-use calculators to help you estimate what you should be saving to reach specific goals. However, it also provides information on home ownership, credit and debt and paying for education. The website is a great tool for both the new dental student and the practicing dentist (who may want to brush up on some aspects of their financial status before discussing certain topics with their advisors). At the very least, this website will give you some of the background to be able to ask the right questions of your advisors, whether it be an attorney, accountant or other financial advisor.
~Megan Mathers, JD, Pesavento & Pesavento
