Most physicians need term life insurance equal to 7 to 10 times income, on a level term long enough to cover the years their family depends on it, often 30 years. Term is simple and affordable; whole life is rarely the right first policy. Factor in student debt, since federal loans are forgiven at death.

True own-occupation disability insurance pays benefits if you cannot perform your medical specialty, even if you earn income in another field. Physicians should own an individual specialty-specific policy, usually covering about 60% of gross income, ideally bought during residency when it costs least.

Two policies protect a physician's financial life: own-occupation disability insurance, which replaces income if you cannot practice your specialty, and term life insurance for your family. Buy disability during training when it costs least, and choose term over whole life for most needs.

Meta pays equity as RSUs that vest quarterly over four years with no cliff, taxed as ordinary income at vest. Plan for the 22% withholding gap, capture the $12,250 401(k) match, and use Meta's mega backdoor Roth, which can add roughly $35,250 to your 401(k) each year.

Google pays equity as GSUs, taxed as ordinary income when they vest. Plan for the 22% withholding gap, capture the full 401(k) match, and consider the mega backdoor Roth. Google grants vest on a front-loaded four-year schedule with no cliff.

RSUs are taxed as ordinary income at their value on the vest date, added to your W-2. Employers usually withhold a flat 22%, but high earners owe 24% to 37%, so the gap shows up as a tax bill in April. Selling shares at vest avoids single-stock concentration.

Equity compensation can be a large share of a corporate professional's pay, and most of it arrives as RSUs taxed as ordinary income when they vest. The two issues to plan for are the withholding gap, since employers withhold 22% while your rate may be higher, and concentration in a single stock.

A simple 2026 funding order for new attendings: capture the full employer 401(k) match, fund an HSA if eligible, complete a $7,500 Backdoor Roth, max the $24,500 401(k) or 403(b), then invest in a taxable account. The order outweighs the intensity early on.

A Backdoor Roth lets physicians above the income limit still fund a Roth IRA in 2026: contribute up to $7,500 to a nondeductible traditional IRA, then convert it. The pro-rata rule is the trap, because any pre-tax IRA balance on December 31 makes part of the conversion taxable.

High-earning physicians can save far more than a single 401(k) allows. In 2026 you can defer $24,500 to a 401(k) or 403(b), add a $7,500 Backdoor Roth, and use an HSA. Funding them in the right order, with the pro-rata rule in mind, is what compounds.

Your first attending tax bill is high because withholding from a mid-year pay jump rarely matches your new bracket, and 1099 income has no withholding at all. Set aside 25% to 30% of untaxed income, review your W-4, and pay quarterly estimates to avoid penalties.

For emergency physicians, 1099 income carries the full 15.3% self-employment tax up to the 2026 wage base, plus the cost of your own benefits. A 1099 contract generally needs to pay 15% to 20% more than a W-2 salary to break even, though it opens larger retirement contributions and more deductions.

New attending physicians get surprised by taxes for one reason: withholding rarely keeps up with an income that tripled. Plan for the bracket you're in now, set aside cash from every paycheck, and choose your 1099-versus-W-2 structure deliberately. The 2026 changes reward planning early.

RAP is a new income-driven repayment plan launching July 1, 2026. Monthly payments run from 1% to 10% of your income, reduced by $50 per dependent, with a $10 minimum. It cancels unpaid interest and matches up to $50 of principal each month. For loans first borrowed after that date, RAP is the only income-driven option.

PSLF still exists for physicians in 2026. If you borrowed before July 1, 2026 and are employed full-time by a qualifying nonprofit or government employer, your residency and attending payments can still count toward forgiveness. Loans first borrowed on or after that date face new limits, and residency may no longer count.

Most new attending physicians should settle one question first: forgiveness or payoff. If you are employed full-time by a qualifying nonprofit or government employer, PSLF often wins. If you don't, refinancing usually does. The 2026 law changes make that decision time-sensitive.