The Right Order to Fund Your Accounts as a New Attending
When your income jumps, the question is not whether to save. It is which account to fund first. Early in your attending years, the order outweighs the intensity, because the first dollars capture the employer match and the strongest tax treatment.
The priority order for 2026
- Capture the full employer match in your 401(k) or 403(b). This is an immediate return you cannot get anywhere else.
- Fund an HSA if you have a qualifying high-deductible health plan: $4,400 for individual or $8,750 for family coverage. It carries a rare triple tax advantage.
- Complete a Backdoor Roth IRA, up to $7,500.
- Max your 401(k) or 403(b) deferral to the full $24,500.
- Use a Mega Backdoor Roth if your plan allows after-tax contributions and conversions.
- Invest the rest in a taxable brokerage account, which has no contribution cap.
Where physicians get it wrong
The frequent miss is skipping steps two and three and jumping from the 401(k) straight to a taxable account. The HSA and the Backdoor Roth offer tax treatment a taxable account cannot match, so using them first puts more of your money to good use.
The behavioral note
Present bias makes today's spending feel more urgent than tomorrow's contribution. Automation is the antidote. Set each account to fund on a schedule, and the order takes care of itself.
Your next step
If you want this order set up and automated around your paycheck, book a 15-minute complimentary discovery call.
What order should a physician fund retirement accounts in 2026?
Employer match first, then HSA, then Backdoor Roth, then max the 401(k) or 403(b), then a Mega Backdoor Roth if available, then taxable investing.
Why fund an HSA before maxing the 401(k)?
A qualifying HSA offers a triple tax advantage: deductible contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for medical costs. That treatment is hard to beat.
Is a taxable account worth it after the tax-advantaged ones?
Yes. Once you have used the tax-advantaged accounts, a taxable brokerage has no contribution cap and keeps your savings rate high.
