Mid-Year Tax Check-In: 4 Questions Every Optometrist Should Be Asking

Mid-Year Tax Check-In: 4 Questions Every Optometrist Should Be Asking

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1970676/fan_mail/new] Episode Summary It's July — half the year is gone, but you still have half a year to make an impact on your tax result. That makes right now the ideal time to sit back and ask: where do things actually stand? In this episode, Evon walks through four questions every optometrist should be asking as a mid-year tax check-in. This is the same work Evon's team is doing this time of year for practice-owner clients — projecting out the practice's profit and loss and running initial tax projections while there's still time to act.  The goal is simple: fewer April surprises, and a clear view of the opportunities still on the table before the year closes. What You'll Learn * Four tax planning questions you and your professional team should be asking this time of year * Where your income is likely to land this year — and why type of income matters as much as amount * How to tell whether you're paying enough as you go (and avoiding under-withholding penalties) * The AGI and taxable-income thresholds that phase you in and out of key credits, deductions, and extra taxes * Which tax planning levers you can still pull with half a year left — and their deadlines Key Takeaways for Optometrists Good tax planning starts early and proactively — not in April when the bill is already due. The four questions to work through with your professional team: Where will my income land this year? Am I paying enough as I go? Am I near a threshold that changes things? And what levers do I still have to pull? The thresholds are where the real opportunities hide. Your AGI drives eligibility for the child tax credit, Roth IRA contributions, the higher state and local tax deduction cap, ACA premium tax credits, and your student loan payments if you're on an income-driven plan. Your taxable income drives your marginal rate and your QBI deduction. When several of these phase out together at higher income levels, a well-timed deduction or deferral can be worth far more than your marginal rate alone would suggest. The two biggest levers for practice owners tend to be retirement plan contributions and depreciation. But don't buy equipment just for the write-off — you're spending a full dollar to save thirty cents. Invest in the practice because there's a return on it, then decide how to handle the depreciation. And remember that some levers have a hard December 31 deadline while others (like 401(k) contributions or a cost segregation study) run to your tax filing deadline. Resources for Optometrists * Ep 159: How to Stop Scrambling at Tax Time – An Optometrist’s Guide to Quarterly Tax Payments [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney159] * Ep 153: How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax) [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney153] * Ep 148: Profit Sharing Demystified – How Optometry Practice Owners Can Maximize Their 401(k) with Matt Ruttenberg [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney148] * Ep 51: An Optometrist’s Guide to the Qualified Business Income Deduction [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney51] * Ep 47: An Optometrist’s Guide to How Taxes Work [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney47] * Ep 37: Tax Planning For Charitable Giving [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney37] Want a more proactive approach to your planning? You can schedule a no-commitment introductory call to discuss what's on your mind financially and learn how we help optometrists navigate those same decisions nationwide. 👉 Schedule an introductory call [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/contact] The Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.

Finding the Bottlenecks Limiting Your Practice's Capacity with Kerry Reeves, OD

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1970676/fan_mail/new] Episode Summary Most optometrists believe the path to a better bottom line runs through growth — more patients, more marketing, more demand. But what if that's the wrong problem to solve? In this episode, Evon sits down with Dr. Kerry Reeves, owner of Advanced Eye Care in North and South Carolina, to unpack a different way of thinking about practice performance. Drawing on 27 years in optometry — including five years rebuilding systems in post-earthquake Haiti — Kerry makes the case that optometry doesn't have a growth problem, it has a capacity problem.  We dig into how systems and bottlenecks shape everything from daily stress to the eventual value of your practice, and why simply adding more patients to a strained system creates pressure instead of progress. What You'll Learn * Why capacity, not growth, is the real constraint for most mature practices * How to find the "Herbie" — the bottleneck — in your practice * What happens when demand increases but your systems don't * Why handoffs are where practices break under pressure * How over-dependence on the owner creates fragility and lowers practice value * The four rungs of the "dependency ladder" * How a lack of capacity drives stress and burnout for both doctors and staff * Where AI can remove friction in a practice — and where it's overhyped Key Takeaways for Optometrists For most established practices, the instinct to chase growth misses the real issue. As Kerry puts it, growth without redesign becomes pressure, not progress. A system built to handle 14 patients a day doesn't simply stretch to 22 — it cracks, usually at the handoffs between staff, and the strain shows up as burnout, turnover, remakes, and a worse patient experience. Adding patients before fixing the system tends to surface problems you didn't know you had. There's a direct line between systems and practice value, too. The more a practice depends on the owner to solve every problem and make every decision, the more fragile — and less valuable — it becomes to any future buyer.  Building a practice that runs well without you isn't just about reducing daily stress; it's one of the most meaningful things you can do for both the value and the resilience of the business. The work is ongoing: as Kerry notes, the bottleneck never stays in one place, so finding and fixing "Herbie" is a continuous process, not a one-time fix. Resources for Optometrists * Connect with Dr. Kerry Reeves on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryreevesod/] * EyeCoin Patient Interaction Platform [https://geteyecoin.com/] * The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt [https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951]— the systems book referenced in the episode * Podcast Ep 160: How to Maximize Your Optometry Practice Value Before You Sell with Erich Mattei [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney160] * Podcast Ep 157: The Location-Independent OD: Compensation, Licensing & the Future of Remote Care with Crystal Edison, OD [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney157] * Podcast Ep 164: Planning Your Practice Exit – The Retirement Math That Sets the Floor [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney164] Want a more proactive approach to your planning? You can schedule a no-commitment introductory call to discuss what's on your mind financially and learn how we help optometrists navigate those same decisions nationwide. 👉 Schedule an introductory call [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/contact] The Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.

Planning Your Practice Exit: The Retirement Math That Sets the Floor

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1970676/fan_mail/new] Episode Summary Most practice owners spend close to two decades building their business — and too often only a few months planning how they exit it. That imbalance shows up in the outcomes. This episode kicks off a new series on planning for the sale of your practice, built around five questions worth answering long before a sale shows up on your calendar. We start with the first and most important one: not "what is my practice worth?" but "what does this sale actually need to do for my retirement to work?" Because those are two completely different questions — and the gap between what you assume the practice is worth and what you actually need it to do is where a lot of the regret lives. We walk through why your retirement gap sets the floor for every other exit decision, how to actually build that number, and why the earlier you start, the more flexibility you'll have on your way out. What You'll Learn * The five questions to answer when planning to exit your practice (and why this one comes first) * Why your practice valuation only matters in relation to your retirement gap * How two identical practices can lead to two completely different sale strategies * Why earlier owners have far more flexibility — and how to "pre-fund" your future buyout * How to build your retirement gap: lifestyle spending, guaranteed income, existing assets, and the gap that remains * How that gap becomes your negotiating floor — shaping timeline, buyer type, and payment structure * The what-if scenarios worth testing before you ever sell Key Takeaways for Optometrists Your practice valuation is only meaningful in context. The number that actually matters is the gap between what you've already built outside the practice and what your retirement plan needs to succeed. Until you know that gap, every conversation about price, structure, and buyer is theoretical — you have nothing to measure an offer against. Figure out that number first, and it becomes your negotiating floor. It tells you whether you can wait for the right buyer, whether you can sell to an associate at a friendly price or need to chase a higher multiple, and whether work is truly optional afterward. Too many owners step into a sale unsure of what their family actually needs — and let the deal determine their retirement plan rather than the other way around. Resources for Optometrists * Podcast Ep 160: How to Maximize Your Optometry Practice Value Before You Sell with Erich Mattei [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney160] * Podcast Ep 50: Guide to Due Diligence on Practice Purchases with Erich Mattei [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney50] * Podcast Ep 80: Intro to Optometry Practice Valuations with Erich Mattei [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney80] * Podcast Ep 70: Financial Planning Considerations for Owners of Established Optometry Practices [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney70] Want a more proactive approach to your planning? You can schedule a no-commitment introductory call to discuss what's on your mind financially and learn how we help optometrists navigate those same decisions nationwide. 👉 Schedule an introductory call [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/contact] The Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.

The Biggest IPOs in History Are Here - Should Optometrists Invest?

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1970676/fan_mail/new] Episode Summary The largest IPO in history is here. SpaceX goes public this week with an expected total value of $1.77 trillion, and OpenAI and Anthropic have both announced plans to go public this year at valuations around $1 trillion each. In optometry forums and online communities everywhere, ODs are asking the same question: should I get in? In this episode, we look at 45 years of data and research on how IPOs have actually performed for investors - and then dig into the question that matters more for most listeners: how index funds and other passive funds will add these mega IPOs to their portfolios, and what that means for you. Have questions about your own investment approach? Reach out at podcast@optometrywealth.com [podcast@optometrywealth.com]. What You'll Learn * What an IPO is and why 2026's IPOs are historic in size * How IPOs have historically performed compared to the broad US stock market * Why the famous "first-day pop" doesn't benefit everyday investors * The distribution of individual IPO outcomes over 3 and 5 years — and why most lose money * Why periods of peak IPO hype tend to be followed by the worst returns * How the S&P 500, Russell, CRSP, and MSCI indexes decide when (and how much of) an IPO to include * What "float adjustment" means and why these trillion-dollar companies will enter index funds as tiny slivers * How the Nasdaq-100's approach to IPOs differs from broad market indexes * Whether index fund "front-running" around IPO inclusions should worry long-term investors * How factor-based funds like Dimensional handle newly public companies Key Takeaways for Optometrists Investing in IPOs right after they go public has historically been a poor strategy. IPOs as a group have trailed the broad market, and when you look at individual companies, roughly 60% lost money over their first three to five years - while a small sliver delivered lottery-like gains that lift the averages. Betting on IPOs means betting you can pick those rare winners. For index fund investors, these mega IPOs will eventually show up in your funds - but because indexes are float-adjusted, even a $1.77 trillion company may enter as a fraction of a percent of the index. The impact on your portfolio, good or bad, is small. The bigger lesson: when hype is at its highest, expected returns tend to be at their lowest. Staying broadly diversified, keeping costs low, and not chasing shiny objects continues to be the prudent approach - and if you do want a lottery ticket, be honest about what it is and size it accordingly. Related Episodes: * Ep 134: The Case for Index Funds – Why Optometrists Should Embrace Passive Investing [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney134] * Ep 135: Beyond Indexing – An Optometrist’s Guide to Factor-Based Investing [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney135] * Ep 58: Investing Fundamentals – Understanding Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, and ETFs [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney58] * Ep 153: How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax) [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/ODmoney153] Resources for Optometrists * Loughran & Ritter (1995), "The New Issues Puzzle" — Journal of Finance [https://site.warrington.ufl.edu/ritter/files/2015/04/The-New-Issues-Puzzle-1995.pdf] * Dimensional Fund Advisors (2019), "What to Know About IPOs" research study [https://www.dimensional.com/us-en/insights/ipos-profiles-are-high-what-about-returns] * Dimensional Fund Advisors 2025 video: Do IPOs Have a Place in Your Portfolio? [https://www.dimensional.com/us-en/insights/do-ipos-have-a-place-in-your-portfolio] * Jay Ritter's Long-Run Returns on IPOs (University of Florida) [https://site.warrington.ufl.edu/ritter/files/IPOs-long-run-returns-on-IPOs.pdf] * 2025: Primary Capital Market Transactions and Index Funds [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4929872] * Cullen Roche's Article: Three Things – 100s, SpaceX, & Indexing [https://ria.disciplinefunds.com/2026/06/05/three-things-100s-spacex-indexing/] * Morningstar's Jeff Ptak: Lessons From a Private Markets Bust: Why This ETF’s Investors Missed Out on SpaceX Gains [https://www.morningstar.com/alternative-investments/lessons-private-markets-bust-why-this-etfs-investors-missed-out-spacex-gains] Want a more proactive approach to your planning? You can schedule a no-commitment introductory call to discuss what's on your mind financially and learn how we help optometrists navigate those same decisions nationwide. 👉 Schedule an introductory call [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/contact] The Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.

(Rewind) Should Optometrists Invest at All-Time Highs? What the Data Says

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1970676/fan_mail/new] Episode Summary With the stock market trading near all-time highs again, it's natural to wonder — should you be worried? Is a crash inevitable? Should you hold off on investing? In this rewind of one of our most popular 2024 episodes, we dig into what history actually tells us about all-time highs in the stock market — and why optometrists should stay the course with the long-term investment plan they've already built. What You'll Learn * How common all-time highs actually are historically * Average S&P 500 returns one, three, and five years after record highs * How often significant market corrections follow all-time highs * Why declines are a normal and expected part of long-term investing * What optometrists should focus on instead of market noise Key Takeaways for Optometrists All-time highs sound alarming — but history says otherwise. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has hit roughly 1,250 all-time highs, averaging about 16 per year. Research from Dimensional Fund Advisors shows that average returns one, three, and five years after record highs are nearly identical to returns after any other given month. And data from RBC Global Asset Management found that only 9% of all-time highs were followed by a 10%+ decline within one year — with that number dropping to 0% over a five-year window. None of this means declines don't happen — they do, and they're a normal part of investing. But for long-term investors, the focus belongs on the things within your control: your savings rate, your practice, your career, and maintaining the right investment mix for your goals. The headlines will always find a reason to worry. Your job is to tune them out and stay invested. Resources for Optometrists * Podcast Ep 153: How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax) [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-153-how-to-invest-tax-efficiently-and-keep-more-of-your-returns-after-tax/] * Podcast Ep 140: What Most Investors Get Wrong About Dividend Investing [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-140-what-most-investors-get-wrong-about-dividend-investing/] * DFA: Why A Stock Peak Isn't A Cliff [https://my.dimensional.com/dfsmedia/f27f1cc5b9674653938eb84ff8006d8c/77641-source/why-a-stock-peak-isnt-a-cliff-us.pdf] * RBC GAM: Investing at All-Time Highs [https://www.rbcgam.com/en/ca/learn-plan/investment-basics/investing-at-all-time-highs/detail] * Have a question for a future episode? Email: podcast@optometrywealth.com Want a more proactive approach to your planning? Let's schedule a call. You can schedule a no-commitment introductory call to discuss what's on your mind financially and learn how we help optometrists navigate those same decisions nationwide. 👉 Schedule an introductory call [https://optometrywealth.short.gy/contact] The Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.