The Optometry Money Podcast

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1970676/open_sms] In this packed episode, Evon Mendrin, CFP® and host of The Optometry Money Podcast, breaks down the biggest tax and student loan law changes optometrists need to know from the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Evon discusses what’s changing—and what’s not—for individual and business tax rules, estate taxes, 529 plans, and the massive shift in student loan repayment plans. Whether you're a private practice owner, associate OD, or optometry student, this episode will give you the clarity to start planning wisely for the years ahead. Highlights from this episode include: Individual Tax Changes * Lower tax brackets and the higher standard deduction made permanent * New temporary senior tax deduction for ODs 65+ * SALT deduction cap raised to $40,000 (with income phaseouts) * Brand-new $2,000 charitable deduction even if you take the standard deduction * Enhanced child tax credit and dependent care FSA limits New & Unusual Tax Deductions * Temporary deduction for personal auto loan interest (for new cars only) * Deduction for overtime pay and tips Business Owner Wins * 20% QBI deduction is now permanent—and its phaseouts widen in 2026 * 100% bonus depreciation is back! * PTET workaround for SALT cap still lives on Student Loan Changes: Huge Overhaul Ahead * SAVE, PAYE, and ICR plans eliminated after 7/2026 * Current Borrowers gradually transitioned by 7/2028 * Forgiveness periods shift, with new rules and income considerations * Future optometrists face new federal loan caps and more restricted repayment options 529 Plans & Trump Accounts * 529s can now be used for CE and licensing expenses * New "Trump Accounts" for minors open in 2026: Traditional IRA-style investment accounts with government seed money Bottom Line: You don’t need to make big decisions today - but now is the time to start planning. Evon covers how these changes may affect optometrists in every stage of their career - from practice owners to new grads. Resources & Links: * Dept. of Ed Update: SAVE Interest Accrual Begins Aug 1st [https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-continues-improve-federal-student-loan-repayment-options-addresses-illegal-biden-administration-actions] * Schedule a Free Intro [https://bit.ly/contactOWA] Call with Evon * Newsletter on Tax Provisions [https://bit.ly/EOTMOBBBA] (and don't forget to subscribe) 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.

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1970676/open_sms] Are individual bonds better than bond funds? What’s the actual difference between the two—and why does it matter for your investment strategy? In this episode, Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, dives into the key distinctions between individual bonds and bond funds, and what private practice optometrists need to consider when deciding between them. Whether you're aiming for stability, income, or long-term growth in your portfolio, understanding how these investment tools work can guide better financial decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: * What a bond actually is and how it functions * The key differences between owning individual bonds and investing in bond funds * The pros and cons of each approach * Why “safety” in bonds can be misunderstood * How market interest rates affect the value of your bonds or bond funds * When it may make sense to use one over the other in your financial plan Resources mentioned: * Vanguard: Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds [https://advisors.vanguard.com/content/dam/fas/pdfs/FAIBVBF.pdf] * Vanguard: Taxable Bond Investing - Bond Fund vs. Individual Bonds [https://www.coastlinetrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ICRTBF.pdf] * US Treasury Direct [https://treasurydirect.gov/] * S&P Dow Jones: The Hidden Costs of Retail Purchases in Investment Grade Municipal Bonds [https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/documents/research/research-the-hidden-costs-of-retail-purchases-in-municipal-bonds.pdf] * A Wealth of Common Sense Blog: Owning Individual Bonds vs. A Bond Fund [https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2022/11/owning-individual-bonds-vs-owning-a-bond-fund/] Related Episodes: * Podcast Ep 58: Investing Fundamentals – Understanding Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, and ETFs [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-58-investing-fundamentals-understanding-stocks-bonds-mutual-funds-and-etfs/] * Ep 134: The Case for Index Funds – Why Optometrists Should Embrace Passive Investing [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-134-the-case-for-index-funds-why-optometrists-should-embrace-passive-investing/] Stay Connected: * Click here to Subscribe [https://bit.ly/2025keynumbers] to the Eyes On The Money Newsletter for weekly financial insights tailored specifically to optometrists. * Have Questions? CLICK HERE to schedule [https://optometrywealth.com/contact/] a short introductory call 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.

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1970676/open_sms] Enjoy this rewind of a popular episode!  In Part 3 of a 3 part series, Evon dives into the many financial planning considerations optometrists need to think about when you own a more established, mature private optometry practice - both inside the business and in the household. A few of the planning topics practice owners should think about are: * Maintaining your vision for the ideal practice and ownership life * Building guardrails around your practice based on your ideal lifestyle * Create a separation between your practice and personal finances * Create a framework for deciding how to best use the cash flow your practice creates * Getting the most from your practice retirement plans * Planning for financial independence and retirement * Balancing the growth of different parts of your net worth over time * Risk management, contingency planning in the practice, and estate planning * Keep an eye on the other financial goals in your life outside the practice * Keeping in close contact with your professionals.  Have questions on anything discussed or want to have topics or questions featured on the show? Send Evon an email at evon@optometrywealth.com [evon@optometrywealth.com]. Check out www.optometrywealth.com [https://optometrywealth.com/] to get to know more about Evon, his financial planning firm Optometry Wealth Advisors, and how he helps optometrists nationwide. From there, you can schedule a short Intro call to share what's on your mind and learn how Evon helps ODs master their cash flow and debt, build their net worth, and plan purposefully around their money and their practices.  Resources mentioned on this episode: * Refractional CFO - Jackson Pace, CPA [https://www.refractionalcfo.com/] * Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree and Beverly Blair Harzog [https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Numbers-Straight-Talk-Profits/dp/1608320561/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1] Related Episodes: * The Optometry Money Podcast Ep 64: How to Invest Six Digits A Year Into Your Practice Retirement Plans with Matt Ruttenberg [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-64-how-to-invest-six-digits-a-year-into-your-practice-retirement-plans-with-matt-ruttenberg/] * The Optometry Money Podcast Ep 68: Financial Planning Considerations When Preparing for Practice Ownership [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-68-financial-planning-considerations-when-preparing-for-practice-ownership/] * The Optometry Money Podcast Ep 69: Financial Planning Considerations for the Early Years of Practice Ownership [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-69-financial-planning-considerations-for-the-early-years-of-practice-ownership/] Stay Connected: * Click here to Subscribe [https://bit.ly/2025keynumbers] to the Eyes On The Money Newsletter for weekly financial insights tailored specifically to optometrists. * Have Questions? CLICK HERE to schedule [https://optometrywealth.com/contact/] a short introductory call 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 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.

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1970676/open_sms] Dividend investing is one of the most passionately followed strategies online - yet much of the enthusiasm is driven by misunderstandings of how dividends work.  In this episode, Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP® of Optometry Wealth Advisors, dives deep into how dividends actually work, why they aren’t “free money,” and what ODs need to understand before chasing high-dividend stocks or funds - especially in taxable accounts. He also explores when, despite all of this, a dividend-focused approach might still be rational for the right investor. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What dividends actually are and how they function within public companies and your own optometry practice. * Why dividends aren’t “extra” return, and how stock prices adjust for them. * The real-world tax consequences of dividends - especially in taxable brokerage accounts. * Why fewer companies pay dividends today, and how stock buybacks often take their place. * How dividend investing can actually reduce diversification and tilt your portfolio away from global opportunities. * What explains the performance of dividend-heavy portfolios (spoiler: it’s not the dividends). * Why “I need X in dividends to retire” is a myth, and how to think about withdrawals and cash flow instead. * When a dividend strategy can make sense - despite being suboptimal on paper. Resources mentioned: * Dimensional’s Research on Dividend Price Adjustments [https://optometrywealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DFA-A-Slice-of-Dividend-Accounting.pdf] * Meb Faber’s “Shareholder Yield” Book [https://www.amazon.com/Shareholder-Yield-Approach-Dividend-Investing-ebook/dp/B00CRLSL4W?ref_=ast_author_dp_rw&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DUL0PlnnL-khls8f-s3ts9IfBtJTOgNhxUQNP2ef91TMbECnuj8mKNMNyaLT4HKkKPb57DyOMOmGyycYeMVQEXvrfiwBHO-LMaPBCT6J1G2TQpXYOrR3xT-3KRYGE6cB.YsdQykonc_fhRe3zuW7gNXprGRlxV_HSpo_yur0sMGk&dib_tag=AUTHOR] * Ben Felix Video on Dividend Investing [https://youtu.be/f5j9v9dfinQ?si=iUVlP4IPc7k7yarp] Related Episodes: * Ep 135: Beyond Indexing – An Optometrist’s Guide to Factor-Based Investing [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-135-beyond-indexing-an-optometrists-guide-to-factor-based-investing/] * Ep 134: The Case for Index Funds – Why Optometrists Should Embrace Passive Investing [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-134-the-case-for-index-funds-why-optometrists-should-embrace-passive-investing/] Stay Connected: * Click here to Subscribe [https://bit.ly/2025keynumbers] to the Eyes On The Money Newsletter for weekly financial insights tailored specifically to optometrists. * Have Questions? CLICK HERE to schedule [https://optometrywealth.com/contact/] a short introductory call 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.

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1970676/open_sms] As a private optometry practice owner, one of the most essential yet misunderstood financial decisions is figuring out how much to pay yourself. In this episode, Evon Mendrin dives into seven critical factors to consider when setting your own compensation from your optometry practice—especially if you're taxed as an S Corporation.  Whether you're just getting started or running a thriving, established practice, this episode will help you balance tax strategy, financial planning, and long-term wealth-building with clarity and confidence. You’ll learn: * How income draws differ based on how your practice is taxed (sole proprietor, partnership, or S-corp) * Why paying yourself “too little” can backfire with the IRS * How your wage affects your Social Security benefits, QBI deduction, and retirement plan contributions * The surprising ways your compensation impacts practice valuations and financial planning * How to align your income with your lifestyle and financial goals Resources Mentioned: * Independent Strong Article: How to Pay Yourself – Key Factors for Setting Your Owner Compensation [https://independentstrong.reviewob.com/index.php/2025/05/13/compensation/] * IRS Guidance on Reasonable Compensation for S Corps [https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/s-corporation-compensation-and-medical-insurance-issues] Related Episodes: * The Optometry Money Podcast Ep 51: An Optometrist’s Guide to the Qualified Business Income Deduction [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-51-an-optometrists-guide-to-the-qualified-business-income-deduction/] * The Optometry Money Podcast Ep. 49: An Optometrist’s Guide to Business Entities [https://optometrywealth.com/podcast/the-optometry-money-podcast-ep-49-an-optometrists-guide-to-business-entities/] Stay Connected: * Click here to Subscribe [https://bit.ly/2025keynumbers] to the Eyes On The Money Newsletter for weekly financial insights tailored specifically to optometrists. * Have Questions? CLICK HERE to schedule [https://optometrywealth.com/contact/] a short introductory call 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.