Posts in Professional Financial
Asset Protection For Young Professionals
Asset Protection For Young Professionals

Asset protection is a hot topic among young professionals. Let’s face it, we spent years in school and sacrificed a lot to get to this point so it’s only right to search for ways to protect what we’ve earned. Asset protection is a term used to describe the way we go about protecting our finances from those who see us as a target. These may be creditors, individuals looking to sue, etc. Everyone needs to give thought to this but there are some groups, namely physicians and dentists that are more vulnerable to legal action.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithasset protection, malpractice, malpractice insurance, retirement, retirement accounts, retirement planning, corporation, assets, three, financial developmentComment
Harmful Effects of DIY Braces
Harmful Effects of DIY Braces

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) braces and at-home teeth straightening kits have become a trend popping up all over the internet, promising dentist-quality results at a fraction of the price. While I understand how attractive these may look and sound, unfortunately, things that sound too good to be true often are. As an orthodontist I have seen some pretty damaging effects of DIY braces and wanted to share a few facts about this dangerous trend.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithbraces, orthodontics, orthodontic treatment, fake braces, DIY braces, at home braces, at home teeth straightening, three, teeth tips, dental tips, practice ownership, professional development, entrepeneurship, smile tipsComment
Why You Should Consider Ditching Your Whole Life Policy
Why You Should Consider Ditching Your Whole Life Policy

I remember sitting through many lunch and learns back in dental school and residency where we were constantly told that we needed to get life Insurance. After the differences between Whole and Term Life Insurances were discussed, many of the insurance agents(Reps) would emphasize the need for Whole Life versus Term Life Insurance, especially for us soon-to-be dentists. They advertised Whole Life Insurance as the best plan to “offer great returns”, “protect our assets,” while providing a substantial death benefit.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithlife insurance, whole life insurance, term life insurance, insurance, three, financial development, personal development Comments
Tackling Student Loan Debt
Tackling Student Loan Debt

Almost all young dentists face confusing (and often conflicting) choices after graduation because of the significant amount of student loan debt they have from dental school. The average dental school graduate has more than $247,000 in student debt. That figure has risen nearly 40% since 2010.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithstudent debt, student loans, three, refinancing, refinance student loans, consolidation, consolidate student loans, practice ownership, financial development, professional developmentComment
Benefits of Social Media to Your Dental Practice
Benefits of Social Media to Your Dental Practice

For many years, dentists relied almost exclusively on reputation, word of mouth, expensive advertising and flyer marketing to help build their practices. But, it’s a different time now and more likely than not, our patients/audience are on one or more social media platforms. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat,etc being active on social media will give us the ability to drive traffic, reach new patients and build lasting relationships that will only benefit our practices.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice SmithSocial media, New Dentist, practice ownership, practice managementComment
How Student Loan Consolidation Positively Impacted My Credit Score
How Student Loan Consolidation Positively Impacted My Credit Score

Many of us have student loan debt, and if you’re a dentist or physician your student loan amount may be pretty significant. Figuring out how exactly to go about tackling them can be quite daunting; from knowing the different repayment options and which is best for you, to knowing whether to consolidate or refinance or even making the decision to take your time paying or pay down aggressively.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithstudent debt, student loans, consolidate student loans, refinance student loans, credit score, credit history, three, practice ownership, financial independence, professional development Comment
Refinance or Consolidate your Student Loans?
Refinance or Consolidate your Student Loans?

As young professionals, many of us left or will be leaving school with student loan debt. As our grace periods wear off and we enter repayment a lot of us find ourselves scouring the internet or asking friends and colleagues how they are going about tackling their student loans. It can be daunting going through the options - some of us have loans from undergraduate school and/ or graduate school. Some of us may have taken out private student loans, federal loans or a combination. Either way, we need to know the options for repaying these loans.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithstudent loans, consolidation, refinancing, refinance student loans, consolidate student loans, student debt, Two, practice ownership, financial development, professional developmentComment
An Orthodontist Can Boost Your Self Esteem!
An Orthodontist Can Boost Your Self Esteem!

People who are happy with the the way they look are typically more confident and have higher self esteem than those who are not. The way our teeth look and the appearance of our smile can have a pretty significant impact on the way we view ourselves. This is where an Orthodontist comes in. Orthodontics is a specialized branch of dentistry that has a focus on the alignment of teeth.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithbraces, orthodontics, orthodontic treatment, straight teeth, self esteem, confidence, Two, teeth tips, dental tips, professional development, practice ownership, entrepeneurship, smile tipsComment
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Set New Year Intentions (Goals) that You Will Actually Stick To
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Set New Year Intentions (Goals) that You Will Actually Stick To

A new year is upon us, which means it’s time to reflect on the past year and bid the last 12 months adieu. With 2019 comes the promise of a fresh start whether it be personal or professional. But, how many of us get really excited for a new year and set lofty goals only for them to fall by the wayside in mid-January? Setting new year resolution for goals has been a long time tradition but statistics show that only about 10% of people actually stick to their new year resolutions past the month of January - that’s pretty low, but we can change that.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithnew year, Set Goals, goal setting, new year resolutions, new year goals, happy new year, set intentions, Two, personal developmentComment
Retirement Planning for Young Professionals
Retirement Planning for Young Professionals

It is never too early to start saving towards retirement. As the new year approaches everyone is setting their goals and intention for the coming months. A main focus for many of us will be our money management and long term goals(retirement planning). It is imperative to have some knowledge of compounding interest to fully understand the benefits of starting early. In this post I will cover some basics of retirement planning and hopefully compel every young professional to start saving towards retirement(if you haven’t already).

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithretirement, retirement planning, retirement accounts, 401K, IRA, Roth IRA, Two, financial developmentComment
Best Money/Finance Podcasts for Young Professionals
Best Money/Finance Podcasts for Young Professionals

On the path to becoming a professional regardless of the field you’re in, the focus has been getting to the place where we finally start our careers. Nobody taught us anything money or finance related. We lacked knowledge regarding taxes, refinancing/consolidating student loans, insurances, retirement, and investing.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice SmithFinance, Money Management, finance blogs, money advice, Two, financial development, podcast Comments
Professional Teeth Whitening At Home
Professional Teeth Whitening At Home

White teeth are always in style! Everyone wants a sparkly white smile and if you read my previous post you will know that there are many culprits out there that may diminish the whiteness of your teeth over time. Some of those culprits include coffee, tea, red wine, sodas, curry, turmeric, cigarette smoke to name just a few.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice Smithteeth whitening, white teeth, professional teeth whitening, smile brilliant, Two, teeth tips, dental tips, professional development, entrepeneurship, practice ownership, smile tipsComment
White Teeth Are Always In Style
White Teeth Are Always In Style

We all want sparkly white teeth! Your smile is often times the first thing someone notices when they look at you so it makes sense to want to keep your teeth in tip top shape. However, there are some culprits that may prevent us from having and maintaining our pearly whites.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithteeth whitening, white teeth, cosmetic dentistry, crest, smile brilliant, Two, teeth tips, dental tips, professional development, entrepeneurship, practice ownership, smile tipsComment
How to Negotiate Your Contract, Like a Boss
How to Negotiate Your Contract, Like a Boss

Many professionals find the idea of engaging in contract negotiation intimidating. For this reason, many skip it all together and accept what they're offered, or they negotiate very minimally.

At this point, I have negotiated a few contracts to lend some insight on how to negotiate your contract to get what you want, what is fair and what you deserve. 

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice SmithContracts, Contract, contract negotiation, Associate Agreements, job, career, Two, practice ownership, practice management, personal development Comments
Creating a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From
Creating a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From

I came across a meme on Instagram that said "Create a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From" and it resonated with me quite deeply. It made me reflect on my own life and ask some really deep questions: Am I living in my purpose? Do I love what I do? If I didn't get paid for my work, would I still enjoy it? Am I living my best life? 

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice SmithLove What You do, Be Intentional, Vacation, Work, Career, Lifestyle, Two, travel, personal development Comments
Spring Clean Your Finances
Spring Clean Your Finances

Spring is not only a great time to put away the winter clothes and deep clean the house. It is also a good time to check in on your finances. Remember those beginning of the year goals like saving more, meal prepping and going to the gym (which by now may have tapered off)? This time of year is great to spring clean your financial goals and set yourself up for success the rest of the year.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice SmithMoney Management, Debt Management, Finance, One, financial developmentComment
What to Do with a Signing Bonus
What to Do with a Signing Bonus

You've worked your butt off, passed all your board and licensing exams, graduated and landed your dream job. What could be better than landing your dream job and receiving a signing bonus also? According to a 2016 research publication by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 52% of employers plan to offer signing bonuses to new graduates.

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice Smithsigning bonus, Career, One, personal development, practice ownership, practice managementComment
Social Media Blunders that Will Hurt a Young Doc's Career
Social Media Blunders that Will Hurt a Young Doc's Career

Social media has become part of the every day life for most people. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, twitter, LinkedIn or snapchat, it's where we communicate with friends, family, our potential patients/clients/customers and so we end up sharing a lot on these platforms. It's also where job recruiters, employers and, yes patients/clients/customers go to find you for whatever their reason.  So, when does sharing become too much? 

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Professional FinancialDr. Patrice SmithCareer, Social media, One, practice ownership, practice management, personal development Comments
Get Your Finances In Order: The Basics
Get Your Finances In Order: The Basics

It's the start of a new year and with it comes the need to plan for the year ahead. This is the season for resolutions! So while you make your goals to lose weight, start that new diet, travel more and live your best life, one thing you should include is to become more fiscally responsible. It's time to get your finances in order.

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Professional Financial, Lifestyle & TravelDr. Patrice SmithFinance, Lifestyle, Set Goals, One, financial developmentComment