Table of Contents

Dr. Sam Shamardi is the author of the Financial Survival Guide for Dentists
  • Dedication
  • Preface

Part One

Congratulations Doctor … Now let the games begin!

Chapter 1: Ready or not. your first payment is here! (sort of.)

Student Loans

  • The Essentials
  • Nelnet Statement Guide
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Federal vs. Private
  • General repayment schedules
  • What if you aren’t ready/financially capable yet (or ever)?

How you can lose the battle, but win the war: Tactics to repay loans faster

  • Doubling down
  • Refinancing/consolidation factors and limitations
  • Dental Loan Organizer and Calculator - DLOC

Chapter 2: Essentials to know before you sign on the dotted line

  • Independent contractor benefits
  • Employee benefits
  • General Contract Basics
  • The Deal Breakers
    • Restrictive Covenant
    • Non-solicit clause
    • Red flags in Dental Contracts

Chapter 3: Employee versus Independent Contractor

  • Step by step process to creating a business
  • Types of Corporations: C vs. S vs. LLC
  • Steps to form an LLC
  • Taxation and Limited Liability are not related
    • Double Taxation
    • Pass-Through Tax Deductions and How you Qualify
    • Home Office
  • Insurance

Part Two

Front-end and back-end essentials

Chapter 4: Protect Yourself; Insurances you must have, and others you could have

  • Necessities for dentists
    • Malpractice Insurance
    • Disability Insurance
    • Health Insurance
    • General Liability Coverage
    • Property Insurance
    • Equipment Insurance
    • Data Compromise Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Term Life Insurance
    • Permanent Life Insurance

Chapter 5: Savings and Retirement; Preparing for the end from Day 1

  • The Silent Killer: Beware of Fees
  • Retirement Planning
    • The 50/30/20 Rule
  • Retirement Planning Options: Where to Invest your Savings
    • What is a 401(k) Plan?
    • IRA Plans
    • Traditional IRAs
    • Roth IRA
    • SEP IRA
  • Retirement Planning as an Independent Contractor
    • Back Door Roth IRA
    • HSA account
    • Life Insurance as a Savings Policy
  • Stocks vs. Mutual Funds vs. Bonds
  • Should I Keep Any Cash Savings?

Part Three

Owning your own Practice

Chapter 6: Universal Essentials to Purchasing

  • Dental Practice Ownership
    • Step 1: Organize a team of specialized dental advisers
    • Step 2: Make an offer to the seller and submit a letter of intent (LOI)
    • Step 3: Apply for a practice purchase loan from the bank
  • How to Fund Your Practice
    • Step 4: Insurance Policies
    • Step 5: Type of business
    • Step 6: Have a dental attorney review dental practice purchase agreement
    • Step 7: Office Space
    • Step 8: Sign documents/ownership transition
    • Step 9: Send out a transition letter to patients
    • Step 10: Tie Up Loose Ends
  • The role of staff in purchasing a practice
  • Location, Location, Location

Chapter 7: How high is the ceiling? Watching your overhead and essentials once you are an Owner

  • Overhead
    • The Indisputable Costs
    • Overhead too high?
  • The X factor; Marketing
    • Digital Marketing
    • Website
    • Local Dental Directory Listings
    • Blogging
    • Advertisements (TV, Radio, Billboards, Newspaper, & Mailers)
    • Online Reviews
    • Pareto’s Law

Chapter 8: A Word about Insurance

  • Choosing insurance plans to accept
  • Specialist vs. Regular Fees
  • Submitting Considerations and Timing
  • Getting Creative

Chapter 9: Partners, Associates and Never Leaving the House

  • Associate
    • Compensation
    • Termination
  • Double Dipping: Owning your practice and the real estate (and maybe even living there!)
    • Benefits of owning property
    • Considerations for the buy or lease question

Part Four

Facing your biggest fears…or a Pandemic

Chapter 10: The Gut Punch

  • Dental Board Complaints
  • Insurance Provider Audits
  • Employment Lawsuits
  • Partnership Disputes
  • State Dental Board

Chapter 11: Worst-case scenarios

  • Bankruptcy
  • Alternatives to filing Bankruptcy
  • Criminal Charges
  • Natural Disasters and Pandemic

Epilogue: Adding it all up; The Dental dream and how you want to live

Appendix

  • Dreamline
  • The Scary Reality
  • EarAid
  • References

Get the Book

To read more, get The Financial Survival Guide for Dentists from your favorite online or retail bookseller.

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Hardcover or e-book format.

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Hardcover only.