The Optometry Money Podcast
Welcome to the Optometry Money Podcast, hosted by Evon Mendrin CFP®, CSLP®, where he helps optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. He explores cold-starts, practice buy-ins, career decisions, tax planning, student loans, and other money issues ODs are navigating.
Evon cold-started Optometry Wealth Advisors LLC, a financial planning firm dedicated to help optometrists nationwide master their money, build wealth, and plan purposefully with their finances. Learn more about the show, and Evon, at www.optometrywealth.com.
Episodes
165 episodes
Finding the Bottlenecks Limiting Your Practice's Capacity with Kerry Reeves, OD
Episode SummaryMost 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 ...
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Planning Your Practice Exit: The Retirement Math That Sets the Floor
Episode SummaryMost 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...
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The Biggest IPOs in History Are Here - Should Optometrists Invest?
Episode SummaryThe 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 tril...
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(Rewind) Should Optometrists Invest at All-Time Highs? What the Data Says
Episode SummaryWith 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 ...
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Big Student Loan Changes Are Final: What Optometrists Need to Decide Now
The Department of Education just released its final rule implementing the federal student loan changes we’ve been tracking over the past couple of years — and while most of it lines up with what we expected, two surprises stood out.
How to Maximize Your Optometry Practice Value Before You Sell with Erich Mattei
Whether you're five to ten years from exiting your optometry practice or just starting to think about it, the decisions you make right now have a major impact on what your practice is ultimately worth. In this episode, Evon is joine...
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How to Stop Scrambling at Tax Time: An Optometrist's Guide to Quarterly Tax Payments
It's tax day — and whether you're celebrating a finished return or still working through an extension, tax payments are on your mind. In this episode, we walk through a practical framework for planning your quarterly estimated tax payments so y...
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(Rewind) An Optometrist's Guide to Business Entities
In this replay of a popular 2023 episode, Evon revisits an important topic for optometry practice owners and independent contractors - the differences between different business entities!How do the different business entities work? How ...
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The Location-Independent OD: Compensation, Licensing & the Future of Remote Care with Crystal Edison, OD
Remote optometry is growing fast - and there's quite a range of opinions on what that means for optometry. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Crystal Edison, a remote optometrist practicing across nine states from her home office, to break do...
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Listener Q&A #2: S Corp Salary, How Much Practice Cash to Keep, Buying Practice Real Estate, and More
We're back with our second listener Q&A episode, tackling real questions from ODs around the country. From S Corp salary decisions and how much cash to keep in your practice, to buying your commercial real estate, preparing your practice fo...
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Are Your Retirement Accounts Protected from Lawsuits? A Guide for Optometrists
As an optometrist—especially a practice owner—you face real liability exposure from both your professional work and your business. So how well are your retirement accounts and investments actually protected if something goes wrong? ...
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Trump Accounts for Kids: What Optometrists Need to Know
Congress created a brand new investment account for kids called Trump Accounts, and the questions from optometrists have been flowing in. In this episode, we break down exactly what these accounts are, how they work, who can contribute, and - m...
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How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax)
In this episode, we break down tax-efficient investing for ODs, showing you how to pair the right investments with the right accounts to maximize your after-tax wealth over your career.What You'll LearnTaxes can be the diff...
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Listener Q&A: Practice Ownership, Backdoor Roths, and Student Loans
In this first-ever OD listener Q&A episode, we tackle seven questions covering practice ownership, retirement accounts, student loans, and tax strategy. From why your practice is your most important investment to navigating the backdoor Rot...
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How Filing Taxes Separately Impacts Student Loan Outcomes for Optometrists
Tax filing season is here, and for married optometrists planning toward student loan forgiveness, how you file your taxes can save you thousands of dollars per year. In this episode, we break down how tax filing status impacts your ...
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Four Tax Planning Levers You Can Still Pull for 2025
Even though we're already into 2026, tax planning for 2025 isn't over. While most tax planning happens before December 31st, there are still several impactful levers you can pull before filing your return.In this episode, Evon breaks dow...
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What’s Changing in 2026: Five Key Financial and Tax Updates for Optometrists
2026 brings several important financial and tax changes that can directly impact optometrists - especially practice owners and those with student loans.In this episode, Evon walks through five key updates to be aware of as you plan for t...
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Profit Sharing Demystified: How Optometry Practice Owners Can Maximize Their 401(k) with Matt Ruttenberg
Episode Summary: As your practice grows and profits increase, one of the most powerful tax and retirement planning tools available to optometry practice owners is profit sharing within your 401(k) plan. But what exactly is profit sha...
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5 Key Tax Planning Levers Optometrists Need to Know
Tax planning is more than just finding deductions—it’s about pulling the right financial levers at the right time. In this episode, Evon Mendrin, CFP®, walks through the five key areas of a tax return that optometrists and practice own...
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Four Common Investment Mistakes Optometrists Should Avoid
Episode 146 – Four Common Investment Mistakes Optometrists Should AvoidAs an optometrist and practice owner, you’ve got enough on your plate running a household, practice, and career - but what about your investments?In thi...
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Four Gaps That Can Break Your Estate Plan (Even If It’s ‘Done’)
Episode Summary:You’ve done the hard work of creating your estate plan. But is it actually ready to work when you need it most? In this episode, Evon breaks down the four critical gaps that can make or break your...
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End of the Interest-Free SAVE Forbearance - What It Means for Optometrists
Episode SummaryIn this timely episode, Evon unpacks the Department of Education’s recent surprise announcement that interest will resume accruing on the SAVE plan’s current forbearance beginning August 1, 2025. We explore what thi...
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How the Final One Big Beautiful Bill Act Impacts Optometrists - Taxes, Student Loans, and More!
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 discu...
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Are Individual Bonds Safer Than Bond Funds? What Optometrists Need to Know
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 indi...
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Rewind: Financial Planning Considerations for Owners of Established Optometry Practices
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 - b...
