The Optometry Money Podcast

Hosted by Evon Mendrin CFP®, CSLP®

Business Investing

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Episodes

168

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

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.

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60 recent

September 3, 2026Episode 16843 min

How to Actually Enjoy the Profit Your Practice Creates with Eric Levenhagen, CPA

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. Episode Summary Most practice owners can read a P&L, but very few actually know how much cash they have to work with — or what to do with it once they find out. In this episode, Evon sits down with Eric Levenhagen, CPA and owner of ProWise Financial Consulting, a firm that works almost exclusively with independent optometry practice owners. Eric walks through his "Financial Harmony" framework — Prosper, Profit, and Protect — and why he sees owner's compensation treated like a leftover in so many practices. They get into the Profit First system and its four cash accounts, why a profitable practice can still feel tight on cash, and the bookkeeping fixes that have to be in place before any of the rest of it works. What You'll Learn The "Financial Harmony" framework: Prosper, Profit, and Protect Why owner's compensation so often gets treated as a leftover instead of a priority How to reverse-engineer the revenue your practice needs to support your life outside the practice The four Profit First bank account categories and what each one is for Common bookkeeping and balance sheet mistakes that distort your P&L Why a profitable practice can still feel cash-poor What to track monthly once your financial systems are already working well The one financial habit Eric says every practice owner should change Key Takeaways for Optometrists Owner's compensation shouldn't be a leftover — pay yourself with intention, then work backward to the revenue your practice needs to support it. A profitable practice can still feel cash-poor because of debt service, equipment purchases, inventory, and timing gaps that don't show up cleanly on the P&L, which is why the balance sheet deserves just as much attention. Proactively allocation dollars across specific purposes — profit, tax, owner's pay, and operating expenses — helps fix this by pre-deciding where cash goes instead of relying on a single account and "mental earmarks." Eric's one habit to change: take your profit first, before it becomes whatever's left over. Resources for Optometrists Eric Levenhagen on LinkedIn ProWise Financial Consulting Profit First by Mike Michalowicz — the book behind the cash management system discussed in this episode Optometry Wealth Advisors Education Hub Podcast Ep 115: Navigating Important Differences Between Profit and Cash Flow in Your Optometry Practice 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 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.

July 16, 2026Episode 16742 min

(Rewind) Implementing a Strategic Planning Week To Level Up Your Optometry Practice with Dr. Chad Fleming

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. In this rewind of a popular episode, Evon welcomes Dr. Chad Fleming back to The Optometry Money Podcast. Dr. Fleming shares his experiences with strategic planning and explains how setting aside time to work on the business through a strategic planning week has helped him scale his practice operations. They discuss how private practice owners can improve leadership, reduce chaos, and increase profitability through intentional planning. Evon and Dr. Fleming dive into the nuts and bolts of what a strategic planning week entails, how to execute it, and why it’s essential to long-term business success. In This Episode: What’s the difference between growth and scale for optometry practices? The concept of working on vs. in your business and why stepping away is crucial. What happens to a practice and the owner when there's no intentional planning time. How Dr. Fleming’s annual strategic week helped him plan, lead, and reduce turnover. Practical advice on creating a productive planning getaway—from choosing a location to preparing resources. Measuring and implementing your strategic ideas when you return to the practice. Episode Highlights: [00:04:40] Scaling vs. growth: defining both for practice owners [00:06:10] Working on your business versus working in it: practical examples [00:18:22] Dr. Fleming’s annual strategic planning getaway explained [00:23:05] How to prepare and gather your thoughts for a productive planning session [00:35:00] Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success [00:40:06] Exciting opportunities in the future of private practice optometry Resources: Contact Dr. Chad Fleming: Email him at chad@pipgpo.com LinkedIn: Connect with Dr. Fleming on LinkedIn Past Podcast Episodes: Check out more episodes with Dr. Fleming in our podcast archive: Ep. 118: Adding Private Label to Improve Margins Without Compromising Quality with Dr. Chad Fleming Ep. 17: Assessing the Health of Your Optometry Practice with Dr. Chad Fleming Ep. 6: Navigating Associate Contracts, Practice Ownership, and Partnerships with Dr. Chad Fleming Connect With Us: For more podcast episodes, blog articles, and optometry-specific financial resources, visit www.optometrywealth.com . To learn more about working with Evon and the team at Optometry Wealth Advisors, CLICK HERE to schedule a free consultation . 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.

July 10, 2026Episode 16628 min

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. 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 Ep 153: How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax) Ep 148: Profit Sharing Demystified – How Optometry Practice Owners Can Maximize Their 401(k) with Matt Ruttenberg Ep 51: An Optometrist’s Guide to the Qualified Business Income Deduction Ep 47: An Optometrist’s Guide to How Taxes Work Ep 37: Tax Planning For Charitable Giving 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 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.

June 24, 2026Episode 16554 min

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. 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 EyeCoin Patient Interaction Platform The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt — the systems book referenced in the episode Podcast Ep 160: How to Maximize Your Optometry Practice Value Before You Sell with Erich Mattei Podcast Ep 157: The Location-Independent OD: Compensation, Licensing & the Future of Remote Care with Crystal Edison, OD Podcast Ep 164: Planning Your Practice Exit – The Retirement Math That Sets the Floor 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 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.

June 19, 2026Episode 16420 min

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. 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 Podcast Ep 50: Guide to Due Diligence on Practice Purchases with Erich Mattei Podcast Ep 80: Intro to Optometry Practice Valuations with Erich Mattei Podcast Ep 70: Financial Planning Considerations for Owners of Established Optometry Practices 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 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.

June 11, 2026Episode 16333 min

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. 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 . 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 Ep 135: Beyond Indexing – An Optometrist’s Guide to Factor-Based Investing Ep 58: Investing Fundamentals – Understanding Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, and ETFs Ep 153: How to Invest Tax-Efficiently and Keep More of Your Returns (After-tax) Resources for Optometrists Loughran & Ritter (1995), "The New Issues Puzzle" — Journal of Finance Dimensional Fund Advisors (2019), "What to Know About IPOs" research study Dimensional Fund Advisors 2025 video: Do IPOs Have a Place in Your Portfolio? Jay Ritter's Long-Run Returns on IPOs (University of Florida) 2025: Primary Capital Market Transactions and Index Funds Cullen Roche's Article: 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 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 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.

June 6, 2026Episode 16214 min

(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. 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) Podcast Ep 140: What Most Investors Get Wrong About Dividend Investing DFA: Why A Stock Peak Isn't A Cliff RBC GAM: Investing at All-Time Highs 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 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.

May 29, 2026Episode 16117 min

Big Student Loan Changes Are Final: What Optometrists Need to Decide Now

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. 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. In this episode, we recap how we got here (the official end of the SAVE Plan and the sweeping changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), break down the income-driven options ODs have going forward, and dig into the two surprises in the final rule that could affect your repayment strategy. If you have questions about navigating these decisions alongside the rest of your cash flow, tax, and practice planning, reach out at podcast@optometrywealth.com. What You’ll Learn •Why the SAVE Plan is officially dead and the 90-day decision window for borrowers still in SAVE forbearance •How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act splits borrowers into two groups based on the July 1st date •Why consolidating your federal loans right now could restrict your repayment options •The difference between old and new IBR — and which ODs qualify for each •How the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) works, including its payment calculation and 30-year timeline •The first surprise: new restrictions on who can enter Pay As You Earn before it sunsets in 2028 •The second surprise: how RAP payments are (and aren’t) treated for forgiveness under IBR Key Takeaway July 1st is the date to circle. Whether you’re deciding how to exit SAVE forbearance, weighing a consolidation, or trying to lock in Pay As You Earn before new restrictions hit, the window to act on your best options is closing — and the right move depends heavily on your specific path toward forgiveness or payoff. Resources Podcast Ep. 152: Listener Q&A: Practice Ownership, Backdoor Roths, and Student Loans Podcast Ep. 151: How Filing Taxes Separately Impacts Student Loan Outcomes for Optometrists Ep 143: How the Final One Big Beautiful Bill Act Impacts Optometrists – Taxes, Student Loans, and More! 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 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.

April 24, 2026Episode 1601 hr 0 min

How to Maximize Your Optometry Practice Value Before You Sell with Erich Mattei

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. 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 joined by Erich Mattei of Akrinos — a returning guest who specializes in practice transitions and valuations — to break down the key levers practice owners should be focused on long before they're ready to sell. From profitability and expense benchmarks to payor mix, capital expenditure, and add-backs, this conversation gets into the mechanics of how fair market value is actually determined and what you can do to improve it. What You'll Learn How fair market value for an optometry practice is determined The two primary drivers of practice value: profitability and capital expenditure Key expense benchmarks for COGS, occupancy, non-doctor payroll, and general overhead Why growing revenue matters — and why growing the right revenue matters even more How payor mix and cash pay percentage affect practice value and buyer negotiation What add-backs are and why minimizing seller discretionary spend before exit is critical How associate doctors and full-time equivalent coverage factor into valuation Why outdated equipment can undermine an otherwise profitable practice Key Takeaway The time to prepare your practice for sale is long before you're ready to sell. The ODs who get the most at exit are the ones who ran their businesses like a business — with clean financials, controlled expenses, growing revenue through the right channels, and a practice that a buyer can step into with confidence. Resources Erich Mattei / Akrinos: contact@akrinos.com Akrinos 360 Due Diligence Resource — reach out to Erich directly or contact Evon at podcast@optometrywealth.com Akrinos Website Podcast Ep 50: Guide to Due Diligence on Practice Purchases with Erich Mattei Podcast Ep 80: Intro to Optometry Practice Valuations with Erich Mattei 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 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.

April 16, 2026Episode 15920 min

How to Stop Scrambling at Tax Time: An Optometrist's Guide to Quarterly Tax Payments

Questions? Thoughts? Send a Text to The Optometry Money Podcast! We'll answer your question on the show. 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 you're not scrambling, stressed, or surprised come tax time. We cover the two ways ODs pay taxes through the year, IRS safe harbor targets to avoid underpayment penalties, and a simple system to automate the whole process so you stay ahead all year long. What You'll Learn The two ways ODs pay federal taxes through the year — payroll withholdings vs. quarterly estimated payments Which payment method applies based on how you practice (W2, sole prop, S Corp) The three IRS safe harbor targets that protect you from underpayment penalties How to calculate your quarterly payment amount step by step How to set up a dedicated tax savings account and automate deposits Where quarterly tax payments fit in your practice's cash flow priority order How to adjust your payments as income changes through the year The importance of working proactively with your professionals Key Takeaway The biggest tax payment headaches come from not having a system. Pick your safe harbor target, calculate your quarterly amount, automate deposits into a dedicated tax account, and adjust as you go. It's not glamorous — but it's how you move from reactive and stressed to in control. And keep in close contact with your financial and tax professionals to make sure you're making proactive decisions with tax payments and planning throughout the year! Resources & Links IRS Pay Online IRS Form 2210 — Underpayment of Estimated Tax Schedule a call with Optometry Wealth Advisors 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.

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