In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden, discuss some of our impulses to measure our financial success by comparing it to others. How do we avoid this trap? Or do we really need to avoid it?

Humans are competitive by nature (or is it nurture?):

• If you come across a bear in the woods, you don’t need to be faster than the bear, just faster than the person running with you.

• In sports, it’s usually the same! You don’t need to achieve a specific internal goal to “win” you just need to beat your competitors.

• This is not always helpful in finances!

• Trying to win with finances often focuses on outward signs of wealth and success which do not always line up with your own goals and interests.

• This has become worse in the age of social media, where everyone advertises their homes, vacations, and perfect children.

This is one of those things that is easier said than done but try to focus on your personal goals and benchmarks as a measure of success instead of comparing yourself to others. And understand that many folks with external signs of wealth may be struggling financially. Listen to the full episode for more tips!

For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media! LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 

Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.

Financial Clarity for Doctors tackles some student loan updates with hosts Rachelle Vanderzanden and Corey Janoff. On December 10th, the Department of Education proposed a settlement in the case challenging the SAVE plan and agreeing to dismantle the payment plan (pending court approval, so maybe not officially dead). What does that mean for the seven million borrowers still enrolled in the plan?

Next steps for SAVE plan participants:

• Most folks will likely need to apply to move into a new income-driven payment plan or move into a Standard repayment plan.

• This means recertifying income and enrolling in one of the remaining plans. Currently, those options are IBR, ICR, or PAYE with the new RAP plan being rolled out this coming summer.

• If the goal is to work toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you will likely want to enroll in the plan that equals the lowest payment.

• When you reach 120 months of qualifying employment, you can look into the “Buyback” program to see if you can make payments from your time in forbearance.

• If the goal is not PSLF, you can explore lots of options, payment plans, and even refinancing. Although move slowly with refinancing! Moving to a private bank has some downsides.

As with everything, your student loan approach should be determined based on your goals and needs. Any strategy (including loan repayment) depends on the specifics of your situation. If needed, consult with a professional to try to find the best strategy for your loans. They were an investment in your future! But we don’t want them hanging over your head forever.

For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media! LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 

Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.

In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Rachelle Vanderzanden and Corey Janoff do their annual crystal ball check and venture some guesses for 2026.

Tune in to hear more Corey and Rachelle’s 2026 predictions on:

• Student loans and schooling

• The housing market

• The economy

• Interest rates

• Basically, everything that you can’t really predict!

For 2025, the hosts did okay! But Rachelle was pretty wrong about the stock market....

• Corey predicted positive stock market performance correctly, but Rachelle thought growth would be much more muted.

• Interest rates remained fairly high.

• Quite a few correct guesses for the year! But maybe that’s because the guesses were pretty safe!

It’s a lot of fun to make predictions, partially because we already know how incorrect they might be! As always, have a little fun, but build your financial plan by focusing on the things you can control, not on random guesses about what may happen next. To hear more, listen to the full episode.

For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media! LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram: @CoreyJanoff and @VanderzandenRachelle; and Twitter: @CoreyJanoffCFP and @RachelleFinance 

Discussions in this show should not be construed as specific recommendations or investment advice. Always consult with your investment professional before making important investment decisions. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Finity Group, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice.