In your opinion, what’s an important, but oftentimes overlooked part of planning for retirement in the medical field?
Dr. Wiley Koon
Retired family practitioner from Winter Haven Hospital
“I overlooked the fact that it was going to cost more than I thought it would! The one place I feel deficient in planning for my retirement was not having created a financial budget to account for such things as taxes on retirement funds and cost of living raises. You’re going to get old and you must plan for your physical well-being.”
Brad Dantzler
Senior Vice President of Investments in Winter Haven for the St. Petersburg-based Raymond James investment company
“You need to be diversified, start early, manage your risk and be steady and consistent. Steady and consistent wins the race. They all work together. Stay flexible. Make sure you change it [your financial plan] if you have to. You want to manage your risk. Even when it hurts, you have to continue to invest.”
Dr. Glen Barden
Retired orthopedic and hand surgeon from Lakeland’s Watson Clinic, who worked for three years following his retirement as a part-time University of South Florida faculty member.
“We still have, as retired physicians, something to offer to society in general, young people in particular. It’s a responsibility. It’s not just ‘This is it, I am done.’ If there are opportunities on a volunteer basis, or some sort of limited pay basis, such as volunteer clinics, it is important. We do have a responsibility to be encouragers to young people— to be helping continue the wonderful profession of medicine.”