Pillars of wealth

We are educators

We empower doctors to make better personal finance decisions using unbiased content grounded in science - we don't sell financial products.

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Medical Students Residents/Fellows Online Courses Curriculum

Go to personal finance curriculum

Review recent and upcoming events

See the latest blog entry on financial markets

Get Started with the Basics

AudioBook

Should You Turn to Financial Advisors For Education?

Brokers, insurance agents, and financial advisors have their own agendas, and their ‘educational’ events are thinly veiled marketing sessions.

Financial Advisors
Advice

Should You Accept Advice From Peers?

Your peers and mentors may have the best intentions, but they’re medical professionals – not finance experts. Furthermore, their advice may be overly influenced by their personal experiences and circumstances, which may not be identical to yours.

The Obvious Solution: Turn to Unbiased Experts Offering Accessible, Relevant Content

Unbiased – We don't sell financial products. Our allegiance is to our students.

Expert – We are finance scholars. Our content is factual and scientifically grounded.

Accessible – Content is available through multiple channels, including e-books, audiobooks, and webinars.

Relevant – Our content meets your needs and constraints as a medical professional.

Obvious Solution

News

Pillars of Wealth in the Media.

TimeAug 15, 2024 06:00

Will a high-yield savings account still be worth it after the Fed cuts rates? What experts say

Yuval Bar-Or quoted in a CBS News article on August 15, 2024

Will a high-yield savings account still be worth it after the Fed cuts rates? What experts say

By Tim Maxwell


 

TimeJan 20, 2024 11:02

Publication: Radiology trainee retirement programs: Options and participation

Our latest publication on physician personal financial literacy was posted a few days ago in the journal: Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology.

Here is the citation:

Shahriari M, Hesami M, Bar-Or YD, Davoudmanesh Z, Franck B, Yousem DM. Radiology trainee retirement programs: Options and participation. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2024. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2024.01.020.

TimeFeb 08, 2023 10:36

Why financial illiteracy is bad for doctors’ health

There are many studies about divorce, burnout, suicide, and substance abuse among medical providers. Now, Professor Yuval Bar-Or is part of the first literature review aimed at understanding the relationship between doctor stress and personal financial literacy.

TimeJan 04, 2023 08:31

Systematic review of personal finance training for physicians and a proposed curriculum

Many physicians complete medical school and graduate medical education (GME) burdened by high debt and financial illiteracy. This places them at increased risk for ill-informed financial decisions, which can result in increased stress and anxiety and a lower quality of life. Furthermore, financial concerns impact physicians’ specialty selections and may partly explain the scarcity of primary care practitioners. In response, medical wellness programmes have increasingly sought to offer personal finance education, but there is little guidance on optimal curricula. Our objective in this article is to systematically review the existing literature examining physician financial literacy curricula and to recommend a standardised personal finance curriculum.

Article: Systematic review of personal finance training for physicians and a proposed curriculum
 

Free to access link: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmjopen-2022-064733?ijkey=LRxnkM190KOYCjD&keytype=ref

TimeJun 03, 2022 08:00

Faculty Factory episode available in free eBook from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Office of Faculty

We are very pleased to present the second free eBook "Habits and Hacks from Hopkins (H3)" that culminated from year 3 of the Faculty Factory podcast series. The Faculty Factory podcast (“A faculty development community sharing tools to build academic leaders”) was created at Johns Hopkins University in our School of Medicine Office of Faculty in 2019 and has gained an international following with more than 45,000 total downloads and YouTube views from listeners in 70 countries.

Access free Faculty Factory eBook.

TimeAug 14, 2020 09:47

Yuval Bar-Or interviewed for The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Expert series: COVID-19: Business and Economic Impact.

Yuval Bar-Or interviewed for The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Expert series: COVID-19: Business and Economic Impact, "Stay the Course with Personal Finances during Pandemic, Carey Expert Advises."

TimeAug 14, 2020 08:45

Yuval Bar-Or quoted in LA Times

Yuval Bar-Or quoted in David Lazarus' LA Times Column: "It’s National Financial Awareness Day. How’s your money game?"

 

 

TimeJul 27, 2020 02:35

Yuval Bar-Or interview on AUA Inside Tract Podcast

Dr. Yuval Bar-Or interviewed by Casey Callanan on the American Urological Association's Inside Tract Podcast (Episode 133): Personal Finance Advice for Healthcare Providers.

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Blog

Pillars of Wealth Blog

Anne and Malik's personal financial voyage

This is the first of what I hope will be several personal stories shared by real Pillars of Wealth readers. The objective is to show that each of us travels our own unique path and we can learn from others' experiences.

TimeFeb 14, 2021 | 08:00 amYuval Bar-Or

What can we expect from American stock markets over the next few decades?

Some analysts are certain American markets are entering a golden age of high growth. Others fear the opposite. What are the arguments on either side?

TimeJan 19, 2021 | 09:00 amYuval Bar-Or

How I assembled an active, dividend-income portfolio

Circumstances recently led me to consider experimenting with an active portfolio, where I have full control over asset selection. Here is the process I followed.

TimeJan 04, 2021 | 05:45 pmYuval Bar-Or

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Events & Workshops

Recent and upcoming events, workshops, and webinars

Pillars of wealth

Time Dec 10, 2024 | 09:35 am - Dec 10, 2024 | 10:35 am
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Assets and Accumulation

Assets and Accumulation

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Time Nov 19, 2024 | 09:32 am - Nov 19, 2024 | 10:32 am
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Personal Finance Essentials for Doctors - Roth IRAs,

Personal Finance Essentials for Doctors - Roth IRAs,

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Pillars of wealth
Pillars of wealth

Time Nov 07, 2024 | 09:29 am - Nov 07, 2024 | 10:30 am
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Assets, Liabilities & Net Worth

Assets, Liabilities & Net Worth

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Time Oct 09, 2024 | 09:26 am - Oct 09, 2024 | 10:26 am
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Formulate a Financial Plan and Money Basics

Formulate a Financial Plan and Money Basics

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Pillars of wealth
Pillars of wealth

Time Sep 12, 2024 | 07:30 am - Sep 12, 2024 | 08:30 am
PlaceholderKoch Cancer Research Building, 1550 Orleans St., Baltimore, MD

Assets & Accumulation

Johns Hopkins Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds lecture on “Assets & Accumulation”

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Time Aug 28, 2024 | 06:00 pm - Aug 28, 2024 | 07:00 pm
Placeholderonline

Transition from fellowship to attending, and common financial mistakes physicians make

Transition from fellowship to attending, and common financial mistakes physicians make

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Pillars of wealth
Pillars of wealth

Time Apr 15, 2024 | 05:15 pm - Apr 15, 2024 | 06:15 pm
Placeholderonline

Investing Basics

Investing Basics

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Time Mar 18, 2024 | 01:00 pm - Mar 18, 2024 | 02:15 pm
PlaceholderAMEB 150 West Baltimore

Prescription for Financial Wellness 2024

Prescription for Financial Wellness 2024

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Pillars of wealth
Pillars of wealth

Time Oct 27, 2023 | 12:15 pm - Oct 27, 2023 | 01:15 pm
PlaceholderUCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Los Angeles, CA.

Financial Wellness: Investing & Retirement Basics for Doctors

Financial Wellness: Investing & Retirement Basics for Doctors

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Time May 05, 2023 | 08:00 am - May 06, 2023 | 04:00 pm
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Community Health Network APP Wellness Retreat 2023

Community Health Network's Wellness Retreat for Advanced Practice Professionals was held in French Lick, Indiana

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Pillars of wealth
Pillars of wealth

Time Dec 09, 2022 | 03:00 pm - Dec 09, 2022 | 04:00 pm
PlaceholderOnline

Stanford WellMD

Top Financial Mistakes Physicians Make

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What our participants say

This was fantastic for my level of understanding and the exact right timing for this information. 3 years ago I wouldn’t have cared, and 2 years from now may be too late. I think Trainees (fellows or residents) that are in their terminal training program and going to be joining the workforce are the perfect target audience for this. I, like many other physicians, am extremely weary of financial “talks” and so this unbiased presentation was exactly what was needed from a knowledgeable source.

Seminar participant
Johns Hopkins Cardiology Fellow

Overall, I thought the [Pillars of Wealth] course was comprehensive and detailed. It provided a very solid foundation upon which I hope to build ... I feel much more comfortable now engaging in these important conversations with my spouse.

Seminar participant
Johns Hopkins Medical Fellow

Dr. Bar-Or presented an excellent overview of how individuals and families can protect their assets today and for retirement. His presentation at the American College of Osteopathic Internists’ Annual Convention in Baltimore served as a valuable refresher for ACOI members who are currently planning for retirement, and provided the necessary steps that Residents should follow as they begin their medical careers.

BARBARA L. CICONTE, CFRE
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DONOR STRATEGIES, INC.

This was one of the best non-academic courses I've ever taken. I am a junior faculty member in SOM [School of Medicine] and am trying to learn more about my finances, so that I can make better financial decisions & set myself up well for future financial endeavors. The course material was interesting & the instructor was highly knowledgeable. Thank you so much!

SEMINAR PARTICIPANT
JUNIOR STAFF PHYSICIAN - JOHNS HOPKINS

I found the course extremely helpful in understanding the principles of financial health. I think your perspective and interest in health professionals is particularly helpful and I really appreciate your time and how you tailored things for us.

CARRIE GOODSON, MD
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY RESEARCH & CLINICAL FELLOW, PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

I enjoyed the course very much, and found it useful. We had purchased disability and life insurance before the course, but it has already inspired me to convert an old 401K to a Roth IRA ... We will probably also purchase umbrella insurance.

REBECCA DEZUBE, MD
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY RESEARCH & CLINICAL FELLOW, PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

Great course - would love more of these types of lectures. Highly useful!

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT
JOHNS HOPKINS STAFF PHYSICIAN

Words of Praise for Dr. Bar-Or: 

We had the distinct honor of having Dr. Bar-Or as a guest presenter at our inaugural Physician Educational Retreat sponsored by the Center for Physician Well Being and Professional Development.

Our goal was to provide unbiased physician-focused financial basics.  We know that financial stressors which are unique to physicians also contribute to stress which can lead to burnout.  Dr. Bar-Or worked with us to better understand the needs of our physicians, our culture, and how to complement the presentations of the other facilitators.   His breakout sessions were full!  People came early to get a seat and stayed after to ask questions.  Our physicians thought he had a very engaging presentation style and enjoyed his sense of humor.  They had their pictures taken with him and asked him to sign their books! 

Administratively, Dr. Bar-Or was very easy to work with.  He graciously offered his time in the early stages of putting our retreat content together.  He was responsive to our requests and was easily accessible.  His presentations were well-planned, well-organized, and well-presented.  We were beyond pleased and our physicians and their spouses were as well. 

We look forward to having Dr. Bar-Or return and share more of his financial expertise with our physicians in the future. 

Ann D. Ostrom

Director Physician Leadership and Well Being, Community Health Network, 7240 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN  46256

ANN D. OSTROM
DIRECTOR PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP AND WELL BEING, COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

Dear Yuval,

I wanted to personally thank you for speaking on the importance of financial literacy at our Community Physician Network Well-being CME event on September 27-28th 2019.

I especially appreciated the time you spent in advance of the event to fully understand your audience and the overall goals of the event. The result was an engaging, unbiased presentation that provided practical and actionable advice.

Reviews of your presentations on “Top Financial Mistakes Physicians Make,” “Investing Basics and Portfolio Foundations,” and “Evaluating Needs and Selecting Insurance,” were rated “very good” to “excellent” by 96% of respondents. You graciously agreed to sign copies of your book, Pillars of Wealth: Personal Finance Essentials for Medical Professionals, which we provided in advance to all participants. Your passion for educating physician families on personal finance was palpable.

Comments from our physicians included, “Helped me stop procrastinating on financial planning; isn’t as complicated as I thought,” and, “I feel much more comfortable in how to better manage my finances and be proactive.”

Physicians and spouses also appreciated your accessibility and approachability at our evening social event for additional questions and advice.

Thank you again for such well prepared presentations.  Based on our participants’ reviews, we will be planning additional educational seminars and look forward to working closely with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Kevin C. Coss MD

Chief Wellness Officer, Community Health Network, 7240 Shadeland Station, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46256

KEVIN C. COSS, MD
Chief Wellness Officer, Community Health Network

A very practical and realistic speaker/teacher ... much appreciated since he simplifies the complexities of the finance world.

INVESTING WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT
JOHNS HOPKINS STAFF PHYSICIAN

"Overall very informative and accurate information."

Afshin Safa, online course user.
    
"I enjoyed the frank presentation and honest review of the financial industry. I like the format and the cartoons especially. I have been taking the course over the past year during my down time and I think it was definitely worth the time. I have passed on these information to my colleagues at my hospital and my residents. I appreciate all the hard work that was put in to develop these courses. Thank you."

Afshin Safa
Online course user