Now that my updated list of physician FI bloggers is complete, I will start highlighting my favorite posts from these and other blogs every month.  Here is the May 2026 edition.  I spent this month drowning in end-of-the-school-year activities: school plays, orchestra presentations, dance recitals, sports banquets, and parent-teacher conferences, just to name a few.  I’m ready for the summer.  Let’s look at some of the blog posts that helped me get through the month.

Carl at 1500 Days has finally decided to stop posting updates to his net worth in Money Non-Update.  He outlines several reasons for the change, but it basically boils down to the fact that he’s now too rich.  He’s been a multi-millionaire for the last several years, and with recent investments, he’s likely crossed into 8 figures.  

I think this is an inherent issue with the FIRE movement.  It’s inspiring to read about someone going from $100k in debt to $100k in the bank.  It’s motivating to see someone double their net worth from $250k to $500k on their way to early retirement.  However, we start to get uncomfortable when an early retiree goes from $2M to $4M in a few years.  And no one wants to read about a 60-year-old who’s now worth $15M instead of $9M.  Why is that?  It’s the same principles, the same math, the same proof that this whole FI thing works.  Why do we all become uncomfortable once the numbers get bigger?

At some point, it seems that a high net worth stops being relatable to the reader and can become dangerous for the blogger.  I’ve been a fan of 1500 Days for a long time, and part of the fun was the transparency.  However, I don’t blame him.  I’m not a hypocrite.  I don’t discuss my exact numbers for the same reasons.  Don’t worry, Carl, even without the net worth updates, I’ll keep reading.

Financial Samurai suggests you Suffer Now, Thrive Later: Relish Working Brutal Hours Early in Life.  The quote, “Hard times create hard men, hard men create easy times, easy times create weak men, and weak men create hard times,” comes to mind.  Medical professionals have traditionally understood productive suffering – working long hours in college, medical school, residency, and early in their careers to succeed.  Whether you believe this remains the case or not likely depends on your age.  Regardless, while Sam describes working 60+ hours/week for 13 years, the average medical graduate will still need to extend the hard times a little longer.  Continue working like a resident for 5-10 years after graduation, live frugally, invest automatically, and spend the rest of your life on easy mode – just make sure you don’t allow your children to grow into weak men.     

Nick Maggiulli at Of Dollars and Data explains Why Taxing the Wealthy is Harder Than it Looks.  This post is balanced, rational, and data-driven, which in this day and age is harder than it looks (or at least rarer).    

Money Hacking Mama gives us 10 ‘Invisible’ Money Leaks That Keep Middle-Class Families Stuck.  Now, it’s debatable whether medical professionals are middle-class, but I argue that most of us are, especially residents, fellows, early-career attendings, and those with high student loan burdens.  I’d even argue that those who buy a doctor mansion and a fancy car before reaching FI are simply middle class with fancier stuff.  Either way, this article offers tips that all medical professionals can use, regardless of where they sit on the economic spectrum.  

Jessie at Best Interest offers up Fee-Only, Flat Fee, Fee-Based?  A Full Description of How Financial Advisors Charge Fees.  The terminology used by financial advisors is purposefully confusing, and this article does its best to simplify things.  I’ve discussed this topic in several posts here at BBM, including a recent one in Lesson Six of Personal Finance Basics for Medical Professionals Part II.  I don’t care who produces the content as long as everyone understands the information.  It’s that important.     

Thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did.  Let me know in the comments below.  I’ll be off to Hawaii in a few days, but I’ll find time between the beach and the pool to read financial articles and report back to you next month.  You’re welcome.