MoneyRx for CRNAs and NPs
Go behind the scenes with host Brett Fellows, CFP®, as he explores the unique financial opportunities and challenges facing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and Nurse Practitioners on the path to financial independence. Each episode delivers expert insights and actionable advice to help you lower taxes, invest smarter, and retire on your terms.
Brett's firm, Oak Capital Advisors, specializes in high-earning CRNAs and nurse practitioners and is currently accepting new clients. From retirement income strategy and tax planning to Social Security timing, Medicare, and estate planning, they offer comprehensive financial planning that goes far beyond investment management. If you're ready to work with someone who truly gets your world, the link to schedule a discovery meeting is in the show notes.
Episodes
96 episodes
E96: Can I Afford to Cut Back to Part-Time as an NP?
Most CRNAs and NPs who want to cut back to part-time have already decided it's impossible, because they're running the wrong number. In this episode of MoneyRx for CRNAs, Brett Fellows, CFP, walks through the framework for figuring out whether ...
E95: Retirement Mistakes Nurses Make After They Quit (These are harder to fix)
Almost every nurse walks into retirement with a short to-do list: file for Social Security, roll over the 403(b), and pull money for the things earned. On paper, it looks responsible. But in practice? Each item on that list can quietly close a ...
The Right Age for a Nurse to Retire Isn't a Number. It's Five Windows.
Almost every nurse who sits down with Brett a few years before retirement asks the same question: "What is my number, and am I there yet?" The account balance keeps growing, the calculators keep confirming the money will last, and yet something...
The Tax Bill Many Widowed Nurses Don't See Coming
Most retirement plans are built for two people. When one spouse dies, the survivor gets hit with a higher tax bill on lower income. At the same time.In this episode of MoneyRx for CRNAs and NPs, Brett Fellows, CFP, walks through the wido...
Should I invest in a rental property in retirement?
If you are a CRNA or nurse practitioner thinking about rental property as part of your retirement plan, watch this episode before you write the check. When you run the numbers for a high-earning nurse buying the kind of property they want at to...
Why High-Earning Nurses Never Feel Wealthy (with Kristin Burton, PA Millionaire)
Kristin Burton paid off over $160,000 in student loan debt in 16 months, became a self-made millionaire by 31, and built a platform called Millionaires in Medicine that now reaches PAs, NPs, pharmacists, and other non-physician healthcare profe...
Amanda Kay on One Full Year of 1099: What She Got Wrong, What Changed Everything
A year ago, Amanda Kelly jumped into full 1099 independence with income goals, an S-corp, and many unknowns. Now she’s back.In this episode, Brett Fellows, CFP®, sits down with Amanda Kelly, CRNA, coach, and founder of The Mindful CRNA, ...
Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Before Retiring?
If you are within five years of retirement and thinking about paying off your mortgage, you are asking the right question, but… you’re probably asking it the wrong way.In this episode, Brett walks through a sample client household, Imani...
Roth Conversion or ACA Subsidy? You Don't Have to Choose.
Most nurses retiring in their early sixties think they face one decision when it comes to ACA subsidies and Roth conversions: pick one or the other. But there’s another way. In this episode, Brett walks through the story of Renata, a 60-year-ol...
Why High-Earning Nurses Leave Money on the Table in Retirement
You've worked for decades, maxed your 403(b) every year, and built a solid balance. But what if the structure of those savings is quietly setting you up for a six-figure tax problem in retirement?This episode follows Dana, a CRNA with 22...
Stop Budgeting for What Retirement Costs. Budget for This Instead.
Most retirement budgets are built around a method that almost guarantees an error. You sit down with a spreadsheet, write out every category you can think of, and estimate a number for each line. Research shows people who go through that exerci...
How This Nursing Couple Retired with $2.5M and Still Underspent for 3 Years
If you retired with $2.5 million and were still afraid to spend it, you would not be alone. Many CRNAs and nurse practitioners have worked so hard for so long, but nobody ever taught them how to switch gears.In this episode, Brett walks ...
4 Signs You're Already Ready to Retire
Many CRNAs and nurse practitioners are already financially ready to retire… they just don’t know it. And yet, they keep working three, five, sometimes ten years longer than they need to. Not because they have to, but because no one has shown th...
Dr. Michelle Cuevas - The NP Who Left the W2 Life to Build Income, Flexibility, and a Life on Her Terms
Making the jump from employee to business owner can feel scary for NPs and CRNAs, but it can be done successfully. In this episode, Brett Fellows sits down with Dr. Michelle Cuevas, DNP, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and sel...
3 Healthcare Decisions That Derail Early Retirement for Nurses
A CRNA or nurse practitioner can save consistently, build a $1.5 to $2 million portfolio, and be just a few years from retirement and STILL lose tens of thousands of dollars a year without knowing why. The answer? Because of these ...
3 Steps to Build Your Retirement Paycheck
Where will your paycheck come from once you stop working, and which account do you pull from first? You saved well, maxed out your 403(b), and built a $2 million portfolio, but haven’t found clear answers to your retirement questions. ...
5 Retirement Mistakes That Can Cost Nurses $$
Most nurses arrive at retirement having done everything right for 30 years. The problem is not what they built. It is that nobody explained what happens when you have to start pulling money out.In this episode, Brett Fellows walks throug...
I'm a NP at 55 with $1.2M. Can I Retire in 5 Years?
Most nurse practitioners trying to answer the retirement question are using benchmarks that were never designed for them. The 4% rule. The 80% income replacement rule. Healthcare cost estimates built on worst-case assumptions. Used together, th...
Health Savings Accounts: How Nurses Should Use for Triple Tax Advantages
Most CRNAs and nurse practitioners treat their HSA like a checking account for medical bills. They put money in, pay bills, and move on. But the HSA is the ONLY account in the U.S. tax code that gives you 3 tax benefits at the same time, and wh...
The Retirement Tax Time Bomb in Your 403(b) or 401(k)
Do you have a retirement tax bomb? Many CRNAs and nurse practitioners spend 30 years following traditional financial advice: max out your 403(b), live below your means, and defer taxes as long as possible. However, this strategy often leads to ...
Backdoor Roth vs Mega Backdoor Roth for Nurses: Which Strategy Fits?
If you're a CRNA or nurse practitioner earning over the Roth IRA income limits, you're locked out of one of the best retirement accounts available. But there's a legal workaround. In this episode, Brett Fellows explains two powerful tax strateg...
Social Security Strategies for High Earning CRNAs & NPs
"I've been earning $200,000 or more a year for most of my career. Social Security is going to be a drop in the bucket." If that's what you're thinking, you could be leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table.In this episode, B...
Pre-Retirement Checklist: 10 Action Steps for Nurses 5 Years Before You Retire
The five-year window before you stop working is the most critical period for your financial future. While many CRNAs and nurse practitioners (NPs) focus solely on saving, the transition to retirement requires a shift toward strategy. In this ep...
Why CRNAs and NPs Should Say NO to the 4% rule
The 4% rule is a staple of retirement planning, but for high-income CRNAs and nurse practitioners, it is often the wrong tool for the job. Relying on a rigid, one-size-fits-all percentage can lead to psychological stress, tax blindness, and the...
Top 10 Investing Mistakes That Keep CRNAs & NPs Working Longer Than They Need To
You've worked long shifts, held everything together in high-stress situations, and saved diligently for 25 years. You think you're on track for retirement. But what if investment mistakes you don't even know you're making could force you to wor...