Investing & Portfolio Growth

The Phantom Signal: Why November’s “Good” Inflation News Could Mislead Your Work-Optional Plan Picture this: you’re finally catching your breath after crisscrossing the country to meet sales quotas, running on coffee and grit. You flip on the news and see a seemingly upbeat headline—November 2025 inflation came in at just 2.7%. The markets cheer, analysts talk about “easing price pressures,” and a wave of relief washes over you. “Great,” you might think, “this means my retire

Lump-Sum Commission: Should You Invest or Pay Off Your Mortgage? Picture this: You just closed a blockbuster deal that triggered a fat lump-sum commission. Maybe you’re a mid-career medical sales rep, juggling life on the road and ambitious sales quotas, or perhaps you’re transitioning into a new device territory with huge signing bonuses. The question hitting your mind is straightforward but loaded with implications: “Should I put this big check toward crushing my mortgage—o

The Great 2026 Divide: S&P 8,000 vs. Global Slowdown—Is Your Work-Optional Plan Ready? Picture this: you’re racing through airport terminals three days a week, juggling hospital visits, and meeting aggressive sales targets—only to discover that the financial future you’re yearning for is tangled in global economic forecasts. As a mid-career medical sales professional, you’ve likely heard arguments that the S&P 500 could hit levels as high as 7,800 or even 8,000 by 2026. At th

When a booming stock market coexists with plunging consumer confidence—especially for professionals under relentless sales pressure—the result can be downright disorienting. November 2025 brought exactly this puzzle. The major indices soared during a brisk Thanksgiving week, yet consumer sentiment took a dramatic nose-dive. If you’re juggling six different quotas while plotting a future where work is, at most, optional, it’s easy to worry. Are the markets on a misguided sugar

Introduction – Why Bonus Commissions Matter for Passive Income Welcome to the wild and often unpredictable world of medical sales, where variable commissions and lump-sum bonuses can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking. I’m David Dedman, ChFC®, AWMA® , and I’ve been working with professionals in the trenches of this industry for over three decades. While it’s exhilarating to see that quarterly bonus hit your bank account, it can also bring the question: “Now what?” Bonus com

The Fed Hits Pause: Is Your “Work-Optional” Plan Ready? If you’ve been grinding away in medical sales, juggling sales quotas, field tours, and airport lounges, you’ve probably dreamed of having true control over your time. Perhaps you’d like to scale back your hours, pivot to consulting, or just spend more time with family—and do all those things without worrying about running out of money. That’s exactly what a “work-optional” lifestyle is about. And with the Federal Reserve

Beyond the Ballot Box: Safeguarding Your ‘Work-Optional’ Plan Post-Election Introduction: Election Aftershocks vs. Long-Term Vision Few events stir the emotional pot of American life quite like a presidential election. For those of us in the high-pressure realm of medical sales, election results can feel especially meaningful—especially if you’re pushing hard to reach a “work-optional” lifestyle where your day job becomes a choice rather than a necessity. Every new administra

Introduction Turning 40 in medical sales can feel a lot like reaching base camp on a mountain climb. You’re proud of the progress so far—sizable commissions, recognition from peers, and a standard of living that surpasses many of your friends. But more and more, you may be eyeing the summit: a future where you don’t have to jump on a plane every week or grind through high-pressure quotas. You’re not alone. Many mid-career medical sales professionals earning in the $200,000 to

If you’re feeling like you spend more time in an airport lounge than with your family, you’re not alone. The life of a medical sales professional can be lucrative, but constant quota demands, unpredictable travel schedules, and seemingly nonstop emails at odd hours leave many thinking: When can I make work optional? Now that the Q3 2025 economic deceleration is taking shape, it’s the perfect moment to see whether your plan for eventually stepping off life’s hamster wheel can

Introduction and Purpose In the world of medical device sales, you often don’t have the luxury of a predictable, steady paycheck. One quarter, you might land a massive hospital contract or drive a successful product launch, leading to a hefty lump-sum commission. The next quarter, you’re back to grinding, waiting for the next big sale. This variability sets the stage for one of the most important decisions you can make: how and when to invest those large windfalls. Your goal

The IMF’s ‘Disorderly Correction’ Warning: Why Early Retirement Plans May Be Dangerously Complacent If you’ve spent time scrolling through market news lately, you might have come across a term that should make early-retirement hopefuls take notice: “disorderly correction.” It comes from the IMF’s October 2025 Global Financial Stability Report, and it’s a warning suggesting that the calm we’ve seen in certain markets—like the high-flying AI-driven tech sector—could be hiding s

The Perfect Storm: How to Shield Your Early Retirement Plan from the G20’s Market Warning and a Government Shutdown If you’re a busy medical sales professional looking to retire well ahead of the traditional timeline, it can feel like the universe is throwing every possible curveball at once. Markets are flashing red lights following a cautionary note from the Financial Stability Board (FSB) about overinflated asset valuations. The looming threat of a federal government shut

Picture this: you’re juggling quotas, hopping flights to patch up deals, and wondering when you can finally press the “pause” button on...

Picture sitting in the airport after yet another medical sales meeting, scrolling through headlines on your phone. You see it: the Bureau...

Introduction – Why Q3 Earnings Matter for Medical Sales Professionals If you’re in medical sales, you already know your personal finances...

The Fed’s September Rate Cut: Is Your Early Retirement Plan Ready? If you’re a busy medical sales professional earning well but feeling...

Gold’s Record-Breaking Rally: A Flight to Safety or a FOMO Trap for Your Early Retirement Plan? You’ve probably seen the headlines: gold...

Picture the moment you’re stepping off the plane—only instead of rushing to another conference booth, you’re stepping into the next...

If you’ve glanced at financial headlines lately, you’ve probably seen a tug of war playing out between the Federal Reserve and the stock...

Introduction Imagine putting all your retirement hopes into one single investment—your employer’s stock options. As a mid-career medical...