Financial wellness is critical for veterinarians in all career stages. New graduates may have significant educational debt in addition to first-time investments such as a home or a retirement account. Established practitioners may be interested in purchasing a practice or buying shares to become a partner in a veterinary firm. Veterinarians reaching retirement are likely evaluating their assets to determine when they can step away from practice.

Creating financial wellness for life requires managing debt, making thoughtful investments and understanding the consequences of career choices. Fortunately, there are many resources available to assist in this effort.

Resources

The AVMA offers a plethora of tools and resources, including salary, credit card and retirement calculators; cost of living comparison; buy or rent calculator; automobile cost of ownership; student loan repayment basics and student loan repayment simulator; and loan consolidation information.