Home/Nurses & EMTs

Financial Planning for
Nurses & EMTs

You pull overtime that most people can't imagine. The question is whether that income is building something, or just disappearing.

Quick Answer

What should I do with my 403(b) when I change hospitals?

Your 403(b) stays with you, but your options change. Many hospital 403(b) plans carry high internal expense ratios (1–2% annually) that quietly erode savings compared to what you’d pay in a rollover IRA. When you change employers, we evaluate whether to consolidate old accounts into a lower-cost IRA or new employer plan. Doing nothing (leaving accounts scattered across former employers) is often the most expensive choice. This is general educational information, not personalized advice.

The Real Problem

Your 403(b) Is Probably
Working Against You

Most hospital retirement plans default you into insurance-based products with expense ratios between 1–2%. On a $500,000 account over 30 years, that's a $180,000 difference compared to a basic index fund. And HR will never bring it up.

We review your plan's investment options, identify low-cost alternatives already inside your plan, and show you the exact dollar cost of staying where you are.

For travel nurses on 1099 contracts, we also set up SEP-IRAs or Solo 401(k)s that can shelter up to $66,000 per year, on top of any W-2 retirement contributions.

Nurse & EMT Planning

  • 403(b) expense ratio audit: find the low-cost funds already in your plan
  • Overtime income planning: turning irregular cash flow into long-term wealth
  • PSLF coordination for nurses at nonprofit hospitals
  • Solo 401(k) / SEP-IRA setup for 1099 travel nurses (up to $66K/year)
  • Two-bucket system: stable base + growth bucket for irregular income

Free Resource

Nurse & EMT Wealth Guide

The 403(b) fee problem, overtime income strategy, and PSLF eligibility, all in one short guide.

What We Cover:

  • How to find the low-cost index funds already inside your 403(b)
  • The $180,000 fee math on a $500K account over 30 years
  • PSLF eligibility check for nonprofit hospital nurses
  • Making your overtime income actually build wealth

FAQs

Common Questions from Nurses & EMTs

Your 403(b) stays with you, but your fund options and fees change. Many hospital plans carry high internal expense ratios. When you change employers, we evaluate whether consolidating old accounts into a lower-cost IRA or new plan makes sense. Doing nothing is often the most expensive choice.
Yes, if your employer offers both. Many NYC-area hospital systems offer a 403(b) and a governmental 457(b), and you can contribute the maximum to both, effectively doubling your tax-deferred savings capacity. This is one of the most underutilized benefits in healthcare.
PSLF cancels remaining federal Direct Loan balances after 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Most public hospitals and non-profit systems qualify. If you carry significant student loan debt and work for a qualifying system, PSLF can be worth tens of thousands. The strategy affects whether you pay loans aggressively or invest instead.

Go Deeper

Nurse & EMT Planning Resources

Article

PSLF for Nurses in 2026: Who Qualifies and How

 Article

Nurse Retirement and 403(b) Planning

 Video

Is Your Hospital 403(b) Costing You $180K?

 Research

Inside the Portfolio: Our Equity Research, Free to Subscribe

 Newsletter

The Retirement Brief: Retirement Decisions, Explained Plainly

 LinkedIn Newsletter

The Behavioral Investor: Why Behavior Beats Brains in Investing

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A 403(b) fee calculator is also in the works, showing the exact dollar difference your expense ratio makes over a career.

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Ready to Begin?

15 Minutes. No Pressure.
Just Honest Answers.

Book a free 15-minute call. We'll look at your 403(b), talk through your loan situation if you have one, and answer whatever's on your mind.

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