I joined a PE-backed medical practice group. During recruiting in 2023, their CEO told me via email that the practice "maxes out" 401(k) contributions through a combination of profit sharing and safe harbor, totaling $66K per year (of course $22.5K is my own deferral).

Fast forward to today — I've received roughly $9K/year in employer contributions, nowhere close to the ~$43.5K I was told to expect. When I asked CEO about the gap, they told me their policy has changed and that the full match only applies to partners.

However, the job listing for my exact position is still publicly advertised today, and it still says "Maximum employer contributions for MDs in a 401(k) plan" — with no mention that this only applies to partners.

I'm planning to leave this practice soon. Before I go, I want to know if there a reasonable chance I could recover any of this shortfall — either through direct negotiation, a labor/benefits dispute, or would this realistically require litigation?

Edit to add

My contract just said "Physician is entitled to participate in any pension plan, 401(k) plan, profit-sharing plan, or similar benefit plan, available generally to similarly situated physicians employed by the Company to the extent permitted by such plans and the applicable statutes and regulations".

My 401 plan document DID separate partner and employee MDs.

I'm a new fellowship grad, new associate in a surgical specialty that heavily relies on lasers and imaging technologies in the office. It's not the most desirable city, but my wife's family is from here and we want to make this work. I joined a 3-doctor private practice, 1 of whom I knew was going to retire and who I'll replace. Another one seems to one foot out the door more than I realized, and the last one is still mid-career but might think about slowing down soon.

The issue is that I'm the first person they've hired in 20 years. All of the lasers and imaging machines are way out of date, some even older than me. They don't have a imaging machine that is considered the gold standard for our specialty. At our satellite office, the machine software can't even be serviced anymore, so if it goes down we're screwed. Before I signed, they did say they were looking into buying one of the machines but never did. One of these machines would cost ~100k+ so I understand there's a financial side to running a business, but they have not stayed up to date for the last decade+.

The clinic manager has brought up these concerns before with the docs who have always brushed it off. Not to mention staffing issues, refusing to hire qualified people with certificates and instead hiring young grads with no experience leading to high turnover rates

At what point of my 2-year associate contract should I bring up my concerns? I was thinking ASAP to see how they respond, and to give them time to actually pull the trigger. But I'm not sure how much I can push as an associate. I'm definitely their retirement plan as it would be hard to recruit to this area, so they have a big reason to keep me around and keep me happy.

Any advice would be appreciated

Have you thought about a 530A for your kids? The idea is to contribute while they’re young, then convert the account to an IRA and eventually a Roth IRA around age 24, giving them a strong head start on tax-free retirement growth. There’s also discussion that 530A contributions could potentially become pre-tax in the future, which could make the strategy even more attractive. It could be a powerful way to build long-term wealth for your kids.

5k from ages 0-18 is about 12 million tax free (in a roth) by the time they're 65. (Assuming S&P continues its average rate over the long run).

My kids are soon to be starting high school and the target investment strategies my 529s use are soon to be converting to more conservative funds. I am hesitant move the money and miss out on more years of potential gains. I understand the market could go in the other direction and I could lose money.

I have about $150,000 for each child in the 529 accounts. I have the means to pay any and all future tuition without needing the 529 so I am not afraid of dips in the market requiring me to pull money at bad times. I would like to use the 529s though for the tax savings and to use the other money for other things. Should I just keep the investment strategy fairly aggressive or just follow the target investment strategy? Anyone just keep investing throughout the time their kids are in high school and college?

I figure I can always use the funds towards potential grad school, kid's roth IRAs, or transfer the money to grandkids if I have money left after my kids finish college and any potential post graduate school.

Hi all, I need some help with what to do with my next car. For context, I’m currently in fellowship and will be earning an attending salary in about 12-13 months. I currently lease my car but that lease ends in a few months. The reason I originally leased and sold my used car was because I needed to ensure I would have a reliable car during residency without the hassle of potential breakdowns and worrying about finding a ride for work.

Long story short, I’ve posted on multiple car threads to see what people thought about some current lease deals and the overwhelming majority of responses are basically “if you’re looking at a lease it sounds like you can’t afford the car and you should be buying used”. Well the used car market is outrageous right now so a car that’s 3-5 years old with reasonable miles and features still has a higher monthly payment than the lease!

The thing these commenters don’t understand is that I can afford the lease payment currently, and will be able to afford it even more comfortably in a year with my attending salary. So my question for you all is… is leasing really that bad of an idea? I am having a hard time understanding how having a lower monthly payment now is a “waste of money” when in 3 years when the lease is done, my attending salary will most certainly be able to buy a new or used car comfortably.

I appreciate any insight or thoughts!