DocEmpowered is different by design. Like the best mentors, we expect you to outgrow us.

As physicians, we are different. That often means we must choose between two suboptimal options when it comes to finding professional financial guidance:

1. physician-focused financial planning firms who are licensed, regulated, and accountable, but don’t know understand the impact of RVUs, CPT® codes, prior authorization, and moral injury on the physician experience;  or
2. physician coaches who are inspiring leaders with incredible knowledge and compassion but are not and cannot call themselves licensed financial professionals, nor are they subject to oversight from financial regulatory bodies.

I created DocEmpowered to be the best of both worlds. DocEmpowered is a regulated financial planning firm that embraces the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and rejects the worst aspects of the financial planning industry. I am a practicing part-time cardiologist who is a leader and advocate in the physician community, an award-winning educator, and a licensed financial planner who passed the Certified Financial Planner™ exam – something only ~30% of U.S. financial planners have done.

Stanley Liu, MD, FACC
Founder & Principal Financial Planner

Meet Stan ↗

The result: A next-generation firm that is a legitimate member of the financial industry yet 100% mission-focused to financially empower our physician community with as little conflict of interest as possible. If you want the power to sustainably create your own financial future with the help of a licensed financial planner who also happens to be a fellow practicing physician, you’re in the right place.

Here are more specific details for how DocEmpowered is designed and how it differs from other financial planning firms who specialize in physician clients:

DocEmpowered incorporates the best aspects of the financial planning industry. DocEmpowered is an associate member of the National Association of Financial Professional Advisors and the XY Planning Network, two organizations that are highly respected for their highest standards of fiduciary standards that exceed those required by law. Though not required, I also chose to obtain my Certificate in Financial Planning from Emory University and pass the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam before taking on a single client to ensure I have the knowledge base to cover all aspects of traditional personal finance (e.g. proactive tax planning, insurance/risk management, evidence-based investing, estate plannings, college savings, and financial independence.) In short, DocEmpowered positions itself to serve as your financial “PCP” who can then coordinate management with your financial “specialists” (e.g. accountants, estate attorneys, etc.)

DocEmpowered rejects the worst aspects of the financial planning industry. Make no mistake, we physicians are marks to the worst actors in the financial industry. How many of us haven’t been singled out for an insurance product or financial service because of our profession or income? The reason is because most in the financial industry make money by generating sales commissions or a percentage of our investments that they manage (typically ~1%, e.g. $10k a year for managing a $1M portfolio). The result – financial planners are incentivized to recruit high-earning clients willing to buy expensive financial products or invest large sums for them to manage. Even the best financial planners are incentivized to keep you working with them the rest of your financial life so they can maintain a stream of revenue; that means the more dependent you are on them manage your finances, the better for them.

DocEmpowered is a fee-only and advice-only firm. That means we generate no revenue from sales commissions/kickbacks, and we don’t take a cut of your investments to manage it for you. We charge only a flat or retainer fee for our services, and the value that you get is the power and knowledge to create a financial system you can manage yourself for decades to come. Whether you are $500k in debt or you have a $5M net worth, you are equally welcome here. We even discount your fees if you are a first-year attending, you’re a full-time academic physician, or you have a student debt-to-income ratio >2. We also discount your fees as you need less and less help from us to incentivize your increasing independence. We don’t just want you to outgrow us; we expect you to. When you graduate from DocEmpowered, that opens up another spot for a physician to benefit from our services. The end result: a far more financially empowered physician community we can all be proud of.

DocEmpowered addresses dimensions of physician finance NOT typically covered by the traditional financial industry. DocEmpowered provides the following services in addition to traditional financial planning:

• Access to MGMA data specific to your specialty so you know where your compensation stands relative to your peers.
• Negotiation skills coaching to ensure you earn what you deserve (for DocEmpowered Premium & Master clients)
• Up-to-date guidance on student loan repayment and forgiveness in an uncertain and constantly changing climate
• A focus on meaningful impact – how to clarify and realize your mission of serving your family, your patients and your communities through charitable giving, philanthropy, and legacy planning.