In this replay episode, we're revisiting one of the most common investing questions: Should you invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds?

Both ETFs and mutual funds can be excellent investment vehicles, especially when you're investing in low-cost index funds. In this episode, I break down the key similarities and differences between the two, including:

• How ETFs and mutual funds provide diversification
• Differences in trading and pricing
• Minimum investment requirements
• Automatic investing and dollar-cost averaging
• Tax efficiency considerations
• Expense ratios and other costs
• Dividend reinvestment
• Transparency and fund holdings

Important Update Since the Original Recording

In the original episode, I discussed how ETFs generally had to be purchased in whole shares while mutual funds could be purchased in fractional shares. Since that recording, many major brokerages now allow investors to purchase fractional shares of ETFs, making it possible to invest a specific dollar amount without buying a full share.

As a result, one of the historical advantages of mutual funds has become less significant for many investors. However, availability of fractional-share ETF investing varies by brokerage platform, so be sure to check your brokerage's specific features.

Key Takeaway

For long-term investors, the choice between ETFs and mutual funds often comes down to convenience, costs, tax considerations, and personal preference rather than investment performance. Both can be effective tools for building wealth when used as part of a disciplined, long-term investing strategy.

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

When do you shift from simply "doing fine" to truly feeling like you are reaping the financial rewards of your career?

Inspired by a post from a physician with $370,000 household income, yet still feeling like they are constantly chasing, this episode dives deep into the psychology of wealth. We explore why high incomes don't automatically translate to financial security, what different milestones (like paying off debt or hitting $1M) mean to different people, and how cognitive behavioral concepts shape our relationship with money.

Tune in to discover why "making it" is an arbitrary goalpost, how to build a wealthy mindset, and why the secret to financial peace might just be learning to want what you already have.

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

Over the last 4 years, there have been several guests on the podcast. The guest who had the most downloads is Dr. Karen Leitner.

Listen in on a conversation that Karen Leitner and I had on what mindset really means and how it influences our lives. It’s a candid conversation between two coaches with a focus on money mindset and topics like negotiation, the gender wage gap, and reframing failure.

Dr. Karen Leitner is a primary care physician and an experienced life coach. She helps women physicians feel better and happier in their lives by empowering them to overcome work-life overwhelm, imposter syndrome, parenting challenges, and all the other joykills so common to women physicians (and so rarely talked about…until now).

You can find her on:

www.karenleitnermd.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/howtofeelbetterforwomenphysicians

https://www.instagram.com/karenleitnermd/

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

Following last week’s look back at where it all began, I’m fast-forwarding through the last four years to share what has changed, what has stayed the same, and what it really looks like to pursue an "ideal life." From the highs of checking off bucket-list travels to the unexpected pivots of the medical job market, this episode is an honest reflection on career resilience, lifestyle design, and human connection.

Resources Mentioned: Book: How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger

🎙️ I Need Your Feedback!

As I evaluate the future cadence of the show and step into a new creative season, I want to hear from you. Please reach out and let me know: What do you love about this podcast, and what do you want to hear more of moving forward?

• Connect with me: growyourwealthymindset@gmail.com
• Support the show: Please leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

The Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast published an original weekly episode for the last four years. For the first episode of the 5th year of The Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast, we return back to the very first episode, where Elisa Chiang talks about her journey that lead her to creating this podcast and why someone would want to take the time to listen to The Grow Your Weathy Mindset Podcast.

Enjoy this blast from the past.

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

This episode dive into the complex world of Social Security through the lens of a high-earning professional. We move past the "standard" advice of waiting until age 70 to explore the Real Math, including the impact of current 2.7% TIPS real yields and the looming 2032 Trust Fund cliff. If you are in deciding on a claim strategy, this episode provides a framework for political risk management and tax-efficient retirement.

SSA.gov: Log onto or create your "My Social Security" account to view your earnings record and possible benefit.

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

In the medical world, perfectionism saves lives. In the financial world, it can cost you a fortune. In this episode, we dive into the "A+ Student Syndrome" and why the traits that make you a world-class physician—attention to detail, risk aversion, and a desire for complexity—are the exact traits that lead to "Analysis Paralysis" in your portfolio.

This episode breaks down why searching for the "perfect" entry point or the "perfect" fund is often just a high-level form of procrastination. Learn why "B-level" work and boring investments actually lead to A-plus results over time.

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the U.S. tax system to explore how it specifically impacts high-earning professionals. Inspired by a recent Freakonomics episode and the research of Jessica Riedl (Brookings Institute), we dive into the data-driven reality of tax progressivity, the "Buffett Myth," and why being in the Top 5% of earners changes the way you should approach your retirement strategy. Whether you're a W-2 employee or looking to transition into asset ownership, this episode provides the context you need to grow a wealthy mindset.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Article: Correcting the Top 10 Tax Myths by Jessica Riedl

https://manhattan.institute/article/correcting-the-top-10-tax-myths

Podcast: Ten Myths About the US Tax System – Freakonomics Radio

https://www.google.com/search?q=https://freakonomics.com/podcast/10-myths-about-the-us-tax-system/

Data: How Much Income Puts You in the Top 1%, 5%, and 10%? – Investopedia

https://www.investopedia.com/personal-finance/how-much-income-puts-you-top-1-5-10/

Report: 2025 Physician Compensation Report – Medscape

https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2025-compensation-overview-6017126

Please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite Podcasting platform.

Get 12 Financial Mistakes that Keep Physicians from Building Wealth at https://www.growyourwealthymindset.com/12financialmistakes

If you want to start your path to financial freedom, start with the Financial Freedom Workbook. Download your free copy today at https://www.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com/fiworkbook

Dr. Elisa Chiang is a physician and money coach who helps other doctors reach their financial goals by mastering their money mindset through personalized 1:1 coaching .

You can learn more about Elisa at her website or follow her on social media.

Website: https://ww.GrowYourWealthyMindset.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElisaChiang

https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourWealthyMindset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthyMindsetMD

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/ElisaChiang

Disclaimer: The content provided in the Grow Your Wealthy Mindset Podcast...