WCI #443: From TSP to Solo 401(k): Real-Life Retirement Planning Questions Answered
White Coat Investor Podcast
Dr. Jim Dahle of the White Coat Investor
4.9 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 30 October 2025
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, we tackle some of the most common, and most confusing, retirement planning questions physicians and high-income professionals face. We dig into the pros and cons of Traditional vs Roth contributions, how TSP and deferred compensation plans really work, and what to know about 401(k) match true-ups. We also walk through real-life scenarios like merging finances when a spouse has no income but owns an IRA, and how to maximize annual contributions to a solo 401(k).
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00:00 WCI Podcast #443
01:30 What to Do with Your TSP
07:44 Comparing Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rates
13:00 Deferred Compensation Distributions
19:37 Remaining Balance Issue w/ ETFs
24:19 401(k) True-Ups
28:40 What to Do with a Traditional IRA
32:27 Solo 401(k) Contributions
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is the White Coat Investor Podcast, where we help those who wear the white coat get a fair shake on Wall Street. |
| 0:06.2 | We've been helping doctors and other high-income professionals stop doing dumb things with their money since 2011. |
| 0:16.0 | This is White Coat Investor Podcast number 443. |
| 0:19.9 | Today's episode is brought to us by SOFI, the folks who help you |
| 0:22.4 | get your money right. Paying off student debt quickly and getting your finances back on track |
| 0:26.5 | isn't easy, but that's where SOFI can help. They have exclusive, low rates designed to help |
| 0:32.0 | medical residents refinance student loans. That could end up saving you thousands of dollars, |
| 0:36.6 | helping you get out of student |
| 0:37.5 | debt sooner. SoFi also offers the ability to lower your payments just $100 a month while you're |
| 0:41.9 | still in residency. And if you're already out of residency, SOFi's got you covered there too. |
| 0:46.4 | For more information, go to SOFI.com slash white code investor. SoFi student loans are |
| 0:51.2 | originated by SOFI Bank and a member FDIC additional terms and conditions |
| 0:54.7 | apply. NMLS 696891. All right, welcome back to the podcast. We're grateful you're here without you. |
| 1:01.3 | It's not much of a podcast. You know, it's Megan and me and that's it, just talking to ourselves in a room. |
| 1:06.6 | So we're grateful to have you out there. Tens of thousands of you listening to this podcast. I'm honored. I'm a little bit embarrassed that many people listen to a podcast I put together. I feel like I ought to put more preparation into them knowing that there's that many of you out there. But alas, my life is busy. I've got to coach a hockey team. You know, there's important stuff going on here. All right. Let's start |
| 1:28.1 | with your questions. First one is an active duty person. Thank you for your service. Let's take a |
| 1:32.9 | listen to your question. Hi, Dr. Dolly. I'm leaving active duty soon and I was thinking about rolling |
| 1:38.0 | over my all Roth TSP into my Roth IRA. I'm looking to take advantage of some benefits provided by my broker for hitting |
| 1:45.3 | certain investment balance. I know you've talked about all the benefits of the G fund before, |
| 1:50.3 | but I'm sure there are civilian alternatives that are highly similar. Is there any other benefit |
| 1:54.5 | to staying in the TSP? Thank you for all that you do. All right. Yeah, thanks for your service. |
| 2:03.3 | Exciting to be getting out. I can remember the day I got off active duty and drove, you know, we were moving out of Virginia. We were driving out to Utah. I had a job |
... |
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