Financial Clarity.
Built by a Doctor.
MedMoneyGuide is an independent financial resource founded by J.R. Dunigan, DO — a practicing family medicine physician in Des Moines, Iowa — to give doctors the financial education medical training never provided.
Our Story
Medical school teaches physicians how to manage a septic patient, interpret an echocardiogram, and deliver difficult news. It does not teach them how to choose between PSLF and refinancing $300,000 in student loans, how to decode a non-compete clause, or why the whole life policy pitched during residency orientation is almost never in their interest.
Dr. Dunigan lived that gap firsthand. After completing his medical training, he spent years building the financial literacy that medicine never provided — making costly, avoidable mistakes along the way — and realized that his experience was nearly universal among physicians.
MedMoneyGuide is the resource he wished had existed when he graduated.
Launched to fill a specific and persistent void, MedMoneyGuide publishes physician-first guides, financial calculators, and honest product reviews that account for the unique realities of a medical career: the late career start, the high debt-to-income ratio early in practice, the high marginal tax rates as an attending, the disability insurance decisions only a physician faces.
Generic personal finance blogs don't cover these things. MedMoneyGuide does.
What We Cover
Student Loan Strategy
PSLF, IDR, refinancing — explained specifically for physicians
Disability & Life Insurance
True own-occupation coverage, policy structuring, and reviews
Investing & Retirement
Backdoor Roth, 401(k)/403(b), taxable accounts, and more
Contract & Career Finance
Non-competes, signing bonuses, compensation benchmarks
Financial Calculators
Loan payoff, net worth, tax, and physician-specific tools
Product Reviews
Unbiased lender, insurer, and financial product comparisons
What We Stand For
Physician-First Perspective
Every guide, calculator, and review is written through the lens of a practicing physician who understands the clinical demands, late career start, high debt loads, and financial complexity that doctors face.
Editorial Independence
Advertiser relationships never influence our editorial rankings or recommendations. Products are evaluated on merit. We disclose every affiliate relationship transparently.
Accuracy & Accountability
All guides carry a last-updated date and are reviewed on a set schedule. When we make mistakes, we correct them and document it. Sources are cited from primary data — AAMC, MGMA, IRS, and peer-reviewed literature.
No Fluff, No Sales Pitch
We do not write vague "general personal finance" content rebranded for doctors. Everything here is specific: the tax implications of attending income, the mechanics of PSLF, how to evaluate a disability policy as a surgeon.
Who Writes Here
All content on MedMoneyGuide is written or directly reviewed by J.R. Dunigan, DO — a board-eligible family medicine physician currently practicing in Des Moines, Iowa.
Dr. Dunigan does not operate as a licensed financial advisor and does not provide personalized financial advice. What he provides is physician-authored education: clear, evidence-based explanations of the financial decisions physicians face, grounded in firsthand experience navigating those decisions himself.
When specific technical review is needed — on tax law, insurance regulations, or complex loan mechanics — that content is noted and reviewed by appropriate credentialed professionals.
Our Editorial Standards
MedMoneyGuide holds all content to the following editorial standards — regardless of whether a product or company has an advertising relationship with us:
- All content is written or directly reviewed by J.R. Dunigan, DO
- We disclose all affiliate and advertising relationships clearly
- Data is sourced from AAMC, MGMA, IRS, Medscape, and peer-reviewed publications
- Guides are reviewed and updated on a scheduled basis
- We distinguish clearly between editorial content and sponsored placements
- Corrections are documented publicly when errors are discovered
How MedMoneyGuide Makes Money
MedMoneyGuide is a free resource supported by affiliate partnerships and display advertising. When you click on certain links to financial products — lenders, insurers, or other service providers — we may earn a commission if you apply or purchase.
These relationships never influence editorial rankings, recommendations, or the content of our guides. A product that does not offer an affiliate commission is evaluated by the same criteria as one that does. Our goal is to remain the most trusted financial resource available to physicians, which requires that our recommendations be honest.
For more detail, see our full Advertising Disclosure.
A Note on Scope
The content on MedMoneyGuide is educational and informational in nature. It does not constitute personalized financial, legal, tax, or medical advice. Financial situations vary widely by specialty, practice setting, family structure, state of residence, and career stage — nuances that general content cannot fully address.
For decisions specific to your situation — particularly around student loan strategy, disability insurance structuring, contract negotiation, and investment planning — Dr. Dunigan recommends working with a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisor who specializes in physician clients.
The goal of this site is not to replace professional guidance. It is to make sure you walk into those conversations informed enough to ask the right questions and recognize when you're getting the right answers.
Have a Question or Feedback?
We want to hear from you — whether it's a content suggestion, a factual correction, or a topic you'd like us to cover next.
customersupport@medmoneyguide.com