The Power Forward Pod
Dangerous income: earn big, plan bigger
Host Ruvin Levavi and original PFG member Chris DeVito discuss the "dangerous income" of a big law salary. They explore how a high income can create a false sense of security and lead to a single-goal-oriented focus on your career, rather than on your overall financial picture.
Key discussion points include:
- The Big Law Dilemma: While a quarter-million-dollar starting salary seems like a lot, expenses and bills can quickly add up, making the income feel "dangerous".
- Lifestyle Creep: As attorneys advance in their careers and their income increases, their savings rate often stays the same, while their lifestyle and expenses grow. This makes it harder to save later on and to make up for lost time.
- The Inversion of Financial Goals: The first financial benefit people often get from a corporate job is a retirement account like a 401(k), but a 22-year-old is more likely to be thinking about paying off student loans or buying a house than they are about retirement.
- Being Intentional: The solution to dangerous income is to be intentional with your finances. By automating savings and periodically checking in on your financial plan, you can avoid the "get to it tomorrow" trap. Carving out a little time for yourself, about an hour and 45 minutes a year, to work with an advisor on a financial plan can help you become a buyer of your own time and lifestyle, rather than a renter





Subscribe