Host Meredith Lowry sits down with Sarah Catherine Gutierrez of Aptus Financial to discuss the psychology of "caveman brain" spending, the truth about "golden handcuffs," and why every person in America needs to know their personal savings rate.

• Aptus Financial’s Mission: The firm focuses on helping clients, particularly young physicians, "pay themselves first" and invest in tax-efficient ways.
• Accessibility: Traditionally, financial advice required significant wealth, but Sarah Catherine targets clients as "broke as possible" to help them avoid major mistakes early in their careers.
• The Physician Trap: Many high-earning doctors graduate and immediately inflate their lifestyles with expensive homes and cars, eventually living paycheck to paycheck despite $500,000+ salaries. This financial "entrapment" is a primary driver of professional burnout.

The "Save 10" Philosophy

• The Golden Number: Sarah Catherine advocates that everyone should know their "savings rate"—specifically saving 10% of their income—to earn the right to stop working one day.
• Golden Handchecks: This term refers to being forced to stay in a job you dislike because you are dependent on the next paycheck.
• The Power of Automation: To combat the natural "caveman brain" (basal ganglia) that wants to spend immediately, Sarah Catherine recommends "paying yourself first" by having savings automatically deducted before they even hit a checking account.

Modernizing Retirement Plans

• Language Barriers: Sarah Catherine argues that the 401k system fails many because it relies on jargon and tax codes (e.g., 401k, 403b, vesting) rather than simple language.
• The "Bucket" Concept: She reframes retirement accounts as "buckets" where employers literally put a pile of cash for the employee’s future.
• Overcoming Gender Tropes: The podcast addresses the historical exclusion of women from finance (noting that women couldn't get credit cards independently until 1974) and emphasizes that women are excellent savers once they take ownership of their money.

Tactical Advice: "But First Save 10"

• Payroll Deductions: Most payroll departments can easily split a direct deposit into multiple accounts.
• High-Yield Savings: Utilizing accounts like Ally or American Express for automated deposits helps build a "pile of confidence" for emergencies or business opportunities.
• Physician-Specific Savings: High earners often need to save 20% to 30% because they start their careers later and rely less on Social Security to replace their income.

Upcoming Books

• But First Save 10: Aimed at median-income earners, focusing on the simple move of saving 10%.
• Hi Doc, Meet Money: Scheduled for release in mid-April, this book provides a specific framework for physicians and high earners to calculate their long-term savings rates.