Finances 101
ADA resources, member benefits support dentists’ financial needs
While dental school prepares dentists for the clinical practice of dentistry, they are often left to figure out the finances of paying off student loans, buying a practice and more on their own.
Below are some resources and member benefits from the American Dental Association that new dentists may find helpful as they manage their personal and professional finances. Dentists can access them at ADA.org/money unless otherwise noted.
• Student loan refinancing: KeyBank, which is endorsed by ADA Member Advantage for student loan refinancing, offers ADA members a 0.3% interest rate reduction for the life of a loan as well as an additional 0.25% rate discount when monthly payments are made automatically from a bank account. Members can also schedule a free 30-minute student loan consultation with KeyBank experts.
• Practice financing solutions: Panacea Financial, which is endorsed by ADA Member Advantage as the exclusive practice finance provider for ADA members, offers financing options for starting, building or growing a dental practice. Members get a 0.25% interest rate discount — up to $1,750 annually — and $0 origination fees — a $3,570 value — on any practice loan.
• ADA Credit Union: ADA Credit Union offers financial services — including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, personal and automobile loans and financial coaching — to ADA member dentists, their teams and their family members. The Association launched ADA Credit Union in October 2025 in collaboration with BCU, an award-winning, member-owned credit union backed by 45 years of experience.
• Managing finances: “Guidelines for Practice Success: Managing Finances,” available for free to members in the ADA Store, offers tips on managing a practice’s revenue and expenses and provides a framework for handling the business side of a practice with consistency and predictability.
• Business plans: “Components of a Business Plan,” also available for free to members in the ADA Store, outlines the main components of a business plan in detail. Dentists can use this to build a business plan for their own practices.
• Financial foundations: The “Financial Foundations for the New Dentist” webpage from ADA Member Advantage features resources to help new dentists manage their finances and chart their path toward financial peace of mind. The resources address budgeting and saving, finding a practice lender and understanding credit scores.
• Practice growth: Another ADA Member Advantage webpage — “Growing and Updating Your Practice” — highlights resources for purchasing, expanding or renovating a dental practice. They tackle assessing expansion readiness, understanding financing options and choosing the right lending partner.
• Saving for retirement: The ADA Members Retirement Program from Equitable has been endorsed by the ADA for more than 50 years to help member dentists and their team members save for retirement. Through the program, dentists get access to a free consultation and reduced-cost 401(k) plans.
• Members insurance: ADA Insurance Brokered by Alliant, underwritten by Protective, offers coverage exclusively for dentists and dental students. The plans include special members only group rates.
• Travel discounts: Looking for fun outside the office? ADA members also have access to various discounts on group trips, cruises, hotels and car rentals when they travel.
