Practice financing decoded: what owners need to know now about how banks think about deals

Practice financing decoded: what owners need to know now about how banks think about deals

May 18, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 393

About this episode

In this episode, Adam Cmejla and Mike Smith discuss the lending process for optometrists and what banks look for in borrowers.

Thinking about buying or expanding a practice, but nervous about debt, banks, or making an expensive mistake? In today's episode, I'm joined by Mike Smith of Bank of America to demystify the lending process for optometrists. We break down what banks actually look for in a borrower, how student loans and cash reserves really factor in, why tax returns matter more than stories, and the common traps buyers and sellers fall into when financing a deal. If utilizing OPM, other peoples' money like a bank's, is on your radar (now or in the future), this conversation can save you time, money, and unnecessary stress. Resources: Book a Triage call with Adam Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here! Check out Adam's other podcast! The Optometry Success Podcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Cmejla

Guest: Mike Smith

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bank of America

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