Posts by W.A. Smith Financial

One of the first discussions a young couple may have when starting a family is about affordability. How will they pay for child care? Will one spouse quit their job to stay home and raise the child? Here are a couple of interesting facts that may enter that equation:1   The average income for first-time…

Between 1926 and 2018, the S&P 500 experienced double-digit annual losses only 11 times. Not only did the market recover, but the index has never permanently lost ground in any rolling 15-year period during that timeframe.1   While past performance is no guarantee of future results, that bit of history is good for stock investors…

According to IRS estimates, taxpayers collectively pay about 82 percent of taxes they legitimately owe. This amounts to about $458 billion annually in lost taxes, based on data from 2008 to 2010.1   Of course, we do not recommend strategies to avoid legitimate tax liabilities. However, it is important to stay current with the constantly…

Financial literacy has always been a challenge. However, now that much of the burden of retirement income has shifted to employees instead of employers, it is all the more important that we begin teaching the principles of saving and investing to people as early as possible.1 In a recent survey, 44 percent of Americans said…

In 1985, only 10 percent of people aged 65 and older were either in the workforce or job hunting. Today, that share has doubled, for a couple of reasons. First, fewer 65-year-olds have enough money to retire. Second, the number of people in this demographic with a college degree has more than doubled (53 percent…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just for Amazon’s Alexa anymore. Health care patients are starting to see more mainstream uses of AI-enabled tools, such as:1 Robot-assisted surgery Virtual nursing assistants that stay in contact with both patients and providers Connected health management devices that you can download on your smartphone, wear on your body or…

Today, more Americans are getting their life insurance through their employer rather than purchasing a policy on the individual market, according to LIMRA, an industry market research firm.1 At the same time, fewer employers are offering life insurance as a benefit. LIMRA research showed 23 percent fewer employers offered life insurance in 2017 compared with 2006.2…

These days people are more transient, less grounded by geographical roots and familial connections. Perhaps we have become more willing to move when life throws us lemons — choosing to make lemonade somewhere else. Economists track migration trends, and cities watch such data closely. One recent study by real estate brokerage Redfin revealed that the…

From the beginning, President Donald Trump’s economic policies have intended to put “America first.” Since the ultimate goal of such policies is to strengthen America’s economic growth, solve for domestic issues and make the nation more secure, it’s worth a review of how well policy changes are working toward those goals. According to the World…

General Motors recently announced the pending closure of three U.S. assembly plants and the discontinuation of six cars made at those plants. While large sedans are no longer big sellers in the United States, they remain popular in China, and GM will continue to manufacture them there.1 China is GM’s largest market; the automaker sells…