Where Americans Are Broke — 2026 Study
Having a negative net worth means a household owes more than it owns, and high debt relative to assets is associated with greater perceived depression, more stress and poorer health. For nearly two decades before the Great Recession, the share of U.S. households whose debts equaled or exceeded their assets held fairly steady, then rose… read more…
I’m 72 With a Year Left Before RMDs. Here’s How I’m Shrinking Them Now.
At 72, you may find yourself one year away from required minimum distributions (RMDs), but that narrow window could still offer an opportunity to reduce future mandatory withdrawals. Converting part of a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) to a Roth IRA or taking a voluntary distribution before they begin may help lower your balance. The… read more…
How to Transition or Sell Your Book of Business When You Retire
Transition planning for financial advisors involves deciding how clients, staff and the value of a practice will be handled when an advisor retires. Depending on the advisor’s goals, that may mean selling the book of business to another advisor or firm, transitioning clients to an internal successor or using a combination of both approaches. The… read more…
I Inherited a House Worth $400,000. An Appraisal Could Save Roughly $7,500 in Capital Gains Tax.
Inheriting a house can give you a step-up in basis, potentially reducing capital gains tax when you sell it. To support that tax treatment, you generally need documentation showing what the home was worth when the previous owner died. On a $400,000 home, a timely appraisal could save you $7,500 in federal capital gains tax.… read more…
Editor's Picks
CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?
Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…
6 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm
Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…
What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?
If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…
Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties
If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…
Data Articles and Studies
Where Americans Are Broke — 2026 Study
Having a negative net worth means a household owes more than it owns, and high debt relative to assets is associated with greater perceived depression, more stress and poorer health. For nearly two decades before the Great Recession, the share of U.S. households whose debts equaled or exceeded their assets held fairly steady, then rose… read more…
Where Wages are Growing — and Falling — in Texas
Everything’s bigger in Texas, but when it comes to income, some parts of the Lone Star State are more synonymous with Texas-sized paychecks than others. Economic opportunity can vary sharply by county, shaping how far earnings go and where workers see the strongest gains. SmartAsset compared average weekly wages for private-sector workers across 252 of… read more…
How Much Do You Need to Earn to Be in the Top 1% in Your State in 2026?
Fewer than two million American households rank among the top 1% of earners. When examined by state, the income needed to join this group varies dramatically. In some places, households can enter the top 1% at income levels that fall well below the threshold elsewhere, reflecting an uneven landscape of wages and wealth. SmartAsset analyzed… read more…
Where AI Could Reshape the Most Jobs — 2026 Study
SmartAsset used the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data to calculate the percent of each state’s workforce employed in 26 positions classified at the highest risk of potential AI disruption according to June 2026 research by the Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division. The results show where potential AI-related job disruption is most concentrated across the United States.
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