- America’s Safest Suburbs – 2023 Study
People often opt to move to the suburbs for myriad reasons – space, affordability, schools, employment and sometimes to seek safety. Violent and nonviolent crime rates, roadway safety, and drug and alcohol abuse within a community can affect the quality… read more…
- 60% of Financial Advisors Use or Are Interested in Using ChatGPT – 2023 Survey
While the onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, has proven to be a sudden and bumpy transition, financial advisors – among many other industries – have eagerly begun trying to fit the technology into their practices. The AI chatbot has the ability to interface with clients and prospects while analyzing data and drafting memos. Still, many… read more…
- Secure 2.0: How Super-Catch-Up Contributions Can Grow Your Retirement
Catch-up contributions allow people age 50 and older to save extra money in their retirement accounts. These additional savings are currently capped at $7,500 per year, but some workers will soon be eligible to save more money for retirement… read more…
- Where High Earners Lose The Most To Taxes and Cost of Living — 2023 Study
An annual income of $250,000 won’t put you in the top 1% of earners, but it will get you close to it. That’s because only 7% of households in the United States earn $250,000 per year1. How far that income… read more…
- Best Cities to Ride Out a Recession – 2023 Study
While there is a lot of debate on whether the U.S. will enter a recession – or if it’s already in one – some models have projected a likelihood as high as 99.3%1. While no one can predict the future,… read more…
- Best Places for New College Grads – 2023 Study
College graduates are under immense pressure to land a job right out of college, especially during economic downturns, when the job market may be less stable. However, it’s not just the job itself graduates have to think about. Figuring out… read more…
- Financial Advisors Reveal How Investors Should Prepare for Potential U.S. Debt Default – 2023 Survey
If Congress doesn’t opt to raise or extend the nation’s debt limit, the United States may run out of the money needed to pay its bills. With this deadline approaching as early as June 1, SmartAsset asked financial advisors what they think will happen if the U.S. defaults and what they recommend clients do to prepare For… read more…
- Nearly 4 in 5 Advisors Say the U.S. Economy Is in a Recession – Or Will Be Within the Year – 2023 Survey
- Wedding Waitlist: How Long It Takes to Save for the Big Day – 2023 Study
The average American wedding costs between $10,000 and $28,000. Some couples will spend up to $100,000 for a lavish event – or more. But the cost of a wedding doesn’t only depend on the couple and their tastes: It also depends on your location. To find where wedding costs are most and least expensive, SmartAsset… read more…
- Buy vs. Rent: A Comparison of Housing Costs in U.S. Cities – 2023 Study
Potential homeowners may feel left in the dust with recent increases in costs and interest rates. But with the right combination of factors in some U.S. cities, the costs of homeownership may actually be less than the cost of renting,… read more…
- Best Zoom Towns in the U.S. – 2023 Study
The modern worker in 2023 has more options than ever before. Forty-one percent of workers are still fully remote or in a hybrid role1, which means people can opt to settle down in places that can offer a little reprieve from high living costs. This has given rise to a new moniker to describe the… read more…
- How Important Is Social Security to Retirees in U.S. Cities? 2023 Study
When inflation surges and cash loses its purchasing power, retirees’ hard-earned savings suddenly don’t go as far as they expected. Inflation may also lead to widespread salary increases, but retirees typically don’t benefit from wage growth because they’ve already left… read more…
- 20%, 10% or 5%? How Your Down Payment Affects the Rest of Your Finances
When interest rates were low and stocks were on a tear, the demand for American homes pushed prices to unprecedented heights1. Down payments have also risen, but the median down payment of 14% is still well below the traditional standard… read more…
- $300K Is the ‘New $100K’ in NYC. Here’s How Taxes and Costs Affect U.S. Cities – 2023 Study
- What It Takes to Be Middle Class in America’s Largest Cities – 2023 Study
The middle class has long been considered the backbone of the American economy. But the American middle class is shrinking. The percentage of adults living in middle-income households in the United States fell by more than 10 percentage points over… read more…
- Where Your Tax Dollars Go: States Most Dependent on the Federal Government – 2023 Study
In 2022, the federal government spent $6.27 trillion1. Most of the government’s revenue comes from taxes collected from individuals and businesses across the U.S. Though taxes are mostly collected by the federal government, individual states are primary recipients of that… read more…
- Where Americans Write Off the Most in Taxes – 2023 Study
With the April 18 tax deadline looming, Americans must choose between itemizing deductions or taking the standard deduction to reduce their tax obligations and pocket as much money as possible. Since the standard deduction was nearly doubled in 2018 as… read more…
- Where Retirees Are Moving – 2023 Study
Fixed incomes can’t go as far for retirees with the current pressures from high inflation and a volatile stock market. For some, relocating to a cheaper or more tax-friendly part of the country may no longer be a matter of preference,… read more…
- Should You Delay Social Security During a Down Market or Take It at 62?
Down markets can present a difficult decision for new retirees. On one hand, withdrawing money from the market during a downturn can lock in investment losses, wreaking havoc on the longevity of their retirement plan. Conversely, avoiding portfolio withdrawals early… read more…
- Where People Are Buying Second Homes – 2023 Edition
There’s often more risk involved when purchasing a second home than with a first home. Potential buyers may depend on rental cashflows, be wary of potential natural disasters, and be concerned about maintaining the property from a distance. And in a particularly volatile… read more…
- Best Housing Markets for Growth and Stability – 2023 Edition
Gone are the days of a sub-3% mortgage, commonplace during the housing market boom of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage rates have steadily increased since the Federal Reserve started hiking interest rates in March 2022 to combat inflation. As a result,… read more…
- What a Roommate Saves You in 50 U.S. Cities – 2023 Edition
Renters in many parts of the country are feeling the effects of inflation. Renting a home costs an average of 8.6% more in January 2023 than 12 months earlier, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. As a potential stopgap, renters might consider sharing their home with a roommate to help lower monthly housing expenses.… read more…
- Where Residents Are Hurting the Most Financially – 2023 Edition
For nearly two years, inflation has hit Americans where it hurts most: their wallets. Despite a strong labor market, a higher percentage of American families are struggling to make ends meet today when compared with two years ago. In early… read more…
- What $100,000 Is Actually Worth in the Largest U.S. Cities – 2023 Study
Seen as a sign of success and financial comfort, a six-figure salary has long been an important milestone for American workers. But the times have changed and $100,000 isn’t quite what it used to be, especially as rampant inflation continues… read more…
- Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in the 25 Largest Metro Areas – 2023 Edition
It’s hard to feel financially stable when the cost of living continues to take a bigger bite out of your budget. While salaries increased 5.1% between December 2021 and December 2022, wage growth couldn’t keep up with inflation, which averaged 8% in 2022. Ultimately, inflation has affected everything from the cost of housing to the… read more…