Wrapping up our year, we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out on our most read blog posts of 2017. We also want to say a big “Thank You!” for reading, sharing, and dialoguing with us along the way. If you have any suggestions for future topics, send them to us at [email protected]. 6
Author: Stephen Boatman
Stephen has been investing for over 10 years and has always had a passion for helping others understand money and teaching them how their hard earned assets can be leveraged to meet their financial goals. Stephen has understood how wealth management and financial planning can change lives ever since he was in his teenage years thanks to his parents ensuring he was well versed in the topic. Within this realization, he discovered his purpose: making a positive difference in the lives he is surrounded by and the financial industry he works in.
Annual Financial Checklist (January through April)
Anticipating the start of the swim portion of Raleigh’s 2017 Half Ironman, 99 strangers and I waded into Jordan lake. Five hours of grueling effort and quad cramps later, I finished the race to the sound of crowds chanting my name. Ok…maybe not the “crowds chanting my name” part, but I crossed the finish line. The only
Is Social Security Going Bankrupt?
In short, yes. But don’t take our word for it: as seen in their 2017 annual report, the Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees “project that the combined trust funds will be depleted in 2034“. However, the Social Security Administration and Congress have a few “levers” they can pull to extend this 2034 date
A Semester Of Econ In 30 Minutes
If you’ve ever pretended to know what “deflation” is then keep reading. Ray Dalio started his investment company, Bridgewater Associates, at age 26 out of his apartment. After forty years of investing, Bridgewater now manages around $160 Billion. Normally you have to go to college and sit through hours of lectures to grasp a 10,000
What Is a Life Settlement?
Imagine you’re cleaning out your attic and run across a box of dusty old books. You decide it’s not worth the time and effort to sell them, so you take the whole box to the dump. That same night, you happen to update your mom on your completed to-do list, making sure to include all
6 Financial Commandments for Twenty Somethings
For the last 5 years I’ve had the privilege of mentoring a few young men. And by mentor, I mean they are younger and more interesting than me so I tag along on their trips and we share life together (I’m talking about you Tice, Tom, and Pearce). I wanted to write a letter of
Student Loans: The Best Tools (Part 2 of 2)
The following is the second in a two part series on school debt. See our first part here. Now What? As we mentioned in our previous post (Student Loans: Assess the Situation), the first step to paying off student loans is to know what you have. After you fully comprehend what your debt is, you can
Student Loans: Assess the Situation (Part 1 of 2)
It is near impossible to cover every student loan situation, payback option and variable in an individual’s life with a blog post. I recommend using the information below as a starting point and combining it with personal knowledge of yourself and your resources to mount a plan of attack for your scenario. Navy Seals and
The Best Way To Spend Money On Healthcare
In life there are people that show up to work, do a great job, and go home without much fanfare: much like Tim Duncan. Tim (I wish we were on a first name basis) reminds me of a Health Savings Account (HSA) because he outperforms his peers consistently but is widely underappreciated. With an HSA the
Giving Back: Donor Advised Fund (Part 3 of 3)
This is the third in a three part series on charitable giving. At Smith Partners Wealth Management, we love Giving Back and see it as part of our every day mission. You can read more about what we have learned and what we value on our “Lessons in Giving Back” page. Why Use a Donor