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Where there is internet, is there more prosperity? Generally speaking, yes. It costs much more to lay fiber to outlying communities than it does in larger metropolitan areas, which may contribute to the growing geographical discrepancy between income, education and even health care. Some places, like Indiana, hope to bring rural areas up to speed…

According to a telecommunications study of 50 billion telephone calls over an 18-month period, nearly four percent of calls in 2017 were fraudulent. In 2018, that number jumped to 29 percent of all calls. At that pace, the number of fraudulent calls is expected to rise to 44 percent of all calls in 2019.1 You…

Even if you aren’t familiar with bots, you’ve likely come into contact with many of these forms of artificial intelligence, or AI. Bots are applications that perform automated tasks such as setting alarms, relaying weather forecasts or conducting online search for travel deals. Many smart phones come equipped with personal-service bots, such as the iPhone’s…

The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the U.S. an overall infrastructure grade of D+. Throughout the next decade, it will take more than $4.5 trillion to fix our aging infrastructure — including upgrades to roads, mass transit, wastewater treatment plants and the electrical grid.1 We’ve reached the mission-critical stage. One industry analyst observed,…

Hearing a familiar song from a happy period in your life, such as childhood, can instantly make you feel joyful. It’s as if you’re right back there — toe tapping, head bopping and singing along. Just as with our sight, smell and taste senses, positive auditory memories can enhance mood and transport us back to…

Consider these questions for a moment: Have your outlook and attitude toward politics and culture changed over the years? Or are you the same as always? If you were a conservative young adult, do you hold the same beliefs today? If you were a rebel as a youngster, are you still? Or have you mellowed…

Before today’s modern medicine, people usually died of three things: injury, infections or some type of nutritional deficiency.1 Painkillers may have come in the form of herbal tea or some other applied root, so pain was a fact of life. Life expectancy was much shorter than today, and people often died suddenly or after a…

One of the perks of retirement is having the time to pursue new interests. If you’ve always dreamed of starting your own business, retirement could provide the perfect opportunity. It’s a good idea to get a financial checkup before you go full bore into entrepreneurship. We’re happy to help clients review their current retirement income…

In his first year in office, President Trump has promoted his “America first” philosophy. This new focus, with its trade protectionism and tough stance on immigration, has somewhat changed the U.S. narrative on a world scale.1 Considering this new emphasis on America first, perhaps it’s worth looking at how the U.S. ranks on the world…

There is little doubt that Medicare and Social Security are important programs that help older Americans in retirement, particularly now that so many are living beyond previous life expectancy rates. In fact, past models for savings rates may be failing many older Americans, who represent the only demographic seeing significant increases in poverty rates in…