Being Wise in a Smart World
These days, it seems like everything’s getting smarter. Smart phones, smart cars, smart appliances, smart technology.
Maybe we take things like this for granted, but you can start typing any phrase into Google, and the computer will finish it for you. That’s pretty darn smart.
Unfortunately, our increasingly smart world creates a host of new problems that accompany all the advantages. For example, these innovations are more vulnerable to security and privacy hacking1 and could be more costly to maintain and repair.
After all, who do you call when you can’t turn off your smart oven remotely with your cellphone? Your cellphone carrier, internet provider or an appliance repair company?
In New York City, they’ve launched smart sidewalks — kiosks where passers-by can charge their phones or look up information on a tablet with internet access.2 But like many new innovations, there are unintended consequences, like people blasting music from the computer at all hours and even looking up inappropriate content at city intersections.3
Unfortunately, even members of the younger generation who have grown up with smart technology, are graduating college and finding it difficult to land jobs that utilize all this smart technology. Some have lamented that recent graduates lack the knowledge and skills they need to land a job and succeed at their new careers.4
You would hope some things, like your oven and your cellphone, wouldn’t require professional assistance. Your finances, however, may be another matter. As a financial professional, we are here to help you create a retirement income strategy through the use of insurance products that will help you work toward your long-term retirement goals.
Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.
1 Amanda Razani. Readwrite. July 14, 2016. “IoT and problems: The issues that bedevil any new tech.” http://readwrite.com/2016/07/14/iot-and-problems-the-concerns-that-arise-with-iot-pt2/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2016.
2 Amanda Razani. Readwrite. July 20, 2016. “New York’s sidewalks get a smart upgrade.” http://readwrite.com/2016/07/20/new-yorks-sidewalks-get-a-smart-upgrade-ct4/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2016.
3 Joshua Brustein. Bloomberg. Sept. 14, 2016. “Building a Smart City? Have You Thought About Porn and Privacy?” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-15/building-a-smart-city-have-you-thought-about-porn-and-privacy. Accessed Sept. 23, 2016.
4 Karsten Strauss. Forbes. May 17, 2016. “These Are The Skills Bosses Say New College Grads Do Not Have.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2016/05/17/these-are-the-skills-bosses-say-new-college-grads-do-not-have/#c6ac420596eb. Accessed Oct. 25, 2016.
This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.
The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.
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