Full Show: Is the Middle Class Shrinking? & the Quiet Power of Dividend Growth

Описание: The middle class is shrinking — but perhaps not for the reason you’ve been told. While headlines often paint a bleak picture of economic decline, the underlying data reveals a much more complex and surprising transformation. Wes Moss dives into the "missing" middle class, using recent data to uncover where those families have actually gone since 1979. Also, Wes pulls back the curtain on a hidden force in the stock market: the math of dividend durability. While many investors are distracted by flashy price targets, they are overlooking a component that has historically accounted for over a third of the market's total return. Wes breaks down why a company’s dividend policy is one of the most reliable signals of financial strength and how the "quiet persistence" of dividend growth has consistently outpaced inflation for over sixty years.

Plus, Christa shares your #AskWes questions and Wes gives his take. All this and more on the January 27, 2026, Ask an Advisor episode of the Clark Howard podcast. Submit your questions: https://clark.com/ask

00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Is the Middle Class Shrinking?
07:47 - Ask an Advisor - Is three months of emergency savings enough given stable jobs, a pension covering half of expenses, and long-term disability insurance, or should we still aim for six months? (Alli)
10:08 - Ask an Advisor - What type of financial advisor can help build a plan without taking control of our money, and what red flags should we watch for when choosing one? (Daniel)
16:49 - Ask an Advisor - Does gold still provide diversification and low correlation during a major stock market correction, or does it tend to fall alongside stocks? (Ron)
18:56 - The Quiet Power of Dividend Growth
27:10 - Ask an Advisor - Why would a brokerage refuse an in-kind transfer of an investment club’s holdings to an individual account, and are there alternatives to manage capital gains more efficiently? (Michael)
31:10 - Ask an Advisor - When retirement targets are quoted as a dollar amount, how should factors like marital status, retirement age, Social Security, and other income be accounted for? (Dana)
35:20 - Ask an Advisor - Is dollar-cost averaging still the best approach for most investors, or does waiting for market downturns—like Warren Buffett—make sense for individuals? (Gary)


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