Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith serves as Portfolio Manager at Rather & Kittrell in Knoxville, TN, where he oversees investment strategy, leads the firm’s Investment Committee, and authors regular investment commentary for clients. His responsibilities include portfolio construction, asset allocation, and optimizing tax efficiency for a broad client base, with a particular focus on both retirement accounts and taxable investment portfolios. Nathan’s investment expertise spans a range of asset classes, most notably equities and fixed income, and he emphasizes evidence-based, long-term approaches to wealth management. His commentary and firm philosophy prioritize optimizing asset location for tax efficiency, the role of bonds for risk management, and the use of both active and passive investment strategies tailored to client needs.

Prior to joining Rather & Kittrell in 2015, Nathan held senior roles including Manager of Portfolio Trading Operations at PYA Waltman Capital and Risk Analyst at Vectren, where he developed his skills in portfolio risk analysis, trading operations, and quantitative investment approaches. He brings nearly two decades of experience in financial services, portfolio management, and investment analysis.

Nathan holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Engineering/Industrial Management from Purdue University, providing him with a robust analytical foundation for portfolio management and complex financial modeling. Throughout his career, he has contributed to industry thought leadership, particularly in portfolio tax strategies and evidence-based investing disciplines.