Alexander Smith is an expert on behavioral economics (or the psychology of decision-making) and personal finance. Specifically, he seeks to help students and the public understand how interwoven behavioral economics and personal finance are. He can speak about how biases in judgment and decision-making, such as competing long-term goals and short-term rewards, can make it difficult for people to stick to the basic principles of personal finance and money management. His expertise was featured in the New York Times' Frugal Traveler column in a piece on the use of buy-now-pay-later financing in the travel industry.

Smith works with students to provide them with advice on how to manage their money and navigate the challenges that might push them off-course from their long-term financial strategies. He suggests finding and utilizing commitment devices and tapping into internal and external motivation to stay on course.