I recently sat down with international wealth manager Bogumil Baranowski to discuss Old Money concepts and how they relate to the preservation of wealth…and living a richer life. Bogumil is a unique position when it comes to Old Money: he advises families who have had money for hundreds of years, as well as individuals who … More Talking Billions: My Interview with Wealth Manager Bogumil Baranowski
It’s inevitable that we accumulate material possessions. We need to be sheltered, clothed, fed, and nurtured, so we buy or rent a house or an apartment and fill it with furniture. We buy pots and pans so we can cook. We purchase clothes which will, at minimum, keep us protected from the elements. We purchase … More Pretend You’re Moving
Living in Paris, of course I interact daily with French people, many of the Parisians. This important distinction is necessary because Parisians are French, but obviously not all French are Parisians. Parisians are a unique breed: they are separate and apart, not just from their fellow countrymen, but from anyone else on the planet. In … More The Two Sides of The Old Money Coin
In The Old Money Book, I talk about the importance of prioritizing Financial Independence: stacking up savings and investments before spending money on consumer products. Of course, this is not always easy. The cost of living seems to outpace salary increases. Kids need braces on their teeth. Automobiles need repairs. Houses need maintenance. Uncle Sam … More How To Address a Retail Addiction
As you probably know, The Old Money Book and the other Old Money titles I’ve written often address how America’s Upper Class behave in terms of manners, dress, spending, and lifestyle. I’ve detailed how anyone from any background can adopt these values, priorities, and habits in order to live a richer life. I’ve touched upon … More ‘Old Money’ Requires Money
I am not on Facebook and have only nominal involvement with Twitter. (These posts are tweeted out automatically…when my account is not suspended, as it is now, for some reason.) And I am an infrequent contributor of Paris photos on Instagram, but don’t hold your breath for the next pic. Most of the time I … More Anti-Social Media…From The Telegraph
One of the fascinating aspects of life here in France is the mystique of life on a French chateau. The phrase conjures up visions of verdant landscapes, towering stone turrets, the portraits of ancestors lining wood-paneled corridors, sipping a glass of champagne near a huge, roaring fireplace. A life of privacy, privilege, and ease. That’s … More The French Chateau: Myth and Reality
Our Foreign Corespondent David and I were recently discussing the minimalist lifestyle trend that has been gathering steam in recent years. The concept is to live with as few material possessions as possible. A Netflix documentary on the subject can be found HERE. As I mentioned to David, my wife and I came face to … More The Bare Minimum and Old Money
Maurice, one of our community’s longtime members, asked a question recently about the role of trust funds. Of course, the term is probably one of the first things most people think about when they hear the term ‘Old Money’, with a list running something like: preppy, trust fund, Volvo, Nantucket, gin and tonic, cardigan and … More Trust Me, We’ll Have Funds
A recent PBS Newshour segment is something I think provides tremendous insight and value, especially given current events. You can view it HERE. When you watch it, you’re going to notice a few topics that we’ve discussed here on the blog over the months and years. First is the prioritizing of Education, an Old Money … More The New 9.9 Percent Aristocracy