I don’t talk about myself much, to others in conversation, or on this blog in writing. I’m happy to talk about Old Money values, or discuss culture, history, philosophy, or current events. I have a keen interest in style–I would not call it fashion–and a passion for public policy–which I would not call politics. As … More Motive and Opportunity
Financial analysts and newspaper headlines are warning about another recession. It’s been awhile–over 10 years in fact–since the economy suddenly contracted and left many Americans of all income levels in no small amount of pain. It was 2007. The stock market tanked. Unemployment spiked. Homes were lost. Portfolios ravaged. Many people were forced to rethink … More Are You Ready for a Downturn?
Mia Taylor at The Simple Dollar reached out to me a few weeks ago for her piece on Financial Preparedness. The Checklist she details is a solid one, and I was happy to offer my small contribution. You can read her article HERE. Is there anything else you’d add to it? Anything you have an … More Old Money, Simple Dollar
Journalist Geoff Williams spoke with a entrepreneurs, psychologists, wealth managers–and me–last week about when (and how) parents should stop giving their children money. His logic in wanting to speak with me was straightforward: Old Money families obviously know something about how to handle this issue, or there wouldn’t be any money left. He had some … More The Huffington Post Talks Old Money
I had a recent conversation with a friend of mine. We discussed retail purchases and I confessed that I bought a volume of wool socks from LL Bean in a single order. He was shocked. He thought it went against my philosophy of thrift. I explained: first, when I buy ten pairs of socks from … More Why I Buy 10 Pairs of Socks at One Time
The following article appeared on the Ivy Style blog in 2008, during the pitch black months of the financial crisis. The blog’s founder, Christian Chensvold, promotes the ‘Ivy Style’ wardrobe and to a lesser extent its corresponding values. His article here is interesting: he makes the astute observation that the American economy is largely kept … More The Lost Money Look…10 Years On
An American friend was in Paris for a couple of days last week. He’s an avid outdoorsman. (I am an avid ‘cafe-doorsman’, sitting near the side door of the Saint Regis most mornings as the city wakes up.) He’s in his mid-60s now, working on a 4th or 5th investment/startup, throwing some cash and much … More Never Summit
We talk a lot on this blog about how to dress and how to behave. Traditional, discreet clothing and manners are two of our big talking points, and I’m delighted by the enthusiastic support our readers give to these topics. However, I’ve received a couple of emails recently from well-intentioned young people who are asking … More Old Money Attribute: The Work Ethic
A recent round of ‘reply all’ emails among classmates of mine brought up a common issue: how to handle financial issues with aging parents. A couple of classmates who make up my ‘crew’ from 40-plus years ago in school are now are now addressing the inevitable and unenviable task of managing their parents money. The … More Parenting the Parents
Work. Earn. Save. Invest. Spend. In that order. BGT