On this day 245 years ago, the Second Continental Congress signed a declaration that the 13 American colonies were no longer under British rule.  That feisty letter—which our forefathers sent “across the pond” to King George—effectively said, “As of today, we are free to build and become a different kind of nation.”  We call the […]

Here’s a shocker: Forbes estimates that nearly two out of three Americans do not have a will. No clear instructions for survivors. No written record of “Here’s how I want my property distributed.” Even the “rich and famous” are part of this will-less majority. The artist known as Prince died without a will. So did […]

On Father’s Day we honor the dads who make the world a better, richer place.  I should probably define terms. Some guys are “just-a-father.” That is, they made a strategic biological connection with a specific obstetric result. That’s it. Then they disappeared. The legacy of these “just-a-fathers” is grim. Did you know children in father […]

In a celebrity culture like ours, the “rich and famous” get most of the attention. The freak athlete. The shrewd mogul. The talented entertainer. The mesmerizing author. The successful investor. The flamboyant reality star. Through some combination of genetic gifting, hard work, and dumb luck, these few lucky souls have managed to hit it big. […]

Here’s a fun, indoor thing to do on the next rainy day. Type the question “What do people fear most?” into your preferred search engine and look at the results. We humans are scared of all sorts of things: failure, change, heights, snakes, the dark, giving speeches, being alone, being confined in small spaces, being […]

In my column last week I introduced the idea that the wealthy know a “secret” the rest of us don’t.  It’s the idea that success—financial or otherwise—doesn’t come because of a single grand action. Rather, it’s the result of a thousand small steps and smart habits. Perhaps you remember the nineties business book Built to […]