- “That is not to say that we dismiss the products or process of traditional estate planning outright; on the contrary, investments, trusts and other financial and legal instruments are, and always will be, the vehicle for the transmission of the things a family owns. But money is just a tool, as likely to separate families as it is to unify them. Your financial net worth is a statistic, not a legacy. To appreciate that fact is to understand that your family cannot be defined in terms of the things that you own; real estate valuations, spreadsheets, trust documents and bank account balances describe a condition, not a family. You and your children, your grandchildren and generations of your family yet unborn, can only be defined by the values, the traditions, the faith and the ethics which have shaped your unique family history for many years.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 7>
- “The discovery, articulation and incorporation of these core values into the framework of your estate planning is what The Heritage Process is all about. The whole concept of wealth is redefined to include not only money and other financial assets, but also the values, virtues and ethics that make life meaningful, fulfilling and ultimately successful. In this values-based planning process, money is still important, but only in its function as a resource to help perpetuate the values that will keep the family strong and prosperous for generations.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 46
- “In 2005, the Allianz Life Insurance Company surveyed baby boomers and their parents on a wide range of family and finance related issues. ‘Many people wrongly assume that the most important issue among families is money and wealth transfer- it’s not,’ said Ken Dychtwald, the survey designer. ‘Non-financial items that parents leave behind- like ethics, morals, faith, and religion- are ten times more important to both boomers and their parents than the financial aspects of inheritance. In fact, seventy-seven percent of those surveyed (age forty plus) said the most important inheritance they could receive or pass on would be values and lessons about life.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 76-77
- “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower)