- “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
- “We have learned that when families place their valuables ahead of their values, they will end up with neither. We believe that the most important inheritance your children will receive from you comes while you are still alive. It is embedded in your everyday life. It is made up of the values you learned from important people in your own life. This is an inheritance you live and model to your family, friends, co-workers, and the community of people and organizations who make up your world. In short, we are dedicated to seeing that more families don’t become part of “the ninety percent” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 8
- “Tradition is a powerful concept. It reminds us of our duty to family, community, country, and faith. It provides a framework for our routines and rituals, from weddings and funerals to our daily conduct of business. It provides important cultural and historical cohesion.” “Adam Smith summed it up over two hundred years ago in this landmark book The Wealth of Nations, “Riches, in spite of the most violent regulations of law to prevent their dissipation, very seldom remain long in the same family.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 28
- “Rituals around holidays are especially meaningful when they include the value of giving. This can be as simple as donating a book to the library on each family member’s birthday or delivering a turkey to a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. Some families host an annual Christmas cookie party where everyone brings coats and warm clothing for global aid programs. Other families have created a Mother’s Day tradition of doing a good deed for someone else’s mother.” Remmer, “Raising Children with Philanthropic Values“
- “Monica McGoldrick writes about the priority of family stories in her book, You Can Go Home Again: Reconnecting with your family.’We are born not just into our family, but into our family’s stories, which both nourish and sometimes cripple us. And when we die, the stories of our lives become part of our family’s web of meaning. Family stories tend to be told to remind members of the family’s cherished beliefs. We sing of the heroes and even the villains whose daring the family admires. Taping or writing down the stories of older family members can bring a richness to our search for perspective on family that cannot be achieved in any other way.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 2-3