#003 - The Wealthy Author
A father’s letter to his kid: The 9 money and life lessons most people learn too late in life.
Don’t want to read? No problem! You can listen to me reading the article to you by clicking the play button above.
Welcome to the 3rd edition of The Wealth Letters, a collection of insights from all walks of life on the pursuit of wealth, wisdom, and meaning.
If you haven’t done so, please read or listen to the manifesto before diving in to the collection, as it will give a clear vision of the project; the Who, What, and Why.
I challenge you to read or listen to this letter as if it is being written to you personally. Be willing to be vulnerable and open your mind to ideas and suggestions that have proven worthwhile in another’s journey. Do not blindly accept any and all advice given, but rather take in the information and distill it down to if & how it can be applied to YOU and your unique self.
Michael Jordan said that he imitated Dr. J.
Kobe Bryant said he studied and imitated Jordan.
But, they mixed in their own uniqueness.
While not everything will relate directly to one’s current situation at the exact moment, there may be some gems that will be worthwhile in time.
The following letter was written by Morgan Housel on June 19, 2020. The letter was written for his daughter, who was born on June 3rd, 2019. His letter was released to his readers on cnbc.
Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. His book, The Psychology of Money, has sold over two million copies and has been translated into 52 languages.
He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. He serves on the board of directors at Markel. Learn more about Morgan at MorganHousel.com.
Photo credit to MarketWatch
Objectives / Overview:
The role of chance in life
How to control time
Frugality
Little things still can equate to success
Living below your means
It’s okay to change your mind
Opportunity costs of decisions
Money vs. success
Due diligence on advice received
On June 3, 2019, my wife and I welcomed our daughter into the world. She’s barely old enough to walk, so her job (mostly eating and sleeping) hasn’t changed much.
But, one day, she’ll need some money and life advice. As a father who has spent much of his career studying and writing about money, behavioral finance and business, this is what I’ll tell her:
1. Don’t underestimate the role of chance in life.
It’s easy to assume that wealth and poverty are caused by the choices we make, but it’s even easier to underestimate the role of chance in life.
The families, values, countries and generations we’re born into, as well as the people we happen to meet along the way, all play a bigger role in our outcomes than most people want to admit.
While you should believe in the values and rewards of hard work, it’s also important to understand that not all success is a result of hard work, and that not all poverty is due to laziness. Keep this in mind when forming opinions about others, including yourself.
2. The highest dividend money pays is the ability to control time.
Being able to do what you want, when you want, where you want, with who you want and for as long as you want provides a lasting level of happiness that no amount of “fancy stuff” can ever offer.
The thrill of having fancy stuff wears off quickly. But a job with flexible hours and a short commute will never get old. Having enough savings to give you time and options during an emergency will never get old. Being able to retire when you want to will never get old.
Achieving independence is our ultimate goal in life. But independence isn’t an “all-or-nothing” — every dollar you save is like owning a slice of your future that might otherwise be managed by someone else, based on their priorities.
3. Don’t count on getting spoiled.
No one can grasp the value of a dollar without experiencing its scarcity, so while your mother and I will always do our best to support you, we’re not going to spoil you.
Learning that you can’t have everything you want is the only way to understand needs versus desires. This in turn will teach you about budgeting, saving, and valuing what you already have.
Knowing how to be frugal — without it hurting you — is an essential life skill that will come in handy during life’s inevitable ups and downs.
4. Success doesn’t always come from big actions.
Napoleon’s definition of a genius is the person “who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind.”
Managing money is the same. You don’t have to do amazing things to end up in a good place over time, you just have to consistently not screw up for long periods of time.
Avoiding catastrophic mistakes (the biggest of which is burying yourself in debt) is more powerful than any fancy financial tip.
5. Live below your means.
The ability to live with less is one of the most powerful financial levers, because you’ll have more control over it than things like your income or investment returns.
The person who makes $50,000 per year, but only needs $40,000 to be happy, is richer than the person who makes $150,000, but needs $151,000 to be happy. The investor who earns a 5% return, but has low expenses, may be better off than the investor who earns 7% a year, but needs every penny of it.
How much you make doesn’t determine how much you have, and how much you have doesn’t determine how much you need.
6. It’s okay to change your mind.
Almost no one has their life figured out by age 18, so it’s not the end of the world if you pick a major that you end up not enjoying. Or get a degree in a field that you’re not 100% passionate about. Or work in a career and later decide you want to do something else.
It’s okay to admit that your values and goals have evolved. Forgiving yourself for changing your mind is a superpower, especially when you’re young.
7. Everything has a price.
The price of a busy career is time away from friends and family. The price of long-term market returns is uncertainty and volatility. The price of spoiling kids is them living a sheltered life.
Everything worthwhile comes with a price, and most of those prices are hidden. They’re sometimes worth paying for, but you should never ignore their true costs.
Once you accept this, you’ll start to view things like time, relationships, autonomy and creativity as currencies that are just as valuable as cash.
8. Money is not the greatest measure of success.
Warren Buffett once said: True success in life is “when the number of people you want to have love you actually do love you.”
And that love comes overwhelmingly from how you treat people, rather than your level of net worth. Money won’t provide the thing that you (and almost everyone else) want most. No amount of money can compensate for a lack of character, honesty and genuine empathy towards others.
This is the most important financial advice I can give you.
9. Don’t blindly accept any advice you’re given.
All the lessons here, including this last one, are things that most people learn too late in life. But feel free to reject them.
Your world will be different from mine, just as mine is different from my parents. No one is exactly is the same, and no one has all the right answers. Never take anyone’s advice without contextualizing it with your own values, goals and circumstances.
Your parents love you. We are so happy you’re here. Please let us sleep.
- Morgan Housel
***Letter attributed and credited to Morgan Housel and cnbc.
The TLDR/L (Too long, didn’t read / listen):
Chance in life plays a large role in the outcomes of one’s situation. Do not underestimate this.
Money does not equate to success and happiness. Living a simple, frugal life focused on relationships is a greater driver of happiness.
Think for yourself and be okay with it. It is fine to establish a position, and later change your mind. Be willing to accept guidance from others, but run the guidance through the lens of your personal life philosophy.
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Jordan
I love how a guy who's best known for researching the trail of money and writing a bestseller about it selects the "role of chance" as the first advice, and hint for his newborn.
Success is complicated to say the least.
Many a things need to click just right and few among them aren't in your control at all.