Our clients know we support them and their families in meaningful ways. This includes articulating long-term investment plans, helping refine estate strategies, and thinking creatively about charitable giving.

While mission statements are common in businesses and nonprofits, they’re far less common in family life. Yet as families become more complex, people live longer, and communication becomes more open, many are taking the long view and creating multi-generational plans that reflect not just what they want to happen with their wealth, but why. A family mission statement can bring clarity, connection, and shared purpose, often helping to avoid conflict now and in the future.

A recent Wall Street Journal article shares examples and great stories about how a family mission statement may make sense for your family. In the words of James Harold Webb, a serial entrepreneur quoted in the article and the patriarch of a 16-person blended family,

“Life is a gift that cannot be wasted. Family is the essence of that life and, as a family, we will work hard. We will play hard. We will live in the pursuit of knowledge. We will love our family unconditionally. We will give more than we take to ensure a better world.”

With the holidays approaching and families gathering, it’s a natural time to raise the topic. If this sounds appealing to you, and you’d like our help in preparing for that discussion or have us involved with future discussions, we’d love to help. Please reach out to me at buddy@hillinvestmentgroup.com or directly to your advisor.

Celebrate and make the most of this time together!

Carl Richards Always Delivers

While your mail may be delayed, Carl Richards always brings it home.

As Matt shared above, Carl has a rare gift for connecting money and emotion through beautifully simple sketches and memorable stories. At our recent event, he walked us through several concepts that sparked intense, productive conversations. In Carl’s words, the sketches often serve as “conversation grenades”… in a good way. Translation: they jump-start meaningful dialogue and help people have clearer, more honest conversations about money and life.

On November 12, Matt Hall led a live conversation with Carl at the Racquet Club in St. Louis, exploring themes from Carl’s latest book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches.

If you were unable to attend the event in St. Louis, please email us here to request a complimentary, signed copy of Carl’s book, which each attendee received.

If you’re interested in a webinar or in-person event with Carl, email me at buddy@hillinvestmentgroup.com. We’ll do our best to arrange it.

A legend has passed: Cambridge-educated Jonathan Clements was The Wall Street Journal’s personal-finance columnist for 20 years before founding his own website, HumbleDollar.com.

Clements was one of the first financial journalists to champion index funds and was an early voice in describing the way we invest. He was a thoughtful rebel and a gifted communicator, with more than 1,000 published articles. Rick and Matt would often ask, “Have you read JC’s column on…?” His articles were always insightful and original with an eye turned toward what is best for the client–not for Wall Street.

Sadly, he passed recently after a long and public (his choice) battle with lung cancer. Jonathan wanted people to maximize their time while alive.

With that in mind, here are three reflections worth reading:

• His own story: “Some Final Personal-Finance Advice,” The Wall Street Journal, 2024.
  
• Ron Lieber’s tribute: “Five Pearls of Wisdom From a Legend of Financial Writing,” The New York Times.
  
• Jason Zweig’s essay: The Wall Street Journal’s touching ode to Jonathan.

If Jonathan’s reflections inspire you to have deeper conversations about your family’s financial life, we invite you to explore the educational resources available on our website.