By Wagner Richard | Finapoly , Wisdom
Playing Time: Lifetime                    Ages: All                 Players: seven billion +- Object of Finapoly: By successfully addressing questions of money and your relationships with it, you are able to attend to the issues and challenges of your life with respect to […]
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Finapoly , Wisdom
This is a guide for playing one of humanity’s most complex and mysterious forms of engagement. This is the game of Finapolyâ„¢[1]. Finapoly is unique and intricate. The more you know about it, the better you will be able to successfully meet its demands while living a satisfying and productive life. Unlike most games, participation […]
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Finology , Garden of Knowledge , Wisdom
In order to effectively study something, we must name it. The name must be accessible, pronounceable and logical. For example, no one would talk about “the stuff of our imaginations, our dreams, idiosyncrasies, habits and feelings.” Such a name would make study of the phenomena of human behavior impossible. Rather, we have adopted the more […]
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Wisdom
Because the phrase “my money†is an oxymoron. What do we know of money? We work with it every day, handling it for both clients and ourselves. We have studied its workings and tried to maximize its powers. We know how important money is to individuals and how much folks hurt when they don’t have […]
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Garden of Knowledge , Wisdom
Financial planning’s inception and growth is no accident. It has been the product of historic necessity, fair winds and the demands of our times. Folks need friends in the finance business. Money is a sufficiently intrinsic part of modern society that we need educated professionals addressing it from the social cellular perspective. In these times, we are so immersed in money, money issues and the money forces that most folks literally cannot see obvious connections between money and the forces that drive their most important life issues.
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Wisdom
You probably emember the story of the three little pigs. To reprise the Disney cartoon version, they started off as three young porkers with ambitions to construct their very own personal residences.
Presumably, as a rational porcus economicus, each wanted to maximize his utilities. Each wanted his house to give him privacy, shelter, comfort and protection. They each wanted efficiency—at the lowest possible price point but consistent with their personal goals and tastes. For example, one little pig, the environmentalist, built his house of straw (thus employing a common, renewable resource while efficiently utilizing carbon and minimizing his heat bills). Another, the cheapskate, used mere twigs as his primary construction material. Twigs were available off-market. The material was cheap and easy, but it was also vulnerable to attack and deterioration.
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Wisdom
Our words need to address the relationship between money and the other important aspects of our lives.
By Richard B. Wagner
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein,
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
It was a gathering of fine minds, successful practitioners and open hearts. Demographically diverse, different in practices, attitudes and philosophies, each was devoted to the emergence of an excellent financial planning profession and individual financial health.
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Wisdom
My, how we talk. Trouble is, how we talk reflects our thinking. Our thinking morphs into actions. And our actions pretty much mirror our personal and communal interiors.
Our talking tools include metaphors. Metaphors are fundamental, vital words; compelling, simplifying models. By structuring perceptions, they enable sensible comprehension of surrounding complexities. As a downside, they control and limit our vision. Therein lies an issue for thoughtful money workers. Regrettably, not only are our money words inappropriate for our current understanding of money’s function, they are unsuitable for money’s continued evolution.
Continue readingBy Wagner Richard | Wisdom
Polite people don‚t talk about money or their relationships with it. Personal priorities, love, feelings, values, psychology, spirituality in a financial context? Please. It is just not done. Privately. Or publicly.
By Richard B. Wagner
Financial advisors need to take clients beyond the numbers.
Continue reading