The Luckiest Guy in the World

I consider myself to be the luckiest guy in the world because I’m living the life I want to live. I’m 78 years old. I’m still involved in a career I love, and I’ve been able to structure that career so I can stay in as long as I wish. It allows me to take time to stay healthy, travel, and follow-up on hobbies and things that I’m passionate about. This is the result of a planning process that I began 23 years ago.

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Family Money, Family Values, and Your Family Legacy

You can leave a legacy without the money, and you can leave money but no legacy. When most people think about leaving a family legacy, they think about wealthy people leaving lots of money to their children and grandchildren. But a family legacy doesn't have to be just for the rich. The less well-off and even the not-so-well-off can leave a family legacy too. Too often, the creation of a family legacy is aimed at reducing estate taxes and perpetuating wealth for future generations. Although these are certainly worthwhile goals, they often have the unintended effect of creating future entitled generations, which can actually be a disservice to those individuals. But this need not happen. There are numerous opportunities to create positive good works through the vehicle of a family legacy. The key to a well-designed family legacy is to have a clear sense of purpose as to its intended use. Instead of starting with the money first, ask yourself these questions: What really is my legacy to my family? What are the values I want my children and grandchildren to learn from me? Then ask yourself: How do I use my money to perpetuate my legacy?

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A Passion to Learn

Instilling a passion to learn early in kids lives can make a huge difference in their success and their enjoyment in life.

Ray and Sandy Loewe have been involved with education throughout their careers. Sandy is an educator and Ray built a business helping families figure out how to pay for college. Ray graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and an MBA, and Sandy’s undergrad degree in education culminated in a Master’s in Education.

Both Ray and Sandy’s passion is the idea that today’s students would be well-served by exposure to experiential education in a variety of disciplines so they can find a passion that can make their educational choices more meaningful. Sandy’s experience as a teacher and later a county superintendent of schools has demonstrated that these experiences are unlikely to be provided by the school systems. Their joint commitment is to find a way to fill the void with creative and passionate people and ideas.