I have written this series of articles because wealth, its accumulation, and how it is deployed is important. New Zealand as a nation doesn’t respect wealth, nor does it celebrate the successes of wealth’s effective deployment. Wealth concentration is seen as a bad thing and NZ has one of the highest rates of wealth disparity […]

The counter theory of course, is that life is pointless. We are born, we die and then there is nothing. Perhaps we are simply organisms, a viral infection on the planet we call Earth, and our only purpose is to breed and create more viruses. If so, we are a biological specimen where each seeks […]

Authored by: Evana Lithgow, of Working Minds Talking to your children about your wealth and preparing them for a place in the family’s business or fortune can be enjoyable. But it can also be daunting if the topic is new to you and them or if relationships are distant. The key is that your approach is aligned […]

It’s never too early or late to start telling the next generation the story of how your family’s wealth was created. Stories are powerful and can create lasting bonds and a legacy to pass from generation to generation. But for many people, starting such a conversation falls into the too-hard basket. For some it’s a […]

You wanted to run a pension fund… didn’t you? So your family has made it – you’ve achieved enough money and assets not to worry anymore. Generation One (G1) is now considering ‘what next’, or maybe G2 is now in control. There’s a pile of stuff to be sorted through and thought about. This family […]

When a G1 (first generation) wealth creator has a business or an activity that they are proud of, and have a dream for its future, the most common mistake they make is to assume that everyone else will have that dream too. In particular their children. Some of the worst tragedies that I have witnessed […]

New money only becomes old money if you manage to keep it. The probability of retention is vastly improved by how it is derived. Blood, sweat and tears that convert into money over time has considerably more meaning to the earner than quick money or good luck.  Without preparation and an understanding of the way […]

Gilligan Sheppard over its journey has attracted or grown a reasonable number of ‘wealthy’ clients and have observed the behaviours of successful people and families, good and bad. Many claim to write with authority on the topic of wealth, and for those who are wealthy, or aspire to be, this thought piece will either resonate […]