Investorship
Since the late 1990s, I have been working with colleagues to develop the principles of Investorship. These are aimed at increasing our collective financial literacy, not only for typical investors but also for those who simply want a better future and an enjoyable life—especially students and those just starting on their life’s journey.
Here are the three basic principles:
First, our “normal,” unthinking habits can often be wrong when making decisions about spending. We need to move from Normal to NormalPLUS.
Second, we mistakenly think about spending only in financial terms. We need to recognize that spending means far more than paying money.
Third, we also think too narrowly about wealth. Having money is part of the picture, but we ignore the fact that wealth means far more than having money.
In 2025, my book on these principles was re-issued and made available for free to schools, and to the general public, under the title, Wealths Beyond Money. A secure PDF of the book is now available at no charge.
What Is Spending?
Financial literacy is becoming a priority in school districts around the country, but it’s equally important in everyday life. The trouble is, too many of us don’t know what lies at the heart of financial literacy: the importance of spending. Once you understand spending, the details will follow.
Spending is something we do every moment of every day. We spend our time, our energy, and yes, sometimes, our money. We do it to get something in return. That “something” is wealth—not just in dollars but also in the many other forms of non-financial wealth.
What Is Wealth?
All of us are in need of multiple wealths (plural) beyond the realm of dollars and cents. It can be a wealth of satisfaction, of friendships, of great memories, of scores of other good things. It is also the money we need to secure those wealths in the future. To do that, we need to ask questions:
— What am I getting in return for my time, my energy, or my money?
— Am I getting something of value—something that meets my needs?
— Over time, does what I get increase or decrease in value?
Why Don't We Ask These Questions?
The problem is that we hardly ever give these questions a second thought—or even a first one. There are reasons for this:
— We are all NORMAL!
— Being normal doesn’t always mean doing the right thing.
— But it’s possible to think differently, to be NormalPLUS!
Whether you’re spending your time, your energy, or your money, there IS a way to do so that will result in acquiring wealths beyond money!