The Great Wealth Paradox...
A good, solid ruck with my brother this Sunday morning led to a deeper conversation—sparked by revisiting the chapter Meditate on Our Common Mortality from Robert Greene’s The Laws of Human Nature. I first read this masterpiece seven years ago, and while I devoured it then, I often revisit it, reading a chapter or two to reframe my thinking—and to prompt deeper conversations on these “wisdom walks,” rather than just reacting to the latest news.
An interpretation of the chapter: When we confront our mortality, we strip away the trivial and focus on what truly matters. Awareness of death is not morbid—it’s clarifying. It urges us to live urgently, love deeply, and act meaningfully.
Longevity risk. Balance sheet loss aversion. Living a great life.
Oh, the paradox.
Thirty years ago, when I got into investing, I never imagined one of my most meaningful roles would be helping clients think about death—not morbidly, but intentionally. Today, that’s one of the most sensitive and essential aspects of financial advising: guiding people not just to grow their wealth, but to spend it… and to spend it well.
I call it threading the needle:
It sounds simple. But it’s not.
At Members’ Wealth, we’ve built an environment intentionally designed to remove obvious conflicts. We don’t sell insurance. We don’t earn commissions. We get paid in one way—directly, transparently, by our clients. We believe that’s the only way to truly put a client’s interest first.
But what about the invisible conflicts?
What about the psychological ones—the ones that exist between a spreadsheet and a soul?
Those don’t show up in a fee disclosure or a performance report. But they’re just as real. And they often show up as:
I’ve seen it too often: clients who have “won the game” financially still live like they’re one bad break away from ruin. The fear of becoming a burden on others. The fear of a long-term care event wiping everything out. The fear of making a mistake that can’t be undone.
Some of that fear is healthy—it’s the reason many of these clients became successful in the first place.
But when fear overrides reason, life gets smaller. Options shrink. And the wealth meant to liberate becomes another source of anxiety.
As a younger advisor, I unknowingly carried my own biases into these conversations. I grew up in a wonderful family, but not one where wealth existed or openly discussed. My default setting was scarcity.
So, of course, my instinct was: better to preserve than spend. That showed up in how I framed planning conversations.
But over time—by observing, learning, and reflecting—I began to understand how deeply our early experiences shape our relationship with money. Not just for me, but for every client.
And we realized: if we really wanted to serve our families well, we needed a process rooted not in our biases, but in their psychology.
Even then, a question emerged: If our clients’ own biases hold them back from living a fuller life, don’t we have a responsibility to gently challenge them?
We don’t want to override their values. But we do want to educate, illuminate, and expand their thinking.
Because here’s the truth:
Many of our thoughts about money were formed in moments we barely remember.
From people we may no longer know.
In environments that no longer exist.
So if you’ve never had a conversation with your advisor about how to spend…
If you’re not being nudged to examine your own scarcity or abundance mindset…
If no one’s helping you define what “enough” really looks like…
Then maybe it’s time to talk.
At Members’ Wealth, we believe the right financial plan isn’t just one that avoids running out of money. It’s one that avoids running out of life.
So whether you lean more toward frugality or freedom, we invite you to explore this question with us:
Are you living your wealth… or simply preserving it?
Perhaps we forgot a word in our brand statement.
Preserve. Grow. Endure. Evolve.
Preserve. Grow. LIVE. Endure. Evolve.
Let’s thread that needle—together.
Schedule a time to explore this topic more fully here.
Investment strategies, including rebalancing, do not guarantee improved performance and involve risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor's particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon.
All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.
Dane Czaplicki is CEO of Members’ Wealth, a boutique wealth management firm that offers a comprehensive approach to serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions. The firm’s goal is to preserve and grow its clients’ wealth to endure over time, while thoughtfully evolving its strategy to suit an ever-changing world. With over 20 years of wealth management experience, Dane and the Members' Wealth team thrive on bringing clarity and confidence to clients' unique situations. He believes everyone needs sound financial advice from someone whose interests are aligned with theirs, and is determined to put service before all else.
Dane received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, hiking and camping, reading, running, and playing with his dog. To learn more about Dane, connect with him on LinkedIn.
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