You Can’t Take It With You
planningyourlegacy.com 803-746-7000
November 2026
Common Sense Over Complexity The Wisdom of Keeping It Simple A Question to Ask
When I was younger, I thought expertise meant knowing how to do complicated things. The harder something was to understand, the more impressive it seemed to know how to do it. I see that differently now. Real expertise is knowing when not to make something complicated. The older I get, the less impressed I am with complexity. That’s been on my mind recently because I’ve been revisiting Jack Bogle’s “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.” It also made me think of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” written almost 250 years ago. Those two guys were writing about very different things, but both came back to the value of keeping things simple. Paine wrote about “simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense.” Bogle called it the “majesty of simplicity.” I probably wouldn’t have appreciated either idea as much 20 or 30 years ago. Back then, complicated could look sophisticated. If there were more steps, multiple moving parts, or more things to know, it was easy to assume more expertise was involved. Experience has also taught me that some things really are complicated. I just don’t think making them more complicated than they need to be adds much value. I see that all the time in my own work. People accumulate a lot of financial stuff over the years: investment accounts, insurance policies, old retirement plans, estate documents, and tax considerations. Each piece may have made perfect sense when they added it. Eventually, though, somebody needs to step back and ask, “Does all of this still make sense together?” That’s where good planning comes in. A solid plan looks at the whole picture. A family has one single financial life, even if we divide it into estate planning, investments, taxes, retirement, and everything else. We may think about those things separately, but they all overlap. Seeing the pieces together is part of why I became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®. Estate planning is only one part of the financial picture, and I wanted to look at the rest of it. A lot of what I do is help people organize what they have, figure out what may be missing, and coordinate the pieces. It may sound simple on paper, but simple doesn’t mean easy. Bogle made that point about investing. His basic philosophy was to own broadly diversified assets, keep costs low, and stay invested. As he put it, “Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!” I wish I had said that.
The principles themselves are pretty straightforward. Following them when markets are moving, emotions are running high, or something new looks more exciting can be much harder. Another part of common-sense planning is doing it while you still have choices. Put things off long enough, and circumstances may eventually make some of those decisions for you. Planning might mean making a change, or it might mean deciding what you already have is fine. Getting organized is part of that, too. I’d much rather have the scavenger hunt before I die than leave it for somebody else afterward. It makes more sense to find the old accounts, figure out what you own, see what may be missing, and make sure all the pieces work together now. (or Answer for) a Loved One Asking and answering important questions helps preserve your family’s values and life lessons for generations to come. What common-sense lesson about life, money, family, or faith do you most want the next generation to remember?
Most people don’t need more financial complexity. They need help seeing the big picture and making sensible decisions about it.
To me, that is common sense.
Philip J. Corson, Founder
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” PSALM 90:12
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THE LETTER WORTH MORE THAN YOUR ESTATE Some Inheritances Have Nothing to Do With Money
A traditional estate plan does an excellent job of addressing practical questions about who gets what and what happens if you can no longer make decisions for yourself. What it can’t do is tell your family who you were, what you believed, or what you hoped for them. That is where an ethical will comes in. An ethical will, sometimes called a legacy letter, is a way to pass down what a legal document leaves out. Instead of dividing up
your assets, it shares your values, life lessons, and wishes for the people you love. It carries no legal weight, and it does not have to be a formal letter at all. Some people record a video, put together a scrapbook, or simply leave a handwritten note. The idea is far older than you might think. Ethical wills can be traced back to the Bible and stories of people gathering their children to offer blessings and guidance before they passed on. In the book of Genesis, Jacob calls his sons to his bedside and gives each of them a bit of wisdom and instruction to carry on after his death. Centuries later, rabbis in the Middle Ages formalized the practice of writing documents outlining the values they hoped their children would carry forward. That tradition has outlasted its religious origins, and now people of any background who want their heirs to remember their values have adopted the practice.
What makes these documents so meaningful is the connection they preserve. In a moment of loss, a family gains something money can’t buy. They get the words and perspective of the person they miss. The act of writing an ethical will can be just as powerful for the author, as the process requires that you slow down and consider what truly mattered over a lifetime. Starting one is fairly simple. There’s no required format to follow, and you can’t really do it wrong. Some people spend a few weeks jotting down memories before they ever start writing. Others start by simply listing the handful of lessons they’d most want their children to have. Either way, you can always revisit and update it as the years go on. So, alongside instructions for your money, consider leaving something for your values. It may be the most lasting gift you pass down.
Those Pleading Puppy Eyes Finally Have an Answer The Secret Fast-Food Menu Made Just for Your Dog
You know the look. You’re halfway through the drive-thru line, and a furry face in the rearview mirror is watching your every move, certain that whatever you’re about to order should be shared. Well, there’s good news for both of you. A surprising number of fast-food chains keep treats on hand for dogs, and most of them are completely free or very close to it. The most popular one is probably the Starbucks Puppuccino, a small espresso cup filled with whipped cream. It has developed a small cult following among dog owners, who post photos online of their pup going after them. It’s almost always free. You can ask for it by name, or just request a little whipped cream in a cup. Dairy Queen offers something a bit more substantial called the Pup Cup, a small serving of vanilla soft serve topped with a dog biscuit. It runs around a dollar and change, and some chains will add an extra biscuit if your dog is making a good enough case for it. Chick-fil-A doesn’t advertise anything official, but if you ask at the drive-thru window, the staff will often hand over a few plain dog biscuits at no charge. In-N-Out has a proper off-menu item for pets called the Pup Patty, which is a plain beef patty cooked with no salt or seasoning. Fans of the chain have been ordering it for their dogs for years. Shake Shack may have the most indulgent option of the bunch. The restaurant’s Pooch-ini blends dog biscuits, peanut butter
sauce, and vanilla custard into a single cup. The chain also sells Bag O’Bones, which is a handful of dog-friendly biscuits baked by a New York pet bakery.
One honest word of caution before you go treat crazy. Plenty of dogs have trouble digesting dairy or rich foods, so it’s a good idea to check with your vet before handing over something new, especially the custard and soft-serve options. This article covers only a handful of the spots that offer something for your pup, so it never hurts to ask wherever you stop. Next time you swing through for a burger or coffee, remember that the whole family can get in on it, tail and all.
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TAKE A BREAK
A Fake Army That Fooled a Country
APPLE BASKETBALL CORNUCOPIA BLACK FRIDAY FIREPLACE LEAVES NAP PARADE PIE SCORPIO TURKEY VETERAN
The Secret Operation That Sent Germany the Wrong Way
We’ve all heard the saying “fake it till you make it. ” Well, during World War II, the Allies turned that into a winning war strategy. Aiming to trick Nazi intelligence, they created a fictitious army complete with inflatable tanks, double agents, and confusing radio chatter. Operation Fortitude’s deception was so convincing that the German military believed the D-Day invasion was heading somewhere else entirely. The crafty misinformation mission ultimately saved lives and helped defeat Nazi Germany. By 1943, the Allies knew that the success of the Normandy Invasion was critical in ending the war. They decided to bolster their chances by fooling the enemy into thinking the invasion would come through Norway or the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Nazi commanders already had a hunch the Allies would invade Pas-de-Calais, and this bluff only deepened their faulty theory. At the heart of this web of lies was a fake army that General George Patton would lead, one of the leaders the Germans feared most. To make it appear as though the army was preparing to attack, they built wooden, canvas-covered dummy landing craft and deployed them in harbors. They also created fake tanks, airplanes, and decoy buildings. From a plane, these props looked like the real deal. Furthering the fib, they generated radio transmissions describing troop movements and plans for the fake invasion, while also ensuring German intelligence intercepted the false information. Fortitude used double agents in Germany who fed Nazi forces even more lies. One spy even impressed the Germans so much that they gave him an award for his “intelligence” gathering. Operation Fortitude’s ruse successfully manipulated the Nazis. Convinced the main attack would hit Pas-de-Calais, German forces stayed focused there and sent few resources or reinforcements to Normandy. Even after the Allies landed in Normandy, the Germans still believed it was a diversion and held back troops for seven weeks, waiting for the real attack elsewhere. Thanks to a fake army and lots of creative decoys, the Allies were able to fool their way to victory. While we don’t often associate trickery and valor, Operation Fortitude’s mission might be one of the boldest deceptions of the 20th century.
Beef ‘n Biscuit Bake
Ingredients
• 1 lb ground beef • 1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained • 1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained • 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted • 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion • 1/2 tsp chili powder • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 cup cubed Velveeta • 1 tube (12 oz) refrigerated biscuits • 3 tbsp butter, melted • 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook beef, breaking into crumbles, until no longer pink; drain. Add beans, corn, tomato soup, milk, onion, chili powder, and salt; bring to a boil. 3. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. 4. Spoon into a greased 2 1/2-quart baking dish. 5. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, brush all sides of biscuits with butter; roll in cornmeal. 7. Place on top of bubbling meat mixture. 8. Return to the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until biscuits are lightly browned and cooked through.
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803-746-7000 planningyourlegacy.com PO Box 100 Bowling Green, SC 29703
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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What Thomas Paine and Jack Bogle Got Right
Your Will Can Leave Money. This Leaves Something Far More Valuable
Fast-Food Treats Your Pup Will Love
3
Beef ‘n Biscuit Bake
The Daring Deception Behind D-Day
4
Who Needs a Bloodhound? Meet Splash, the Super-Sniffing Otter! AN OTTER LIKE NO OTHER
The Most Adorable Detective You’ll Ever Meet Lives Underwater
We often think of search-and-rescue heroes as brave dogs sniffing out clues in rubble or skilled divers combing through the water. But one tiny otter is proving that heroes can come in unexpected packages. Meet Splash, a playful 2-year-old Asian small-clawed otter with a very unusual job. Believed to be the nation’s first trained search-and-recovery otter, Splash is helping locate evidence and human remains underwater, providing long-awaited answers and a sense of closure for families. The idea began when veteran search-and- rescue expert Michael Hadsell stumbled across an article about how otters use their remarkable sense of smell underwater. After more than four decades working with search dogs, horses, and drones, he wondered: What if an otter could do the job no one else could? As it turns out, he was onto something. Otters have an extraordinary way of detecting scents
underwater. They blow tiny bubbles toward an object and then quickly inhale them, allowing them to pick up odors that would be impossible for humans to detect. Combined with sensitive whiskers and incredible swimming skills, Splash was the perfect candidate for underwater recovery work. Training looked surprisingly familiar. Using positive reinforcement, Hadsell hid scented training objects in a swimming pool, rewarding Splash with his favorite treat whenever he made a successful find. This little otter has excellent taste, too. His reward has to be fresh salmon but only farm-raised. Wild salmon, apparently, just won’t do. Splash’s impressive skills quickly moved beyond practice sessions. After only a few months of training, he helped investigators recover a weapon connected to a decades- old murder case. He has since assisted on numerous recovery missions, helping
teams locate evidence and human remains that might otherwise have remained hidden forever. Despite his serious work, Splash is still very much an otter at heart. He swims alongside divers wearing a custom harness, eagerly grabs their masks when he’s found something important, and even has teammates, affectionately known as the “Otter Spotters,” whose job is to keep him safe from hazards like alligators while he works. Thanks to one inventive trainer and one determined little otter, families are finding answers, investigators are gaining valuable evidence, and the world has one more reason to smile.
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Pass the Pie, Not the Problem Only 1 in 4 adults has a will. Are you one?
This year, when everyone shares what they’re thankful for, add one more: knowing your family is covered.
Your Thanksgiving checklist A current will or trust
A guardian named for your kids Someone to make money and medical decisions
Up-to-date beneficiaries A talk with family about your wishes
Call 803-746-7000 for a quick plan check-up.
PO Box 100 Bowling Green, SC 29703
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