In this episode of Saturday Morning Muse, Andy explores the evolution of banking from the Knights Templar to the Medici family, highlighting key innovations, market opportunities, and lessons learned from history. It emphasizes the importance of transparency, political integration, and diversification in financial practices, while drawing parallels to modern banking and financial technology.

In this special Father's Day edition of the Saturday Morning Muse, Andrew Temte reflects on the essential role of fathers in shaping their children's lives. He shares a top 10 list of skills that every dad should focus on, emphasizing the importance of self-love, emotional intelligence, and financial literacy. Temte encourages fathers to embrace their journey of continuous improvement and to model these skills for their children, highlighting that being a dad is a lifelong learning experience.

How we feel about risk and how we respond to risky situations is not applicable solely to the financial investments we make. Our feelings toward risk influence what jobs we pursue, the relationships we engage in, the products we buy, and the recreational activities we take part in. Your personal relationship with risk touches and helps shape nearly every aspect of your life.

It’s that time of year when we spend, spend, spend on holiday gifts for family and friends. According to The Conference Board, the average US consumer is expected to spend $1,063 this season on holiday-related items and $677 on gifts for others. When adjusted for inflation, holiday spending is at or near all-time highs. However, the most disturbing statistic is that a large proportion of shoppers are still paying off the debt they accumulated in 2023 to purchase holiday gifts.

I get asked fairly often how an individual can improve this skill. So today, I’m going to provide listeners with a tool to improve critical thinking. Before we get started, a word of caution—improvements in critical thinking seldom happen overnight. Critical thinking skills are developed over years and maintaining this skill takes real effort—critical thinking can atrophy quickly if we abandon or reduce our commitment to continuous improvement and lifelong learning. It is sooo easy to get lulled into the status quo and easy to adopt a fixed, unyielding mindset.

So what’s your plan for retirement? Yes, you may want to step off the treadmill of a fast-paced career path, but it’s essential that you not stand still. Standing still is the fast pass to a slow and oftentimes painful slide into oblivion. Instead, commit now to developing the habit of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. Keep moving in retirement. Give back. Mentor. Take a part-time job that fits your purpose. Living a full life means living a full life. Don’t give up on yourself.