What Will the Next Generation Inherit from You?

Wealth manager and Arlington Family Offices founder Ken Polk talks about how his faith and responsibility to be a good steward inform how he leads his business and his family.

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The website for Arlington Family Offices lists “$16B assets under stewardship” and “870 souls under management.” Those word choices were very intentional on the part of founder Ken Polk. Ken doesn’t see his job as merely making wealth grow for its own sake; he wants to help families put some meaning into how they earn, invest, and spend their money, building a legacy of faithful stewardship in the process. Ken talks with Nate Dewberry this week about the Biblical tenets and stewardship principles that he’s put to good use both with his business and in his own family, advising, “unity is the most undervalued asset.” He also offers reassurance and advice for men who are struggling financially—and for those who are doing OK, but haven’t yet committed themselves to taking a longer-term view.

Show Notes

Segment chapters

0:00 “Money without meaning is meaningless”

5:41 A different way of looking at purpose

9:54 Ken’s faith background and how he developed his worldview

12:41 The “spirit” of money and Ken’s three laws of wealth preservation

22:11 Stewarding the gifts God gives us

29:37 What Ken’s passing on to his own kids, and how he’s doing it

35:17 Advice for those suffering difficult financial times

40:33 Advice for men who are doing OK, but not considering legacy

42:54 Closing thoughts on perseverance and legacy

Snippets/excerpts

6:24 to 8:20—A different way of looking at purpose—and of discovering what yours is

19:26 to 20:44—Ken explains what he means with his “third law” of wealth preservation: “The method and means by which you accumulate and do the things you do will determine your lineage”

22:26 to 23:33—“It’s just passing through”: Ken’s four tenets of stewardship

27:12 to 28:33—Viewing inheritance not as a windfall, but as a responsibility

41:20 to 42:48—“I’ve never heard anybody ever say, ‘Hey, I set aside 10% in savings every year, and I’m mad at myself’”

Discussion

8:22—What are your gifts? What are the talents, traits, or passions you have that you could use (or are using) to make other people’s lives better? What does that say about your possible purpose? Or about your God-given identity? Ephesians 2:10

17:50—If you were to write your own obituary as Ken tried doing, what would it say? What would be the most important things you’d want people to know about you? If a close friend or family member were writing your obituary, would they write the same things you did? What about if a complete stranger, such as a newspaper reporter, were writing it—what would they be most likely to say? Psalm 90:12

19:13—Does your family or household have a collective purpose as Ken describes it? What are the things that unite your family, the common passions, the things in life you all agree are important? Joshua 24:15

23:38—In honestly assessing your efforts to acquire wealth and financial security, are you pursuing wealth just for wealth’s sake—to watch the numbers go up and acquire expensive possessions—or do you see that money as “passing through” you? Are you the endpoint of the wealth you receive, or are you stewarding it for a greater good down the road? 1 Timothy 6:17–19

28:51—Have you ever received an inheritance? Was it the kind of money that offered temporary security, or was it a life-changing sum? What did you do (or are you doing) with those resources? In deciding how to spend them, have you considered what the giver might have wanted or hoped for you? Proverbs 13:22

38:49—How much do you trust the Lord to provide for you in your time of need? Does your faith strengthen in those times, or do you find yourself turning away from God’s influence? Do you continue giving of your “time, talent, and treasure” even when things get difficult, or do you find yourself turning inward and focusing solely on your own needs? Matthew 6:31–33

Additional Resources

Ken’s books The Spirit of Wealth Preservation: Leverage Your Finite Life for the Infinite Good and Built on Purpose (forthcoming)

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