Not unlike modern travelers, ancient wanderers began journeys by plotting a course. For ancient voyagers, this meant charting the stars, following the rivers or using terrestrial landmarks. For us, the newest generation of travelers, navigation simply means using a GPS[i]—a wonder of technology that accesses orbiting satellites to pinpoint where we are. This remarkable system …

During World War II, the limited range of Allied aircraft left the mid-Atlantic painfully unprotected from German U-boats, which were able to control vital shipping lanes. While military strategists pondered the problem, an eccentric British inventor named Geoffrey Pyke came up with a novel idea to extend the range of air power—building an aircraft carrier …

History is filled with countless examples of creative individuals, from alchemists to scientists to software designers, who combined known items or concepts to create novel results—sometimes even historic inventions. In 19th century England, William Henry Perkin, a teenaged chemistry student, blended coal tar and tree bark in an attempt to develop artificial quinine to treat …

If you know the name John Trumbull, you may recall that he was a famous Revolutionary War artist whose work included “The Declaration of Independence” and “Battle of Bunker’s Hill.” After creating four large paintings for the Capitol Rotunda, he failed to secure commissions for four more, and his fortunes began to decline. Widowed and …

For more than a decade, StoryCorps has recorded ordinary people sharing compelling stories about their lives. [i] Over 100,000 of these recordings are archived in the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. All are available to anyone who wants to listen to them—and many people do. We like hearing other peoples’ stories, even …

Ever been forced to sell a stock in a sinking market or pressured to trade a car for less than it’s worth? Anyone who has experienced these disappointing financial transactions has felt the sting of sacrificing an asset for less than its true value. No one wants to sell at a loss; indeed, everyone expects …

“The Future ain’t where it used to be.” —Yogi Berra[i] No, Yogi, it’s not. When Congress engineered the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) to alleviate the fiscal cliff, they created a new world for estate planning. With a large, permanent estate tax exemption indexed for inflation and the addition of portability, income tax …

Do you remember Life, Milton Bradley’s first board game? In the game, players move from college to career, from marriage to kids, from home buying to insurance and investments. The player who accumulates the most wealth before retirement wins. Certain players start raking in money right away. Some are slowed by debt or paying for …

Trustees enjoy a significant role in ensuring that charitable remainder trusts accomplish their two-fold mission—providing life benefits to beneficiaries and channeling remainder funds to charities. The trustee functions in a regulatory environment that is complex at best, and at worst, fraught with traps for the unwary. Selection of a competent and knowledgeable individual is crucial …

“Me and my dad are the biggest promoters of an estate tax in the US. It’s not a popular position.” [i] —Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation With an endowment of some $38 billion as of June 2013,[ii] the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ranks as one of the biggest philanthropic organizations in the world. …