Today let's wax philosophical – to whom do you want to leave your assets?

Many people choose to leave their money and property to family and friends. Others want to provide for organizations or projects that are near to their hearts. How to share out assets is a question that plagues many when planning their wills, and – speaking from experience – your views on the distribution can change drastically over your lifetime. ​This The Guardian article shows that the debate has been around for centuries.  And, so, more recently, has the issue of an inheritance tax (no doubt the subject of a future post). If it helps as you mull your decision on who or what should benefit from your death, consider the following:

"Money is like muck,” wrote English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon in 1625: “Not good except it be spread.” Bacon then quoted a contemporary: “When wealth lay upon a heap, it gave but a stench and ill odour; but when it was spread around, then it was cause of much fruit.”

Image and credit:  "File:The Political Death and Last Will and Testament of Johnny Mac-Cree MET DP873757.jpg" by Creator:Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville is marked with CC0 1.0.