Fatherly Advice: 6 Timeless Financial Tips Our Fathers Taught Us

Published on June 18, 2026 | 3 min read | Webster Bank

Although many things have changed in the financial world over the past 20 years, some nuggets of financial advice are timeless. Here are a few tips that have remained constant for several generations.

Always Spend Less Than You Make

Wealth creation is not about how much you earn. It is about how much you save.¹ Spending more than you make incurs debt that you must repay with interest. Spending less than you make allows you to earn money through your investments.

Pay Yourself First

Have money automatically deducted from your paycheck and deposited into retirement accounts such as a 401(k) or 403(b) plan or an individual retirement account (IRA). The average employer and employee contribution rate is about 14%.²

No One Ever Got into Trouble by Borrowing Too Little

Or said in another way, investors may get rich, but borrowers usually stay poor.³ America has two financial escalators. Investments, such as stocks and real estate, are the escalator that may move you up. The down escalator is debt, such as high-interest credit cards and payday loans. Do not go into debt to buy things you do not need.

Buy a Home

Homeowners have a median net worth of 40 times that of renters. In other words, the median net worth of homeowners is $255,000 versus 6,300.⁴

Being a homeowner does not guarantee you are rich. However, homeowners tend to build wealth faster than renters for several reasons. The first is that homes tend to appreciate, which helps increase a homeowner’s net worth. The second is that paying a mortgage once a month is similar to a forced savings account. The mortgage payment provides both shelter and equity in the home. On the other hand, renting is a sunk cost. Homeowners also have many tax breaks that renters do not receive.

Put Time in the Market Versus Trying To Time the Market

The key to building wealth through the stock market is making quality, long-term investments. A financial professional can help you review investments to consider.

Diversify

Diversification means allocating your investment dollars across various vehicles, industries, and companies. When you diversify your investments, you may mitigate your risks and manage your returns because investments from different categories may react differently to the same events.

Important Disclosures

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual security. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial professional prior to investing.

Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal.

There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

This article was prepared by WriterAccess.

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Footnotes

¹ Ten Timeless Financial Tips from Knight Kiplinger | Kiplinger

² Number of 401(k) and IRA millionaires hits record one year after Covid, Fidelity says | CNBC

³ 16 Timeless Truths of Financial Freedom | Success Magazine

⁴ Changes in US Finances from 2016 to 2019 | Federal Reserve Bulletin