We’re always open to charitable inspiration, and I recently found it in a book called Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune.

Huguette Clark, the daughter of William A. Clark, a former U.S. Senator and copper magnate, lived a fulfilling life—though marked by her own unique style—that ended with the last 20 years in a hospital and an estate worth more than $300 million. The centenarian never worked for a dollar and didn’t seem much interested in business. Her real talent was giving money away and seeing others enjoy it. She personally orchestrated gifts of cash to employees and toys to their children. She even included complete strangers and often arranged recurring gifts for the entire life of the recipient.

No matter how big or small the scale, charitable giving can bring the same amount of joy to you as it did for Clark. She never failed to embrace the excitement in making someone else’s life a little bit better.

Many people thought that California Chrome was a shoo-in to win the coveted Triple Crown, last achieved some 36 years ago by Affirmed in 1978. When the horse lost, the owners were shocked and amazed.

It is gambling after all. The “House” wins—especially over the long term.

At Hill Investment Group, the “House” approach is to stack the odds in favor of our clients for the long term—not a single race. No one can consistently pick the winner of any one race; however, based on data and evidence, we help investors increase their chances of success by owning the market in a structurally efficient way. It pays to focus on what we can control: rebalancing, tax efficiency, and minimizing expenses.

Horse racing is pure entertainment. Personal investing is serious business. It pays to know the difference.

photo credit: Frankie Roberto, used under the Creative Commons license

As we prepare to celebrate our ninth anniversary on June 6th, we remember the early supporters of Hill Investment Group. Despite our humble beginnings in the basement of Rick’s home back in 2005 (pictured above), we still had high hopes for all that would come of blazing our own path. We’re proud of our firm today and offer many thanks to clients, friends, and family for your support all along the way!