What Downton can teach us about estate and investment planning

Image source: PBS.org

Downton Abbey could serve as a case study in retirement, investment or estate planning. In fact, I was delighted to see that both Forbes and the Wall Street Journal have already weighed in on the money lessons to be gleaned from the show.  

Using scenarios from the first few seasons of the show, Forbes points out the lessons to be learned regarding poor investments, mismanaging an estate and the lure of Ponzi Schemes.  The Wall Street Journal highlights best practices for inheritance decisions (think up-to-date wills, medical directives and balancing the sentimental value with the cost of inheriting a money pit), the use (and misuse) of trusts to protect family fortunes, and the importance of a diverse investment portfolio.