The New Retirementality, Fifth Edition

CHAPTER 16Don't Go It Alone

The best interest of the patient is the only interest that matters.

—Dr. William Mayo

I have spent the better part of my life living in Rochester, Minnesota, home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, an organization that has a well-earned reputation for excellence in health care. All of my children, at some point, have had surgeries there, and one observation my wife and I have made is how transparently sensitive and caring the practitioners have been. In a realm that is often populated by practitioners who can come off as detached and overly scientific in their approach, it is always a breath of fresh air to encounter a professional who truly seems to have your best interests at heart.

At the Mayo Clinic this is no accident of personality or culture. It is by design. Early in the development of the clinic, the Mayo brothers stated that the culture would be built upon three core principles: competence, caring, and integrity. Everyone in the organization, from the top of administration to those mopping the halls, is inculcated with these cultural principles of operation. I hope they can continue this culture in an age where quantity (seeing more patients) is more important than quality (spending more time with patients).

I cite the Mayo example as an analogy to what we should expect to receive when we are seeking financial advice. After our health, our concern for our financial well-being occupies a high place on our totems of life. Wealth care ought ...