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Comment by j_lev | Hacker News Reader

One of the benefits of growing up Jewish is that business talk at the dinner table each evening drowns out even the TV. Of course, you learn pretty quick that not all families are like this.

I'm happy to give lessons but I'll never give an exact net worth. Stealth wealth FTW

http://www.joshuakennon.com/stealth-wealth-why-americas-rich...

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My family, from a Chinese heritage, has a similar thing. We talk about business, our salary, our financial plans etc within ourselves, but silence outside the family. I heard similar stories from other families. I always wonder how pervasive that is in other cultures.

I actually envy you guys. I come from an European Christian family, and it was only my father that occasionally engaged in discussions regarding wealth, earnings, business. It was not a popular thing to do where I grew up. Although I firmly believe this is the right thing to do, properly executed it brings family together and gives support to everyone's plans.

  Unless transparency is of the utmost importance to your
  occupation, such as sitting on the United States Supreme Court,
  it is advisable to keep a significant portion, if not a vast
  majority, of your holdings, income sources, and assets a secret,
  even from the people you love; your spouse and the IRS, the
  obvious exceptions.

Laughed so hard reading that. Keep a secret from everyone, except the IRS of course. I absolutely get the concept of information asymmetry between you and yours friends and community. I don't get the part about keeping it from your children though.

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