One of my favorite pieces of advice on not getting swindled I think comes from Oprah: always be the only person who can sign your checks. You'd be surprised how many people who come into sudden wealth give someone else they barely know the keys to the vault without a second thought.
And that they have nine kids by nine different mothers. (That is not hyperbole, that is an example from the article.) I'm trying to summon up sympathy but failing miserably.
Reminds me of this Philip Greenspun piece on early retirement: http://philip.greenspun.com/materialism/early-retirement/
One of my favorite pieces of advice on not getting swindled I think comes from Oprah: always be the only person who can sign your checks. You'd be surprised how many people who come into sudden wealth give someone else they barely know the keys to the vault without a second thought.