Money as a tool

The fact that I see our dividend as a tool and not money has probably to do with my professional role.

As a CFO, much of one's life revolves around numbers. Even if the numbers are actually money, they rarely become more than just numbers, which in turn become a tool in my professional role.

After all the policy rate increases from Riksbanken, you now get interest on your bank account. This also applies to the account all Swedes have with Skatteverket, which is Sweden's equivalent to the IRS. As the icing on the cake, interest income on the account with Skatteverket is tax-free.

As an example, yesterday my dad called and asked why his tax payment was several tens of thousands of dollars higher this month than before. I informed him that not all of it was a tax payment but that most of the amount was just a cash transfer.

For me, it was obvious that the tool (the money) were in the workplace (the account) where it is most useful.

It was so obvious that I didn't even think to inform my father. For him it was the opposite, it was money.