On the day of my 16th birthday, my father sat me down on the couch and began telling a story. It was a story I had heard a hundred times before and never really paid much attention. This particular telling was no exception. All I wanted to know was what I was getting for my birthday.

He began as he always did... "Son, when I was your age I didn't have all the things you do now. I grew up on a farm with my 17 other brothers and sisters. We ate dirt for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We only had one pair of shoes between all of us and I had the biggest feet. In fact, we only had one set of clothes so only one of us could go out in public at a time. I had to walk 83 miles to and from school, in the snow, up hill both ways..." He went on and on while I thought about what really mattered to me -- the color of my new car.

Though it felt like there were ants in my pants, I managed to sit still through the entire story. As he wrapped up with, "which brings me to your birthday present," he reached into his pocket and handed me an envelope. It was a big envelope, but certainly not one large enough to hold a car. I shook it -- no jingle of keys. I thought, it must be the title to the car! I tore open the envelope only to find some sort of a statement with the words "Love, Mom & Dad" at the top.

Sensing my confusion, he went on to explain that he had set up a gift trust in my name, and though it wasn't much now, upon my 60th birthday (!) it would be worth more money than I could possibly imagine.

I didn't really understand just how great a birthday present it was until recently when I added the gift trust to my existing portfolio and was shocked at how much it had grown in just 12 years.

Had he just handed me the cash instead of investing it in a fund that has an average annual return of 28%, the money would have been long gone with nothing to show for it. I now understand that he had given me the best present he ever could, a secure future.

By the way, the car was in the driveway!

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