“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1) A person with a good name is a person of character with a good reputation. A strong reputation will get you more opportunities than money will — and that’s saying something! And when you choose riches over character, the results can be devastating.

Case Study: The firm of Arthur Andersen was founded in 1913. Andersen was known for an unwavering faith in education as the basis upon which the new profession of accounting should be developed. He was a generous man of good reputation who headed the firm until his death in 1947. He once refused to sign off on flawed accounts of a local rail utility even, “…for all the money in America.” Andersen’s motto was “Think straight, talk straight” and everyone knew his reputation.

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