Growing up in the South in the '60s, I was taught from an early age that sending a handwritten thank-you note ... its market value, and sales were in decline. Morale was at an all-time low.

If you were offered $100 today or $100 a year from now, which would you choose? Would you rather have $100,000 today or $1,000 a month for the rest of your life? Net present value (NPV) provides a ...