Investing

 The time value of money is an important concept and differentiates smart from dumb people (in my opinion). A key factor in the intelligence and success of children (I believe) is their ability to delay gratification. Putting off something that is good for an even better thing in the future is supposed to be (as far as I understand) an indication of groundedness and intelligence.

When it comes to money, investing means putting something aside so that you will have more of it in the future. Understanding that time will only increase your money and future rewards, to me, seems like a very wise and intelligent thing.

Sure, we can't expect to live forever, and there is risk with assuming that you will be around to have that money (or benefit) later on. But, holding onto a lot of cash for stability in the present seems to neglect the key factor of delaying gratification.

I don't speak about personal finances but I like to have something put away. Investing is, in my opinion, therefore a very wise and intelligent thing to do. The time value of money is a great tool for understanding what separates intelligent people (people with foresight - as mentioned above) from short-sighted and narrow-minded people.