Dear Readers: I’ve been promoting the tried-and-true principles of smart money management for so many years it can be hard to come up with fresh ways to share their important message: Spend less. Save more. Diversify your portfolio as you invest for your long-term goals. As old-fashioned as this advice may sound, it remains the foundation for your future financial success. But if you still need convincing, I invite you to listen to the wisdom of prominent behavioral economist and Nobel laureate Richard Thaler. One of my colleagues had the opportunity to sit down with professor Thaler early this year and asked him the following question: “As individuals, what lessons can we take from 2020 as we strive to build a strong future?” We All Need an Emergency Fund Thaler’s advice was twofold. First, if you were lucky enough to reduce your spending over the course of the last several …