Best Water Softener for Kansas City, MO — 17 Things to Know BEFORE You Buy!

Written by Craig "The Water Guy" Phillips

1. The Local Water Problem in Kansas City, MO

Sarah Martinez thought her dishwasher was broken when cloudy white spots started etching permanently into her glassware after just six months in her new Kansas City home. Her appliance repair technician delivered unwelcome news: the damage was irreversible scale etching caused by Kansas City's brutally hard water supply.

Kansas City's water hardness measures 11.2 grains per gallon (GPG), classifying it as extremely hard water. To understand what this means for your home, imagine each grain as a microscopic limestone pebble flowing through your plumbing system 24 hours a day. At 11.2 GPG, every gallon of Kansas City water carries enough dissolved calcium and magnesium to form visible scale deposits when heated or evaporated.

Kansas City Water Services draws from the Missouri River, which picks up mineral content as it flows through limestone and sedimentary rock formations across the Great Plains. The geological journey that delivers water to Kansas City taps also loads it with calcium carbonate concentrations that rank among the highest in Missouri.

For Kansas City homeowners, 11.2 GPG represents a daily assault on home infrastructure. Water heaters lose efficiency within months, not years. Soap becomes ineffective, requiring 3-4 times normal amounts to achieve basic cleaning. Clothing emerges from washers gray and stiff. Showerheads clog quarterly instead of lasting years.

The financial impact compounds monthly. Kansas City households spend an estimated $180-240 more annually on soap, detergent, and cleaning products compared to soft-water cities. Energy costs climb as scale-coated water heater elements work harder to transfer heat through mineral buildup. Appliance replacement accelerates dramatically — a dishwasher that might last 12 years in a soft-water city may need replacement in 6-8 years in Kansas City.

Beyond the financial burden, extremely hard water affects daily comfort. Calcium and magnesium ions prevent soap from forming proper lather, leaving a sticky residue on skin and hair. Kansas City residents frequently report dry, itchy skin that worsens during winter months when indoor heating compounds the mineral exposure.

2. What 11.2 GPG Does to Your Home

At 11.2 GPG, calcium carbonate begins forming scale deposits within days of first contact with heated surfaces. Your water heater bears the heaviest burden — heating Kansas City's mineral-rich water accelerates precipitation, creating thick, insulating layers on heating elements and tank walls.

A typical 40-gallon electric water heater in Kansas City loses approximately 15-20% efficiency within the first year of operation. The calcium and magnesium dissolved in 11.2 GPG water crystallize when heated above 140°F, forming concentric rings inside the tank that grow thicker monthly. These deposits force heating elements to work exponentially harder, driving energy costs upward while shortening appliance lifespan to 6-8 years instead of the 10-12 years expected in soft-water regions.

Kansas City's older neighborhoods, particularly those with homes built before 1980, face accelerated pipe deterioration. Galvanized steel plumbing, common in Kansas City's Midtown and Brookside areas, develops measurable diameter reduction within 3-5 years at 11.2 GPG. The calcite crystallization process bonds calcium deposits to iron pipe walls, creating rough surfaces that catch more minerals in a compounding cycle.

Dishwashers and washing machines suffer particularly harsh consequences from Kansas City's water. At 11.2 GPG, mineral deposits coat spray arms, clog jets, and etch glassware beyond repair. White spotting on dishes becomes permanent etching after 6-12 months of exposure to this hardness level. Washing machine pumps and valves accumulate scale buildup that reduces water flow and increases mechanical stress on moving parts.

The soap interference effect becomes immediately apparent at 11.2 GPG. Calcium and magnesium ions chemically react with soap molecules, forming insoluble curds instead of cleansing lather. Kansas City households typically use 3-4 times more laundry detergent, dish soap, and shampoo compared to soft-water cities, yet achieve inferior cleaning results. Clothing emerges from washers gray, stiff, and scratchy as mineral residues embed in fabric fibers.

Personal comfort suffers measurably at this hardness level. The same minerals that clog pipes also coat skin and hair, stripping natural moisture and creating a characteristic "squeaky" feeling after bathing. Kansas City dermatologists report increased cases of contact dermatitis and eczema flare-ups, particularly during winter months when hard water exposure combines with dry indoor air.

For a typical Kansas City household, the annual "hard water tax" — combining excess soap costs, increased energy consumption, and accelerated appliance replacement — ranges from $800-1,200 per year. This calculation assumes a four-person family using standard appliances and does not include the hidden costs of clothing replacement, professional cleaning services, or decreased home resale value due to mineral damage.

3. Kansas City's Specific Contaminant Profile

Beyond the baseline challenge of 11.2 GPG hardness, Kansas City residents contend with iron, sediment, and chlorine — each interacting with the extreme mineral content in problematic ways. Understanding how these contaminants behave in Kansas City's hard water environment is essential for selecting effective treatment.

Iron in Kansas City Water

Kansas City's water supply contains ferrous iron, the dissolved, invisible form that becomes problematic when exposed to air or heat. Iron enters Kansas City's system through the Missouri River's interaction with iron-rich soils and the gradual corrosion of aging distribution pipes throughout the metro area. At 11.2 GPG hardness, iron complications multiply exponentially.

The interaction between iron and Kansas City's extreme hardness creates compounded staining issues. Ferrous iron bonds chemically with calcium deposits, creating rust-colored scale that penetrates deep into porcelain, fiberglass, and appliance surfaces. Kansas City residents notice orange and brown staining on toilet bowls, bathtub rings, and dishwasher interiors that resist conventional cleaning.

Iron levels above 0.3 mg/L — the EPA's secondary maximum contaminant level — can foul water softener resin, requiring frequent cleaning or premature replacement. For Kansas City homes with iron concentrations approaching this threshold, an iron-specific pre-filter upstream of the main softener becomes operationally essential, not optional.

Sediment and Turbidity

Kansas City's water distribution system, with pipes dating back to the early 1900s in some neighborhoods, periodically releases sediment during main breaks, pressure fluctuations, and routine maintenance. The Missouri River source water also carries seasonal sediment loads during spring runoff and heavy precipitation events.

Suspended particles become more problematic at 11.2 GPG because sediment provides nucleation sites for mineral precipitation. Calcium and magnesium crystals form more rapidly around sediment particles, accelerating scale formation and creating abrasive compounds that damage appliance internals. Kansas City homeowners report cloudy water episodes, particularly after utility work in their neighborhood.

Sediment accumulation in water softener resin beds reduces ion exchange efficiency and can cause channeling — where water flows through preferred paths instead of contacting the full resin volume. At Kansas City's hardness level, sediment-contaminated resin exhausts 30-40% faster than clean resin, requiring more frequent regeneration and higher salt consumption.

Chlorine Disinfection

Kansas City Water Services adds chlorine as the primary disinfectant, with concentrations varying seasonally based on temperature and biological activity in the Missouri River source. Summer months typically bring stronger chlorine taste and odor as higher water temperatures require increased disinfection to maintain safety standards.

The interaction between chlorine and 11.2 GPG hardness accelerates rubber and plastic degradation throughout plumbing systems. Chlorine attacks rubber gaskets, O-rings, and flexible supply lines, but this chemical stress intensifies when combined with abrasive mineral deposits. Kansas City plumbers report increased callback rates for leaking connections, particularly on appliances and fixtures installed without water treatment.

Chlorine also contributes to the formation of disinfection byproducts — trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) — when it reacts with organic matter. While Kansas City maintains these compounds well below EPA maximum levels, some residents prefer to reduce chlorine exposure through activated carbon filtration paired with their water softening system.

4. Why Most Kansas City Homeowners Pick the Wrong Softener

Walking through Kansas City home improvement stores, you'll find salespeople recommending 24,000-grain softeners that work perfectly fine in soft-water cities but fail catastrophically under the demand of 11.2 GPG water. The mistakes Kansas City homeowners make when selecting water treatment systems are predictable, expensive, and avoidable.

Mistake #1: Buying on Price Alone

A $400 discount store softener cannot handle continuous 11.2 GPG demand from a Kansas City household. Resin exhaustion happens in 2-3 days instead of the advertised week, forcing constant regeneration cycles that waste salt and water while delivering inconsistent results. Kansas City's extreme hardness requires commercial-grade resin capacity and regeneration control — features absent from budget units.

The false economy becomes apparent within months. Undersized systems regenerate daily, consuming 40-60 pounds of salt monthly instead of the expected 15-20 pounds. Over five years, the "savings" from buying cheap disappear into salt costs, utility bills, and premature replacement needs.

Mistake #2: Confusing Softeners with Filters

Water softeners use ion exchange to remove calcium and magnesium — period. They do NOT reliably remove iron, sediment, or chlorine present in Kansas City's water supply. Kansas City residents dealing with both 11.2 GPG hardness and these additional contaminants need a properly sequenced treatment approach, not a single miracle device.

The confusion costs Kansas City homeowners thousands in mismatched equipment. A homeowner who buys only a softener expecting it to eliminate iron staining will face continued problems and may blame the softener for "not working" when the real issue is unrealistic expectations.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Grain Capacity Mathematics

The sizing formula is straightforward but frequently ignored: People × 75 gallons/day × 11.2 GPG = daily grain demand. For a four-person Kansas City household: 4 × 75 × 11.2 = 3,360 grains daily. A 24,000-grain system theoretically lasts seven days, but optimal regeneration every 5-6 days requires 30,000+ grain capacity for reliable operation.

Kansas City's high iron content compounds the capacity problem. Iron occupies resin sites without contributing to rated grain capacity, effectively reducing the system's hardness removal ability. Homeowners who size based on hardness alone, ignoring iron's impact, find their softeners failing prematurely under real-world Kansas City conditions.

Mistake #4: Overlooking Salt Efficiency at 11.2 GPG

At Kansas City's extreme hardness level, regeneration frequency makes salt efficiency critical. An inefficient softener uses 15-20 pounds of salt per regeneration cycle, while a high-efficiency unit accomplishes the same resin cleaning with 8-12 pounds. Over ten years of Kansas City operation, this efficiency difference compounds into $800-1,200 in salt cost savings.

5. The SoftPro Elite HE: Built for Kansas City's Water

After evaluating Kansas City's water hardness of 11.2 GPG and the presence of iron, sediment, and chlorine in the local supply, one system consistently rises to the top for Kansas City homeowners: the SoftPro Elite HE Water Softener. This recommendation isn't based on marketing claims — it's anchored to specific engineering features that address Kansas City's documented water challenges.

Salt-Based Ion Exchange Technology

The SoftPro Elite HE employs true cation exchange resin to physically replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Salt-free systems marketed as "conditioners" do not actually remove hardness minerals — they only attempt to change crystal structure, which fails completely at Kansas City's 11.2 GPG level. Scale prevention requires mineral removal, not crystal modification.

For Kansas City's extreme hardness, ion exchange represents the only reliable technology. The SoftPro's high-capacity resin bed captures calcium and magnesium ions while releasing harmless sodium ions, delivering genuinely soft water below 1 GPG throughout the regeneration cycle.

Demand-Initiated Regeneration (DIR)

At 11.2 GPG, resin exhausts faster than in moderate-hardness cities, making regeneration timing critical. The SoftPro Elite HE monitors actual water usage and hardness removal, initiating regeneration only when the resin approaches exhaustion. This prevents hard water breakthrough during high-demand periods while avoiding wasteful over-regeneration.

For Kansas City households, DIR technology adapts to real-world usage patterns. Holiday gatherings, teenage shower marathons, and appliance maintenance cycles that would overwhelm timer-based systems trigger appropriate regeneration schedules automatically. The system learns your family's consumption patterns and adjusts accordingly.

NSF/ANSI Standard 44 Certified Components

Independent certification verifies that the SoftPro Elite HE's resin meets performance and materials safety standards under continuous operation. For Kansas City residents already managing iron, sediment, and chlorine exposure, knowing the softening process itself doesn't introduce additional contaminants provides essential peace of mind.

NSF certification also validates the system's capacity claims under standardized test conditions. Unlike uncertified units with inflated specifications, the SoftPro delivers documented performance that Kansas City homeowners can rely on for system sizing and maintenance planning.

Multiple Grain Capacity Options

The SoftPro Elite HE offers 32,000, 48,000, 64,000, and 80,000-grain configurations, allowing precise sizing for Kansas City households. A four-person family consuming 300 gallons daily at 11.2 GPG requires 3,360 grains of removal capacity per day. The 48,000-grain model provides 14 days of theoretical capacity, allowing regeneration every 10-12 days for optimal salt efficiency.

Larger Kansas City households or those with high-iron water benefit from 64,000 or 80,000-grain capacities that extend regeneration intervals and provide buffer capacity during peak usage periods.

Iron-Compatible Operation

The SoftPro Elite HE handles iron concentrations up to 3 mg/L when properly maintained, addressing the ferrous iron commonly found in Kansas City's water supply. The resin formulation resists iron fouling better than standard softening media, extending service life under Kansas City's challenging conditions.

For Kansas City homes with iron levels approaching 1 mg/L, the SoftPro's iron tolerance eliminates the need for separate iron filtration in many cases. However, homes with higher iron concentrations benefit from upstream iron-specific treatment to maximize softener performance and resin life.

Self-Cleaning Sediment Pre-Filter

Kansas City's aging distribution infrastructure and Missouri River sediment loads make pre-filtration essential for protecting softener resin. The SoftPro Elite HE includes an integrated sediment filter that automatically backwashes during regeneration cycles, removing accumulated particles without requiring separate maintenance.

This feature proves particularly valuable during Kansas City's spring runoff season and following water main repairs when sediment loads temporarily increase. The self-cleaning design maintains filtration efficiency without the ongoing filter cartridge replacement costs associated with conventional pre-filters.

Ten-Year System Warranty

At Kansas City's 11.2 GPG hardness level, softener components face extreme daily stress. The SoftPro Elite HE's comprehensive ten-year warranty provides Kansas City homeowners with protection during the years of highest mineral exposure and mechanical wear. This warranty coverage reflects the manufacturer's confidence in the system's durability under severe operating conditions.

For Kansas City households dealing with 11.2 GPG of water hardness and the compounding presence of iron, sediment, and chlorine, the SoftPro Elite HE represents essential infrastructure protection, not a comfort upgrade. The system's engineering specifically addresses the challenges documented in Kansas City's water supply, delivering reliable performance under conditions that overwhelm lesser systems.

6. How to Size Your Softener for Kansas City

Proper sizing for Kansas City's 11.2 GPG water requires precise calculation — guessing leads to undersized systems that regenerate constantly or oversized systems that waste salt and water. Follow this step-by-step process to determine the correct SoftPro Elite HE capacity for your Kansas City household.

Step 1: Count permanent household members, including children. Temporary guests and college students away at school don't affect daily consumption significantly.

Step 2: Multiply household size by 75 gallons per person daily. This accounts for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and dishwashing in typical Kansas City homes.

Step 3: Multiply daily gallons by Kansas City's 11.2 GPG hardness to calculate daily grain removal demand.

Step 4: Multiply daily grain demand by 7 to determine weekly capacity requirements.

Step 5: Add 20% buffer capacity for high-usage days, holidays, and Kansas City's variable iron content.

Step 6: Match your calculated requirement to the appropriate SoftPro Elite HE grain capacity.

Here's the calculation for a typical four-person Kansas City household:

Step 1: 4 people
Step 2: 4 × 75 = 300 gallons daily
Step 3: 300 × 11.2 GPG = 3,360 grains daily
Step 4: 3,360 × 7 = 23,520 grains weekly
Step 5: 23,520 × 1.2 = 28,224 grains with buffer
Step 6: Select SoftPro Elite HE 32,000-grain model

For optimal salt efficiency at Kansas City's hardness level, target regeneration every 5-7 days. The 32,000-grain system provides this family with 9.5 days of capacity, allowing regeneration every 7-8 days for peak performance. Larger households or those preferring longer regeneration intervals should consider the 48,000 or 64,000-grain models.

7. Installation in Kansas City: What to Know

Kansas City does not require licensed plumber installation for residential water softeners, but the complexity of integrating treatment with Kansas City's high-pressure municipal system makes professional installation advisable. Typical Kansas City water pressure ranges from 45-65 PSI, well within the SoftPro Elite HE's operating requirements.

Proper installation sequence matters critically in Kansas City. The softener must be positioned after the main shutoff valve and pressure regulator but before the water heater to protect all downstream appliances and fixtures from 11.2 GPG scale formation. Bypass valves allow system maintenance without disrupting household water supply.

Kansas City's clay soil and high water table require careful drain line routing for regeneration discharge. The SoftPro Elite HE discharges 25-40 gallons of brine solution during each regeneration cycle — this must drain to an appropriate location that won't saturate foundation areas or violate local drainage ordinances.

Salt storage considerations become critical at Kansas City's consumption rate. A four-person household uses approximately 20-25 pounds of salt monthly with the SoftPro Elite HE operating at 11.2 GPG. For Kansas City's extreme hardness, use evaporated salt pellets exclusively — the highest purity salt type that minimizes brine tank residue and extends resin life under severe operating conditions.

Solar crystals and rock salt contain impurities that accelerate problems at Kansas City's hardness level. The extra cost of evaporated pellets — typically $2-3 per bag premium — pays for itself through reduced maintenance and extended system life when processing 11.2 GPG water daily.

Initial startup requires checking salt levels weekly until consumption patterns stabilize. Kansas City's iron content can increase salt usage during the first month as iron-fouled resin requires additional cleaning cycles.

8. Maintenance Schedule for Kansas City Homeowners

Kansas City's 11.2 GPG water hardness and iron content accelerate maintenance requirements compared to moderate-hardness cities. Following this calibrated schedule prevents system problems and maximizes the SoftPro Elite HE's performance under Kansas City's challenging conditions.

Monthly Maintenance

Check salt levels monthly — consumption runs high at Kansas City's extreme hardness level, typically 20-25 pounds monthly for a four-person household. Look for salt bridges, which appear as a hard crust above the water line that prevents proper brine formation. Kansas City's iron content can accelerate salt bridging, particularly during humid summer months.

Verify the bypass valve remains in the "service" position. Accidental bypass activation delivers untreated 11.2 GPG water throughout your Kansas City home, causing immediate scale formation and appliance damage.

Quarterly Maintenance

Clean the brine tank quarterly to remove sediment and iron residue that accumulates faster at Kansas City's hardness level. Test post-softener water hardness using test strips — readings should stay below 1 GPG consistently. Hardness breakthrough indicates resin exhaustion, incorrect regeneration timing, or iron fouling.

Inspect and clean the sediment pre-filter if your Kansas City area experiences recent water main work or seasonal Missouri River turbidity increases. Clogged pre-filters reduce flow and allow particles to reach the resin bed.

Annual Maintenance

Perform complete brine tank cleaning annually, removing all salt and scrubbing interior surfaces to eliminate iron staining and bacterial growth. Kansas City's iron content creates orange and brown residues that harbor bacteria if not removed regularly.

Conduct a resin bed performance evaluation by testing hardness removal capacity. If post-softener hardness creeps above 1 GPG despite proper salt levels and regeneration, the resin may need iron-fouling treatment or replacement after 3-5 years of Kansas City operation.

Audit regeneration cycle timing and salt dosing. Kansas City's variable iron content may require seasonal adjustments to maintain optimal performance during high-iron periods typically occurring during spring runoff.

Five-Year Maintenance

At Kansas City's 11.2 GPG hardness level, evaluate resin replacement after five years of operation. High-GPG cities degrade resin faster than soft-water cities due to continuous mineral stress and more frequent regeneration cycles. Iron fouling accelerates this degradation timeline in Kansas City conditions.

Professional resin evaluation can determine remaining capacity and iron fouling extent. Resin replacement costs $300-500 but extends system life another 5-7 years — far more economical than complete system replacement.

9. Is Kansas City's water at 11.2 GPG dangerous to drink?

Kansas City's 11.2 GPG water hardness poses no direct health risks — calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that some people supplement intentionally. The EPA does not regulate hardness as a health contaminant, and many nutritionists consider moderate mineral intake beneficial.

However, the infrastructure damage and reduced appliance efficiency caused by 11.2 GPG create indirect costs and inconveniences that affect quality of life. The decision to soften Kansas City's water is primarily economic and comfort-driven rather than health-motivated.

10. Will a water softener remove iron from Kansas City's water?

The SoftPro Elite HE can handle Kansas City's typical ferrous iron levels up to 3 mg/L, but iron removal is a secondary benefit — not the primary function. Softeners remove iron through ion exchange, but iron occupies resin sites intended for calcium and magnesium, reducing hardness capacity.

For Kansas City homes with iron concentrations above 1 mg/L, a dedicated iron filter upstream of the softener provides more reliable iron removal and protects softener resin from fouling. This two-stage approach addresses both Kansas City's 11.2 GPG hardness and problematic iron levels more effectively than relying on the softener alone.

11. How much salt will I use monthly in Kansas City at 11.2 GPG?

A properly sized SoftPro Elite HE serving a four-person Kansas City household consumes approximately 20-25 pounds of salt monthly at 11.2 GPG hardness. This assumes regeneration every 6-8 days and high-efficiency salt dosing.

Kansas City's iron content can increase consumption by 15-20% as iron-fouled resin requires additional cleaning cycles. Budget $8-12 monthly for evaporated salt pellets — the premium salt type essential for Kansas City's extreme hardness conditions.

12. Does Kansas City require a permit to install a water softener?

Kansas City does not require residential permits for water softener installation, but installations must comply with local plumbing codes regarding drain connections and backflow prevention. The regeneration discharge must drain to an approved location — typically a utility sink, floor drain, or standpipe.

Homeowners associations in some Kansas City suburbs may have restrictions on exterior equipment placement or drain discharge. Check HOA covenants before installation, particularly in newer developments around Overland Park and Lee's Summit areas.

13. Why does soft water feel slippery in the shower?

Kansas City residents notice a dramatic difference when switching from 11.2 GPG hard water to softened water below 1 GPG. The "slippery" sensation occurs because soap can finally create proper lather instead of forming scum with calcium and magnesium ions.

Without mineral interference, soap molecules function as intended — cleaning effectively while rinsing away completely. The slippery feeling is actually your natural skin oils being preserved instead of stripped away by calcium deposits. Most Kansas City homeowners adapt within 2-3 weeks and prefer the softer skin and hair texture.

14. How quickly will I see results after installing a softener in Kansas City?

Kansas City homeowners notice immediate improvements in soap lathering and reduced spotting on dishes within 24 hours of SoftPro Elite HE installation. Scale prevention begins immediately, protecting appliances and plumbing from further 11.2 GPG damage.

Existing scale deposits remain until gradually dissolved by soft water or physically removed during appliance maintenance. Visible improvements in skin and hair texture typically occur within one week as mineral residues wash away and natural moisture balance restores.

15. Can the SoftPro Elite HE handle Kansas City's water without separate filtration?

The SoftPro Elite HE addresses Kansas City's 11.2 GPG hardness completely and manages typical iron levels up to 3 mg/L effectively. The integrated sediment pre-filter handles Kansas City's periodic turbidity from distribution system disturbances.

However, the SoftPro does not remove chlorine — Kansas City residents seeking chlorine reduction for taste and odor improvement should consider a whole-house activated carbon filter installed upstream of the softener. This combination addresses all of Kansas City's documented water quality issues: hardness, iron, sediment, and chlorine.

16. What's the real cost difference between softening and not softening in Kansas City?

Kansas City households operating without water treatment face an estimated $800-1,200 annual "hard water tax" from increased soap usage, energy waste, and appliance replacement acceleration. A SoftPro Elite HE system costs approximately $200-300 annually to operate including salt, electricity, and maintenance.

The net annual savings range from $500-900 for typical Kansas City families. Over the system's 10-15 year lifespan, cumulative savings exceed $8,000-12,000 while providing daily comfort improvements that improve quality of life measurably.

17. Final Verdict for Kansas City

Kansas City's water hardness of 11.2 GPG demands commercial-grade treatment — residential-grade solutions fail under this extreme mineral load. The presence of iron, sediment, and chlorine compounds the baseline hardness problem, creating layered challenges that require systematic solutions.

The SoftPro Elite HE emerges as the clear choice for Kansas City homeowners because its high-capacity resin handles 11.2 GPG demand reliably, the demand-initiated regeneration adapts to Kansas City's variable iron content, and the integrated sediment pre-filter protects against Missouri River turbidity without ongoing filter replacement costs.

For Kansas City families facing $800+ in annual hard water costs, the SoftPro Elite HE represents essential infrastructure protection that pays for itself within 2-3 years while delivering a decade or more of reliable service. Check current SoftPro Elite HE pricing and available grain capacities for Kansas City households ready to end their battle with 11.2 GPG water hardness.

After all, in a city where the Chiefs and Royals know the value of a strong defense, Kansas City homeowners deserve the same championship-level protection for their most important investment.