How do most wizards live day-to-day?

[Quantus]

I'm sure they get fake identities the old fashioned way, the same way vanilla mortals do now. They have to provide proof of identity to go to Univeristy in any country, and most of them have a lot of money to buy those kinds of things.

If regular humans are able to create fake identities for a lot of money, I'm sure wizards can too paying the same people. And they mention at one point that wizards don't have any limits on using magic to make money as long as they don't break the laws of magic. So they could do some outright unethical things in our eyes if they keep to the laws. Harry and Ebs talk about it at one point in Changes I think.

Another benefit is the longevity and long-term activities they can do.  In other work of fiction (White Collar tv show) the topic of forgery and Fake Identities came up pretty often. The Holy Grail of Fake ID's came up once: an old-timer in the industry had a couple "perfect" ID's, because he'd literally been raising them like pets for years.  They didnt need to fake records, they had actually filed for various life events real-time for these fake "people".  They had bank accounts, tax history, the whole nine.  It occurs to me that this could be a common way to go about it for an organization of Wizards;  in RL you arent going to find people willing to devote the lifetime of effort it would take, but when the members of an organization live for multiple lifetimes, it becomes far more practical. 

[sparlin]

I think it's been mentioned a couple times (possibly by Harry) that there can be and are wizards who use their magic to make a crapload of money in ways that might be stretching legality or ethics in the mortal world. Buying and selling information, using magic to stack the odds at a casino, summoning demons for lottery numbers, etc.

So long as you're not breaking the Laws of Magic, the White Council doesn't care one bit what else you're doing with your magic. Harry's perpetual near poverty is mostly self-flagellation on his part. Case in point -- he could've made a mint signing on with Marcone.

I'd really like to see that in Mirror Mirror - that would be really cool to see Harry and Marcone take over Chi-town and then go at each other.

[Martine]

And don't many of the Wizards of the White Council have chevrons or the like on their stoles indicating various degrees and the like?

N ever heard that, but we do know that Listens to Wind actually goes back to Med school every so often to learn new medical techniques, and does in fact practice as a doctor on a reservation, I assume. We know Ebenezer is a farmer. I am sure they are all quite rich seeing how they are smart, long lived, and have magic powers. I am sure they live in m any different ways. Edinburugh is very luxurious, so the WC has a ton of cash.

[Quantus]

N ever heard that, but we do know that Listens to Wind actually goes back to Med school every so often to learn new medical techniques, and does in fact practice as a doctor on a reservation, I assume. We know Ebenezer is a farmer. I am sure they are all quite rich seeing how they are smart, long lived, and have magic powers. I am sure they live in m any different ways. Edinburugh is very luxurious, so the WC has a ton of cash.

Turn Coat, Chapter 47.  The quote was posted not long ago in this very thread  

And don't many of the Wizards of the White Council have chevrons or the like on their stoles indicating various degrees and the like?

Yup:

(click to show/hide)

Everyone present was wearing his or her formal robes, all flowing black, with stoles of silk and satin in one of the various colors and patterns of trim that denoted status among the Council’s members. Blue stoles for members, red for those with a century of service, a braided silver cord for acknowledged master alchemists, a gold-stitched caduceus for master healers, a copper chevron near the collar for those with a doctorate in a scholarly discipline (some of the wizards had so many of them that they had stretched the fabric of the stole), an embroidered white Seal of Solomon for master exorcists and so on.

I had a plain blue stole with no ornaments whatsoever, though I’d been toying with the idea of embroidering “GED” on it in red, white, and blue thread. Molly was the only one in the room wearing a brown robe.

[ClintACK]

Another benefit is the longevity and long-term activities they can do.  In other work of fiction (White Collar tv show) the topic of forgery and Fake Identities came up pretty often. The Holy Grail of Fake ID's came up once: an old-timer in the industry had a couple "perfect" ID's, because he'd literally been raising them like pets for years.  They didnt need to fake records, they had actually filed for various life events real-time for these fake "people".  They had bank accounts, tax history, the whole nine.  It occurs to me that this could be a common way to go about it for an organization of Wizards;  in RL you arent going to find people willing to devote the lifetime of effort it would take, but when the members of an organization live for multiple lifetimes, it becomes far more practical.

Awesome.  This has now entered my headcanon.  Of course that's how they do it.

[Zaphodess]

I suppose some wizards change their first name occasionally. Most first names tell a lot about when you were born. I mean, who calls their kid Ebenezar these days?

[Rasins]

You know, another way someone like Listens-to-Wind could go back to school every decade or so is to get to know the dean and be honest with him.

Then the next Dean and so on. 

[Mr. Death]

You know, another way someone like Listens-to-Wind could go back to school every decade or so is to get to know the dean and be honest with him.

Then the next Dean and so on.

Or pay for a building.

[Rasins]

Or pay for a building.

That would work too.

[Quantus]

It's the murphionic thing that I see as the biggest problem.  Though even Harry was able to design something to suppress that, way back in DM; his only failed because Harry lacked sufficient emotional control, an area that LTW is supposedly particularly skilled at.  So if anyone could design a charm to prevent an SC level wizard from exploding all the computers and sensitive medical equipment, it would be him.  Or maybe him with the help from a master magical crafter like Mai.