Robert Kiyosaki’s best selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad has been read by millions worldwide. If you haven’t read this book then your missing out. Robert Kiyosaki had a rich dad and a poor dad, the poor dad had a stable job but didn’t manage money well and therefore was poor, the rich dad built an empire and managed his money like a rich person even though at the start he was poor. He teaches about financial intelligence. What’s financial intelligence? Financial intelligence is knowing how to make money, how to money can make money. Here’s some of the key points in the book:
Acquire assets, reduce liabilities
One of the main points in the book that made a lot of sense to me is to acquire assets and reduce liabilities. This seems like a simple idea that a lot of people try to do, but Kiyosaki explains that there are millions of people doing it wrong! Your house and car is not a asset, if you have a mortgage it eats away at your money. Assets are things that make you money such as stocks, real estate that you acquire to sell on for a profit, or a business that you own.
Cash Flow
Robert Kiyosaki designed a simple diagram of the cashflow of a poor person, middle class person, and the rich. The poor and middle class’s money comes in and out. The rich circulate their money to make more money.
Wealth
Some of the “middle class ” consider themselves wealthy due to the fact they they have a nice car, house and are enjoying the luxuries in life. But Robert Kiyosaki thinks differently, he measures true wealth from how long you can survive if you lose your job or retire. Robert Kiyosaki retired in his mid 30’s, cause he felt like had enough wealth and could continue his lifestyle with what his assets were giving him, and decided to work only when he needed more money or felt like it, when he said work, that just meant actually doing something to make money, not getting a job and working for someone else. Wealth is measured by the ability to be financially independent without doing much work, he explains how this is possible through his asset/liabilities ideas.
This book is not a get rich quick scam, this book is just a guidance on the basics of how to think about money.