How I Obtained My Financial Education

     As a kid, I remember going outside to gather rocks. My intent was to paint them yellow to resemble gold and sell them. I collected a few and brought them inside the house on a piece of wood.Upon learning what I was doing, my aunt explained that no one was going to buy them and ordered me to take them back outside. I guess you can say my interest in money started early.

     My true financial education started in college. I remember seeing my roommate’s copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad on his dresser. The cover of the book looked like a romance novel, with cursive fonts and purple and gold coloring. Mistaking it for a romance book, I asked him, “Dude, what are you reading this for?” He explained that it was a financial education book. Close minded, I was, like, “Whatever.” Some time after, I purchased a book on becoming rich while still young. I learned some solid things and it sparked my interest more. However, I would say that true learning began when I bought Robert Kiyosaki’s Increase Your Financial IQ.

     Even though I read Increase Your Financial IQ, I wasn’t able to really appreciate it until years had passed. Several books and various financial experts later, I could fully grasp the information in Increase Your Financial IQ. Honestly, of all the financial advice available, now I align predominantly with Robert Kiyosaki’s perspective. In fact, I own several of his works.

     Exposure to different opinions helped me shape my own. At the end of the day, despite what you believe is right, numbers tell the tale. The takeaway is that financial education is a process that requires common sense and action. No matter what you believe, only action brings profits. Making your money work hard for you, instead of you working hard for money is an easy concept to grasp. You have to educate yourself and take action.

     Today, my old roommate and I joke about how I was initially against Rich Dad, Poor Dad, mistaking it as a juicy romance novel filled with scandal. I learned two things: Be careful about your book cover, and you really can’t judge a book by its cover. The information inside those books revealed a new way of thinking about money. I realized that to become financially free I had to see things from the perspective of an investor by developing my financial education. I am humbled by the process, and the process never ceases.

Entertain money.