Personal Finance

In the big picture of personal finance, there are four financial forces that cause most people to work hard and yet struggle financially. They are:

<ol>
<li>Taxes</li>
<li>Debt</li>
<li>Inflation</li>
<li>Retirement</li>
</ol>

— Robert Kiyosaki; Rich Dad's Conspiracy of The Rich

So here we come back to the question posed in the title of this chapter: Can Obama save us? The correct question should be: How we can save ourselves? The answer, and the key to our freedom from the tyranny of our economy, is knowledge. By educating yourself about money and how it works, you unlock the potential within yourself to break free from the mentality of scarcity and see the abundance all around you. For you, these truly can be the best of times.

Personally, I do not expect government or big business to save me. I simply watch what the powers that be actually do, more than what they say or promise, and I respond accordingly to those actions. Knowing how to respond, rather than follow, and taking confident action, rather than waiting to be told what to do, requires courage and financial education.

I believe our financial problem is too big and getting bigger. It is out of control. It is a monetary problem more than a political problem. It is a global problem, not just a U.S. problem. There is only so much Obama can do, and what he can do I fear may not be enough. Worst of all, the people really pulling the strings in the financial world do not answer to the president of the United States. They do not need his approval to do what they do. They are beyond the control of world governments and their elected leaders.

— Robert Kiyosaki; Rich Dad's Conspiracy of The Rich

There are two primary differences between my classmates and me. The first difference is that most of my work is 90 percent mental and most of theirs is 90 percent physical. They have to sail ships to get paid. I make money even when I'm sleeping. The second difference is the rate of transaction speed. My classmates work five days a week and get paid by the month. I work 24/7, 365 days a year, and I get paid by the minute. Even if I stopped working, money would still come in.

— Robert Kiyosaki; Rich Dad's Conspiracy of The Rich

<ol>
<li>Are you being paid by the month, the hour, the minute, or the second?</li>
<li>Are you earning money eight hours a day or 24/7?</li>
<li>If you stop working, will money continue to come in?</li>
<li>Do you have multiple sources of income?</li>
<li>If you are an employee, are you working for an employer who is being left behind?</li>
<li>Are your friends and family moving forward or being left behind financially?</li>
</ol>

— Robert Kiyosaki; Rich Dad's Conspiracy of The Rich