Financial Education – Free to be Rich

Let us have the liberty and encouragement to become rich.

I would like to suggest the first step in achieving this is by adding to our academic and professional education, financial education.

Can I give an example of the absurdity of our government budgetary system. A department is given a budgetary spend for a year. Suppose by a combination of efficiency savings, good management and even delay of some projects it under spends its budget and maintains or even improves its services. What is the reward? The budget is cut for the following year.

In his bestselling book Rich Dad Poor Dad (which if you haven’t read you should) Robert Kiyosaki describes some of the content of a sensible financial education.

We need to radically change our education system so it includes financial education of the type proposed in this book and others, including supporters in this country. Our schools do not cover subjects like banking, credit, good debt and bad debt, is a home an asset or a liability? Is it best to have a job or be self employed than to run is business which leverages our time or to invest and leverage both time and money? Should one specialise or diversify in investment? Do you know that the rich pay less tax than the middle classes? How can you join the rich? Do you know that most rich people plan to save, invest and give before their expenses rather than with what is left? why?

If more of us knew how to become rich and could become rich and understood more of the consequences of the last decades economic changes we would be able to extricate ourselves from our difficult economic situation more easily.

Why does this idea matter?

As Robert's book makes clear the major economic changes of the last forty year's have made many of the economic assumptions people used no longer apply. They no longer bring the security and independence we expected. We need to encourgae people to become business owners and investors rather than employees and self employed so they win their freedom and security. 

An example: to look for a well paid secure job with a large company is no longer a route to security. An employee you can be fired easily, an employer wants the best of your contribution for as little cost as possible. Why should we give the best of our lives for someone elses benefit. 

Another example most people's pension will not keep them to the style to which they deserve, many will rely on the governments pension and that is not much. Does royalty style income change that? Can the average person achieve that? Yes see Robert Kiosaki's latest book The business of the 21st century? The problem is we are educated to see network marketing as a bad thing "pyramid selling" where in fact it can be very ethical and is highly regulated in the UK.

Is it a good idea to invest for a cash flow that will pay your expenses? How can we do it? Most people's answer is they do not know or it is too risky. Is that right?

We are entering an era when we need to learn how to provide for ourselves. We should develop a plan so we can achieve our dreams. We should encourage students to earn enough for their education and not require huge loans. Let's free parents to give their children the education they believe in.

Let's give our children an education theat at least looks at these issues and help at least some more  of them find financial freedom.