Have you ever thought of taking control of your own financial future? I’ve never thought of it this hard until I attended the National Achiever’s Congress that featured Kim Kiyosaki, wife of Robert Kiyosaki who authored Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
- Photo courtesy of http://dianecossie.com/
A Costly Experience
I’ve sold my printing business about four years ago. Even though owning a business has been inwardly and outwardly rewarding, I have been enjoying the freedom of not having alarm clocks, employees, and meeting customer demands. In the past, I was easily taken by people who offer investment schemes meant to deliver immediate returns. Some of my hard earned funds were entrusted to new acquaintances, investors in water, restaurant, start-up businesses—you name it. The result? Fast track not to financial freedom but financial disaster.
Some of my business partners have either disappeared, never heard from, or were charged with fraudulent activities. Some kept promising to return my investments and to this day I am still hoping. “I made a few investment mistakes” probably is an understatement. I must admit that most of them did not pan out. Luckily, few small investments are still alive.
Does this sound familiar to you? Or am I the only one who easily entrusted my money? It was a very expensive life experience fee for financial education.
Contemplating on what I must do now to increase my financial literacy and make money work hard for me, I came across Kim Kiyosaki’s book Rich Woman: A Book on Investing for Women: Because I Hate Being Told What to Do!
I encourage you to also take a look on how you invest your own money and check your own financial literacy. I am now committed to follow the path of investing into something that will create passive income for me so I can continue with my passion of traveling and contributing to the world through speaking and writing.
Kim Kiyosaki is a confident investor and like her husband, is a financial educator. She is passionate about empowering women to take action and responsibility for their financial future and ultimately, financial freedom. While she understands that money in itself is not the most important thing in life, money directly affects everything in life – health, education and quality of life. Kim believes that money buys one of two things: slavery or freedom. Slavery to your job, debt and, in many cases slavery to your relationships. Money has also has the potential to buy your freedom – freedom to live your life in alignment with your choices and decisions.
“Today more than ever, we as women can no longer depend on someone else, be it our husband or partner, our parents, our boss, or government, to take care of us financially. What was true for our mothers and grandmothers is not applicable to us today. In my opinion, women must learn to invest to ensure a secure life for themselves and their children. It is no longer just an option. The rules have changed and it’s time to take control of our financial future,” she said.
Here’s a video clip of Kim Kiyosaki as she talks about her first ever investment:
Why women need to become actively involved in investing?
- No glass ceiling. This corporate myth states that due to gender, women experience limited movement up the corporate ladder. Investing however is gender neutral.
- No limits on income. Investing money makes for unlimited returns, unlike the salary you earn as an employee. “Studies show that women, with the same education and experience as their male counterparts, earn about 74 cents for every dollar their male peers earn,” said Kim Kiyosaki.
- Avoiding dependency. Regarding the highlighted statistics, is this how you see your future?
- Increased self-esteem. With each and every accomplishment, confidence increases. This increased level of confidence leads to increased levels of self-esteem. Higher self-esteem leads to further opportunities, which leads to freedom.
- Control your time. Often women find the time elusive between work, child care, making meals, cleaning. The list is endless. As an investor, you are in control of your time. You can invest full or part time, work from home or an office.
- Statistics. Do you want to be dependent on another person or employer and have this person make your financial decisions?
(Based from the Fast Track Group review about Rich Woman.)
“The first step is to determine where you want to go.”
And in everything else in life, investing requires the creation of a plan and then implementation of a course of action. As Kim states, “The first step is to determine where you want to go.” The following questions are necessary in creating your specific plan:
1. Determine will my primary investing vehicle be?
2. Within that investment category, what type of product will I focus on?
3. What is my time frame for goal accomplishment?
The first step toward financial freedom is education. Become financially literate. Read books, attend financial education opportunities and investment seminars and conferences, network with other investors, join an investment club, play Rich Dad Cashflow 101 board game (with CD’s)
Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and actively engage in your financial education. Education and action will change your life! This is what I am embarking myself this year 2012.
Start your financial literacy now and take charge of your financial future!
