My Rich Dad My Poor Dad

It’s no secret that I (PIMD) am a huge fan of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, a fantastic book by Robert Kiyosaki. It’s one of the best inspirational books on financial education I’ve come across.

The book mirrors my own life surprisingly well, and I felt an instant connection with a good amount of what the author said. Why, you ask?

My Rich Dad My Poor Dad 

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It’s often debated whether Kiyosaki truly had a “rich” and “poor” dad and whether the whole story was made up. Well for me, it’s a true story. I have a prime case study in my own family – specifically, in the example of my father-in-law and my own father. 

My Family

These two father figures in my life are similar in many ways: 1. Both are physicians that finished their training in the late 1970’s. 2. Both have an extremely hard work ethic. 3. Both work in well-paid specialties.

But there are a few ways in which they differ, mainly: 1. My own father never had a clear investment strategy for retirement, and definitely didn’t have a financial plan written at any point. 

2. In contrast, while my wife’s father invested somewhat in the stock market as well, he put more of his money into direct ownership of real estate. He also stayed disciplined in his investing strategy.

For our purposes, the title of “Poor Dad” falls to my own father for a couple different reasons: 1. He truly trades time for money – Time In = Money Out. 2. He’s endured some level of financial stress throughout the last decade or so as he’s changed practices a few times.

My Poor Dad

By contrast, consider my Rich Dad: He receives passive income from multiple rental properties—income that far exceeds his physician’s salary. Because of this, he works for the pure enjoyment of it and has been doing it this way for years, really decades.

My Rich Dad

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