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For　adults；　keep　your　expenses　low；　reduce　your　liabilities　and　diligently　build　a　base　of　solid　assets。　For　young　people　who　have　not　yet　left　home；　it　is　important　for　parents　to　teach　them　the　difference　between　an　asset　and　a　liability。　　Get　them　to　start　building　a　solid　asset　column　before　they　leave　home；　get　married；　buy　a　house；　have　kids　and　get　stuck　in　a　risky　financial　position；　clinging　to　a　job　and　buying　everything　on　credit。　　I　see　so　many　young　couples　who　get　married　and　trap　themselves　into　a　lifestyle　that　will　not　let　them　get　out　of　debt　for　most　of　their　working　years。
For　most　people；　just　as　the　last　child　leaves　home；　the　parents　realize　they　have　not　adequately　prepared　for　retirement　and　they　begin　to　scramble　to　put　some　money　away。　Then；　their　own　parents　bee　ill　and　they　find　themselves　with　new　responsibilities。
So　what　kind　of　assets　am　I　suggesting　that　you　or　your　children　acquire？　In　my　world；　real　assets　fall　into　several　different　categories：
1。　Businesses　that　do　not　require　my　presence。　I　own　them；　but　they　are　managed　or　run　by　other　people。　　If　I　have　to　work　there；　it's　not　a　business。　　It　bees　my　job。
2。　Stocks。
3。　Bonds。
4。　Mutual　funds。
5。　Ine…generating　real　estate。
6。　Notes　（lOUs）。
7。　Royalties　from　intellectual　property　such　as　music；　scripts；　patents。
8。　And　anything　else　that　has　value；　produces　ine　or　appreciates　and　has　a　ready　market。
As　a　young　boy；　my　educated　dad　encouraged　me　to　find　a　safe　job。　My　rich　dad；　on　the　other　hand；　encouraged　me　to　begin　acquiring　assets　that　I　loved。　　〃If　you　don't　love　it；　you　won't　take　care　of　it。〃　I　collect　real　estate　simply　because　I　love　buildings　and　land。　　I　love　shopping　for　them。　　1　could　look　at　them　all　day　long。　When　problems　arise；　the　problems　are　not　so　bad　that　it　changes　my　love　for　real　estate。　　For　people　who　hate　real　estate；　they　shouldn't　buy　it。
I　love　stocks　of　small　panies；　especially　startups。　The　reason　is　that　I　am　an　entrepreneur；　not　a　corporate　person。　　　In　my　early　years。　I　worked　in　large　organizations；　such　as　Standard　Oil　of　California；　the　U。S。　Marine　Corps；　and　Xerox　Corp。　　I　enjoyed　my　time　with　those　organizations　and　have　fond　memories；　but　I　know　deep　down　I　am　not　a　pany　man。　I　like　starting　panies；　not　running　them。　　So　my　slock　buys　are　usually　of　small　panies；　and　sometimes　I　even　start　the　pany　and　take　it　public。　　Fortunes　are　made　in　new…stock　issues；　and　I　love　the　game。　Many　people　are　afraid　of　small…cap　panies　and　call　them　risky；　and　they　are。　But　risk　is　always　diminished　if　you　love　what　the　investment　is；　understand　it　and　know　the　game。　With　small　panies；　my　investment　strategy　is　to　be　out　of　the　stock　in　a　year。　　My　real　estate　strategy；　on　the　other　hand；　is　to　start　small　and　keep　trading　the　properties　up　for　bigger　properties　and；　therefore；　delaying　paying　taxes　on　the　gain。　This　allows　the　value　to　increase　dramatically。　I　generally　hold　real　estate　less　than　seven　years。
For　years；　even　while　I　was　with　the　Marine　Corps　and　Xerox；　I　did　what　my　rich　dad　remended。　　I　kept　my　daytime　job；　but　I　still　minded　my　own　business。　I　was　active　in　my　asset　column。　　I　traded　real　estate　and　small　stocks。　　Rich　dad　always　stressed　the　importance　of　financial　literacy。　The　better　I　was　at　understanding　the　accounting　and　cash　management；　the　better　I　would　be　at　analyzing　investments　and　eventually　starting　and　building　my　own　pany。
I　would　not　encourage　anyone　to　start　a　pany　unless　they　really　want　to。　Knowing　what　I　know　about　running　a　pany；　I　would　not　wish　that　task　on　anyone。　There　are　times　when　people　cannot　find　employment；　where　starting　a　pany　is　a　solution　for　them。　　The　odds　are　against　success：　Nine　out　of　10　panies　fail　in　five　years。　　Of　those　that　survive　the　first　five　years；　nine　out　of　every　10　of　those　eventually　fail；　as　well。　　　So　only　if　you　really　have　the　desire　to　own　your　own　pany　do　I　remend　it。　Otherwise；　keep　your　daytime　job　and　mind　your　own　business。　When　I　say　mind　your　own　business；　1　mean　to　build　and　keep　your　asset　column　strong。　Once　a　dollar　goes　into　it；　never　let　it　e　out。　Think　of　it　this　way；　once　a　dollar　goes　into　your　asset　column；　it　bees　your　employee。　The　best　thing　about　money　is　that　it　works　24　hours　a　day　and　can　work　for　generations。　　Keep　your　daytime　job；　be　a　great　hard…working　employee；　but　keep　building　that　asset　column。
As　your　cash　flow　grows；　you　can　buy　some　luxuries。　An　important　distinction　is　that　rich　people　buy　luxuries　last；　while　the　poor　and　middle　class　tend　to　buy　luxuries　first。　The　poor　and　the　middle　class　often　buy　luxury　items　such　as　big　houses；　diamonds；　furs；　jewelry　or　boats　because　they　want　to　look　rich。　They　look　rich；　but　in　reality　they　just　get　deeper　in　debt　on　credit。　The　old…money　people；　the　long…term　rich；　built　their　asset　column　first。　　Then；　the　ine　generated　from　the　asset　column　bought　their　luxuries。　The　poor　and　middle　class　buy　luxuries　with　their　own　sweat；　blood　and　children's　inheritance。
A　true　luxury　is　a　reward　for　investing　in　and　developing　a　real　asset。　For　example；　when　my　wife　and　I　had　extra　money　ing　from　our　apartment　houses；　she　went　out　and　bought　her　Mercedes。　It　did　not　take　any　extra　work　or　risk　on　her　part　because　the　apartment　house　bought　the　car。　　She　did；　however；　have　to　wait　for　it　for　four　years　while　the　real　estate　investment　portfolio　grew　and　finally　began　throwing　off　enough　extra　cash　flow　to　pay　for　the　car。　　But　the　luxury；　the　Mercedes；　was　a　true　reward　because　she　had　proved　she　knew　how　to　grow　her　asset　column。　That　car　now　means　a　lot　more　to　her　than　simply　another　pretty　car。　　It　means　she　used　her　financial　intelligence　to　afford　it。
What　most　people　do　is　they　impulsively　go　out　and　buy　a　new　car；　or　some　other　luxury；　on　credit。　They　may　feel　bored　and　just　want　a　new　toy。　　Buying　a　luxury　on　credit　often　causes　a　person　to　sooner　or　later　actually　resent　that　luxury　because　the　debt　on　the　luxury　bees　a　financial　burden。
After　you've　taken　the　time　and　invested　in　and　built　your　own　business；　you　are　now　ready　to　add　the　magic　touch…the　biggest　secret　of　the　rich。　The　secret　that　puts　the　rich　way　ahead　of　the　pack。　The　reward　at　the　end　of　the　road　for　diligently　taking　the　time　to　mind　your　own　business。

CHAPTER　FIVE　
Lesson　Four：The　History　of　and　The　Power　of　Corporation

I　remember　in　school　being　told　the　story　of　Robin　Hood　and　his　Merry　Men。　My　schoolteacher　thought　it　was　a　wonderful　story　of　a　romantic　hero；　a　Kevin　Costner　type；　who　robbed　from　the　rich　and　gave　to　the　poor。　My　rich　dad　did　not　see　Robin　Hood　as　a　hero。　He　called　Robin　Hood　a　crook。
Robin　Hood　may　be　long　gone；　but　his　followers　live　on。　How　often　I　still　hear　people　say；　〃Why　don't　the　rich　pay　for　it？〃　Or　〃The　rich　should　pay　more　in　taxes　and　give　it　to　the　poor。〃
It　is　this　idea　of　Robin　Hood；　or　taking　from　the　rich　to　give　to　the　poor　that　has　caused　the　most　pain　for　the　poor　and　the　middle　class。　The　reason　the　middle　class　is　so　heavily　taxed　is　because　of　the　Robin　Hood　ideal。　The　real　reality　is　that　the　rich　are　not　taxed。　It's　the　middle　class　who　pays　for　the　poor；　especially　the　educated　upper…ine　middle　class。
Again；　to　understand　fully　how　things　happen；　we　need　to　look　at　the　historical　perspective。　We　need　to　look　at　the　history　of　taxes。　Although　my　highly　educated　dad　was　an　expert　on　the　history　of　education；　my　rich　dad　fashioned　himself　as　an　expert　on　the　history　of　taxes。
Rich　dad　explained　to　Mike　and　me　that　in　England　and　America　originally；　there　were　no　taxes。　Occasionally　there　were　temporary　taxes　levied　in　order　to　pay　for　wars。　The　king　or　the　president　would　put　the　word　out　and　ask　everyone　to　〃chip　in。〃　Taxes　were　levied　in　Britain　for　the　fight　against　Napoleon　from　1799　to　1816；　and　in　America　taxes　were　levied　to　pay　for　the　Civil　War　from　1861　to　1865。
In　1874；　England　made　ine　tax　a　permanent　levy　on　its　citizens。　In　1913；　an　ine　tax　became　permanent　in　the　United　States　with　the　adoption　of　the　16th　Amendment　to　the　Constitution。　At　one　time；　Americans　were　anti…tax。　It　had　been　the　excessive　tax　on　tea　that　led　to　the　famous　Tea　Party　in　Boston　Harbor；　an　incident　that　helped　ignite　the　Revolutionary　War。　It　took　approximately　50　years　in　both　England　and　　'？the　United　States　to　sell　the　idea　of　a　regular　ine　tax。　；
What　these　historical　dates　fail　to　reveal　is　that　both　of　these　taxes　were　initially　levied　against　only　the　rich。　It　was　this　point　that　rich　dad　wanted　Mike　and　me　to　understand。　He　explained　that　the　idea　of　taxes　was　made　popular；　and　accepted　by　the　majority；　by　telling　the　poor　and　the　middle　class　that　taxes　were　created　only　to　punish　the　rich。　This　is　how　the　masses　voted　for　the　law；　and　it　became　constitutionally　legal。　Although　it　was　intended　to　punish　the　rich；　in　reality　it　wound　up　punishing　the　very　people　who　voted　for　it；　the　poor　and　middle　class。
〃Once　government　got　a　taste　of　money；　the　appetite　grew；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Your　dad　and　I　are　exactly　opposite。　He's　a　government　bureaucrat；　and　I　am　a　capitalist。　We　get　paid；　and　our　success　is　measured　on　opposite　behaviors。　He　gets　paid　to　spend　money　and　hire　people。　The　more　he　spends　and　the　more　people　he　hires；　the　larger　his　organization　bees。　In　the　government；　the　larger　his　organization；　the　more　he　is　respected。　　On　the　other　hand；　within　my　organization；　the　fewer　people　I　hire　and　the　less　money　I　spend；　the　more　I　am　respected　by　my　investors。　That's　why　I　don't　like　government　people。　They　have　different　objectives　from　most　business　people。　As　the　government　grows；　more　and　more　tax　dollars　will　be　needed　to　support　it。〃
My　educated　dad　sincerely　believed　that　government　should　help
people。　He　loved　John　F。　Kennedy　and　especially　the　idea　of　the　Peace　Corps。　He　loved　the　idea　so　much　that　both　he　and　my　mom　worked　for　the　Peace　Corps　training　volunteers　to　go　to　Malaysia；　Thailand　and　the　Philippines。　He　always　strived　for　additional　grants　and　increases　in　his　budget　so　he　could　hire　more　people；　both　in　his　job　with　the　Education　Department　and　in　the　Peace　Corps。　That　was　his　job。
From　the　time　I　was　about　10　years　old；　I　would　hear　from　my　rich　dad　that　government　workers　were　a　pack　of　lazy　thieves；　and　from　my　poor　dad　I　would　hear　how　the　rich　were　greedy　crooks　who　should　be　made　to　pay　more　taxes。　Both　sides　have　valid　points。　It　was　difficult　to　go　to　work　for　one　of　the　biggest　capitalists　in　town　and　e　home　to　a　father　who　was　a　prominent　government　leader。　It　was　not　easy　knowing　who　to　believe。
Yet；　when　you　study　the　history　of　taxes；　an　interesting　perspective　emerges。　As　I　said；　the　passage　of　taxes　was　only　possible　because　the　masses　believed　in　the　Robin　Hood　theory　of　economics；　which　was　to　take　from　the　rich　and　give　to　everyone　else。　The　problem　was　that　the　government's　appetite　for　money　was　so　great　that　taxes　soon　needed　to　be　levied　on　the　middle　class；　and　from　there　it　kept　〃trickling　down。〃
The　rich；　on　the　other　hand；　saw　an　opportunity。　They　do　not　play　by　the　same　set　of　rules。　As　I've　stated；　the　rich　already　knew　about　corporations；　which　became　popular　in　the　days　of　sailing　ships。　The　rich　created　the　corporation　as　a　vehicle　to　limit　their　risk　to　the　assets　of　each　voyage。　The　rich　put　their　money　into　a　corporation　to　finance　the　voyage。　The　corporation　would　then　hire　a　crew　to　sail　to　the　New　World　to　look　for　treasures。　If　the　ship　was　lost；　the　crew　lost　their　lives；　but　the　loss　to　the　rich　would　be　limited　only　to　the　money　they　invested　for　that　particular　voyage。　The　diagram　that　follows　shows　how　the　corporate　structure　sits　outside　your　personal　ine　statement　and　balance　sheet。

How　the　Rich　Play　the　Game

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Is　reduced/diminished　by　expenses
Assets　　》　Ine
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（through　personal　corporation）

It　is　the　knowledge　of　the　power　of　the　legal　structure　of　the　corporation　that　really　gives　the　rich　a　vast　advantage　over　the　poor　and　the　middle　class。　Having　two　fathers　teaching　me；　one　a　socialist　and　the　other　a　capitalist；　I　quickly　began　to　realize　that　the　philosophy　of　the　capitalist　made　more　financial　sense　to　me。　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　socialists　ultimately　penalized　themselves；　due　to　their　lack　of　financial　education。