financial literacy

this is actually the second part of our financial literacy seminar outline. the first part is the financial stewardship.

the Cashflow Quadrants

according to Robert Kiyosaki of the Rich Dad Poor Dad, there are only four ways how to earn.

1. be an employee. work for somebody for 8 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. they are oftentimes forced to render an overtime. sometimes rendering overtime is without pay. their own initiative to meet the deadline or because they cannot cope up with so many pending work. most of the times they have bosses that is so demanding and so irritating. their monthly income is secured but they have no control over their time. they have no freedom and they work for money.

2. be self-employed. they are their own boss. most people in this group are the professionals: doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants, etc. some works at home or have small businesses like tailors, sari-sari store owners, balut and taho ventors, taxi owners who drive their own taxi, among others. though a little higher in status than the employee, a self-employed person still needs to wake up early, do their routine and stuff and work or else they don't earn. meaning, they still work for money.

3. be a businessman/entrepreneur. this is much better than the other two. businessmen/entrepreneurs create businesses and jobs. they create money and wealth. they hire people who are competent enough to run their businesses. they hire experts that require less supervision. their business is in autopilot. this will give them enough time to look for more opportunities and time for their families.

4. be an investor. they make their money work for them. they use their money to earn more money. they create passive income. they invest in other peoples businesses, they invest in real estates, stocks, bonds and mutual funds. they don't need to wake up early. they control their time. they can spend their month-long vacation and still earn. this is freedom--financial freedom.

the first two groups, the employed and self-employed, are placed at the left side of the quadrant. while the remaining two, the businessmen/entrepreneurs and the investors, are placed at the right. Kiyosaki called the left side as the "rat race" while the other side as the "fast tract".

financial literacy is the key for people to move from the rat race to the fast tract. they need to be prudent, disciplined, and the will to save and invest. it takes a lot of hard work and guts. dream big but start small. learn from failures and improvise.

source: Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad and Larry Gamboa, Think Rich, Pinoy!