It's simple, they just use debt to buy assets and cut out all debt to buy consumer products (cars, clothes, vacations etc) that go down in value. They essentially trade a worthless, ever depreciating currency to buy valuable, scarce things that often produce cash-flow.
Leverage for Investment: Wealthy individuals often use debt strategically to leverage their investments. By borrowing money at a lower interest rate than the return on their investments, they can amplify their potential gains.
Kiyosaki uses debt to enable new revenue streams. As long as his return on investment exceeds the risk of being unable to pay his debt obligations, he could be making money he otherwise wouldn't.
Good debt can be a powerful tool for building wealth, while bad debt can drag you down. Think about it: ❌ Bad debt, like credit cards and car loans, only drives your net worth down. ✅ Good debt, on the other hand, is an investment in your future. It's the debt you take on to purchase income-producing assets, like re.
Net Worth**: It's important to note that not all millionaires earn over $100,000 a year. Some may have accumulated wealth through investments or inheritances, which do not necessarily relate to their annual income.
Good debt is money you borrow for something that has the potential to increase in value or expand your potential income. For example, a mortgage may help you buy a home that can appreciate in value. Student loans may increase your future income by helping you get the job you've wanted.
The Cashflow Quadrant is a concept from Robert Kiyosaki's book that represents four ways in which income can be generated: 1) Employment (E), 2) Self-employment (S), 3) Business ownership (B), and 4) Investment (I).
By utilizing debt, money can be borrowed and put towards assets such as property or shares with the potential for creating wealth. This is what's known as 'gearing'. The value of these investments should increase over time, providing greater income and capital growth than would have been spent servicing the loan.
In some years, billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and George Soros paid no federal income taxes at all. Billionaires avoid these taxes by taking out special ultra-low-interest loans available only to them and using their assets as collateral.
Alternative long-term investments: Billionaires often hold stakes in other companies or industries as part of their investment strategy. Additionally, they may invest in tangible assets such as art or collectibles that might not be easily liquidated.
They stay away from debt.
Car payments, student loans, same-as-cash financing plans—these just aren't part of their vocabulary. That's why they win with money. They don't owe anything to the bank, so every dollar they earn stays with them to spend, save and give! Debt is the biggest obstacle to building wealth.
Others will object to taxing the wealthy unless they actually use their gains, but many of the wealthiest actually do use their gains through the borrowing loophole: They get rich, borrow against those gains, consume the borrowing, and do not pay any tax.
Wealthy family borrows against its assets' growing value and uses the newly available cash to live off or invest in other assets, like rental properties. The family does NOT owe taxes on its asset-leveraged loans because the government doesn't tax borrowed money.
Wealthy people love credit card perks
Different cards offer cash back, rewards, low interest, or no interest. Having a couple of cards is a good way to maximize the perks and avoid high interest costs. Credit cards are typically quite secure, with strong fraud protections in place to safeguard cardholders.
Bottom Line. You can enhance your financial position and create long-term wealth by leveraging debt to invest in appreciating assets such as real estate, consolidate high-interest debts to improve cash flow, use high-yield savings accounts or borrow to acquire profitable businesses.
As a general guideline, 43% is the highest DTI ratio a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage. Ideally, lenders prefer a debt-to-income ratio lower than 36%, with no more than 28%–35% of that debt going toward servicing a mortgage.
Debt is simply money that you bought, and the price of the money is the interest or whatever other fees you're paying to buy the money. That's all it is. And one of the things I say about debt is that paying off debt doesn't make you rich. Meaning that once you pay off the debt, you don't start making money from it.
Brief summary. 'The Value of Debt in Building Wealth' by Thomas J. Anderson offers insights on how to utilize debt as a tool for building wealth. It provides practical strategies for managing debt, investing and creating a financial plan for long-term success.
Here's a little secret: Compound growth, also called compound interest, is a millionaire's best friend. It's the money your money makes. Seriously.