2 Pieces of Advice From Robert Kiyosaki for the Middle Class (and 1 To Avoid)
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Robert Kiyosaki has been sharing his thoughts on finances and money ever since he published the best selling book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” Over the years he has accumulated lots of advice for how the middle class to ascend to greater heights in terms of wealth. Lots of his pearls of wisdom are solid tips, while a few are a bit misguided.
Here is a round up of Kiyosaki’s advice that applies to the middle class, both tips that would be helpful for them and some that they shouldn’t follow at all.
Helpful Advice From Kiyosaki
“The rich don’t work for money. They make money work for them.”
Many people in the middle class believe that if they work hard enough they will get enough money to become rich, then sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Kiyosaki flipped that notion on its head, turning money not into the end goal, but a tool for success.
“This was a turning point for me when I went from a $0 month to building a seven-figure business,” said Sophie Musumeci, CEO and founder of Real Entrepreneur Women.
“Most women I support were taught to trade time for money — it’s exhausting and limiting,” Musumeci explained. “Kiyosaki’s push toward building assets, not just income, is a mindset shift the middle class must embrace if they want true financial independence.”
“Your house is not an asset.”
When you buy a house, you are not just buying a structure to live in and call a home. In fact, you are investing in a property to bolster your wealth — though in Kiyosaki’s eyes, it should not ever be considered an asset.
According to Neal K. Shah, chairman at Counterforce Health, this piece of advice from Kiyosaki is a necessary challenge to conventional wisdom.
“If assets are supposed to generate income and liabilities are supposed to consume it, then half the families I know are worse off than they realize,” Shah said. “We may be virtuous in paying off our mortgages, but that money is going to a bank and not coming back to us.”
Unhelpful Advice From Kiyosaki
“One of the reasons the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class struggles in debt is because the subject of money is taught at home, not at school.”
Where does the middle class learn about debt? In Kiyosaki’s opinion, it starts with their family and cannot be overcome unless utilized correctly through trial and error.
“While I understand leveraging debt in the right hands can be powerful, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, especially for women recovering from financial instability or starting over later in life,” Musumeci explained. “They need guidance and education, not pressure to play big with money they don’t have yet.”
Musumeci said the key to Kiyosaki’s advice for the middle class is discernment. “Kiyosaki’s principles are powerful, but they must be applied with strategy, support and the right season of life in mind,” Musumeci added.
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