The CASHFLOW Quadrant

Financial freedom is a vastly different from financial security.

For those of you who have read Rich Dad Poor Dad this book is basically an extension of the lessons taught in that book. Robert Kiyosaki gives a brief description of his journey as an adult going from a short stint living in his car to financial freedom by taking advantage of tax laws and creating assets that create passive income. (My personal gushings about this book can be found here.)

The title of the book, The Cashflow Quadrant, describes an image that separates people into 4 categories: employee, self employed, business owner and investor. (below)

Many distinctions are drawn in regards to the “left side” and the “right side” of the quadrant and what it takes to be on each side.

Kiyosaki believes strongly in the fact that if you are an E or an S you play an old game that makes sense for governments and business owners because you pay the highest amount of taxes and build large amounts of debt thinking that by doing that you are avoiding taxes through credits or refunds.The left side of the quadrant works the hardest, and is obsessed with going to school to find a job and maintain their “security.” Those who would be considered an S are people who are self employed and lose their income when they are not at work. (doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc.) People on the left side of the quadrant can, and some do, make a lot of money and are very successful. The problem with this success is that the more success you encounter the less personal time you have and the harder you have to work. Again, many people choose this route because they feel secure in the fact that they know where their next paycheck is coming from.

People on the “right side” of the quadrant are not concerned with security and are interested in creating income both as a business owner and investor. Business owners and investors enjoy tax breaks, are seen as visionaries and risk takers and when success comes they are the people who enjoy more free time.

This book is a learning tool for those of us interested in moving from the left side to the right side of the quadrant. Kiyosaki is methodical and slow in his approach and encourages people to keep their jobs while they take “baby steps” towards the B and I quadrants.

This is a very simple break down of a book that I would HIGHLY recommend to anybody interested in owning their own company through the creation of a system and investing. Kiyosaki speaks of creating a system that will continuously grow and can run in your absence. If you are not interested and what I just wrote seems like a conspiracy or the rantings of a person jaded by unemployment you wouldn’t make it through and this book may anger you.

Hope this finds you well.

~jc

Advertisement