One of many interesting revelations revealed to me in my Rich Habits Study was the importance of parenting with respect to your adult financial circumstances.
The impact parents had on the self-made millionaires and the poor people in my study was so profound, I decided to write my second book, Rich Kids, in an effort to shine a light on the right and wrong habits to teach children.
What’s most interesting is the fact that my self-made millionaires learned their wealth-building habits from parents who were either poor or middle-class. Somehow, later in life, their parents figured out what to do and what not to do. These Rich Parenting households did not want their children to make the same mistakes they made.
Those who are raised in Rich Parenting households wind up in the top 5% decile in America. This 5% do not struggle financially, have nice homes, vacation at the nicest places and are generally well educated. Having learned the Rich Habits from their parents, they pass along what they’ve learned to their children and their children, in turn, grow up to become happy, successful and wealthy. This generational cycle of wealth perpetuates itself from one generation to the next and it is the very reason why we have a growing wealth gap in America.
Until the rest of the 95% learn what to do and what not to do, with respect to habits, this wealth gap will continue to grow.
Those who are raised in Poor Parenting households represent about 30% of the population in America. They are one paycheck away from being homeless. This 30% struggles financially, rent small homes, are unable to vacation, do not place a high value on either formal or informal education, struggle with unemployment and generally have bad habits which they learned from their parents. Their children, by default, pick up the habits of their parents and, likewise, struggle financially as adults. This generational cycle of poverty perpetuates itself from one generation to the next and it is the reason most poor people remain poor, one generation after the other.
So, OK, it’s your parents fault that you’re poor. Now, what are you going to do about it?
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About Thomas C. Corley
I am shocked and glad you wrote this, Tom. Looking back to my upbringings, my parents and brother worked really hard but failed in many areas. We have struggled ever since. I learn a lot from them, specially the things that I am not suppose to do (plain evidence)! I am currently working more and more on myself. I have developed a simple mind set which makes sense to me and a fun challenge; “Become wealthy not just for the money but for the person I will become.” This will diffidently get me much further than I was destine if I would have chosen my parents bad habits. I don’t blame them but I must stir the ship to the right direction.