How to Tell If You’re Rich

[KopiKat]

Corydorus, it is my firm belief that sometimes what we see are just the survivors. I know many who tried to get there but failed, and are back in jobs ratrace (and some went bankrupt because they didnt structure their risks right). On a personal note I left a stable well paying job to take a big chance in life and I managed to make it - lady luck definitely played her part. Those entrepreneurs who tried and made it tend to make outsized rewards.

Yup, that's the Risk-Reward for those who succeed. There're a lot more who failed....

For the rest of us without the entrepreneurial streak / guts, no well paying job, inheritance, rich parents, sudden windfall.....etc, the best alternative (IMO) is still to slog on a regular job, be thrifty, save and invest. Yes, aim for our 6-8% annualised returns and hope for the occasional good years like 2012 or super ones like 2009 to overcome the bad ones like 2008... to hopefully give us a good CAGR over the longer term. Hey, if we could achieve above 10%, then the Million $ (or financial freedom, if lower amount required) dream will come true earlier.... If we can hit a CAGR in the higher teens... then... an even shorter waiting time will be required... Once you hit your target, perhaps you'll be shifting your thinking from "Money No Enuff" to "Millions No Enuff"... No, not being greedy, there're always many who're less fortunate out there where we can channel the monies if we have too much of it...