Business professionals who’ve broken loose from the pack and achieved industry success often have a common trait- that of having a mentor or advisor. And who wouldn’t want someone who’s achieved the success you desire to guide you down the path?
While the majority of us – 76%- believe that mentors are essential, a mere 37% actually have one, according to a recent report from Forbes. Perhaps this disparity is because many don’t think they know anyone who’s successful or smart enough to guide them towards financial success.
But here’s a secret: you don’t have to know a mentor, just know of them.
Our article will look at the secret to success from seven of the top financial gurus, exploring who they are and why their journey to the top may be the perfect learning tool. Let’s see what they have to say.
7 Financial Gurus with the Best Financial Advice
1. Jim Cramer
In addition to serving as host of CNBC’s wildly popular Mad Money, Jim Cramer is a Harvard-educated hedge fund founder, with an impressive net worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million. Cramer is the founder and chairman of TheStreet.com, a platform where he shares expert advice on investment and all things finance. Jim’s also published several books, the latest of which was published in 2013 and titled Get Rich Carefully.
Best Lessons from Jim
– Diversify Your Portfolio– Regardless of what you invest in, diversify, as you don’t want a single stock or sector’s drop to decimate your portfolio.
– Mad Money Portfolio– The first $10,000 should be invested smartly/conservatively, in something like an index fund (this dollar amount will differ, depending on your individual investment budget). Any money you can afford to lose should go in a higher-risk, higher-yield “mad money” portfolio.
2. Grant Cardone
Best known for his internationally famed professional development and sales training courses, Grant Cardone is also CEO or partner of over half a dozen companies, founder of Cardone Capital, and best-selling author penning The 10X Rule and If You’re Not First, You’re Last, among others. He also founded and manages a multi-state real estate empire worth over $1.9 billion. Grant Cardone has a net worth of an estimated $300 million.
Best Lessons from Grant
– Ditch Outdated Thinking– Grant urges his followers to “rise above outdated, unworkable middle class myths and limitations” so that they can achieve financial stability for their family in the 21st century.
– 10x Rule– Set goals 10x what you think you can achieve, and then take actions 10x greater than what you think you’ll need to do to achieve those goals.
3. Robert Kiyosaki
You’ve likely heard of Robert Kiyosaki’s wildly popular book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. But before becoming a best-selling author, he founded a business on the premise of providing financial education to millions via seminars, videos, books and games. Today, it’s estimated that Robert Kiyosaki is worth an estimated $100 million.
Best Lessons from Robert
– Make Your Money Work For You – Let your money work for you in the form of passive investments. Robert purports that real wealth comes when you’re living off the interest from your investments vs living off the initial investment amount.
– Assets First, Liabilities Second- Robert stresses the importance of building up assets- things that earn money like rental income, stock dividends, or business income- to fund liabilities- anything that costs money like rental/mortgage payments, cars, credit card loans, etc. Those that rely on saving cash from a salary from a job will never get rich.
4. Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey is an American businessman, financial advisor, and author. But he’s best known for his nationally syndicated terrestrial radio station, which attracts over 16 million listeners per week, making it the 3rd popular radio show nationwide. During his daily three-hour show, listeners call in to ask for financial advice on topics ranging from debt and budgeting to insurance and home buying and selling.
Best Lessons from Dave
– Debt Snowball Method: This technique involves listing all debts from smallest to greatest, focusing on paying off the smallest debts first, while paying the minimum on larger debts. Once the smallest amount is paid off, you move to the up the list. Any extra cash is allocated to paying off debts.
– Avoid Credit Cards– Dave advises against using credit cards, as the interest rates and debt just isn’t worth it. He prefers the “envelope system,” where you put cash in envelopes allocated to necessities like food, rent, entertainment, etc and do not spend beyond that amount.
– Value Money Early– He also calls upon parents to teach the children financial independence from an early age, so they can lead a debt-free life.
5. Suze Orman
Suze Orman is a financial guru, NY Times best-selling author, public speaker, and successful podcast host. For 12 years, listeners gained valuable financial insights on the Suze Orman show on CNBC, and is a frequent guest on shows hosted by notable figures like Oprah Winfrey and Larry King Live.
Best Lessons from Suze
– Be careful not to spend “more than if you’re feeling less than”– Spending to keep up appearances will not make you feel good long-term, and it’s hard to get ahead financially when you’re feeling bad about yourself and your finances.
– Money Has No Power of Its Own– You make the choice to spend, save, or borrow. The choices you make now will dictate your future, and buying something to impress others will do nothing to advance your goals of financial security and freedom.
6. Ramit Sethi
Stamford-educated, self-made millionaire Ramit Sethi applies his knowledge of psychology to finance to help educate people how to change the way they think about money via his book and course I Will Teach You to Be Rich.
Best Lessons from Ramit
– Four Pillars– Personal finance is just that: it’s personal. Approach the four pillars- saving, investing, earning, and spending- of personal finance with careful, but critical eyes to ensure future financial success.
– Be Frugal– To Ramit, frugality means giving yourself the freedom to spend on the things you love, but also being ruthless about cutting costs on the things you don’t.
7. Anthony O’Neal
Few financial gurus focus on helping young people- those in their teens and twenties- achieve financial literacy so they can live a life with financial stability like Anthony ONeal. After being homeless and broke at 19, Anthony turned his life around and focused on helping students avoid his pitfalls by educating them on making smart decisions with money, investments, relationships, and education in order to live a happy, successful life.
Today, Anthony is a podcaster, motivational speaker, and host of The Table with Anthony O’Neal series while online.
Best Lessons from Anthony
– Be Smart– Young people must invest in financial literacy to avoid debt in the future.
– Every Decision is “That Serious”– Today’s financial decisions are tomorrow’s experiences.
Financial literacy, planning, and discipline are common themes and key components to the teachings of all of these financial experts. It’s hard to achieve financial stability- and even success- if you do not understand the fundamentals of debt, investing, saving, and earning. By focusing on exercising financial discipline, you can begin your road to a stronger financial future today.
