What are the Best Sources of Wealth Education?

Learning about good financial management and wealth accumulation is an ongoing process for many people. Wealth education programs help individuals understand their relationship to money and how they can best earn, save, and invest their funds. Finding the best sources of wealth education is often a matter of seeking out reliable information and experts who can help guide a layperson through the complex world of personal finance. Books, seminars, and financial websites can offer inexpensive, though general, wealth education. For those who are serious about developing wealth, working with a competent financial adviser can be the key to reaching their goals.

Many government and nonprofit agencies provide financial education for free through websites, videos, and informational meetings. While these services are not wealth education per se, they can assist people in learning how to manage their money and avoid scams. For those who have learned good money management skills, the next step would be to seek wealth education programs that offer specific wealth-building advice. Legitimate wealth education typically encourages individuals to extend the financial prudence that they've learned through proper money management into good investment decisions. Wealth education that encourages illegal, unethical, or risky tactics is typically not reliable and can cause people to lose money rather than build wealth.

There are many wealth and financial gurus who offer wealth seminars and write books on acquiring wealth. When considering purchasing these books or seminar tickets, it's important to find out if the guru has a financial interest beyond the sale of the book or seminar ticket. For example, if the wealth guru is encouraging investment in real estate and encourages participants to buy into his or her real estate investment program, participants should be cautious, as this is not objective wealth education.

For many people, one of the best sources of wealth education can be an independent, fee-based, financial adviser. Financial advisers who are not in the business of selling stocks or insurance can offer objective advice tailored to the needs of the individuals asking for wealth-building advice. Of course, it is always best to do due diligence on a financial adviser. Many places require financial advisers to be licensed, and in some cases they have to be bonded as well. Those who want to work with a financial adviser should ask him about his licensing, certification, and experience. Individuals and families who have special needs, such as an ill or disabled family member, may want to seek advice from a financial adviser who specializes in advising people with similar concerns.