How Your Decisions Shape Your Financial Future

Welcome to SSEGU, the place where people come to get inspired and educated about the world. One day, you'll look back on your life and realize that the decisions you've made up until now have determined your financial status—whether you’re rich or poor. Here are the most important financial decisions you'll make in your life.

1. Your Personal Car

Statistically, your car will be the second biggest liability you'll purchase in your life. Most people crumble under consumer debt, losing money every year on car ownership while paying interest on it. Unless you're using it for business (like Uber), your car is costing you money in gas, maintenance, and insurance without any return. Understand the difference between what you need and what you want, and make smarter financial choices.

2. Your Education

When we talk about education, we mean your real value in the market. While traditional education is essential for academic fields, in most industries, apprenticeships, courses, classes, and mentorships are more impactful. A bachelor's degree holder in the US earns on average $1.2 million more in their lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma. Your education dramatically affects your lifelong earning power.

3. Your House

Owning a home is a stepping stone to wealth and provides emotional security. However, your home is not an asset—it’s a liability. It costs money to live in it and doesn’t generate income unless you rent it out. Homeowners accumulate 44 times more wealth over time compared to renters, mainly due to home equity and forced savings.

4. Where You Live

Location is not just geography; it’s a strategy for wealth creation and quality of life. Moving to a metropolitan city can increase your income by at least 50% compared to staying in smaller towns. Where you live determines the schools your children will attend, the friends they’ll make, and your health in the long term. Choose your location carefully.

5. How Much of Your Income You Invest

The best time to start investing was 20 years ago; the second best time is now. Compound investments require little effort but yield significant returns over time. Investing $7,000 in the S&P 500 at your child's birth could result in over $1 million by their retirement. The sooner you start, the more compounding will work in your favor.

6. Being an Employee or an Employer

Employees have a wealth ceiling; entrepreneurs don’t. Starting a business has the highest probability of making you rich. The average entrepreneur has twice the net worth of an employee at the end of their life. As of 2024, there are at least 62.5 million millionaires globally, most of whom are first-generation rich, having built their wealth through business or investments.

7. The Number of Kids You Have and When

Kids are expensive, costing an average of $233,000 to raise to age 18, excluding college expenses. They impact your career choices, housing, savings, investments, and risk appetite. Decide carefully based on the type of riches you want in life—financial wealth or the joy of having a family.

8. The Industry You Work In

Choose an industry that’s growing, like tech, healthcare, or renewable energy. If your industry is declining, your skills might become obsolete. With AI adoption, many office jobs are at risk of being replaced. Pick your industry wisely to ensure your career growth.

9. Managing Debt

There’s good debt and bad debt. Good debt, like borrowing to start a business, pays for itself and generates income. Bad debt, like student loans for low-demand degrees, makes you poor. Use debt as a tool to enrich your life, not as a burden.

10. Choosing the Right Partner

The right partner can make or break you. They should be a multiplier of your efforts, sharing your vision and values. Financial freedom begins at home, and having a supportive partner can dramatically accelerate your progress.

Bonus: Paying Taxes and Quality Financial Advice

Nobody likes paying taxes, but it’s the cost of playing the game of wealth. Proper financial advice is crucial. Wealth is more accessible than ever, and with the right guidance and tools, you can achieve financial success. Choose your mentors wisely to avoid financial pitfalls.

If you're determined never to allow your family to struggle, write "never" in the comments and start making these critical financial decisions today.

Remember, you rise or fall to the level of your mentors. Choose the right ones, and you will be rich. Choose the wrong ones, and even what little you have will be taken away.