Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss this on air with a team of amazing commentators at Bloomberg and how Operation HOPE and I are doing our part to help protect new investors through the Investors’ Bill of Rights. This conversation is so important because we’re at a critical moment in our nation’s history where we stand at a crossroads and face a pivot point. What we once considered “normal” is vanishing and the socioeconomic landscape is shifting beneath our feet. If we fail to adjust and meet the moment quickly we risk losing far more than we could have ever imagined.
The masses are waking up to the reality that they don’t have to continue living how they have been and that they can attain a better life using the tools that are in front of them, or literally in their hand, every day. This desire for greater, for something more, is what we call aspiration. It’s what I caught hold when I was just nine years old and I never let go. It met me in the form of a conversation with a banker who told me he built his wealthy by financing entrepreneurs. I had never heard of an entrepreneur and as far as I knew I had never seen one, but I knew that I wanted to be one. From that day forward, I saw a path out for myself and have relentlessly pursued that aspiration for success ever since.
However, there are predators who understand that aspiration is often times a ball of powerful potential with no clear direction, and without guardrails can lead to destruction and calamity for one party and a lucrative come up for another. With this in mind, it’s our job to protect those dreamers and help them reach their financial destinations safely and without harm. This is best accomplished through financial education.
People are hungry for more and deeply want a better a better way of living. Many have discovered investing as one of those wealth creation vehicles, but far too many new investors have entered the market like an inexperienced teenager without proper driver’s education and lacking the recommended number of hours on the road. This Investors’ Bill of Rights is that drivers’ education course for investors. It’s meant to add a layer of safety and protection from the unsuspecting and against the potential bad decisions that can come from the lack of informed financial decision making and a strong foundation in financial literacy.
It’s time for us to self-regulate the industry and protect our investors on their path to wealth and an abundance mindset. We must keep in the forefront of our mind that we approach and promote this from a place of love, genuine concern, and in pursuit of social justice through an economic lens.
Check it out the interview here, let me know your thoughts. Then, share it with a friend.