Learn To Be Rich Game Review
One of the biggest challenges with exploring alternative ways of making a living is knowing how different decisions will impact your finances for the long haul. While formal classroom education, seminars, home study courses, and books are all a wealth of knowledge, actually getting out and applying that knowledge is really the only way to obtain the wisdom and experience that comes from being in the trenches.
Most people are probably familiar with the game Monopoly. They’re probably also familiar with the stark differences between the game and the realities of life. It’s incredibly difficult for a game or simulation of any sort to match what happens in real life. Some attempts are much better than others, and the free online simulator at Learn To Be Rich is definitely one of the better options out there.
LearnToBeRich.com is currently absolutely free. All you have to do is register for the game, and a password will be sent to you. Once you’re in the game, the array of options that you’re presented with can be somewhat daunting, so take the time to read through the options and read the tips that are on the screen during each turn, it really does help.
Every time you play the game, you are lead through the complete working life of your character. Each turn of the game corresponds to one month of real life. During each turn, you are free to take one of many, many different actions relating to your overall financial picture. For example, you can choose to focus on your career and try to get a raise, you can meet with a stock broker to look at potential stocks to buy, and you can start businesses. Every action you take has certain risks and rewards that correspond to the risks and rewards of the similar actions in real life.
The overall purpose of the game is to allow you to see the results of your financial decisions over an entire 45 year working life. The game throws in things that do happen in real life, such as the surprise stock that takes off like a rocket or the rapid increase in operating expenses for a particular business. The game models an amazing array of factors, including inflation, individual industry sector performances, housing trends, cost of living raises, marketing performance, and much more. All of these factors are based on real life historical performance and trending of the actual variable, along with the occasional random surprise factor thrown in to reflect the reality of booms, busts, good times, and tough times economically.
A recently added feature to the game is the ability to see where you stack up against other active players. You can compare ranking for bank account balances, real estate portfolio performance, net worth, and more.
The game was developed by James Orr, a professional real estate investor and Internet entrepreneur. The amazing part is that James is actually one of those rare guys that practices what he preaches, rather than just riding the seminar and infomercial circuit. James has built a sizable portfolio of rental properties, and has operated a number of very successful online ventures. The game is something that he does as a hobby to teach others the things that he’s learned the hard way. He recognizes a severe lack of financial education out there, and he says, “You can learn a lot by modeling life and making your mistakes in a game rather than in real life with real money.”
I would agree with his statement wholeheartedly, and this game is the best effort I’ve seen at providing an environment for learning this way. To check out the game for yourself, just visit http://LearnToBeRich.com.
Until next time,
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