by David Brennan Jr., C.F.S.

This clarity came from spending uninterrupted time with my wife, Lisa, and our two little miracles, Alexandra and Aidan. I know most of you see right through that and know what I really mean is not shaving for days, napping regularly, eating ice cream as a meal, and generally ending the evening with a drink that holds one of those cute little umbrellas in it (for those of you in Mesquite, that means a margarita).

Anyway, with my refreshed and reconstituted brain cells, I find myself with an answer to a question that has plagued many a Democrat over the last few decades: Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Not to be a sandbagger, I have to say that I’ve known the answer to this question for years; I was just trying to find a way to talk about my vacation so I could relive the strolls on the beach, watching the sunset, ahhhh . . . oops, I’m sorry—back to my point. It is actually quite simple and, dare I say, eloquent.

Are you ready? Prepare yourself to be enlightened.

The rich in our country become and continue to be rich because (and here’s the real genius) they continue to do the things that made them rich. The opposite is also true, and your logical mind is probably already taking you in this direction. The poor typically remain poor because they continue to do the things that made them poor to begin with. In other words, the Democrats are right! Now, before you think I had one too many adult libations, take a moment to honestly consider what I’m saying.

Over the years, you’ve heard political pundits from the party whose symbol is a donkey spew forth. Usually in a ten-second sound bite on the local or national news, these geniuses keep telling us that the rich just keep getting richer while the poor just get poorer. In most cases, the tone is accusatory, as if what the politician really wanted to say was, “The rich keep soaking the poor and, if you elect me, I will save you from those pillaging kings.” I find this interesting, especially since I have spent the last fifteen years of my professional life talking to people around the country, from Fortune 500 companies to small church groups and everything in between, about money and investing. All of that experience has taught me a number of undeniable truths about money.

First, be very careful whom you call rich. Many, if not most, of the people you think are rich are anything but. Sure, they have all the trappings of wealth: the big house, new cars, private schools for the kids, expensive jewelry and so on. Unfortunately, these things are truly trappings—items that trap their owners in the hamster wheel of consumption. If one, or worse, both of the parents lose a job, the house of cards starts to fall.

Second, the truly rich in this country are not who you think they are. I’ve met plumbers who have accumulated a $500,000 nest egg and are deliriously happy with the $30,000 a year in income they are receiving from it. I’ve also had dinner with a billionaire who is miserable with his billions. The reality is, as Mark Twain so eloquently put it, “To be satisfied with what one has, that is wealth. As long as one sorely needs a certain additional amount, that man isn’t rich.” Tell the truth, Mr. Twain!

Finally, the rich (informed) investor will always stay ahead, financially at least, of the poor (emotional) investor. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule!

The moral to the story is this: If you’re not happy with your current financial position, be a responsible steward of your assets and do something. This year is already more than half over. Have you fulfilled your financial New Year’s resolutions?

Or will the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer in your house?