How to Become Wealthy: Investing Your Time

Stop Blaming Taxes: The Real Reason You're Not Wealthy

By Jeff Hulett, President of Personal Finance Reimagined

Every time the Federal Reserve releases its wealth inequality survey, the headlines explode. Everyone points fingers: "It's the tax code!" "It's the system!" As a personal finance professor, I agree these factors matter, but they miss the fundamental, surprising truth about why the rich get richer and everyone else falls behind. The real failure isn't in government policy; it's in our basic understanding of wealth creation.

Wealth isn't the starting line; it's the output of a three-part system. We all know the process—compound interest and consistent investing—but we ignore the input, the fuel that drives the entire machine.

What's the input? Time and attention.

This resource is the great equalizer. You, me, and the world's wealthiest billionaire all get the exact same 168 hours a week. We all start with the same fuel tank. The critical difference is how we invest it.

I saw this firsthand while running an informal screen-time audit with my college students. The results were staggering: an average of 42 hours a week spent scrolling on social media. That's time and attention being donated to the wealth-creation process of tech giants, not their own. They're training themselves to be consumers, not investors.

In this episode of Personal Finance Reimagined, we dive deep into this reality. We look at the powerful counter-example of student-athletes, who are pre-wired for success simply because their demanding schedules force them to become master time-investors.

The great news? This mindset isn't just for elite athletes. It's available to you.

Stop waiting for policy change to fix your future. The power to create wealth is not an external outcome; it's an intentional investment of your time. Tune in and learn how to master the most important asset you own: your next 168 hours.

(Catch the full episode of How to Become Wealthy: Investing Your Time on our YouTube channel)