Why the 7 Streams of Income Rule Is Backwards - Build Wealth First, Then Diversify
Financial experts Alexis and Dean debunk the myth that you need 7 income streams to become a millionaire. Learn why focusing on primary income first is key.
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key insights
- 1The idea of needing seven streams of income to become a millionaire is misleading.
- 2Wealth accumulation starts with a primary income source, especially for those just starting their careers.
- 3Diversification into multiple income streams typically happens after achieving a certain level of wealth.
- 4High net worth individuals often have multiple income streams, but they did not start with them.
- 5The concept of diversification can confuse those who are not financially sophisticated.
TL;DR
- The average millionaire having 7 income streams is misleading advice for beginners
- Fresh college grads with 40-hour jobs can't realistically develop 7 streams simultaneously
- Wealthy people diversify AFTER building substantial income from one primary source
- High net worth individuals often have 7+ streams, but they didn't start that way
- Smart diversification means taking money from your successful primary source and investing elsewhere
- The key is building wealth first, then using excess liquidity to create additional streams
- Diversification protects against putting "all your eggs in one basket"
What is the 7 Streams of Income Strategy? The concept that average millionaires have seven different sources of income, often misinterpreted as needing to start with multiple streams rather than building them after achieving initial wealth. — Alexis and DeanThe Fundamental Flaw in Popular Income Diversification Advice
The financial advice industry is filled with catchy statistics, but few are as misleading as the famous "average millionaire has seven streams of income" claim. This statistic, reportedly from IRS data, has created a dangerous misconception that's leading people astray from building real wealth.
As Dean explains, "The thinking is flawed. When you get to a certain level of net worth and liquidity, when you're wealthy, it takes money to make money." The problem isn't the statistic itself—it's how people interpret and apply it.
Most people hear this advice and immediately think they need to juggle multiple income sources from day one. A fresh college graduate starting their career with a full-time 40-hour job simply cannot realistically develop seven meaningful income streams simultaneously. The math doesn't work, and neither does the time allocation.
This backwards thinking causes people to dilute their efforts across multiple ventures instead of focusing intensively on building one substantial income source. Instead of becoming excellent at their primary skill or business, they become mediocre at many different income attempts.
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Key Insight:Wealthy people don't start with seven streams—they build them sequentially using profits from their primary source of success.How Real Wealth Diversification Actually Works
The reality of how millionaires build multiple income streams is far more logical and achievable than the popular narrative suggests. Dean breaks down the actual process:
"When you make a lot of money, when you become, when you're on your way to become wealthy, you start having excess liquidity, excess net worth that you can put to work."
Here's how the process typically unfolds:
The Wealth-Building Sequence
- Primary Income Mastery - Focus intensively on one high-income skill, career, or business
| Income Stream Type | When It's Added | Capital Required |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Business/Salary | Year 0 | Time & skill |
| Stock Dividends | After building savings | $50K+ for meaningful income |
| Real Estate Rental | With excess liquidity | $100K+ down payment |
| Business Partnerships | With established wealth | $250K+ investment capacity |
| Alternative Investments | High net worth stage | $500K+ liquid assets |
Real-World Examples of Strategic Diversification
Dean provides concrete examples of how successful wealth builders actually diversify their income:
The Entrepreneur's Path: "A lot of the people who build these big businesses and get very wealthy, they tend to like take every single penny they make and put it back in the business." But smart entrepreneurs eventually realize this creates dangerous concentration risk.
The solution? "You take a market, okay, you don't want to put everything you make out of the business back in the business because you're just putting all your eggs in one basket. Economy changes something, bam, the ship goes down, you go down with it."
Practical Diversification Steps:
- Take profits from successful business and buy real estate
- Invest in bond portfolios for steady income
- Purchase annuities for different income timing
- Partner in other businesses with excess capital
The answer is systematic: max out retirement accounts first, then use remaining excess for real estate, taxable investments, or other opportunities.
The Dangerous Misconception About Diversification
Dean identifies a critical problem with how people interpret diversification advice: "The word diversification is confusing people who are not sophisticated enough to understand what this means."
Many people think diversification means starting multiple income sources simultaneously. In reality, proper diversification means strategically allocating wealth you've already built to protect against concentration risk.
"You want to have like multiple baskets as your one nest egg which is your business however you got wealthy as you're getting there okay you want to be able to put one take the take an egg out of that basket and put in another basket because then they're unrelated so if this basket gets stolen you've got eggs in other baskets right."
This basket analogy perfectly illustrates why the sequence matters. You need to fill one basket substantially before you can meaningfully diversify into others.
Key Insight:Diversification is a wealth protection strategy, not a wealth creation strategy.How to Apply This Wealth-Building Framework
Based on Dean's insights, here's the correct approach to building multiple income streams:
- Identify Your Primary Wealth Vehicle - Whether it's a career, business, or specialized skill, choose one focus area
For most people, this means:
- Years 1-5:Focus intensively on primary income growth
- Years 5-10:Begin strategic diversification with excess capital
- Years 10+:Expand to multiple streams as wealth and capacity allow
No, focus on building one substantial income source first. As Dean explains, "If you're a fresh college grad starting your career, you're gonna have a full-time 40-hour job, whatever it may be, full-time. How do you have seven streams? The thinking is flawed." Master your primary career or business before diversifying.Key Insight:The wealthy don't start with seven streams of income—they end up with seven streams after building substantial wealth from one primary source.FAQs
Q: Should I start multiple income streams right out of college?
Q: When should I start diversifying my income sources? Start diversifying when you have excess liquidity from your primary source. This typically happens after you've built substantial savings, maxed out retirement contributions, and have additional capital to invest. The key is having enough money to make meaningful investments in additional streams.
Q: Why do wealthy people have so many income streams if they didn't start that way? Wealthy individuals develop multiple streams as a risk management strategy. Dean notes that "as a banker, for high net worth clients, like seven is like on the low end." They use excess wealth to create uncorrelated income sources, protecting against the risk of having all wealth tied to one source.
Q: What's the biggest mistake people make with the 7 streams advice? The biggest mistake is thinking you need to start with multiple streams instead of building them sequentially. Dean emphasizes that this approach dilutes focus and prevents people from building substantial wealth in their primary area of expertise. Focus first, diversify later with the profits.
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