I remember sitting down in front of my rich dad to show him the financials for my nylon and Velcro wallet business. I was 32 years old and the business had taken off quicker than I'd ever imagined. I had more than 380 independent sales reps. Sales were soaring, and our product was in demand.

I was also young, inexperienced and running the company into the ground.

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The other day a friend of mine approached me excitedly, saying, "I found the house of my dreams. It's in foreclosure and the bank will sell it to me for a great price."

This will be a politically incorrect article. It may seem unkind, insensitive, and cruel given the fact that so many people are hurting financially. Many have lost their jobs, homes, retirement security, and hope. Yet -- if you can see beyond today and let intelligence, not emotion, rule the day -- now is the time to position yourself for riches.

If you do not know what you are doing, no asset can make you rich. Ultimately, what makes you rich is your financial intelligence. Your greatest asset is your brain -- so take care of it and protect it from bad advice.

In 1910, seven men held a secret meeting on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia. It's estimated that those seven men represented one-sixth of the world's wealth. Six were Americans representing J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and the U.S. government. One was a European representing the Rothschilds and Warburgs.