Where to start and is paying for education worth it?

[Roxanne Domingo]

I'm still very new and very motivated to learn and progress.  I've seen a lot of posts along with great advice on where to start as a new investor. It's clear that educating myself is #1 as well as learning from those with experience. Most people seem to say you don't need to pay for mentorship because there's so many resources and information especially on this site. I have to agree with this however for newbies like myself all the information can sometimes become overwhelming. I need to have this information organized in a clear step by step process that I can move through checking off my boxes as I move along. I am on the fence whether or not to to pay for a program such as the Academy offered through Rent to Retirement or another company. I have seen positive posts about doing business with them but I would like to know people's thoughts on the education program offered through the academy. Have you used it and found it valuable? Has it helped you to synthesize the information and move through the beginning process faster than just doing it on your own? Are there similar programs at a lower cost? Is it worth the $$? I'm really on the fence at this point.

[Joe Villeneuve]

Paying for education is a must, one way or another.  Those who say it isn't usually pay for it by the mistakes they make, and they rationalize it by saying those mistakes are a learning experience.  How is that not paying for it?

Learning exclusively free from the internet isn't education, it's information.  There's a difference.  Education is a complete system where every bit of "information" is connected to each other.  This should help answer many questions, and at least give the student the ability to answer questions and address problems they encounter because they understand the system.  They understand how things go together and see where the problem starts and then can be corrected.

Information is just that.  Bits and pieces of knowledge with no connection.  The gaps between pieces of information is usually where the questions come from and since there are no connections in the knowledge, it makes it very hard to answer questions and solve problems. Information is what fills those gaps.

Both are important.  Knowledge is key.  Information fills in any gaps in your knowledge, but it all starts with that knowledge base.  If you try to substitute information for knowledge, your head will be spinning and success will (if at all) take much longer...and ultimately be more expensive than if you just paid for that knowledge at the start (and continue to do so).

Look at it this way. Would you elect to have surgery done by a doctor that got their "infomation" free on the internet, or through paid education at school? You will be responsible for handling millions of dollars or more during your journey through REI. Are you really comfortable doing so with the limited knowledge gained from the mistakes you make (and pay for) learning on the job, and from the free internet?