It seems like every week I get a letter from a reader asking questions along the following line: "How can I make a lot of money so I can retire early and/or live the lifestyle I want to live when I do retire?" Most of them are phrased far more eloquently and with accompanying questions and comments, but the bottom line is, "How can I get rich?"

I'm especially touched by the very sincere letters from young people who ask this most basic of questions about accumulating wealth. They are not looking for get-rich-quick schemes but for some guidance as to how to organize their lives. I've never really been able to answer these letters with anything close to an adequate response. In today's letter I'm going to draft a response that we can use for all such future letters. I trust you will find it interesting as we wax a little philosophical about how to build wealth.