The authors encourage the reader to find their professional “niche” in order to earn the highest possible income. Since the number of millionaires in America is steadily increasing (at the time of writing), they recommend taking jobs that cater to the wealthy. While affluent people tend to be frugal in many ways, they are willing to spend money on lawyers, accountants, and educational products. Stanley and Danko predict that the demand for estate attorneys and tax attorneys will increase over the next couple decades as some wealthy people pass away and leave inheritances and others seek loopholes to avoid taxation. They predict that immigration law will also be in demand as affluent people from around the world want to come to the United States.

Medical and dental practitioners, psychologists, and chiropractors—especially those who operate outside the insurance system—will be highly-paid and sought-after. Housing specialists, mortgage brokers, contractors, and vacation planners will also likely have many affluent clients. The authors provide a chart with the number of millionaires in each state; California has the most overall while Connecticut has the highest concentration.

Stanley and Danko based their predictions about potentially lucrative professions on statistics from the mid-1990s. Because the authors wrote their book before the 2008 financial crash, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the substantial inflation of recent years, these numbers are less reliable than when their work was first published.

In discussing possible career paths, the authors also reveal their political biases. For instance, the authors predict that affluent people will need good accountants to help them “withstand the siege” of taxes on their wealth (216). They feel that the wealthy are “a segment of our economy that will be under siege by the liberal politician and his friend, the tax man” (216).

Chapter Lessons

• Working for wealthy clients will likely increase your own income
• Professions such as estate, tax, and immigration attorneys and medical and housing professionals may be in increased demand

Reflection Questions

• Do you think Stanley and Danko’s predictions have held true in your community? Why or why not?
• Is having a high income a main motivator for you in your choice of work? Why or why not?