What Does Psychology Have to do With Financial Planning? | Facet Wealth

Have you ever spent money on something you knew was stupid, silly, or ill-advised? Have you ever known what you “should” do with your money, and then not done it? Do you procrastinate about important financial decisions, afraid you’ll make the wrong move? And then beat yourself up about it?

Here are two pieces of good news. You’re normal. And these are issues that can be solved.

We all have beliefs about money. Many of those beliefs were formed when we were young, maybe before we even knew what money really was. Sometimes those beliefs get in the way of our financial peace of mind.

• Many of the attitudes we’ve internalized come from our childhood. Even when we don’t realize it, things our parents said and things we saw them do shaped our attitudes about life in general and our financial lives in particular.
• Culture and religion play a role, too, teaching us additional lessons about earning, spending, saving, and giving. Everything from “the stock market is a gamble” to “donate a percentage of your income to those less fortunate” are lessons we absorbed.

If those beliefs help us make the financial decisions that are best for us, great. But all too often they may get in the way.