The psychology of money and why we make the choices we do.
I recently spent $3,000 on car repairs. I’d avoided dealing with it for a few months but couldn’t put it off any longer. Nothing against my excellent mechanic, but I’d just didn’t want to part with the money. I’d rather have that money stay in my bank account as long as it can – OK, …
What is Money Anxiety Disorder? “Money anxiety disorder” is a term used by psychologists to describe a condition of constant worry and unease about money. The term seems to have come into use around 2008 to 2009, when the economy was unraveling and most people were concerned about their financial well-being. Additionally, research has shown …
Here are some of my favorites on the fascinating topic of emotions and money. If you are interested in exploring this subject, you will surely find something worthwhile and fun to read. I strongly urge you to try some of the exercises offered in the books. Self-learning really happens when you “do the work.” P.S. …
Do you know how much a half gallon of orange juice costs? Think carefully. What was once a 64-ounce container of juice is now 59 ounces. A pint of Hagen Daz is just 14 ounces (Ben & Jerry’s still has a 16 ounce “pint.”) How do you compare? Take another example, hotel rooms. I found …
As I prepared to write an article called “What is Wealth Management”, I realized that we all have different notions of what constitutes wealth. When an old acquaintance saw the name of my business, Stoffer Wealth Advisors, he said, “As soon as I have some wealth to manage I’ll give you a call.” Clearly he …
When we believe more is the answer, it can impact us in unforeseen ways.
Humans just want more. We want more happiness…more money, more success, more time, more vacations, more life. Aspiration does seem to be a healthy thing. As humans, we seem to value growth and progress. However, money represents many different things to different people. When it comes to money, needing more, wanting more and having more can be complicated. The danger in the pursuit of money is that you risk falling into a rabbit hole – where you find yourself navigating a seemingly endless confusion of paths and choices, and where it is so easy to lose your way.
In the recent film “All the Money in the World”, Mark Wahlberg’s character, Fletcher Chase, asks J. Paul Getty how much it would take to make him feel secure. The answer…“More!” It was an odd statement from ostensibly one of the richest men in the world at that time. Based on a true story, Getty’s …
Recently when the subject of financial planning came up, a woman said to me, “I really should do that.” I was staring at my computer one afternoon, thinking about the pervasive effect of the phrase “I should . . .” on our daily lives. It almost doesn’t matter what follows those words, “I should . …
If you wanted to leave some money to your children, how would you split it between them? You could come up with numbers based upon their likely need for help. Or you could simply divide it equally…after all you love them all, well…equally. Equal distribution is probably the most common way of dividing assets. Yet, …
People tend to embrace this statement “money can’t buy happiness.” It sounds true: surely only shallow, materialistic people would insist that money could buy happiness. To utter the thought aloud is almost like a declaration that we aren’t materialistic (and hopefully not shallow!) Scientists have long been perplexed about how to measure such a thing …
Can money buy happiness? Think of all the times you felt pleasure as the result of buying something. When I started interviewing for my first job in the investment business I bought the most expensive suit I could afford. I felt like a million bucks every time I wore that suit! Of course that led …
We use money every day. We spend on things, experiences, etc. Maybe you are planning the next big adventure in your life…or figuring out how to save enough to remodel the bathroom. Behind these activities there is a presumption that money used in these ways will make us happy. Do money and happiness even belong together …
