Few would argue that the relationship between our financial psychology and the decisions we make about money-related matters is weak. Many of us know what the “right” answer is when it comes to our saving, spending, and investing behaviors, but the translation from what we know we should do and what we do can be quite different. In some cases, our unique behaviors or patterns of behaviors are causing stress and strains in other …
“My neighbor is driving me crazy. She always says she’s the most frugal person she knows, but she’s spending every dime on *&#$* at Target. It’s not frugal. It’s stupid.” A friend recently shared this sentiment with me, and it is an excellent example of the fact that some of us aren’t great at evaluating our own personal characteristics. Some of us lack self-awareness when it comes to specific attributes about ourselves. Frugality is …
In a Wall Street Journal article this week, the perils of debt-supported spending by Chinese Gen Z-ers and millennials were contrasted with the potential benefits of a hyper-charged consumer economy. The upshot from a macro-economic perspective is that while some amount of borrowing can be good for an economy (leading to job creation and more productivity), it can also lead to unhealthy levels of household debt, which in turn can lead to an overall …
One of the main missions of DataPoints is to help individuals improve the way in which they manage their financial lives using behavioral science. This mission has two important components: first, we have to understand our own patterns of money-related behaviors, personality, attitudes, and other characteristics as a starting point (our financial psychology). Then, if we have the desire to change our financial trajectory, we have to modify the way in which we save, …
You’ve probably spent time thinking about how you might improve your health, career, finances, family, spirituality, or another essential element of your life. During this contemplation, you may inevitably conclude that a change is required. Many readers of our blog and books share a common problem: they acknowledge a change is necessary (either for themselves or their client), but they also instinctively know that making the needed change will be tough. Why? First, Let’s …