Financial Sentiment – Addressing Established Sentiment

As people mature into adulthood, their feelings, attitudes, and sentiments toward money affect their financial decisions. The majority of the population reports being stressed and worried about their finances – a situation that indicates problems.

People’s attitudes toward their finances has impact on every financial decision they make. The influence of their attitudes and overall sentiments can lead to emotional decisions that take people farther from their personal financial goals.

Research, Statistics & Quotes

Money script patterns can predict disordered money behaviors, such as financial infidelity, compulsive buying, pathological gambling, compulsive hoarding, financial dependence, and financial enabling.

Financial Planning Association

Money vigilance beliefs, including themes of frugality, discreetness, and anxiety about money, appear to be protective factors against poor financial health and destructive financial behaviors. While they encourage saving and frugality, excessive wariness or anxiety could keep someone from enjoying the benefits and sense of security that money can provide.

Financial Planning Association

Understanding how your past experiences influence your relationship with money provides insight and direction into decisions and habits related to your financial health, which will influence how you earn, spend, save and invest your money.

Forbes

The word “money” can bring up negative emotions and feelings for many people. In fact, money is the most cited factor that negatively affects U.S. adults’ mental health. Therefore, it’s important for us to reflect on our relationship with money, which can impact our financial decisions and relationships.

Creative Planning

NFEC Position Statement

A person’s financial sentiment has been molding since that person was a child, and often strengthens with age. Adults need to reflect on attitudes and behaviors that can have negative impact on their finances and take corrective action. Addressing hardened attitudes can be difficult; but it can be done.

Because many people find breaking negative financial attitudes to be challenging, the NFEC’s team of financial counselors are often called upon to help adults who need added support. Our financial education advocates, whom we honor with the deepest regard and appreciation, are our partners in this effort. Additionally, our financial resources include activities to help establish financial attitudes that will help program participants work toward building confidence.