Handling money. Getting out of debt. Credit cards. Buying a house.
We learn all about it in school, right? Not so much.
Personal finance is a topic often forgotten in our school systems.
Why is that? Government conspiracy, perhaps? Not enough time in the day?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. You can’t change what you weren’t taught, but you are fully capable of changing what you teach yourself and who you listen to.
That’s what this is about…who you listen to…
Who Are You Taking Advice From?
Our parents are our first teachers in life.
Before we step foot into a classroom, we already have an idea of what the world is all about.
An idea we obtained from whatever our parents ingrained in us.
When it comes to finances, our parents generally try to help us along in different ways.
Allowances, piggy banks, education savings, trust funds…you get the idea.
And some of our parents actually do have it figured out, but statistically, most do not.
So who are you listening to when it comes to your finances? Your parents? Grandparents? Uncle? Aunt? Siblings? Colleagues from work?
Who You Should Be Taking Advice From
You shouldn’t take financial advice from people based on your relationship with them.
On the contrary, just because you shouldn’t take financial advice from someone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take other advice from them.
So, how do you know who to listen to?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself…
- Are they living by the advice they are giving?
- Are they where you want to be financially?
- Are they giving advice from personal experience?
If you wanted marital advice, you probably wouldn’t seek it from someone who has been divorced 5 times.
Advice should come from someone who is where you want to be.
Different People, Different Skills
This goes for every area of your life and it applies to the content you consume too.
It’s smart to reach out to different people for different advice.
Think of maintaining your home. Plumbers, electricians and carpenters all serve very different purposes.
You want the best of the best in every field.
This may even mean that you get different financial advice from different people.
Some people know stocks. Others know real estate. And others know all about precious metals.
Use your resources and seek out mentors.
Final Words
Stop listening to financial failures.
There. I said it. Plain and simple.
You may not want to admit that some of your close family and friends don’t know what they are talking about when it comes to handling money, but you need to face the facts. For your sake.
Find people you can trust for advice. If you know someone who is successful, tell them you want to learn from them. Most people are happy to teach you, but you have to ask.
Photo Credit: Nationaal Archief, National Library of Scotland