The Pleasure Seeker: “Money is meant to be enjoyed.” Good financial decisions rarely happen in the heat of the moment.Ģ. Wait until you’re clear-headed to take action.

Then, try to get a practical read on the probability of the worst-case scenario and plan out proactive steps you can take. Counteract this fear by seeking out concrete information: read up on relevant research, ask others for advice, or reach out to an expert if possible. Guardians spend a lot of time worrying about worst-case “what-ifs,” such as economic collapse or making a single mistake that leads to bankruptcy. Pitfalls: Feeling too anxious to act on financial decisions in a level-headed way. Motivation: Preparing for the worst-case scenario. The Guardian: “Something is going to go wrong.” See if you can identify your money type in the list below-and better understand the saving and spending habits of both yourself and of those around you: 1. However, we can-and need to-change them when they no longer serve us. These types are reflected in our external financial lives. While everyone is a combination of each, we all have a defining “core” type that represents our deepest-held feelings about money. In his book, Kessel identifies distinct financial archetypes: collective patterns in people’s behaviors and beliefs around money. Ever notice how one friend tenses up when you suggest evenly splitting a restaurant check, while another insists on covering the bill every time you go out? Or wondered why your partner cares so much about owning an expensive car, while you obsess over saving for the future? It comes down to this: Money means different things to different people.Īs Brent Kessel, financial expert and host of the meQ Financial Well-being track, explains in It’s Not About the Money, “No matter who you are, you come to your financial life with remarkably unique life experiences, all of which have conditioned you to respond to money in particular and sometimes peculiar ways.”

Spending types