• Feelings of shame and blame because you do not have proficient money management skills. Many adults feel they are supposed to know money management automatically, and this is a mentally harmful thought. Replace this internal conversation by showing compassion for yourself for all the money errors you have made in the past. Choosing to become proactive in your money decisions instead of feeling the anxiety over money is a positive move in learning new skills to improve your personal finances. It will surprise you to see that one action at a time improves your money management skills and makes you feel self-assured.

• You feel isolated. I want to remove the idea that you are the only person that doesn’t know how to manage money successfully. There are approximately seventy percent of adults that are making it paycheck to paycheck. Seventy-six percent of individuals feel that their personal finances are uncontrollable.

The first is letting go of any blame you may feel for the past money mistakes you have made as well as any blame you may have placed on your spouse or partner.

The second step is to take a comprehensive look at your finances. This means look at all of your financial statements for your bank accounts, mortgage and car loans, retirement accounts and short-term loans. If you are struggling to keep your bank account balanced and aren’t sure why you sometimes fall short, causing you to go overdraft, open a new account and close the old one once all transactions have posted.

The next and third step is to make a strategy to pay off your credit card debt. Not only will this relieve financial stress, it will help you on your way to getting a fresh financial start. Concentrate on paying off the cards with the highest … Read the rest

Try to commit at least 30 minutes every day in reading about matters related to money.

Managing your money will not be a tall task if you have enough financial acumen. You may not have a background in finance yourself, but in order to make your money hard for you, you must make the extra effort to educate yourself financially. If you do not have enough knowledge about finances, you ca make a mistake with your investments that can cost you dearly. To avoid such pitfalls, make sure that you spend at least half hour each day, understanding the various aspects of finance. Red books, magazines, look through the internet and watch finance related programmes on television.

Talk to people you admire

Once you feel confident about finance related topics such as spending, saving, credit, debit, investing, retirement strategies, you can also try to consult with people whom you admire. … Read the rest

Only use a secure computer

If possible, avoid using a computer that might not be secure when doing online banking. The security protection software of the home computer or mobile devices should be kept up to date, to prevent hacking and viruses. Also, make sure that the bank’s website is also secured. Often, a small lock or key icon will appear in the top of the browser window to indicate encryption. This means that the content being exchanged is encrypted, so that sensitive information is not available for thieves. Also never provide personal information through an email or over the phone. Banks will never ask for sensitive content unless through a secure method.

Be sure the bank is legitimate

Many banks these days rely heavily on online users. This opens their pool of customers to more than just their physical location. Often, with services such as “deposit at home” and … Read the rest

Beginning with easy small steps is the best way to achieve managing money well. Most people are stagnant with the thought that finances affect so much of their lives they become a fluster with how to start confronting this area. Individuals react to situations in the financial area of life so they feel subjected to all that happens. However, to start with a proactive approach toward managing your finances is the best way to change this behavior. Applying this process of addressing financial obligations with the intention of being responsible is an empowering feeling. With this simple change one can stop feeling incapable and start feeling competent.

Part of removing the overwhelming and helpless feelings is by simplifying daily life. Unfortunately, it has become a general practice for people to inundate themselves with activities. Adding too many tasks to your daily schedule is counterproductive and sometimes can cause catastrophic results. … Read the rest

• Believing one guarantee covers everything. When you hear, “Your investment is guaranteed,” you’ve got to ask yourself, “What is guaranteed? Is the return guaranteed? Is my principal guaranteed?” Don’t take the word “guaranteed” at face value. Make sure you understand what’s guaranteed, then question who’s guaranteeing it. You don’t want your guarantee in the hands of Conned You Company.
• Making a purchase or sale based on a previous price. “Picture framing” is an interesting and potentially dangerous behavior. It works like this: You believe an investment has a certain value. You’re so proud of that beautiful value that you take a mental picture of it, frame it, and hang it on your mind’s wall. Every day you look at that picture. You love it. Then one day the market goes down, and now your actual value is less than your picture. But you decide not to sell your investment until