The thing I see more often than anything else is the fear in people’s eyes when they don’t want to know the truth about their finances. The problem with that is twofold. One, sometimes things are actually good. Two, not knowing means you can’t do anything about it.
 |
The reason most people won’t put together a budget isn’t because they’re confident in their ability to pay their bills. It’s fear of the unknown, that they may be on the cusp of serious money issues they’re not ready to deal with. Yet, overwhelmingly people are able to pay all of their bills and still have money left over. Sure, they might have to change up their spending patterns and learn how to use coupons to help their money go further when necessary but it’s more of a comfort to know they’re not in debt and are potentially right around the corner of fiscal relief.
The reason most people won’t check out their credit reports is because they’re worried what it might say. Many people expect bad news to be there when in reality most people already know what’s there based on how they pay their bills. The importance of looking at a credit report is to see if there’s anything on there that’s incorrect or false, and to fix it as soon as possible. You might have perfect credit you know about but see something on there that doesn’t belong to you. Once again, it’s always better to know than to wait until something really bad happens.
The reason most people won’t call the credit card people or the IRS when something bad shows up is definitely because of the unknown. What most people don’t realize is that both of these entities are represented by people… regular people… whose first instinct is to see how they can help you work out your issues. Sure, you might have to stop using your credit card for a little while, and it might take you a long time to pay off your IRS liability, but their intention will never be to squeeze your life’s blood out of you.
The reason most people won’t invest their money is because there’s a lot that goes into it that they don’t understand. Investing is scary and complicated, especially if you’re thinking about doing it on your own. Investing with a broker is scary because you get those reports that don’t explain what anything really is, and sometimes you’re worried that your balance is going to be lower than where you started because you’re not sure what you’re investing in and don’t understand all those terms on TV. Yet, over the long term for most investors they’ll end up making money.
Dr. Phil says you can’t fix what you won’t acknowledge. In the case of your finances, you might not have to fix anything except your mindset. Eleanor Roosevelt said:
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
Make a plan to address your money issues, real or imagined. If you need help, call an accountant and let them help you walk through it. Find someone who can help you set up a budget. Reach out to someone who’s good at managing their money and ask for help.
If you’re getting letters in the mail, pick up the phone and call them. If you’re worried about paying a bill, call them and make payment arrangements. Find a way to invest in your future, even if it’s only a little bit at a time, or maybe some kind of investing plan through your place of employment.
Finally, find out where you stand as it concerns your credit report. Remember, per federal law, you can get a free credit report from all 3 bureaus at least once a year.
Take charge of your financial life. Don’t be fearful, be brave. It’s probably better than you think it is; if not, it can always be addressed.
