Stressed about Money? Here's What Will (and Won't) Help
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The people who need financial advice the most are the least likely to seek it.
That was one of the many takeaways from a 2014 paper that studied how financial anxiety and intense emotional responses—like fear, anger, or excitement—impact whether a person seeks financial advice.
In this article, I review how financial stress can paralyze you financially and what those in the business of financial advice should be doing to help people suffering from financial anxiety.
If you feel anxious or stressed about money, keep reading.
Here’s who will—and won’t—seek financial advice
The research paper I just referenced conducted a study with 122 people who said they were interested in seeking the help of a financial advisor. They also measured each person’s level of financial anxiety and what they call “emotional arousal,”—which is a fancy way of saying, “We want to know how strong your emotional response to money is.”
Here’s a ranking of the characteristics of people least to most likely to seek financial help.
The most financially destructive mental state you can have is to feel stressed about money constantly but have no will to take action. This leads to a state of self-imposed helplessness about money. You feel so overwhelmed about money that you begin to believe there’s nothing you can do to succeed—this causes you to simply give up.
What to do if you suffer from chronic financial stress
The first implication the researchers point out is that we should not expect people with chronic financial anxiety to leap at the opportunity to address their financial problems. There’s a good chance they are the least willing to seek help.
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The researchers pointed out that people experiencing chronic financial stress don’t respond well to fear, guilt, or shame.
So, all of the Finfluncer Twitter accounts that flex their financial status or try to shame people for spending money on a cup of coffee are making the chronically stressed feel worse and reducing the odds that they make major changes.
So, how does one reduce their financial anxiety?
The researchers suggest financial therapy—which I am all for.
I’ve recently started reading research papers on financial Self-efficacy—which refers to a person’s belief in their ability to reach their financial goals. Having a financial plan is nice, but you need to believe that you are capable of executing the plan. Financial self-efficacy reminds me of the old Henry Ford quote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right.”
Stay tuned for future posts where I review the research on financial self-efficacy, as I believe this to be a massively under-discussed concept that I wish someone taught me when I was 22.
Once financial anxiety is returned to normal levels, many people still need that “psychological arousal” to spur them into action on a financial plan.
Again, this does not mean you shame people or make them afraid. When I sold insurance, part of my training centered on getting people to feel guilt or fear about dying without enough insurance. Boy, do I not miss that job.
The researchers point out that you can stir an emotional response in people by helping them focus on issues like:
In short, treating people with empathy and trying to connect with them in an emotionally honest way. Who would have thought!?
Finally, the researchers remind us that anxiety and emotional response are “current” states and that anxiety can come and go over time. It’s important to check in on your stress levels periodically, as creeping anxiety can change your financial behavior without you even realizing it.
A version of this story was originally published on the Making of a Millionaire Substack, the home of my writing.
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions.