Money is loaded. As in, we load money with meaning. We ask ourselves:
- What does it mean about me if I purchase that?
- We judge others for their spending choices.
- We place a hierarchy for the “haves” and “have nots”
It has a sharpness to it, right? Like a catch-you-in-the-gut angst. And most of that is because we don’t have skills in talking about money.
One reason a financial planner engagement is so supportive is because it is a place where you talk about money. How much you have, spend, save, ideas & dreams, regrets and missteps.
I recently read an article in Psychology Today about how “fighting about money can be a good thing for you.”
Record scratch. Say what?
Arguments mean you’re talking about it. You are learning how to navigate differentiated opinions, values, and resources.
We have a history of not talking about money because It’s taboo, impolite or divisive.
But you can break that cycle. You can start getting comfortable talking about it for yourself. And then perhaps maybe in relationship to others. And then perhaps within the context of a diverse community.
I appreciate the way this article gives practical tips of when/where/how to have conversations about money alongside the boundaries of when/where/how not to as to create better outcomes for yourself.
More money conversations, please!
About the Author
Liz Hand, CFP®, is a financial advisor and a trained Life Coach who focuses on serving women closing in on retirement or women who are already retired. With a knack for retirement income design and women’s finances, Liz shares complex financial ideas in practical terms.
Involved in the community in various capacities, she is on the board of Women’s Impact and involved as the youth sponsor at First Mennonite Church in Canton. Liz and her husband, Nate, enjoy raising their sons, Mason & Brennan. A weekend with free time finds them enjoying downtown Canton eats & events, camping, and dreaming of getting to more National Parks (a family goal to visit them all).
