We all make financial mistakes. Despite the negative repercussions, we owe a lot to these mistakes. The wrong turns that we make allows us to appreciate every financial success. Our errors also bring the most significant lessons. Everyone who is considered financially successful have gone through their own set of mistakes. The key is how we choose to rise from the errors that we have made in the past.
While we should never belittle the role of these mistakes in our lives, that does not mean we should not do our best to avoid them. We always need to be careful when dealing with our finances. We should learn the signs that we are headed towards another error so we can correct our mistakes before everything is too late.
But what if we are blinded by something that keeps us from seeing these signs? And what if that thing that blinds us, is our own complacency?
Financial confidence is not really a bad thing. This is what we need to help us take the necessary risks that will improve our financial position. However, too much complacency brought about by financial confidence might be destructive after all.
Your confidence is affected by two factors in your life: your income and expenses. When you have a high income and low expenses, that is when your confidence spikes. According to an article published in Forbes.com, the financial confidence of a person follows a pattern that is tied to their age. The article discussed the report from LearnVest that detailed this pattern. Based on that study, people in their 20s reach the height of their confidence level. It sinks as they reach their 30s and bottoms during their 40s. From there, the confidence level rises.
Now this is an important piece of information because it will help you condition yourself as you reach certain ages. You see, the higher your confidence level, the more complacent you become. The more complacent you are, the more chances that you can commit certain financial mistakes.
Being complacent can lead you to commit 4 money mistakes
Complacency is not a bad state to be in. However, it can lead you to commit mistakes because this is the time when you usually let your guard down. When you are not vigilant, that is when you are not as careful as you should be. Every time you are not careful, you are more likely to make mistakes.
But what are the financial mistakes that you can commit when you are too complacent? We can identify 4 of them.
Acquiring too much debt.
When you are too complacent with your financial resources, the tendency is for you to borrow too much. This confidence leads you to feel like you are invincible and that you can borrow as much money as you can because you are confident that you can pay it off. Well here is the truth. Regardless of how much money you are earning, you have tread with debt carefully. It does not matter if you are earning a six-figure income. You should never use it as your basis to borrow more money. Live within or below your means. Do not make your future self pay for what you are enjoying today.
Failing to check your credit report.
One of the financial mistakes that you can commit because of complacency involves your credit report. When you are too complacent with your credit security, you do not feel the need to check your credit report. The danger in that is your inability to detect if you were a victim of identity theft. According to the data published by CreditDonkey.com, fraudsters are getting better at stealing identities. The number 1 complaint filed in the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book of the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) was identity theft. The cases are clearly increasing so you need to stay vigilant to keep it from happening to you. While constantly checking your credit report will not keep the crime from happening to you, it will give you early detection. As soon as you spot an unauthorized transaction reported in your credit history, you need to alert the major credit bureaus and the credit or lending company involved. File a dispute against that record so they will investigate and help clear your name of that particular debt. If you fail to spot and dispute this in time, you might end up paying for a debt that you did not make.
Saving too late for retirement.
When you are too complacent that your current financial position will not change, your tendency is to skip preparing for your future. It is the same sentiment as when you acquire too much debt. You feel like you can always start saving in the future and you hold on to that thought. That complacency is dangerous because your finances could change in an instant. If you fail to save for retirement as early as possible, you could face a lot of financial difficulties when you retire. You should not let the strength of your current financial position distract you from the urgency of saving for retirement.
Choosing the wrong debt solution.
There are many options to get out of debt. Sometimes people opt for solutions that are too good to be true and fail to explore the other options that are more suited to their financial situation. You need to understand that there are debt relief options for different financial situations. Do not feel complacent after you have researched one debt solution. Read about the others before you decide what you will use to get yourself out of debt. Choosing the right option will efficiently get you out of debt and will even save you money in the long run.
Best practices to stay financially vigilant
While complacency is a great feeling to have, you should not dwell too much into it that you lose sight of what is happening around you. Enjoy it but stay vigilant – always. Things will not always stay as it is even when you think that you are having all the luck in the world. This vigilance will help you avoid financial mistakes that can affect your future.
Here are a couple of tips that you can do to be vigilant about your finances.
- Create a plan for everything. Financial success begins with planning. Unfortunately, this is not something that everyone does. According to CNBC.com, 34% of Americans do not have any form of financial plans. 58% create plans, but they believe that it needs improvement. Do not make this mistake. Create realistic plans that will help secure your future. You have budget plans, spending plans, debt repayment plans, retirement plans and college education plans. Think about the plans that you need so you will never forget about your goals regardless of your current financial position.
- Set up reminders. Another way that you can be vigilant is by setting up reminders. If there are payments to be made, financial milestones to be met – these should have reminders to ensure that you will not forget to meet them.
- Simplify your financial transactions. Sometimes, we make financial mistakes because we complicate things too much. The truth is, you can simplify your financial transactions. For instance, if you have a lot of credit accounts, you can consolidate debt them so you will not be too confused. Sometimes, your confusion increases the chances of you making a mistake.
- Keep yourself informed. Finally, you need to keep yourself informed about what is happening all the time. Have the initiative to learn something new that will improve your financial situation. When you keep yourself informed, you can act on things and grab opportunities as they happen.
The key to keep complacency from leading you to commit financial mistakes is to be observant and open minded. Here is a video that lists some of the scariest money mistakes that you need to avoid at all cost.
