Best-laid plans
By Andrea Coombes
For many of us, even the best of budgeting intentions won’t ensure success
The maelstrom sweeping through the U.S. economy has had one positive effect: More people are taking a hard look at their finances — working to pay down debt, cut back expenses and shore up their savings.
But even with the best of intentions and the firmest of New Year’s resolutions, plenty of people won’t stick to their plans.
One common reason: Our underlying relationship with money often gets in the way. Rick Kahler, a certified financial planner and author in Rapid City, S.D., says he often brings in a psychologist or family therapist to help his clients understand what he calls their “money scripts” — beliefs about money formed in early childhood that guide each of us as adults. Those beliefs can derail our best-laid plans.
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