21/08/2024 by Lottie Kent 0 Comments
Are your clients ashamed of their financial behaviours? Here’s how to help improve their mindset
You may have some clients who feel ashamed and embarrassed about their financial behaviours. Find out how to offer support and boost their confidence.
Unsurprisingly, the cost of living crisis has presented financial challenges for many households. In addition, ongoing economic uncertainty may have taken its toll on some people’s mental health.
Insurer, Royal London, published its Financial Resilience Report on 28 May 2024. Of the 4,018 UK adults surveyed, 16% felt “ashamed” of their lack of financial resilience and ability to cover costs.
Younger adults – those aged 18 to 34 – were particularly vulnerable to such emotions, with 26% reporting feelings of shame and embarrassment about their lack of financial stability.
Of course, any persistent negative feelings could be harmful to an individual’s mental wellbeing, which might make it more difficult for them to manage their finances effectively.
Read on to learn how feelings of shame about their financial behaviours could make it harder for your clients to manage their wealth. Then, find out how to offer non-judgemental support that boosts their confidence and improves their mindset.
Feelings of shame could prevent your clients from managing their wealth effectively
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and ashamed about not being on top of financial matters, especially during turbulent economic times or significant life events, such as divorce.
Unfortunately, this “money shame” could significantly affect your clients’ mental health.
The well-known professor and author, Brené Brown, defines shame as, “The intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed – and therefore unworthy of love and belonging”. When someone experiences money shame, they feel such emotions due to their financial situation – how much money they have in the bank, their level of debt, what car they drive, and so on.
Feelings like shame and embarrassment about a lack of financial stability could make it harder for your clients to overcome financial behaviours that aren’t serving them. For example, if your clients feel ashamed about frequent overspending and impulsive purchases, they may be less likely to seek the financial support and advice they need to manage their money better.
Indeed, a client could fall into a vicious cycle that is hard to escape from. If they feel ashamed of their poor financial literacy and unhelpful financial behaviours, this may prevent them from seeking expert advice. As a result, their financial knowledge and money management are unlikely to improve, leading to ongoing feelings of shame.
Poor financial literacy is often to blame for unhelpful financial behaviours
A limited understanding of financial matters is often at the heart of the problem.
According to research by abrdn, reported by IFA Magazine (1 July 2024), nearly half of all UK adults have poor financial literacy and this could have a significant effect on their financial security. The study revealed that people with “good” financial literacy have £20,000 more on average in their pension and are more likely to have a pension in the first place.
So, your clients could potentially reduce their feelings of shame, improve their money mindset, and boost their wealth by seeking expert advice.
As an experienced and empathetic financial planner, I can help your clients build their financial literacy and establish more effective money management skills, leaving them feeling confident and empowered.
3 ways to boost a client’s financial confidence with non-judgemental support
If you meet a client who is feeling ashamed of their financial behaviours, you could provide invaluable support in several ways.
1. Help your client understand where their feelings of shame stem from
Until your client understands what’s causing their feelings of money shame, making positive changes might be a challenge.
To begin with, your client may find it beneficial to write down their specific financial concerns. A journal could be a helpful reflective tool. By noticing when they feel ashamed and jotting down what’s happening in that moment, they could identify the triggers for these negative feelings.
This is a crucial first step towards building a healthier money mindset which you can read more about in my recent article.
2. Encourage your client to talk with trusted individuals about their finances
Money remains a taboo topic for many people and shame could lead to secretive behaviours.
Yet, talking about their finances could help your client gain valuable knowledge and insight, as well as alleviate any anxiety they may be feeling.
Encouraging your client to talk openly about their finances – be that to you, their friends and family, or a financial professional – could help them combat feelings of shame.
Some people may feel more comfortable talking to an objective third party about their finances. Indeed, research by Standard Life (6 November 2023) reveals that 42% of UK adults don’t feel comfortable talking with friends and family about money.
So, your client may find it helpful to speak to an expert who can help them address any financial behaviours they aren’t happy with.
3. Signpost reliable sources of financial education and advice
As discussed above, there’s often a strong link between shame and a lack of financial knowledge.
By improving their financial literacy, your client could develop the skills they need to build their financial resilience and change any behaviours they feel ashamed of.
As a professional, signposting legitimate sources of education and advice is key. Unfortunately, a growing number of people are relying on social media for financial advice. Yet, such “finfluencers” are typically unqualified and unregulated, so relying on them could lead your client to make poor financial decisions.
Get in touch
If you’re looking for ways to help your clients, it could be worth recommending professional guidance. I am a resolution accredited divorce specialist. I can offer a bespoke service to your clients and help them overcome any anxieties they may have about the divorce process.
If you or your clients would like to learn more, please get in touch by emailing me at lottie@truefinancialdesign.co.uk or calling 07824 554288.
I am also happy to discuss cases with solicitors first, before you refer your clients to me, or you can contact me by email and CC your client accordingly. I am happy to accommodate whatever mode of communication works best for you and your clients.
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