4 Common Mistakes Affluent Americans Make With Their Money — and How To Avoid Them

Vance Cariaga    GOBankingRates

Affluence, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. What looks like wealth to one person might not seem that way to others — especially if that “wealth” is offset by high debt and reckless spending. Just because someone earns a high salary doesn’t make them immune to the same financial mistakes as everyone else.

Even defining “affluence” isn’t easy. As Forbes reported, many factors go into determining someone’s wealth — including net worth, household income and location. A net worth of $500,000 might make you affluent in some parts of the country, while in other parts even $1 million falls short of the mark.

How To Make Sure A Windfall Lasts

Moneywise    Sun, March 8, 2026

‘We are super screwed’: This couple spent a $171K inheritance in less than a year.

Inheriting a windfall may seem like a dream come true, but it can cause tremendous anxiety and guilt, and it can even leave you financially worse off.

For instance, Mike and Noel, both 34 and recently married, burned through a $171,000 inheritance in about a year. You can imagine how that left them feeling.

"Money Dysmorphia" Could Be Seriously Hurting Your Finances. Here's How To Tell If You Have It.

Caroline Bologna  Tue, October 1, 2024 BuzzFeed

Loud budgeting. Slow shopping. Girl math. These days, there are endless quippy terms to describe the trends and phenomena in the realm of personal finance.

One of the more insidious realities impacting people’s financial health has a name as well: money dysmorphia.

To help keep the negative impacts at bay, HuffPost asked experts to break down this phenomenon and share their advice for dealing with it.

Retirees: 3 Things You Should Remove From Your Will Immediately

Choncé Maddox  GoBankingRates   Mon, March 2, 2026 at 11:20 

Many retirees take comfort in knowing they have a will in place. It feels responsible. Organized. Final.

But according to elder law and estate planning experts, having a will isn’t the same as having a good estate plan, and in some cases, an outdated or overly rigid will can actually create stress, conflict and unnecessary costs for your loved ones.

Here are three things retirees should strongly consider removing from their will, and what to put in place instead.

23-Year-Old Inherited $450K, Parked It And Doesn't Know What To Do Next.

What Dave Ramsey says will get the 'most lift'

Emma Caplan-Fisher   Moneywise   Updated Tue, February 10, 2026

When 23-year-old Jackson from New York called into The Ramsey Show, he wasn’t asking how to spend his inheritance. He was asking what not to do with it.   A few months earlier, he and his brothers had sold their parents’ home, leaving him with about $450,000. He had no debt, had just graduated from college, earned about $75,000 a year and was renting with his brother while planning a future move from Long Island to New York City.

Yet instead of feeling empowered, he felt stuck.

Lottery Winner Says Telling Anyone Was the 'Worst Mistake' After 10 People a Day Beg For Money —'Even Had A Therapist Try To Rip Me Off'

Jeannine Mancini   Benzinga  Sun, February 8, 2026

People fantasize about hitting the jackpot — quitting their jobs, ghosting the alarm clock, buying that dream mansion, and never setting foot in a breakroom again. But for one Reddit user, the most life-changing moment of all came with a hard crash of reality.

"The worst mistake I ever made was telling people that I had won the lottery."

I'm 64 and Just Inherited $300,000. What's the Best Way to Use It?

AJ Fabino    Benzinga   Thu, February 5, 2026

Quick Summary

• A $300,000 inheritance can strengthen your retirement — or create a tax and timing mess if you move too fast.

• Before you invest a dollar, pressure-test your plan with a financial advisor.

• If you're trying to diversify beyond stocks and bonds, some investors add real-world assets — including hands-off real estate through Arrived, where shares can start around $100.

I’m a Financial Advisor: My Wealthiest Clients Retired Early After Doing These 3 Things

Cindy Lamothe   GOBankingRates   Tue, February 3, 2026

Ever wonder how some people manage to walk away from work years before everyone else?

On average, Americans surveyed said 58 is the ideal age for retirement, according to a recent Empower report that polled 1,001 adults. That’s significantly younger than the age at which most people actually retire.