4 Things You Don’t Know About Your Money

I’m a Financial Expert: 4 Things You Don’t Know About Your Money

Laura Beck   Fri, August 16, 2024   GOBankingRates

You might think you’ve got a handle on your finances, but there’s probably a thing or two you don’t understand.

GOBankingRates spoke with financial experts to uncover some surprising truths about money that many people overlook. Carlos Rodriguez, director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines, pointed to EFE’s 2023 Everyday Wealth in America report, which indicated that 46% of Americans cite personal finances as their top source of stress. That emphasizes the importance of effective financial management for overall well-being.

From investment strategies to the power of small savings, these insights could change the way you think about your hard-earned cash. Here are four things you (probably) don’t know about your money.

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Being Too Conservative Can Cost You Big Time

If you’re the type to keep your money tucked safely away in a savings account, you might want to reconsider.

Robert R. Johnson, Ph.D., CFA, professor of finance at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, has some eye-opening data to share.

“Being conservative with investments over time is extremely costly,” he said. “From 1926 through 2023, government bonds earned an average return of 5.1%. One dollar invested in government bonds at the beginning of 1926 would have grown to $133 by the end of 2023.”

Sounds pretty good, right? Well, hold onto your hats. Johnson continued, “Over that same time period, large stocks (think S&P 500) earned 10.1% compounded annually. That same dollar invested in an index of large cap stocks would have grown to $14,568 by the end of 2023.”

That’s not a typo, folks. We’re talking about a difference of over $14,000 from a single dollar. As Johnson put it, “A 5% annual difference in returns results in an astronomical difference in terminal wealth.”

You Can’t Save Your Way to Wealth – You Need To Invest

If you think squirreling away money in a savings account is your ticket to wealth, think again. Johnson busts this common myth wide open.

“One of the biggest money myths is that you can save your way to wealth,” he said. “The wealthy save and invest. The middle class, too often, simply save. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough that people simply save. That is a necessary condition for building wealth, but not a sufficient condition for wealth accumulation.”

To Read More:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/m-financial-expert-4-things-170009313.html