Money makes the world go round.

What is behind how people make, spend, save, and invest money? Someone uncomfortable with or afraid of it, for instance, may be less apt to take the necessary steps to invest for long-term goals. The belief that money brings happiness or power may compel a person to take unwarranted risks or spend impulsively. Money colors relationships with spouses, children, friends, and co-workers. Conflict over it is the number-one cause of marital discord.

According to the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, by better understanding their attitudes and values toward money, individuals may be more able to gain control of money instead of it controlling them. The following series of questions about basic attitudes toward money is not a lest. There are no right or wrong answers, and they do not define you as a certain type of "money personality." Rather, they are intended to stimulate thinking about how emotions affect your use of money and your current financial situation. If married, sit down with your spouse and go through the questions together. Find out how each of you perceives the other's money attitudes.

* How did your parents handle money when you were a child? Did they budget, save, and invest wisely? Did they go broke before the next payday? Did they fight about money? An adult whose parents penny-pinched, for example, may react in the opposite direction by becoming an excessive spender and racking up large debts.

* Do you believe money brings happiness, power, freedom, and/or security?

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