11/05/2023
What are some financial mistakes the majority of Americans make?
By Anthony madden
Where do I start?
I spend a LOT of time talking to people about their spending habits. Here are the biggest mistakes people are making, in my eyes:
1. Not paying off credit card debt.
Debt can make you feel hopeless—even if you’re responsible about making payments on time, the interest sometimes prevents you from paying off the debt.
But, believe it or not, plenty of companies (National Debt Relief, for example) are willing to help you pay off your debt.
Here’s how it typically works:
You typically need $10k+ in overall debt (credit cards, medical debt, etc. combined).
A company like National Debt Relief (there are plenty of others, too) negotiates with your credit card companies, banks etc. to try and reduce your debt.
If possible, they’ll consolidate all of your different sources of debt so you only have to make one monthly payment to one place.
A lot of times you’ll end up paying significantly less than you owe. Here’s an example from NDR’s site:
E.g. he was $36k in debt, but only ended up paying $23kish.
If things go well, you could be debt-free in 24-48 months or so. Here’s a calculator you can use to get a savings estimate, if you’re interested.
2. Not getting a financial advisor.
99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally, use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
Or if you want something easier, here’s a quiz you can fill out that will find an advisor/planner based on your reqs.
3. Not using an ad blocker.
If you aren’t using an ad blocker yet, I am begging you to try one. I am not exaggerating when I say it will change your life.
A good ad blocker will eliminate virtually all of the ads you’d see on the internet.
No more YouTube ads, no more banner ads, no more pop-up ads, etc. It’s incredible.
Most people I know use Total Adblock (link here) – it’s $2.42/month, but there are plenty of solid options.
Ads also typically take a while to load, so using an ad blocker reduces loading times (typically by 50% or more). They also block ad tracking pixels to protect your privacy, which is nice.
Here’s a link to Total Adblock, if you’re interested.
4. Getting price gouged on the internet.
You’d be shocked to know how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
If you don’t have the Capital One Shopping app installed yet, do yourself a favor and get it.
When you shop online (on Amazon or elsewhere) it will:
Auto-apply coupon savings codes.
Compare prices from other sellers to make sure you’re not missing out on a better deal.
This app has saved me a decent amount of money more than once. Here’s a link to download it, if you want.
5. Not getting paid for your opinions.
As a general rule I would ignore any site that says they'll pay you to fill out surveys, but there are a few that are legitimate (and pay pretty well).
I usually use Branded Surveys (link here). You basically just get paid to give your opinions on different products/services, etc. Perfect for when you're watching TV.
Here's the form I used to sign up - I think it took me maybe 1-2 minutes tops.
6. Not investing in real estate (start with as little as $20).
It’s no secret that millionaires and billionaires love investing in real estate, but for the rest of us, buying property has been prohibitively expensive (if not impossible, for some).
Times have changed. There are a few amazing real estate startups that allow you to buy shares of rental homes for as little as $20/share (Ark7 is one of our favorites).
They take care of the property management and collect rent checks for you. Then, on the 3rd of the following month, your share of the property’s profit is distributed to your account.
It’s an interesting way to build yourself a little rental home empire (without spending like a magnate).
If you’re interested, take a look at Ark7’s properties here.
7. Not getting paid for your screentime.
There are a bunch of apps that will pay you to test out new games & apps and provide your feedback (sometimes physical products too).
I typically use TesterUp, but there are others too. It's free: you just sign up and pick which tests look fun/interesting to you. I’ve seen tests pay as much as $160, which can add up pretty quickly.
Here’s a link to the app.
8. Overpaying on car insurance by $400+/year.
The average American family still overspends by up to $417/year on car insurance.
Check out a site like Coverage.com to compare the best car insurance options available.
Answer a few questions and get matched with a customized offer today.
We make it insanely easy to explore carriers, compare rates and get the coverage you need. We’re here to help you navigate all things auto insurance and save you money along the way.
