Become aware of and change money habits
Learn to stop self-sabotaging money use
Learn from examples of people with similar money issues and how they cope and grow
How couples deal with money differences
Learn how childhood affects money attitudes and beliefs
ìÖ Funny, humane, and to the point, this will be the most fun you've had while learning why we act as we do. It is a bible for anyone who teaches or counsels people about their money.î
-Kent Engelke, Managing Partner and Chief Strategist, Capitol Securities Management
"Crazy About Money takes a uniquely direct approach to how and why so many of us struggle with money. Dr. Baker draws on her extensive professional experience and her personal journey with her own finances to teach us that a healthy relationship with money is both freeing and attainable... this book a great read for anyone looking to understand his/her own attitudes and spending habits."
-Leslie Gordon Mayer, Ph.D. President &CEO, Mayer Leadership Group; Fellow, Wharton School of Business
Many of us are crazy about money. We spend too much of it and save too little. We hoard it and we sink into debt over it. We lavish it and are stingy with it. We lie about it and fight over it. We think about it all the time and we avoid thinking about it at all. What makes us act this way? We like to believe that our choices and actions are guided by rationality and common sense. But in fact, reason and common sense often have little to do with our money behavior. Even trained financial professionals can be crazy about money. Rather, our decisions are governed by our emotions and money beliefs. If these emotions and beliefs are balanced and clear, we will act wisely with our money. If they are confused, we will make poor decisions, creating financial havoc and deep unhappiness.
Crazy About Money helps you identify the unconscious emotions and beliefs that typically develop in childhood and drive your money decisions as an adult. It also shows you how to change misguided attitudes that lead so many people into money trouble. Crazy About Money uses real and composite cases drawn from author Maggie Baker's 30 years of clinical psychology practice. You'll learn about Mary, who has a basement full of useless Internet purchases she made to get even with her seemingly indifferent husband. And about Harry, an 89-year-old multi-millionaire bachelor who nearly decided to move into a state-assisted living facility for fear he would run out of money. You will also meet others who, perhaps just like you, over-spend, under-save, and make poor investment decisions. In-depth discussions explain how many people, once they understand their motivations, are able to break short-sighted or destructive money attitudes and patterns of behavior. Exercises at the end of each chapter will help you examine your own feelings and actions and point the way toward smarter choices with money, whether in saving, investing, spending, giving, or sharing. In today's economic climate, it's crucial to understand how you make money decisions and how you can improve them.
Maggie Baker, Ph.D., has been a practicing clinical psychologist since 1978. Her experience and education in counseling individuals, couples, children, and families dealing with financial stress has given her special expertise in behavioral economics and the psychology of wealth. In addition to her therapy practice, Dr. Baker gives financial workshops designed to help people understand how their emotions influence their money habits. Recognized as an expert in personal finance and financial therapy, she has been quoted in a variety of national and local publications, including Money magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also given presentations on financial wellness, the psychology of money, and holistic wealth to Merrill Lynch, Women in Insurance and Financial Services, Women of Wit and Wisdom, and national and international psychology conferences. Maggie Baker is a member and past president of The Profits Investment Club, under the umbrella of the National Association of Individual Investors Corporation, a national organization committed to providing sound investment information, education, and support to lay investors. She lives near Philadelphia with her family. To contact Dr. Baker, visit maggiebakerphd.com
