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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think being intelligent or successful doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good with money?

95 replies

HeartyMintLurker · 17/05/2026 10:18

It sometimes surprises me how often people assume that if someone is very successful or highly skilled in their field (e.g. a lawyer, dentist, etc.), they must also be good with money. To me they feel like completely separate skill sets.
AIBU?

OP posts:
Livpool · 17/05/2026 10:43

Cooshawn · 17/05/2026 10:38

I'm very intelligent, fully understand finances and would be deemed successful.

I'm reckless with money. I've been in the shit because of borrowing and it's taken me years to recover and learn how to discipline myself.

I am the same! It’s like my brain glitches!

noworklifebalance · 17/05/2026 10:42

Youhadrambledonfor18pages · 17/05/2026 10:39

WTF how can you have a mortgage and not understand how they work?! Slightly scary that this person is teaching children as well.

Show quote history

Isn’t that the point that OP is making?
She maybe a good teacher but doesn’t mean she is financial literate, assuming she is not teaching finance. Even teaching maths doesn’t make you financially literate.

basoon · 17/05/2026 10:41

I'm extremely well educated and successful but not great with money. I've managed to stay out of debt but could be better off. I don't t care though, I'm happy

Clogblog · 17/05/2026 10:40

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 17/05/2026 10:38

Exactly!

Years ago un psychology was the halo effect which kind of describes this sort of thinking....

As they're an excellent dentist they're automatically good at /have knowledge of financial 'stuff'...

Although there is an argument that highly skilled professionals are more likely to have the basic skills (eg they've got a good general education) to be able to understand areas such as finance /banking

Show quote history

I think the other thing is that - not all but most - professionals grew up with parents interested in their general education and in households that will have had good financial habits. Correlation not causation

But also if you have more money, it's easier to be good with it

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 17/05/2026 10:39

Bellyblueboy · 17/05/2026 10:31

I have a friend who is a teacher. She asked me why I was overpaying my mortgage because I was just giving money to the next people who buy my house.

She has a mortgage and clearly doesn’t understand them. But I cannot figure out her thinking at all😂😂

That's an interesting perspective.... Interesting how she got to that conclusion.

An old colleague was furious when he discovered that the mortgage company wanted at least twice the borrowed amount back... He thought mortgages were sort of free....

Youhadrambledonfor18pages · 17/05/2026 10:39

Bellyblueboy · 17/05/2026 10:31

I have a friend who is a teacher. She asked me why I was overpaying my mortgage because I was just giving money to the next people who buy my house.

She has a mortgage and clearly doesn’t understand them. But I cannot figure out her thinking at all😂😂

WTF how can you have a mortgage and not understand how they work?! Slightly scary that this person is teaching children as well.

HowdoyoureallyKnow · 17/05/2026 10:38

Em forster Howard's end , mr Wilcox and the basts

Cooshawn · 17/05/2026 10:38

I'm very intelligent, fully understand finances and would be deemed successful.

I'm reckless with money. I've been in the shit because of borrowing and it's taken me years to recover and learn how to discipline myself.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 17/05/2026 10:38

SyrupTopped · 17/05/2026 10:29

Yes, you’re quite right. I mean, I think it’s pretty odd that anyone would think it. It’s like saying ‘Well, if you speak four languages well, you must be good at running’.

Show quote history

Exactly!

Years ago un psychology was the halo effect which kind of describes this sort of thinking....

As they're an excellent dentist they're automatically good at /have knowledge of financial 'stuff'...

Although there is an argument that highly skilled professionals are more likely to have the basic skills (eg they've got a good general education) to be able to understand areas such as finance /banking

HowdoyoureallyKnow · 17/05/2026 10:35

You don't need to be good at maths to be financially literate.
Basic adding up and taking away.

I think presenting it as something you need to be good at maths for is creating another barrier.

Legomania · 17/05/2026 10:32

I would say that if you are well-educated you are more rather than less likely to be financially literate.
A fifth of the population don't have maths GCSE so yield calculations/implications of inflation etc might well be something they struggle with

Bellyblueboy · 17/05/2026 10:31

I have a friend who is a teacher. She asked me why I was overpaying my mortgage because I was just giving money to the next people who buy my house.

She has a mortgage and clearly doesn’t understand them. But I cannot figure out her thinking at all😂😂

SyrupTopped · 17/05/2026 10:29

HeartyMintLurker · 17/05/2026 10:24

Things like budgeting, avoiding unnecessary debt, saving/investing sensibly, planning ahead financially, not living completely beyond your means. More that being highly intelligent or professionally successful doesn’t automatically mean someone has strong financial habits or financial literacy.

Show quote history

Yes, you’re quite right. I mean, I think it’s pretty odd that anyone would think it. It’s like saying ‘Well, if you speak four languages well, you must be good at running’.

Original poster
HeartyMintLurker · 17/05/2026 10:24

SyrupTopped · 17/05/2026 10:19

How do you mean ‘good with money’?

Things like budgeting, avoiding unnecessary debt, saving/investing sensibly, planning ahead financially, not living completely beyond your means. More that being highly intelligent or professionally successful doesn’t automatically mean someone has strong financial habits or financial literacy.

OP posts:
Clogblog · 17/05/2026 10:24

It depends what you mean.

I am in a profession like that as are most of my friends. I would say we are all much more financially literate than the rest of the population - understand pensions, investments, mortgages, etc and make generally savvy financial decisions in that sense.

But we are more of a mix on day to day budgeting/approach to money. And that's partly because if you do a mentally demanding professional job, you have less headspace for where is the cheapest toothpaste or exactly how much is in your current account.

RaincloudSundae · 17/05/2026 10:24

SyrupTopped · 17/05/2026 10:19

How do you mean ‘good with money’?

Op means being able to handle your financial affairs successfully.

Brontisaurus · 17/05/2026 10:22

Agreed. I’m intelligent and successful but with with money, not so much. I waste it, don’t save enough of it, don’t budget. We’re not in terrible debt or anything like that but if I lost my job (or DH did), we’d be totally in the shit.

UpDownAllAround1 · 17/05/2026 10:22

X

TeenToTwenties · 17/05/2026 10:21

I think people on lower incomes are often forced to become 'good with money' in a way people on higher incomes are not.

SyrupTopped · 17/05/2026 10:19

How do you mean ‘good with money’?

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