To ask what’s one stereotype about money you wish people would change?

[SoftPowerSaver]

For me, it’s the idea that money automatically corrupts people - that if you have it, you’ll become selfish, mean or disconnected from others. I think that belief stops people from wanting to grow financially or even talk about money openly. Yes, money can bring out the worst in some but it can also give people freedom, stability and the ability to help others.

AIBU to wish we could separate wealth from moral judgement a bit more?

When DH and I are on our death beds I hope I will have enough money to hand over to our kids and grandkids. (Inheritance tax is theft)

I will also be thinking about all the nice and stuff I've been able to enjoy in my life with the money we earned. Also how the money we earned gave our kids the best start in life we could have.

Thinking about how our quality of life rose and improved thanks to our money. Better than being broke.

That investing is only for financially wealthy people. A small regular amount into an index fund in an ISA or SIP can snowball nicely over time.

I actually agree that money isn’t the ultimate goal but it’s often what gives you the time, safety and choice to focus on all those things: kindness, connection, experiences, giving back. That’s really my point: money isn’t the enemy, it’s a tool. The moral bit depends on how you use it.

That people who become unable to earn it, be it through accident, illness having a child or old age are somehow worth less. It makes us lose the ability to see those people clearly. With this view, If we try for too long to see them, we will lose pace ourselves, earn less and become worth less ourselves

That people who do require welfare benefits are lesser people than those who don’t. That’s money related because it seems to be the belief that if you aren’t lying to get something monetary for nothing then you have made poor choices through being “feckless” (as opposed to say less academically able or “brought down” by sickness or disability to be able to work in fields that bring greater earned (not inherited) wealth).
That wealth is more important than anything else - even health (though there are few who think this I unfortunately know some such people- I’m related to them via marriage).
And finally because it’s a corollary of the first - that wealth is always deserved and therefore so is poverty (eg the sort of claim that goes I studied/worked hard etc and deserve to have money (not saying that’s not true btw) - so did I but life changes not if my own making have me earning a lot less than I am capable of).

Crime stats arent based on perceptions of the poor though - they are based on actual crimes that have been prosecuted and in areas stricken with poverty violent crime goes up. Thats a fact lol

That doesnt mean that rich people never do bad things or never commit crimes but this idea that it's money that makes you corrupt is BS. Money simply makes you more of who you are. If you are a narcissist for example then being rich or poor wont make a jot of difference, you will still use people for your own gains, the method will simply be different is all. Similarly, if you are a decent person with strong ethical values then money will increase that tendency to give to others.

My brother takes this attitude and has done for years. Apparently I don't understand what "real work" is and I'm a pen pusher. Basically because I don't do a manual job.

My job is niche, involves project decisions well into 8-12 figures as well as juggling public interest. (My salary is quite a way less then 6 figures).

Are you NC or LC with him?

Pretty much NC see him once a year for an hour to keep the peace for my mum but he's blocked on my phone etc (the attitude to my job doesn't even touch the sides with why I'm NC with him!)

That all of us who are self-employed fiddle our taxes.

Sorry to hear about that. He sounds like a prick

Also to me I don't think you magically deserve any specific minimum level of income simply for working FT.

i Have never heard anyone say or write that before?

That the only way to make money is by shitting on other people.

World poverty and many more problems could be solved if the tiny proportion of truly wealthy people were willing to fork out a fraction of what they have. Or a large improvement could
be made if they were willing to simply pay tax in some of the countries they enjoy travelling between. We are all the poorer because they do not due to the inequality and crime rates

That anyone who earns or has a lot of money must have got hand outs.

Obviously all Billionaires are unethical and there's no such thing as a self made Billionaire. But self made success is real and ethical.

Also that money doesn't solve everything, and wealthy people struggle too. But it can buy happiness short term.

This.

Exactly, money buys choice

That people gain any benefit or are somehow fortunate because of the unearned wealth that come with house price increases.

People that bought a house still just have a house, usually that they need to live in. It is irrelevant that the value of the house has increased because the value of all the other houses has increased too.

The only benefit comes if people drastically downsize and move to a cheaper area, then they might have spare cash. But that’s spare cash they would have still had if they downsized and moved somewhere cheaper and property prices had remained stagnant. There is no benefit to homeowners from house price increases, so it makes no sense to be jealous of people whose homes have increased in value since they bought them. They haven’t gained anything.

That people have an obligation to provide financial security to other people (usually women) just because they are in a relationship.

Many times I’ve seen posters on here respond to people who have less financial security than their partner with the view that ‘if he loved you, he would want you to be protected’. It’s bullshit.

People can choose to support their partners, but unless they have actively encouraged someone to be a SAHP to their children, there should be no responsibility or obligation to provide for another adult.

You get people saying that NMW should be enough to live off comfortably.

I believe (but happy to be challenged) that NMW jobs like retail and McDonald's are a starting point for when you are a teen and want extra cash or are a student working PT.

That wasn’t what you said though

Yes, I always say this - it is the biggest thing money buys and people sometimes try to do 'good' while ignoring this. Back to earlier examples of people not being able to afford bus tickets... I remember when the Tories introduced an idea that people could choose to be treated at the best hospital for their condition, but I remember thinking that was no good for poorer people. If there was a rubbish hospital just down the road and the best possible hospital two bus-rides away and you need regular check ups, someone with no money is just going to have to stick to the worse hospital.

That it is the fault of people in poverty that they are in poverty.

Never was a more ignorant, prejudiced and downright malicious statement ever made on the subject of money.

I find this thread very one sided given we’re on mn where there’s so many sahp who are fully reliant on their partners and are stuck in shit marriages for the kids’ sake because they can’t afford to leave and their children will no longer live a nice life. Personally I hear married with children, big house and car, I assume someone’s trapped in there!!!