Behavior Gap: Ignore Generic Financial Advice
When you’re sick and go to the doctor, it’s safe to say you expect to be assessed and treated based on how you feel. But what if the doctor just makes an assumption?
Maybe it’s flu season. Since your symptoms sound close enough to his most recent patient, he decides that you don’t need an actual examination. He’ll just recommend the same treatment and move on to the next patient.
I suspect that if you had this experience, you’d find another doctor who thought it worth examining each patient and considering individual symptoms. So when it comes to our personal finances, why are we willing to settle for generic financial advice that may or may not apply to everyone?
I get why people like the Dave Ramseys and the Suze Ormans of the world. Their no-nonsense approach and “you can do it” attitude are super appealing. But they don’t know you. And they don’t know your specific needs.