Experience has taught me that struggling people, financially dysfunctional people, have many things in common and they have patterns of behavior that lead to problems and eventually to financial ruin. My list won’t be like the traditional ones you’re used to seeing. Nothing about debt, credit cards ^[2], over-spending or under-earning. Those are too obvious.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Symptoms you’re financially dysfunctional

Let me say up front that the majority of people are financially dysfunctional in some way or another. If any of these strike a little too close to home, you’re in good company!

You’re insane

Insanity was defined by Albert Einstein as “doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” You’re financially insane if you expect that one of these days you’ll “make it” but you never significantly change anything you do.