Liz's Blog

We’re told experiences are supposed to make us happier than stuff — turns out that may apply mostly to the affluent. The famous marshmallow test that predicts future success, based on which kids can resist an immediate treat? That research has similar problems. Meanwhile, the jury’s still out on whether willpower is something you can “use up.”

Studies about these issues shaped a fair amount of personal finance advice in recent years. The fact that researchers may have drawn incorrect or at least incomplete conclusions reminds us that blanket advice on money is risky. What works for one person may not work for the next, particularly if their financial lives are vastly different. In my latest for the Associated Press, the money myths you don’t have to live by.