Why Mothers Know Best About Money
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Moms deserve a lot of credit for the things they teach kids about money, and with Mother’s Day this weekend what better time to celebrate their financial tutelage? More than eight in 10 Americans say they learned something about money from their mother, a new survey shows.
The chief overall lesson: live within your means. That motherly wisdom was cited by 55% in the survey from BeFrugal.com. The same percentage said she taught them the difference between a want and a need. Some 44% said Mom emphasized the importance of being self-sufficient. Mom also taught them how to shop wisely: 67% said she taught them about sales, and 57% said she taught them about coupons.
These findings jibe with other research on the subject. A few years ago, TD Bank found that in many families Dad doles out allowance and oversees big purchases, and that Dad tends to be the most confident about money and most interested in results. Meanwhile, Mom is most interested in the kids’ money learning process and the day-to-day aspects of financial management.
Mom’s softer approach to money lessons probably stems from motherly wisdom in many areas. Life lessons like “don’t be late” and “practice, practice, practice” and “don’t be afraid to ask for help” and many others have direct application to the money world. After all, it’s sage advice indeed to never make a late payment and to seek advice on complicated money matters.
Given the financial mistakes that many parents have made—poorly managing credit cards, for example—some argue that young adults would do better to skip parental advice altogether and find a financial adviser or third-party online advice. But the best advice is probably to listen to both Mom and Dad. They often see financial matters differently. That’s natural—opposites attract. And through discussion and compromise, your parents probably run the household finances better together than either one would alone.
That’s good since kids—and even young adults—seem to depend on both Mom and Dad for financial advice. Two surveys last fall, one by Fidelity Investments and the other by TIAA-CREF, show that Millennials seek out their parents more than anyone else for financial guidance. Fidelity identified parents as their top choice for trusted money advice. TIAA-CREF found that 47% view their parents as especially influential in money matters.
So here’s to all the moms out there, imparting financial wisdom in ways only they seem able—and for being an important counter balance to all the fathers with misplaced confidence in their own money skills. Several studies have shown that women make better investors. But let’s give a nod to dads too. Embracing risk and a focus on results have their place, and the balance that both parents produce may be the best lesson of all.
Read next: What Dads Can Do to Really Help Mom This Mother's Day