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Introduction The purpose of this book is to help Gen Zers make better lifelong finan- cial decisions by blending financial planning and financial psychology. Financial planning is the what and how of money: What is insurance how does it work? What are investments, taxes, employee benefits, and so forth, and how do I make good decisions? Financial psychology—the psychology of money—is the why: Why do different kinds of people do what they do with their money and property? Why do they make the decisions they make? The guidelines in this book turn on understanding both financial planning and financial psychology. To illustrate, some types of people hate risk and go out of their way to avoid it, while others enjoy it and seek it out. Those who avoid risk are vulnerable to inflation the diminishing value of the dollar will eat up their savings. Those who pursue risk open themselves to investments that may very well go broke. Each type needs a little nudge away from their natural inclination to make more prudent financial decisions. The more clearly you understand yourself and why you do what you do, the better decisions you will make. The same line of thinking applies to all financial decisions, from choos- ing a career to budgeting for retirement. Our personalities often incline us in directions that might not be the best for us. On the other hand, we need to respect those personalities: you won’t stick with even the best financial plan if it doesn’t feel right to you. In this book I’ll show how personality affects financial decisions and how different types of people can make better decisions throughout their lives. I’ll spend most time on the decisions Gen Zers face today and tomorrow, but I’ll also get into the decisions of later life so readers can be better prepared for the future. I’ll define financial planning broadly, to include important decisions that will affect your entire financial life,