#113 - How Your Personality Affects Your Money Decisions

Thank you for joining me on The Retirement Answer Man show today. I am Roger Whitney and I am truly blessed to know that you are interested enough in this podcast to track down this show notes page. On this episode of the show, we are going to focus in on happiness, the things that keep us from it, the things we can do to maximize it in our retirement years, and how personality assessments can help us to be a happier person. That’s a lot to promise but I’m certain you won’t be disappointed, so take the time to listen.

The top 5 regrets people have in old age.

I recently read an article that was written by a woman who has worked with aging and elderly people for many years. In her experience she’s heard many older people express regrets about their lives - the “I wish I had” statements that none of us want to be true of us when we reach our golden years. In the “Be Happy” segment today and over the next 4 weeks I’m going to cover the top 5 things she mentions and give you some tangible steps you can take to ensure that you are not living out your older years with the same regrets!

“Rich Dad” Author, Robert Kiyosaki, is STILL predicting a market meltdown this year!

It was in MarketWatch this week, a follow up to Robert Kiyosaki’s prediction a few years back that by 2016 the economy will crash. Robert’s a respected figure in the financial industry. Many people just love his perspective and approach to building wealth. What should we think about situations like this when a well-known and well-respected person predicts such dire things? As you might suspect, I have some opinions about this kind of thing and share them with you on this week’s “Hot Topic” segment of the show. I hope you find my thoughts valuable.

Have you heard anyone “Talking Their Book” lately?

You may have and not realized it… that’s because “talking your book” is a phrase that makes total sense once you know what it means, but if you don’t - well, you’re going to be scratching your head a bit when you hear it. “Talking your book” is a phrase used to describe someone who is talking right in line with their philosophy about the subject, and even in a way that promotes their philosophy or approach above others. As I unpack the term on this episode, I’m also trying to help you develop a healthy and balanced approach to understanding what’s going on when others are talking their book. It’s all on this episode.

Did you know that a good personality assessment could help you make better financial choices?

It’s true. When you know your own personality better and are able to understand your tendencies when it comes to making decisions, dealing with money, and how you view the prospects of the future, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to handle the decisions that come your way day in and day out. On this episode, I’m chatting with my friend Jill Davis who is a DISC assessment practitioner and avid proponent of personality assessments. You’ll find the conversation fascinating and helpful.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:31] My welcome and introduction to this episode of the show.

THE “BE HAPPY” SEGMENT

[2:44] My 5 week experiment: The top 5 regrets people have in old age.
[4:03] Regret #5: People wish they had let themselves be happier.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

[5:52] This week’s S.M.A.R.T. sprint: Write a journey each day recapping the highlights of your day and identifying habits that have prevented your happiness.

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[8:15] Robert Kiyosaki has predicted a 2016 stock market collapse.
[9:48] What should you do in light of articles like this?
[13:12] Huge predictions like this need a more well-rounded perspective.
[13:35] Remember that these predictions are focused as a promotional piece around someone’s brand.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SEGMENT

[14:17] What does it mean when we say, “Talking your book?”

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[16:03] Jill Davis is my guest today - an expert in personality assessments.
[17:13] Why would anyone want to do a personality assessment?
[19:08] The reason for finding clarity about your personality.
[19:28] What is the DISC theory of personality assessment?
[21:41] My results from taking the DISC assessment.
[22:29] How it’s good to have a partner who is opposite of you.
[24:03] Understanding others through a personality assessment.
[26:09] The benefits of couples and partners understanding each other’s personalities.
[26:58] The ways personality assessments can be misused.
[29:20] How personality impacts communication and sharing.
[31:57] How to connect with Jill.