social stereotypes. Theoretical approaches to the financial behavior of the population Stereotypes of financial behavior and their consequences

"Financial behavior in a broad sense refers to the behavior of households or individuals associated with the receipt and expenditure of funds. These are various types of financial activity of citizens, which include: financial planning, risk minimization, savings, investments, insurance, credit and borrowing behavior, monetary games, purchase and sale of goods and services outside financial institutions, settlement and cash operations, etc." (Galishnikova, 2012: 133).

Many researchers believe that the model of a person's financial behavior begins to form even in early and adolescence, because parents and close relatives influence. Western sociologists (Hilgert, Godwin) managed to identify the relationship between "the attitude to money and the behavior of parents and their children, which is manifested in the following:

if parents save money, then children often tend to repeat their actions;

competent financial management on the part of parents is reflected in children: they do not lack pocket money and, more likely, do not have debts" (Galishnikova, 2012: 135).

Thus, the researchers are of the view that the financial situation of the family in which he was brought up may have an impact on how a person will manifest himself in financial activity in the future.

At present, interest in studying the financial behavior of the population in Russia is growing, because the situation is very different compared to the West. A great contribution to the development of this topic was made by researchers from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, when they conducted the Monitoring of the Financial Behavior of the Population. Sociologists (O. Kuzina, D. Ibragimova, Ya. Roshchina) have repeatedly come to the conclusion that "the lack of free money, the population's low interest in financial services, people's low awareness of this market, as well as the general long-term distrust of financial institutions" is very hinders the process of financial development of Russian society, and according to analysts, this situation will not change soon (Kuzina, 2012: 51).

However, it is worth noting that the younger generation under 35 is already more active financially. On the one hand, these people are more inclined to consume than to save money, however, there is a noticeable interest in investing money. They, unlike the older generation, have a desire to invest in securities and develop either their own business or the development of a company (Knyazev, 2010).

In the West, the study of financial behavior is also a popular research topic (Poterba, Kessler, Fisher, Campbell, etc.). People willingly talk about having a current account and paying bills on time, however, less than half of the respondents report their plans and family budget expenses in the future. The data show that the majority of people in Europe have their own savings, although only 39% of them keep this money for long-term purposes (Hilgert, 2003). In their responses, many also emphasized the role of the state in financial planning, that the state supports households by paying them social benefits, pensions, etc., and respondents feel more secure in this case, even if they do not have their own savings (Lusardi, 2010 ). For comparison with our country, the Russians do not rely on support from the state absolutely and when faced with financial difficulties they turn to friends and relatives rather than to the state for help (Ibragimova, 2009).

When we talk about financial behavior, we should not forget about such a concept as financial literacy. "Financial literacy is usually defined as knowledge about financial institutions and the products they offer, as well as the ability to use them when needed and understanding the consequences of their actions. Financial literacy as a concept is divided into three interrelated parts: attitudes, knowledge and skills, on the basis of which the index is calculated financial literacy"(Kuzina, 2009: 157). Financial literacy is not the subject of my research, however, it is impossible not to mention it, since many researchers (Godwin, Yasin, Lusardi, Hilgert, Campbell) highlight the direct dependence of financial behavior on financial literacy and I support their point of view.

financially educated people can manage their income and expenses more competently, manage and plan the budget. Older people can save for long-term goals, such as towards their retirement, etc. While financially illiterate people cannot always rationally manage their budget, they have no idea about the work of financial institutions, etc. (Campbell, 2006).

Kuzina O. studied this topic. She says that there are many financially illiterate people in Russia, and this problem must be somehow solved. People do not have confidence in financial institutions, they do not save for long-term purposes, because they are afraid of losing all their money in conditions of inflation, they do not resort to insurance, because they think that it is very difficult to get payments in case of an accident. These and many other problems do exist in our country, but, according to the author, they appear for a reason. For example, if you take loans. Most people have a very negative attitude towards them, because "it is pointless to form a credit culture and trust in banks without discovering the full cost of the loan and the ability of borrowers to compare the conditions of various banks among themselves. It will not be possible to teach people to read loan agreements if banks hide essential information behind incomprehensible wording and multipage texts" (Kuzina, 2009: 160). And the point is not only in loans, but in general, in banks. People are afraid to keep their money there, they do not want to cooperate with banks, because they do not want to lose all their savings in the face of any economic instability.

Thus, the financial behavior of Russians differs from the financial behavior of the population in Europe and the United States. Russians tend to distrust financial institutions, and this distrust entails the fear of losing their savings; fear of going to banks to get a loan because interest rates are too high and people think they won't be able to make regular payments; refusal to invest, etc. In other words, people are afraid to entrust their money to financial institutions because they are afraid of losing it. This trend has continued over the past few years, and it is precisely the reasons for this situation that researchers are trying to find out.

This study will focus on 4 financial practices - saving, lending, investing, writing income and expenses. It seems very interesting to me to look at people's attitudes towards savings and loans, because due to distrust in banks, their financial strategies can take on a different look, namely how people keep money and where they prefer to take it when they are not. The practice of keeping written records of the budget is little studied in Russia, and it is interesting to find out whether people keep written records, and if not, what are the reasons for this. As for the practice of investing, it is not widespread in Russia, and it is also interesting to find out for what reasons this happens. Thus, in my work, I will focus on 4 financial practices and then I will dwell in detail on the review of studies that are devoted to their study.

Types of financial behavior of the population in post-crisis conditions

Types of People's Financial Behavior in Post-Crisis Conditions

Annotation. In order to identify new trends in the financial behavior of the population after the economic crisis, the author conducted a small sociological survey, in which representatives of various population groups took part. The survey showed a relatively high level of confidence in banks on the part of the population and an average propensity to borrow. People in the post-crisis period are ready to help friends and relatives with money, most of them consider themselves generous, but are not ready to take risks.

Keywords: Duty. Saving. financial literacy. financial behavior. Income level. Consumers. Savers. Borrowers. post-crisis period.

keywords: Debt. Savings. financial literacy. financial behavior. Income level. Consumers. Savers. post-crisis period.

abstract. In order to identify emerging trends in the financial behavior of the population after the economic crisis, the author had an opinion poll, which was attended by representatives of various groups. The survey showed a relatively high level of confidence in the banks of the population and the average propensity to credit. People in post-crisis period are ready to contribute money to friends and relatives, most of consider them themselves to be generous, but are not willing to take risks.

My work is devoted to a very topical problem located at the intersection of two disciplines - psychology and economics, the study of population groups that fundamentally differ from each other in their attitude to credit, debt, and savings. The purpose of my work is not just to clarify certain preferences of certain categories of the population, but also to identify new trends that have emerged in a period when our country has already got rid of the consequences of the recent financial and economic crisis. The problem that interested me cannot be classified as fully studied and analyzed, since there is currently a discussion about the allocation of certain groups of the population depending on their financial behavior. There are various classifications that make it possible to single out certain categories of the population, and yet the problem is still very fresh and requires additional research.

The main method that I used in the course of the study is empirical. It consisted in conducting an anonymous sociological survey, in which representatives of various segments of the population participated. Along with the empirical, I also used the theoretical method - this is the study of articles of an economic and psychological nature in order to obtain the necessary information for further independent study.

As mentioned earlier, there are various classifications of the population according to financial behavior, but, in my opinion, the classification that we will consider is the most complete and vivid. It allows you to take into account a number of factors that affect the financial activity of the population.

In accordance with the classification under consideration, there are six so-called clusters: forced consumers, active savers, cautious savers, cautious borrowers, active borrowers and active consumers. Each cluster is characterized by its own characteristics, which, in my opinion, are interesting and require additional consideration.

Forced consumers These are very poor and desperate people, they have no savings. They do not lend money to anyone and never borrow, do not take loans and are not ready to take risks under any circumstances. Almost all income goes to the purchase of food and essential goods. They no longer need anything, they do not believe in anything and do not hope for anything. Life has made them embittered and irritated. Wealthy people are treated extremely negatively. Completely unaware of financial matters.

Active savers are also characterized by a rather low level of financial situation, but if they have free cash, try to postpone them, to make savings. The presence of savings is regarded as an important indicator of stability and security. They almost never lend money and try not to take it themselves, since there is nothing to give back. Separate the concepts of credit and debt. Credit is viewed positively, debt negatively. They believe that you need to live within your means, economically, and only idlers and parasites get into debt.

Cautious savers On the contrary, they are willing to lend money to others, but they themselves are not inclined to borrow and take loans. They are more likely to work as long as necessary to accumulate the required amount. In financial matters, they show caution and prudence: they believe that "a bird in the hand is better than a crane in the sky." They are not ready to take risks, they treat money carefully and carefully. In their opinion, it is not idlers and prudent, self-confident citizens who borrow money, but unhappy people who are forced to do this by circumstances, therefore they treat them with understanding and sympathy.

Cautious Borrowers they almost never lend money to other people, but they themselves are very positive about loans and credits. They make savings, but they believe that with their help it is impossible to solve the problems that they have. Be careful with big expenses. These are people with moderate incomes - not rich, but not poor either. They strive to raise the level of their financial situation, with which they are not satisfied. They have a need for a loan and a desire to take it, but they are afraid that they will not be able to repay the loan on time. Risk appetite is medium.

Active Borrowers they are calm about money: they themselves can lend to others, and if necessary, borrow or take a loan, make savings, and are able to take risks. Well informed on financial matters. The most promising group in terms of obtaining a loan - and although they are planning to take it, they plan to do so.

Active consumers have a relatively high income and demonstrate an easy attitude towards life. They do not know what frugality is - they think that money should be spent, used, and not saved in any way, and accordingly they do not consider it necessary to make savings. They are skeptical about loans, do not seek to take them, because they themselves are able to provide themselves with a decent standard of living. They prefer not to contact banks and financial organizations, they solve their problems through relatives and friends. If necessary, they will easily borrow money, because they know that they can always pay off. In the same way, they themselves can provide financial assistance to their acquaintances. Ready to take risks - demonstrate a very high propensity to take risks.

The most numerous cluster is the “active savers” cluster, although from the point of view of financial institutions, the best option is the increase in the cluster of "active borrowers".

It should also be noted that the attitude of citizens to borrowing money is significantly influenced by such parameters as age, education, occupation, employment, family income.

Citizens aged 31 to 44 show the greatest propensity to borrow. Among young people (18-30 years old), the desire to live in debt is expressed somewhat weaker. Perhaps this is due to the fact that their future is still not sufficiently certain for them: many of them do not have a stable job, there is no confidence in the future. Between the ages of 45 and 54, the attitude towards debt is rather neutral, and after 55 it is sharply negative. These circumstances are probably associated with the pronounced conservatism of the older generation, for whom the concept of duty has a special symbolic meaning. Debt is a rather negative phenomenon that causes shame and is accompanied by a loss of self-esteem. It is not even a sign of poverty, but of extreme poverty.

Citizens with higher, secondary and secondary specialized education are not characterized by any specific attitude towards debt: among them there are approximately the same number of those who support borrowing and those who do not approve of it. But people with incomplete secondary and primary education are extremely negative about the possibility of borrowing money.

Temporarily unemployed and housewives are willing to borrow money, employees and students also show a positive attitude in general, pensioners and entrepreneurs have a negative attitude towards borrowing. The opinion of retirees seems to be significantly influenced by their age and low income, while entrepreneurs whose income is relatively high may simply not need additional borrowed funds.

Among working citizens, representatives of the intelligentsia and state employees - employed in the fields of culture and art, education and health care - stand out with their positive attitude towards borrowing; employees of the financial sector and employees of the police and internal affairs bodies. A negative attitude is typical only for employees of housing and communal services and consumer services.

With the growth of the average monthly family income, the willingness of citizens to borrow money also increases. Wealthy people are much more willing to borrow money than those who live below the poverty line. Naturally, having a high level of income, it is psychologically much easier to take on debt obligations. These people, compared to the rest, have more confidence in themselves and in the future, they are not overloaded with stereotypes that you need to live “within your means”, they are used to striving for more. If for the poor, debt means fear and poverty, then for many wealthy citizens, living on credit seems to be becoming fashionable, prestigious, and even natural.

Parameters such as gender and position do not affect the attitude towards borrowing.

The data were collected and processed in the pre-crisis period and reflect the picture of that time. Obviously, the credit activity of the population during the financial crisis and after it changed. In the post-crisis period, lending activity is still at the freezing stage. In this regard, it is important for the banking sector to learn from the global financial and banking crisis and use the most effective approaches in the formation of credit activity.

In my opinion, it is advisable to first say a few words about changes in the behavior of banks. The easy money policy helped banks avoid bankruptcy. But they are already abandoning the credit risks they took before the crisis. One of the problems directly related to the financial crisis is that in their lending practices, banks have moved from a model of “strong client relationships” and a thorough analysis of credit risk on each borrower to a model of “queuing strangers” and acquiring credit risk, relying on other people's opinions. . The post-crisis period as a whole is characterized by an increase in lending risks. Unfortunately, there were no good borrowers. As for the bank loans themselves, the following facts take place here: car loans and mortgage lending are not currently priority growth areas. Growth is shown only by consumer loans, which are adequate due to the short term, which explains the continued demand for them. Banks are more aggressively reducing retail lending compared to corporate lending. This means that large Russian companies are more likely to rely on credit than medium-sized companies, which is explained by banks' concern about the demand for their products and their burden of debt. The financial behavior of the population is also questionable. It may well be that in an environment of limited income growth, increased leverage will not be as attractive. The main factor here is the predictability and security of jobs and income in the future. Most likely, a change in the attitude of the population towards savings will also be associated with the policy of banks. If banks try to keep interest rates at a sufficiently low level, this will mean lower deposit rates and, as a result, a reduction in the savings rate of the population. Thus, access to the financial resources of the state, as it were, automatically means that it is impossible to rely on the savings of the population and makes the banking sector more and more vulnerable to the policies of the financial authorities. This dependence is not conducive to a long-term recovery in lending activity. Loans to the population are slowly growing as consumer demand recovers.

The financial crisis is already over, and it's time to find out what new trends have emerged in the financial behavior of the population of our country. To this end, I conducted a sociological survey, inviting respondents to answer the questions of a questionnaire called "Attitude towards debt and credit." The survey involved students of Saratov universities, employees of financial and credit organizations, pensioners and some other people.

The results of the study showed that the majority of respondents (57%) almost never borrow money. The vast majority of respondents, namely 72%, believe that you can ask for a loan only in case of urgent need, and only 7% said that you need to rely only on yourself. Ready to provide financial assistance to friends 86%, to help everyone, not just friends - 4%. They are ready to lend to a well-known person, but at the same time 29% will be worried, 64% will remain absolutely calm, and 7% will be very nervous, because they have been deceived more than once.

Only 7% of all respondents admitted that they are greedy, 43% consider themselves greedy only in some situations, half of the respondents, in their own opinion, are rather generous, of which 14% hate greedy and envious people the most.

As for the credit activity of the population, the situation here is not so bad. Ready to take out a loan to buy an expensive item, and most likely 43% of respondents will do it, a small percentage of respondents (7%) said they would not take a loan, even if they like the item very much. But still, most prefer to manage with their own funds and save a little each month.

An interesting fact, in my opinion, is the unanimous decision of all those interviewed by me that money should work. A 100% “yes” indicates that in the post-crisis period people understand that money should not just lie there, it should be invested. This suggests that the investment activity of citizens is at a high level in the post-crisis period.

Now about savings: they are ready to deny themselves the most necessary things in order to save money for a rainy day 29%, the same number of people spend money as soon as they appear and 36% said that this problem will probably worry them when they have for 40, until they save money for a rainy day.

Mercantile interests manifested themselves in 36% of respondents who believe that money is the main thing in life. Let's get back to lending. It is noteworthy that 21% of respondents took a loan from a bank, and these are mainly people with a higher economic education, of which 33% rated their level of financial literacy as high. The survey showed that the financial crisis of 2008–2009 had a negative impact on the psychological mood of the population. 57% of those who participated in the survey are afraid that they will not be able to repay the loan on time. Nevertheless, the same %% of respondents can say with confidence that they trust the bank, whose clients they are. Mostly students do not trust banks, perhaps this is due to a low level of financial literacy and mainly with an average income level, which does not allow them to be full-fledged participants in financial and credit relations.

It is impossible not to stop your attention on questions aimed at finding out whether citizens are ready to take risks, having survived the financial and economic crisis. Ready to take a risk and invest most of their financial assets 21% of those who participated in the survey. The majority is risk averse (50%). The crisis probably forced 57% of respondents to carefully calculate their budget and could not force 29% to do it, the rest, most likely, did it both before the crisis and after it.

Only 7% of respondents are ready to take out a loan, assuming that the interest rate will change, only if the money is really needed - 36%, and 57% are not ready to do it.

When asked where would you spend 1 million €, 50% answered that they invested it in real estate, 22% thought that the best option would be to open a bank account and live on interest. Such options as organizing a business, investing in securities were less popular.

findings

Summing up my short research, it is necessary to note the following: despite the rather difficult economic situation and the state of some tension, the level of public confidence in banks cannot be characterized as low. A relatively large percentage of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards a loan and a willingness to take it if necessary. Undoubtedly positive is the fact that in the post-crisis period money did not come first in the minds of our citizens, many are ready to help their loved ones and relatives if they find themselves in a difficult financial situation.

The financial behavior of the population can also be considered from the point of view of psychology. According to psychologists D. Kahneman and V. Smith, the economic behavior of the subject in most cases is controlled by intuitive "cognitions", and rational thinking is used only for correction. The dominance of intuition is explained by the fact that intuitive decisions are reactions to aspects of reality that are more accessible to perception. But such a “lightweight” perception is inherent in distortions, since the similarity of objects is easier to perceive than differences, changes in objects are easier than their absolute value. The above authors talk about the existence of two types of rationality - conscious and unconscious. However, most of the knowledge we use and the ability to make decisions are unconscious. In addition, each person has rules of action, traditions and principles developed at the family and social levels, in accordance with which he builds his behavior, including economic.

It is considered proven that the economy is not the area where business entities can make decisions based on rational thinking. The nature of the behavior of economic entities is determined by the genetic (innate) foundations of their psyche, habits (ie, institutions). Their actions are determined not by the desire to maximize utility, as is believed in the neoclassical tradition, but by the desire, first of all, to preserve the status quo, avoid risk and uncertainty. All this suggests that a person, based on his own intuition, decides whether he should take a loan or whether it is better to save money. The subjective factor, in my opinion, plays a significant role in determining the financial behavior of the population. If during the crisis period everyone feels a negative mood, then this will probably be one of the reasons for the decline in confidence in banks and the fall in lending activity.

Our country has come out of the financial crisis and has almost returned to its original positions, however, a sociological survey conducted showed some negative trends. This applies primarily to lending. Despite the fact that the majority still trust banks, a large percentage of respondents are afraid that they will not be able to repay the loan on time, which may cause a decrease in the number of people who want to take a loan from a bank. I think that in this matter the greatest effect can only be given by a correct state policy pursued in the interests of working citizens. If it is able to provide the citizens of our country with confidence in the future, I think everything will be in order with credit activity. It would be advisable for banks to concentrate their efforts on increasing the level of financial literacy of the population, since, as the survey shows, those who are better educated in financial matters take loans more often - they work in financial institutions or at least have economic Education. In my opinion, even such measures on the part of banks as consultations of citizens on lending issues and a clear explanation of all the advantages and disadvantages will give a visible result.

Literature

1. Mekhryakov V.D. Lessons of the crisis and new approaches to the formation of credit activity // Banking. 2010. No. 5. pp. 46-48.

2. Olsevich Yu.Ya. On psychogenetic and psychosocial foundations of economic behavior // Bulletin of Moscow University. 2008. No. 1. p.3-15.

3. Olsevich Yu.Ya. On psychogenetic and psychosocial foundations of economic behavior // Bulletin of Moscow University. 2008. No. 2. p.3-40.

4. Strebkov D. The main types and factors of the population's credit behavior in modern Russia // Questions of Economics. 2004. No. 2. pp. 109-128.

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A social stereotype is a relatively stable and simplified image of a social object - a person, group, phenomenon or event. These are also general opinions about the distribution of certain traits in groups of people. For example: "Italians are emotional" or "Politicians are liars."

Why do stereotypes arise? There are probably two main reasons. First: mental laziness. A person does not want to make an intellectual effort in order to find out more about an event, a group of people or a person, therefore he sincerely believes in what he already knew about. Second: lack of information or time. This often happens: you have only a few small facts on the basis of which you need to quickly make a decision. Social stereotypes also arise under the influence of personal experience, beliefs and preferences. One has only to understand that all these three parameters are purely personal, that is, subjective.

Stereotypes can be:

• positive;
• negative;
• accurate;
• approximate;
• neutral;
• overly generalized;
• oversimplified;

No need to engage in self-deception and think that you are definitely not subject to stereotypes. They live in us, influence the worldview, behavior and sometimes contribute to a misunderstanding of reality. The Internet, TV, communication, personal (and at the same time often spoiled by force) experience, wrong feelings and intuition - all this creates a huge number of stereotypes in our psyche.

At the same time, one should not forget that stereotypes can be related to the truth, although not always. For example, minibus drivers, lawyers, politicians, actors and representatives of many other professions are subject to professional deformation.

Professional deformation is a cognitive distortion, a psychological disorientation of a person, which is formed due to the constant pressure of external and internal factors of professional activity. That is, a randomly selected lawyer will be more like another randomly selected lawyer than a minibus driver. The profession changes a person and this cannot be denied. Due to this, the approach to a representative of different professions may differ.

It is impossible to completely get rid of stereotypes, so you need to at least learn to live with them and notice them, especially when making important decisions: with whom to do business, where to move, what job to get.

But first, let's discuss what functions the stereotyping process has.

Functions and role of stereotyping

Early research suggested that stereotypes were only used by tough and authoritarian people. Modern research argues that a full understanding of stereotypes requires viewing them from two additional perspectives: as shared within a particular culture/subculture and as formed in the mind of an individual.

Relationship between cognitive and social functions

Stereotyping can serve cognitive functions at the interpersonal level and social functions at the intergroup level.

cognitive functions

Stereotypes help to understand the world. They are a form of categorization that helps to simplify and organize information. Thus, information is easier to identify, recall, predict or respond to.

Psychologist Gordon Allport has offered possible answers to the question of why it is easier for people to understand information in categories.

• First, so they can check the category to determine the response pattern.
• Second, categorized information is more specific than uncategorized information because categorization emphasizes properties that are shared by all members of the group.
• Third, people can easily describe an object in a category because objects in the same category share common characteristics.
• Finally, people may take for granted the characteristics of a particular category, because the category itself can be an arbitrary grouping.

Stereotypes function as temporary and save us time, allowing us to act more effectively.

Social functions: social classification

People present their collective self (their group membership) in a positive light in the following situations:

• When stereotypes are used to explain social events. Let's take this situation for example. Scholar Henri Tajfel believes that the Protocol of the Elders of Zion allowed people to explain social events and only makes sense because Jews have certain characteristics.
• When stereotypes are used to justify the activities of one's own group to another group. For example, the stereotype that an Indian or a Chinese cannot achieve financial success without European assistance.
• When stereotypes are used to differentiate a group as being positively distinct from outgroups.

Social Functions: Social Influence and Consensus

Stereotypes are an indicator of a general consensus. In Nazi Germany, Hitler united the nation through his hatred of the Jews. Although there was a huge amount of disagreement among the Germans themselves on other issues, the Jewish question was so strong that it overshadowed all others.

Stereotypes of behavior

It has been empirically established that if a person associates himself with any group, he begins to behave like a typical representative of it, although such behavior was not characteristic of him. For example:

• At a concert of a musical group, a person may behave stereotypically for fans of this group.
• When a person is reminded of what nationality he is, he begins to behave based on stereotypes about his people.
• A man from London behaves like a man from London when he is reminded of it.

It can be said that when a stereotype visits a person consciously or unconsciously, it seems to launch a template program of behavior and thinking in him. It is up to you to decide whether to succumb to it or change it. As we have already said, not all stereotypes are bad, some of them have very reasonable grounds.

How to get rid of stereotypes

Be aware of your stereotypes

To get rid of stereotypes, you first need to understand which ones you are exposed to. There may be so many of them that it will cause bewilderment. If so, then choose the ten strongest or those that most destructively affect your life: gender, racial, religious prejudice.

You may also have a negative attitude towards musicians, scientists, drivers, children, government officials, and many other classes or groups. But if you realize this, you will take the first step in the right direction.

Recognize the negative effects of stereotypes

This step can be combined with the first because they are closely related. You must find out what bad stereotypes bring into your life. You need to observe all areas of life, even the most unexpected or those that at first glance seem not very important:

• Financial area.
• Social sphere.
• mental health.

For example, thinking about jocks as "stupid and uneducated" can put you off going to the gym forever. Well, who will you make it worse?

It may turn out that many of your limiting beliefs are built on stereotypes. For example, you are 50 years old and you do not start your own business because you think you are too old for this. Although everyone knows examples when people at a more respectable age achieved great success in business.

Lower your self esteem

First, lower your prejudice about this advice. Actually, don't many stereotypes appear due to inflated self-esteem? After all, it is immediately clear to him who and what he is. This is a form of ignorance.

So if you have high self-esteem, admit it to yourself. If you are afraid that such an approach will reduce the quality of life, then once again think about the second point and what negative consequences stereotypes have. You will understand that this is a small price to pay to expand your worldview, make a lot of new acquaintances and socialize for real.

Find out the benefits of getting rid of stereotypes

Make a detailed list of how your thinking, beliefs, and values ​​might change if you start seeing every person you meet as a person. Previously, you probably stuck dozens of labels on him, and he did not have time to open his mouth. Judging a person from scratch - is it really not more interesting?

Surround yourself with the most different people. Yes, people like us are more pleasant, but it's so easy to get rusty in conformity. Travel more - at least to other cities.

We wish you good luck!

Under financial behavior refers to the diverse external manifestations of activities for the use of money, focused on achieving various goals, in the context of formal and informal rules and social relations. Thus, the field of financial behavior, in contrast to the sociological theories of money, involves the analysis of people's actions in specific sociocultural contexts, including their motivation and meanings, due to belonging to groups, social roles, statuses, nature of connections, level of culture, etc.

Financial behavior is historically concrete and variable. It is associated with diverse attitudes towards money that have developed in various social contexts, generated by myths and prejudices, customs and habits of people. His motives do not always correspond to the criterion of rationality as a property of culture determined by money; on the contrary, the observed actions of people in relation to money are often irrational, affective. Also, real financial behavior is not always characterized by methodicalness and accuracy; it often takes the form of spontaneous, panicky actions.

The most important aspect of the analysis of financial behavior is to identify its types depending on the motivation and nature of the actions that form its basis. To analyze the motivational component of financial behavior, one can use the "ideal types" of social action identified by M. Weber, with the help of which the meanings of money management in Everyday life of people. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that this classification represents only "ideal types" of financial behavior, which 1) do not occur in their pure form in real life; 2) are always in complex dynamics, mutually rearranging and flowing one into another. The dynamics of the types of financial behavior reflects the transformation of both the economic and socio-cultural situation, and individual life situations of individuals and groups.

Rational the type of financial behavior presupposes in its basis a value-rational action and "is based on a strict accounting of the balance of income and expenses, on the corresponding calculation of expenses and savings." Rational behavior is focused on the selection of the most effective means achieving goals involves minimizing risks while maximizing profits. The goals of rational financial behavior can be both the preservation and accumulation of resources, and their multiplication, investment, as well as spending. The basis of rational financial behavior is methodicalness, accuracy, calculation, focus on preventing the excess of expenses over income and minimizing accidental losses. Rational financial behavior implies the freedom to make independent decisions, as well as a sufficient level of awareness and qualification of actors.

Value Oriented the type of financial behavior is based on value-rational actions aimed at the implementation of ethical, ideological, spiritual values. Such behavior is characterized by altruism based on the observance of moral norms, solidarity with the social environment, the use of money to maintain and strengthen group membership and identity. Examples of value-oriented financial behavior are charitable donations, patronage, gratuitous support of relatives and close people, donations of money for religious needs, etc. It is motivated not by utilitarian calculation, but by social norms and moral and spiritual values.

Rational and value-oriented behavior can be separated and analytically contrasted based on the use of the models "economic man" and "sociological man", however, as already noted, modern science uses not so much their rigid dichotomy as an analysis of transitional, intermediate forms that are on a continuum between the two polar types.

Traditional action shapes and traditional financial behavior, which involves the reproduction of stable stereotypes of handling money, learned in the process of socialization. It is based on everyday common sense, coupled with empirically substantiated "practical" (in the terminology of M. Weber) rationality as the ability to calculate the immediate consequences of one's actions, but not going beyond the usual goals and means to achieve them. Traditional financial behavior is closely related to rational behavior, but it also implies the inclusion of altruistic actions, if they are included in stable rules, for example, giving gifts to loved ones, participating in joint spending on public needs, donating to churches, alms, etc.

Affective action in relation to money causes affective financial behavior, which is based on rash spending, subject to emotional impulses, or, on the contrary, refusal to spend. Its variety can be recognized as the actions of gamblers focused on the maximum win without any insurance guarantees; intuitive, not fully calculated investments of money; panic actions performed under the influence of spontaneous mass moods, the spread of rumors, etc. Affective financial behavior can be based on both emotional attitudes towards money itself - stinginess, passionate greed in their acquisition, and affects caused by other experiences, such as fear of political instability.

Researchers also identify rarer models of financial behavior, for example, consciously dysfunctional, based on absolutization or, on the contrary, on a conscious disregard for the objective functions of money and the rules for handling them. Persistently incompetent models appear in the absence of money handling skills and financial instruments inherent in youth, old people, etc.

The general typology of financial behavior at the level of practical money management to achieve specific life goals is expressed in strategies several types, among which it is customary to single out;

• consumer strategy - expenses for current needs, both of a daily nature (purchase of food, clothes, etc.), and expenses associated with the purchase of durable items; social spending (gifts, contributions, charity, etc.); expenses related to the implementation of life strategies and plans (payment for education, self-development), treatment and health maintenance, entertainment, etc. Consumption also includes the necessary payments of taxes, interest on loans, etc.;
• lending strategy - loans (consumer and targeted, for example, for education) and non-institutional debts, interest-free or requiring payment of interest. Loans and debts constitute liabilities of household budgets;
• savings strategy - saving money for certain purposes, for example, for future consumption, making large purchases in the future, implementing life plans (for the education of children), etc. In conditions of distrust of money, savings can be made in natural forms of treasures (jewelry), those items that are considered as "eternal values" - antiques, works of art, real estate, etc. Savings behavior can manifest itself in the form of purposeful saving of certain amounts or simply saving unconsumed balances of income, be planned, regular or spontaneous. The amount of savings can vary significantly, large savings are considered to be those on which a household can survive for a year without changing the existing type of consumption and lifestyle;
• insurance strategy - a kind of savings, which involves saving money not for future consumption, but "for a rainy day", "just in case". This also includes the purchase of various insurances, taking into account that in the absence of an insured event, the payment of insurance premiums is a non-reimbursable expense;
• investment strategy, which involves the rational investment of funds in economic activity with the aim of subsequent profit.

Sources of funds can serve as labor and entrepreneurial activities, payments and benefits (pensions, scholarships, alimony), interest on deposits and dividends, as well as income from the use of property that in itself represents a natural savings, for example, renting an apartment, a summer residence, a garage, etc. .d. Along with regular receipts, there may be occasional and temporary ones, such as gifts and donations, inheritance, gaming financial behavior associated with deriving income from the exchange game, financial pyramids, lotteries, etc.

Thus, financial behavior strategies, including the choice of sources of cash receipts, may have active and passive character. Active strategies include earning and entrepreneurship, credit and investment behavior, and passive ones include social and private payments, savings and insurance behavior.

Different strategies of financial behavior can be used in combinations of different levels of complexity, including savings and insurance strategies, as well as investment, and the use of loans.

The choice of strategy by specific actors, social groups is one of the main areas of research on financial behavior today. Thus, one of the most modern active strategies is the use of loans. This strategy has become extremely widespread in economically developed societies that have reached the stage of mass consumption. Wealthy groups with a stable financial position and confident in the future, rationally planning their finances, are inclined towards it. According to sociologists, in modern Russia, credit strategies are most common among the middle class. At the same time, the loan is not an alternative to savings, but makes up for their insufficiency. An obstacle to expanding the use of the credit strategy is, on the one hand, the low level of income of the majority, and on the other hand, the development of interpersonal ties and the preference for non-institutional private debts over bank loans, especially since in Russia it is not customary to lend money at interest (only 3% of creditors and 3.5% of borrowers report such practices). At the same time, groups are being formed that are characterized by risky credit behavior, focused on the development of the household through loans, mainly consumer loans. The savings of these groups, which are dominated by young people under 27, are insignificant and represent "insurance capital" that is lost over time, and debts increase, which makes them very vulnerable to external factors - changes in the economic situation, loss of work, etc. .

In the early 2000s Researchers, recognizing in general the passivity and conservatism of the financial behavior of Russians, noted the predominance of savings strategies over all others, with the exception of the consumer one. In 2013, a VTsIOM survey showed that 2/3 of Russians have no savings at all, since all income is spent to the end. The one-third of those surveyed who said they had savings are dominated by passive insurance strategies ("for a rainy day"), rather than active investment strategies.

Such an attitude towards savings can be explained, on the one hand, by distrust of existing financial institutions, banking system on the other hand, low awareness of possible tools and mechanisms for managing savings, conservatism and traditional financial behavior of the main groups of the population. A significant role in the reproduction of passive strategies is played by the negative experience of the 1990s, when, as a result of the spread of massive financial games and the lack of regulatory regulation that made it possible to build "financial pyramids", some suffered large and irreparable losses. Distrust of financial institutions is associated with distrust of the regulatory system as a whole, which makes the majority of even wealthy and competent people care about saving savings, and not about increasing them.

Financial behavior refers to the activity of mobilizing and using financial resources. Elements of financial behavior are savings, loans, investments, insurance.

Usually, 2 types of financial behavior are distinguished: positive (savings, rational) and negative (irrational).

What distinguishes people with rational and irrational financial behavior? And what can lead to an irrational attitude to money?

People with negative (irrational) behavior are characterized by:

• spend all earned money on current consumption
• do not have a financial reserve and savings
• avoiding money management tasks and/or putting them on the back burner
• do not have a financial plan and financial strategy
• increase expenses proportionally when income increases
• irrational consumer loans and credit cards. This means taking loans when there is no certainty that this action will give a positive cash flow in the future, taking into account the costs of servicing the loan. For example, taking a loan to buy a car and doing business on it that will bring income above the cost of servicing the loan (with a business plan) is rational behavior. Using Credit Cards to Close a Budget Hole Is Irrational Behavior
• do not look for opportunities to save and optimize costs
• do not use investment opportunities and do not invest
• do not keep records of income and expenses

What is the future of people with irrational behavior?

Will they be able to secure financial independence for themselves and their families?

Create savings for a well-deserved rest?

To provide a decent standard of living in the golden years?

Give a good education to your children?

Help your parents financially?

Do these behaviors characterize you?

Obviously, people with irrational behavior who do not have a financial plan have little chance of gaining financial well-being. While a conscious approach to planning personal finances, controlling personal cash flows, improving financial literacy, having a financial plan, which are typical for people with rational financial behavior, significantly increase the chances of achieving their financial goals.

28.8 million rubles will pass through our personal budget on average over 30 years of active working life at an average salary of 80,000 rubles a month. As a rule, at least 10% of it will not be spent on personal consumption and can be used to achieve financial goals, that is, at least 2.8 million rubles.

And only you can decide whether you will increase your starting opportunities by 2-3 times for some important goals, such as acquiring comfortable housing, educating children, decent pensions.