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Another aspect of the Ostrich is a variation I call the White Knighter. Here, you hope that one event or person-a symbolic white knight-will rescue you from money problems. Winning the lottery or hoping for an unexpected inheritance keeps you dreaming and thereby neglecting your finances.

Money mastery for Ostriches and White Knighters: After understanding what steps you can take to help yourself, you'll never again believe that you're "just not a money person." You'll finally be inspired to snap out of inertia mode and take charge of your finances.

The Debt Desperadoes

Whether in debt because of overspending or being underfinanced, Debt Desperadoes are always coming up short. The spending addicts (or shopaholics) among you prefer the thrill of buying to the security of having. Then again, some of you are underfinanced because of having lost your jobs. Or you're left with no assets after some personal catastrophe, and you max out your credit cards and borrow to pay for staples.

Many Debt Desperadoes hit a wall, and the out-of-control spenders finally go cold turkey to stop the spendaholism. It's not uncommon for your type to bury yourselves deeper. You create more debt by borrowing to pay other outstanding debts and use still active credit cards to charge more stuff.

Money mastery for Debt Desperadoes: Can you finally work your way out of debt and prove to yourself that you can manage money? Yes! I'll show you how with a financial plan that's easy to follow. Remember: It's your money, and you deserve to have it work for you, not against you!

The Coasters

This Money Type is the most financially stable-you're someone who's coping and thriving. Coasters are, in general, probably doing better than most Money Types and may not be aware of it. Although there's no money crisis, you don't have a huge distance to go financially, but a few changes can make a huge difference.

At their best, Coasters are organized, responsible, and focused on stability. You are more likely than most types to have decent insurance coverage and have done some retirement planning. Your weakness shows up when, because you're not facing any big financial problems, you're too complacent about money. You stop at the status quo, freeze in time, and coast along with the same investments and savings. You may even pass by opportunities for the future. So, while you're financially healthy and happy, you could be a lot more prosperous.

Another aspect of the Coaster is a variation I call the Optimist. A little spoiled by having been brought up without many financial woes, Optimists are most known for leaving jobs to work at, for example, companies your generation virtually invented: the dot-coms and Internet businesses. If you're an Optimist, you can get into trouble by believing you'll always be bailed out and always get what is rightfully yours-and that it's what you deserve.

Money mastery for Coasters and Optimists: If you are more of a Coaster than an Optimist, I'll show you how to meet the challenge of taking a few small steps away from the status quo and shaking things up for yourself, a little at a time. You'll be inspired to set new financial goals with money that can ultimately pay off. If you're an Optimist, you're a bit more confident about the here and now, so your challenge is to plan more smartly for the future. You're hard workers, so I'll motivate you to make some important changes to make your money work better for you.

The High Rollers

For you, money is about the grand gesture infused with bravado and a belief in the long shot. You're the High Roller, who is likely to be found gambling around a table, gambling on a dream to build a business, or playing the stock market on margin. Your type tends to think you're smarter, faster, and shrewder-and invincible. And when entering a high-risk deal or tossing the dice at a casino, you think, either, "Out of my way, I'm coming through," or, "This is my lucky night."

At their best, High Rollers do everything right and risk taking pays off grandly. The truth is, in the world of money, you have to take some calculated risks to attain your goals. But weaknesses? High Rollers get into trouble when they habitually take risks without a safety net. You seek the rush of daring the universe to take you down. Often, with the throw of the dice, unlucky nights are more frequent.

Money mastery for High Rollers: Your surest bet is in learning how to manage your money without completely squelching your risk-taking impulses. You can do it. I'll show you how to make peace with limiting big risks and find peace in what you do earn.

The Squirrels

Motivated by a fear of loss, Squirrels are, sadly, cheating themselves. You have a secret fear of losing everything and believe that the resources you have are never enough. This fear, when it takes hold, can turn those of you who are comfortable into hoarders who live way beneath your means.

At your best, your Money Type lives with your assets in a fairly safe, if financially insular world. At your worst, Squirrels cannot enjoy what they have or give to others with any sense of generosity. You tend not to see a balanced picture of money opportunities, nor are you willing to understand how you can actually be losing money by not making an attempt to improve your financial situation.

A close cousin of the squirrel is the Bag Lady, a personality who's more anxious about accumulating assets than any other Money Type. Bag Ladies fear imminent destitution and loss of control over their lives, worrying that they'll never have enough money-no matter how much they may actually have socked away.

Money mastery for Squirrels and Bag Ladies: Since your types are so good at saving money, I hope to inspire you to manage it more wisely. I show you how you can make a difference in what you have by learning to invest safely and smartly. Okay, now that you have an idea of what your type may be, here's how knowing your Money Type can make the difference for you:

HOW BEST TO USE THIS BOOK

The book is set up so that you can systematically understand your dominant Money Type and find other traits that are part of other, less influential types for you. For instance, you may be an Ostrich/White Knighter by inclination, and you would say this is your dominant type. But you may have shades of being a Squirrel or a Coaster/Optimist, too. Take in all the information!

Every chapter opens with a profile of a different Money Type and its concomitantly distinct strengths and weaknesses. I follow with true-life cases of that type, which will clarify your type's issues for you in ways with which you can identify. You'll read about the money problems these people are grappling with because they are Ostriches or Strivers or High Rollers or whatever the type. That is, they are stuck repeating negative behavior typical of their type. I analyze what they're doing and point out how the behavior might have become second-nature. Next, I provide suggestions for lessening the effect of negative behavior patterns in the Emotional Path section. Finally, in the Financial Path for your type, you see how your Money Type can make significant changes that build, rather than destroy, your financial future.

The payback in mastering the Money Type process is that you do not need to change your core money personality. What's important is that you examine your money behavior honestly by reading the suggestions I make for you in the Emotional Path. Then, make enough effort to unblock progress and take action to change what's holding you back, as found in the Financial Path.

Too many of you are stuck or feel limited because of how you're living. I hear from you thousands of times a month, and I understand that you want change for the better. I'm unable to bestow change upon you, but I can give you something even better: effective guidance you take for yourself that touches you both emotionally and financially and makes a real difference.

Before we move on to the next chapter-which is a series of quizzes that will help reveal your belief systems and intimate feelings about money-let me assure you of one important point:

I don't expect you to disavow or deny your Money Type, and I hope you don't feel insecure about what your type turns out to be. Nothing is as critical to your financial and emotional well-being as working within your type to become more financially secure. For example, if you're a Squirrel and you have all your money tied up in low-interest CDs (certificates of deposit), I wouldn't suggest you sell them and go completely into highrisk futures. What's best for you is to loosen up a little so you can help your money really grow and learn to enjoy it more. The power behind the advice in this book is that:

• You can work on the margins of your type to make better decisions with your money.
• You can learn how to operate from your strengths so you do not continue to limit your options.
• You can finally increase your level of comfort with money, and you can learn to make decisions that normally may be unusual for you.

Your new journey to financial mastery begins now!

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Copyright © 2006 by Amherst Enterprises, Ltd., and Lynn Sonberg Book Associates

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