Melinda Perez, a financial educator, still remembers the first time she felt financially confident. She had recently started investing money outside of her employer-sponsored retirement account because she was finally earning more than she spent. “It was exciting because for once, I had what felt like extra money,” recalls Perez, who lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Financial confidence, or the belief in one’s money-related abilities, might not come up as much as financial literacy—especially in April, Financial Literacy Month—but money experts say it’s often the hidden ingredient behind savvy money decisions. “If there’s no financial confidence, there is no willpower to succeed. We translate that to financial self-efficacy,” says Perez, who also studies financial confidence as part of her research as a doctoral candidate in organizational leadership.
