UK based peer-to-peer lending company Zopa has released a new survey that has revealed that the British do not reach financial maturity until they reach the age of 31.
It is at the age of 22 when people seem to be the most frivolous with their money - spending far too much on holidays and nights out.
But by their early 30’s, Brits have reduced credit card spending along with building robust savings accounts and paying into pension plans.
The survey comes with a list of signs that you have reached financial maturity, and you can find details about the survey here.
However, it is by no means comprehensive, and - not always wanting to take the world of finance too seriously - I have what I feel is a much better list of signs that you have reached financial maturity…
1. You can check your bank account balance without having 45 minutes of heart palpitations before finally putting your bankcard into the ATM machine.
2. You can receive a brown envelope in the post without automatically assuming that it’s a final demand from the taxman.
3. You can walk past the window of an estate agent without going into a meltdown about the impossibility of home ownership.
4. You don't buy anything until you search the entire Internet for 5 days trying to track down the best deal to save that last 1%.
5. You abolish family holidays in favour of closing your eyes and thinking about holidays – c’mon we all know it’s basically the same level of enjoyment with none of the stress.
6. You refuse to lend money to your friends and prefer to give a quick motivational speech about the power of aspiration.
7. Your only friends - And there aren’t many - have already reached financial maturity too!
8. Your retirement plan is not about dying in a suspicious parachute related accident on the day before your 65th birthday.
9. You have incredibly rich parents … so financial maturity happened early (and you missed financial puberty altogether).
10. You have an emergency fund that consists of more than a jar of coins of multiple currencies from previous holidays and a Snickers bar.
11. You have incredibly rich parents … so you have never needed to think about financial maturity.
12. You have life insurance that doesn't constantly act as a scary reminder that you are worth several times more dead than alive.
13. You cook dinner at home more often than eating out … because eating own brand, frozen, microwaveable shepherd's pie and chicken tikka masala is actually quite underrated.
14. You've never bought an avocado, because you know that a supermarket avocado represents the highest possible level of insane decadence.
15. You haven't been to Starbucks for a ridiculously expensive, yet less than average cup of coffee, for eight years.
16. You have incredibly rich parents … I know it's the third time I've mentioned this, but it does seem to help!
If you would like more information about how you can become more financially mature, please do not hesitate to contact me.