These beliefs we've inherited, absorbed, built up without even realising it. And which, silently, shape all our financial decisions.
Where Do These Beliefs Come From
Family Heritage
We learn a lot about money long before we earn a single franc. It's our parents' gestures, silences and remarks that lay the first foundations, often without them even realising it themselves. A phrase repeated at the dinner table, palpable tension when it's time to pay the bills, or on the contrary total ease around spending: all of this can leave an imprint on the way we perceive money.
Some grew up with the idea that money doesn't buy happiness, or that you have to fight hard to earn even a little. Others heard that wealthy people must have taken advantage of the system or stepped on others to get there. These phrases can become reference points or filters that still influence how we perceive money years later, sometimes without us being fully aware of it.
Cultural and Social Context
Family isn't the only source. The social environment we grow up in, the culture around us and the experiences we've lived through, whether periods of scarcity or of comfort, also shape our relationship with money.
An environment marked by financial uncertainty can foster greater caution, or even a fear of not having enough. Conversely, a more stable setting can foster a more relaxed attitude toward risk and opportunity. Neither of these two dispositions is better than the other: they are simply a reflection of lived experience, and it's useful to recognise them in order to understand why certain financial decisions feel natural to us, while others seem almost impossible.
The Most Common Beliefs
Certain beliefs come up particularly often, whatever the starting situation. Here are a few of the most common ones, without judgment: you may well recognise yourself in some of them, and there's nothing unusual about that.
"Finance isn't for me"
This is the feeling of not being legitimate when it comes to talking about money, investing or financial management. This belief is often fed by a lack of reference points: we haven't seen people close to us move comfortably in this field, or we grew up in an environment where this subject was reserved for certain people only. The result is that we avoid it, put it off, or let someone else decide for us, even though nothing objectively justifies being sidelined this way.
"Money is complicated"
This conviction rests on the idea that finance is a field reserved for experts, full of technical terms and obscure mechanisms. It pushes people to hand their financial decisions entirely over to someone else, or worse, to avoid the subject altogether. Yet the more we avoid confronting it, the more the belief reinforces itself: we unconsciously seek out information that confirms it's too complicated for us, and we miss everything that could prove otherwise. And yet, many essential financial management concepts can be understood gradually, without needing to become a finance expert.
"Talking about money is vulgar"
In many households, openly discussing income, savings or wealth remains a delicate, sometimes even taboo subject. This silence, although it often comes from a wish for discretion or modesty, prevents genuinely valuable exchanges: comparing choices, learning from others' experiences, or simply feeling less alone when facing financial questions. Certain studies conducted in Switzerland still show differences between women and men in their interest in investments and in the way they approach long-term finances. Making these subjects more accessible and encouraging open discussion can therefore help reduce this distance from finance.
"You need a lot of capital to start"
Many people think that structured saving or investing only concerns those who already have a certain amount of wealth. This idea discourages people before they've even tried. In reality, starting gradually, with amounts suited to one's own situation, is already enough to build a savings or investment dynamic over time. This is, in fact, one of the classic traps covered in our article on the 7 financial mistakes holding you back: waiting until you have enough to start, when regularity can play an important role over the long term.
"I'll enjoy myself now, I'll think about the rest later"
Picturing yourself ten, twenty or thirty years from now takes an effort of imagination that doesn't come naturally to everyone. As a result, we favour immediate satisfaction over a distant, abstract goal. This tendency can partly be explained by what's known as present bias: we naturally tend to give more weight to immediate gratification than to a benefit located in the distant future. Stress or certain emotions can also influence our spending behaviour and encourage more impulsive purchases.
How to Work on Your Beliefs
It's entirely possible to transform your relationship with money, provided you follow a few simple but essential steps.
Identify Them Before Trying to Change Them
You can't change what you don't see. The first step, then, is to spot these beliefs in your own inner dialogue: which phrases keep coming up when you think about money, savings or investing? Where do they come from? Calmly asking yourself these questions, without judgment, already allows you to step back from thoughts you believed were absolute truths.
Distinguish Beliefs From Facts
A belief is not a fact. It's an interpretation, built at a given moment, in a specific context, which may have been useful in the past but isn't necessarily useful today. It can therefore be questioned, tested and replaced with a more useful thought. For example, the idea "finance isn't for me" can become "I can gradually learn to better understand my finances", which opens the door to action rather than avoidance.
Financial Education as a Tool for Change
Financial education can be an important lever for shifting certain beliefs about money. The more knowledge and concrete reference points we acquire, the more accessible and less intimidating certain financial subjects can become.
Sur le plan pratique, la Fédération romande des consommateurs rappelle également que des mesures simples — comme mieux identifier ses dépenses ou anticiper ses charges — peuvent aider à améliorer la gestion quotidienne de son argent. C'est exactement l'objectif du parcours Fondations, pensé pour poser des bases solides et accessibles, quel que soit son point de départ.
And for those who want to go further, individual coaching makes it possible to take stock of your situation, clarify your relationship with money and gradually structure your financial decisions.
Conclusion
Limiting beliefs about money are not set in stone. They can be identified, questioned and gradually reshaped, changing our relationship with money over time. This work can then influence the way we make our financial decisions day to day. If you'd like to go further, better understand your relationship with money and structure your next financial steps, our individual coaching can help you move forward at your own pace.
FAQ
How can you identify your limiting beliefs about money?
The simplest way is to pay attention to the phrases that spontaneously come up when you think about money, savings or investing. Writing them down for a few days often makes it possible to spot recurring patterns you weren't aware of.
Can beliefs about money really hold back financial success?
They can influence certain financial decisions: avoiding looking at your accounts, putting off a step you need to take, not daring to ask questions, or thinking that investing isn't for you. However, they are only one factor among others: income level, expenses, personal situation and access to information also play an essential role.
Where do the beliefs about money we've had since childhood come from?
They can be built from multiple influences: watching parents and those around us, phrases heard during childhood, the economic and social context, and lived experiences with money.
How can you change your relationship with money?
By first identifying your beliefs, then questioning them to separate what is fact from what is interpretation. Financial education, combined with coaching if needed, can then help build a calmer, freer relationship with money.
Do women have specific limiting beliefs about money?
Some women may indeed feel more distance or a lack of legitimacy around certain financial subjects. Studies conducted in Switzerland still show differences between women and men in their interest in investments and in certain areas of financial knowledge. These gaps obviously reflect no difference in ability: they can be linked to multiple social, educational and personal factors.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this article is provided for purely informational and educational purposes. It does not constitute personalised advice, investment or pension advice, nor an offer or solicitation regarding any financial product. Any financial decision should take into account your personal situation, objectives and needs. Investments carry risks and future returns are not guaranteed.