Managing money is an essential life skill, yet most U.S. adults would fail a financial literacy test.

Consider the results of a survey meant to measure financial literacy, called the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index. On average, U.S. adults correctly answered only 50% of its financial literacy questions in 2022.

In other words: If you find money confusing, you91裸聊视频檙e far from alone. But the reasons you91裸聊视频檙e baffled may have more to do with how our brains work than how money does. Understanding some of the common barriers, along with strategies to cope, could help you finally get a handle on your finances.

MONEY IS A NEW LANGUAGE

You wouldn91裸聊视频檛 expect to carry on a fluent conversation in Madrid or Mexico City if you only knew a few words of Spanish. Similarly, is loaded with terms, jargon and concepts that take a while to learn.

91裸聊视频淓ntering the world of money is like entering a whole new culture and learning a new language,91裸聊视频� says Ed Coambs, a certified financial planner and couples therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

You shouldn91裸聊视频檛 feel stupid for not understanding everything instantly, and no one should make you feel that way. However, learning can be more difficult if we encounter judgmental, condescending or dogmatic people 91裸聊视频� which unfortunately describes many people who are fluent in personal finance lingo.

91裸聊视频淢any money experts, professional or non-professional, can become varying degrees of authoritarian: 91裸聊视频榊es, I know what91裸聊视频檚 best for you. This is what you should do,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Coambs says.

People with a rigid approach to personal finance may not understand the culture and life experiences that shaped you. They may insist you funnel every possible dollar into paying off debt or saving for retirement, for instance, but you may feel it91裸聊视频檚 important to tithe to your church or support your elderly parents.

Rather than dictating how you should spend your money, helpful advisors meet people where they are, says Rachael DeLeon, interim director of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education, a nonprofit foundation that administers financial counseling credentials.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 figuring out: What are your values? What91裸聊视频檚 important to you? And how do you make that work within your own financial situation?91裸聊视频� DeLeon says.

MONEY IS EMOTIONAL

For many people, money evokes strong and often negative emotions. For example, if you struggle with managing your finances, you may be so embarrassed that you try to avoid talking or even thinking about money.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what really stops people from making money progress,91裸聊视频� Coambs says. 91裸聊视频淭hey feel ashamed that they don91裸聊视频檛 know, and they feel like they should know.91裸聊视频�

Painful early experiences often shape our view of money, says Coambs, author of 91裸聊视频淭he Healthy Love & Money Way: How the Four Attachment Styles Impact Your Financial Well-Being.91裸聊视频� Listening to parents fight about money or suffering financial hardship can be traumatic, leaving us convinced that money is dangerous or shameful.

Coambs suggests discussing your feelings about money with supportive and compassionate people. That could include an empathetic financial advisor, a financial therapist or trusted, knowledgeable friends.

91裸聊视频淎ction is predicated on feeling safe for many of us,91裸聊视频� Coambs says. 91裸聊视频淯ntil we feel safe and accepted, we91裸聊视频檙e typically going to feel stuck and stalled.91裸聊视频�

MONEY IS COLLABORATIVE

Fear is another common emotion people experience around money: fear of making a mistake, not having enough, or being scammed or misled.

91裸聊视频淭here are a lot of predators in this space, and knowing who to trust is hard,91裸聊视频� DeLeon says.

Educating yourself is crucial. You can learn about personal finance basics from trusted sources, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or JumpStart Coalition, which focuses on financial literacy for young people, DeLeon says.

But you also can hire people to help you. DeLeon recommends fee-only advisors, meaning they91裸聊视频檙e compensated only by the fees paid by their clients rather than by commissions or other financial arrangements that could influence their advice.

Look for advisors who are fiduciaries, which means they are required to put your interests ahead of their own. Fiduciary advisors include CFPs and people with the credentials offered by DeLeon91裸聊视频檚 organization, the AFCPE, including accredited financial counselors and financial fitness coaches.

Currently, the AFCPE offers free virtual financial counseling sessions. You can learn more at AFCPE91裸聊视频檚 site. In addition, your employer, 401(k) provider, bank or credit union may also offer free or low-cost financial advice.

With money, it91裸聊视频檚 more important to know whom to ask than to have all the answers ourselves, DeLeon says.

91裸聊视频淣ot everybody needs to be a personal finance expert,91裸聊视频� DeLeon says.

91裸聊视频擫iz Weston Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press