#1 Financial Shortfall For Utah

I was reading an article on the pitfalls of finances. I thought it was insightful, but I think Utah has its own #1 issue.

What is the #1 issue for finances? Well, according to this article, it is the lack of planning for the future. I get that, and I am certainly guilty of not planning as it seems like we are usually putting financial fires out in our household, not strategizing about upcoming fire seasons.

But the article pointed out something in passing that I think Utah should consider even before planning for the future. That is the trouble we have in sharing financial information with each other.

Clearly, when we share, we find solutions. "You bought an appreciating CD? How did you do that?" would go a long way, but we are so secretive with our finances, whether they be strengths or weaknesses, that it is hard to learn how to finance successfully.

This might be an issue in other parts of the country, but I think it is aggravated in Utah because, like some of the passages in the Bible that were not right and were corrected later, we seem to see financial success as a sign of goodness. This can put people who are struggling in a sense of denial.

Read More: Do People in Utah Who Tithe Make More Money?

We are also supposed to be humble, which seems to silence those who are succeeding. So, we have a vast vacuum of dialogue about finances. I don't know if these are the causes, but I have noticed that it is even hard to open up about finances with family or close friends. It's either that, or I am the dim one of the group, and they avoid me because they know I won't get it.