QA问答：大多数美国人犯了哪些财务错误？

Colette Marie
Not being taught how important credit is as an adult, and ruining it straight away after I turned 18. I have fixed it up to fair, but still… I wish I had known earlier in life.

成年后没有被告知信用的重要性，结果在18岁后立刻毁掉了它。虽然我已经把它修复到了‘一般’水平，但还是……真希望我早一点知道这些。

This goes hand in hand with my statement above - letting other adults (ie boyfriends/girlfriends) putting utilities, loans, vehicles, etc in your name. This is 75% of the reason my credit has been a mess until recently. Unless you’re married and KNOW with every inch of your soul that you’re going to grow old and die with this person, DO NOT use your name and SSN for ANYTHING, unless it is for yourself!

这与我之前的声明密切相关——让其他成年人（如男朋友/女朋友）将公用事业、贷款、车辆等放在你的名下。这就是为什么直到最近我的信用一直很糟糕的75%的原因。除非你结婚了，并且从灵魂深处确信你将与这个人一起变老并死去，否则不要为任何事情使用你的名字和社会安全号码，除非是为了你自己！

Taking out the max amount for student loans. It was not necessary and now I am stuck with it ruining my credit along with ridiculous interest rates… for a degree that I was coerced into by the college staff, which I have not utilized in 7 years.

借了最高额度的学生贷款。这本来是不必要的，现在我却被它困住了，它毁了我的信用，还有荒谬的利率……为了一个我被大学工作人员强迫去读的学位，而我已经7年没有使用过这个学位了。

Not saving any money. I have never been able to save because no one taught me the importance of saving and investing. Saving money is good and all… but it does no good to put it in an envelope and stash it. Saved money needs to be generating more money… be it interest, or investments/assets.

没有存下任何钱。我从未能够存钱，因为没有人教过我储蓄和投资的重要性。存钱是好事……但把钱放在信封里藏起来并没有好处。储蓄的钱需要产生更多的钱……无论是利息，还是投资或资产。

Paying to live somewhere that you’ll never own… ie RENT. I realize not everyone can buy right now, but… rent until you fix your credit and finances, lower your DTI, and BUY. I’m even saying this as a property manager… so many people are stuck in that vicious cycle because they didn’t know any better about the things I mentioned above.

支付住在你永远不会拥有的地方的费用…即租金。我意识到不是每个人现在都能买房，但是…在修复你的信用和财务状况、降低你的债务收入比之前先租房，然后买房。我甚至作为一位物业经理这么说…很多人因为不了解我上面提到的那些事情而陷入那个恶性循环。

A mortgage payment is lower than rent, and it’s actually going towards something that is YOURS. If I stated how much money we make in a MONTH off of rental income alone, I could almost guarantee no one would believe me. I’ll give you a hint… it would take some people 2 YEARS to make that amount of money.

房贷还款比租金低，而且实际上是在为你自己的东西付款。如果我告诉你我们仅靠租金收入一个月能赚多少钱，我几乎可以保证没人会相信。给你一个提示……有些人需要两年时间才能赚到那么多钱。

Don’t loan out any money unless you’re in a position to do so, and don’t loan it out if you expect it back.

除非你有能力借钱出去，否则不要借钱，而且如果你期望能收回这笔钱，也不要借出去。

DO NOT enable grown children by contributing to their bills and food and such. I’m going through this with my almost 18 year old. She chose to leave home, it’s time for her to face the real world. She asks me for money (and DoorDash) a few times a week, along with all of our family members. I’ve told them all the situation and they have stopped. I don’t want her to be out here hungry… but we have a house full of food and she knows she can bring her butt HOME. If I were to contribute, all it shows her is that she can freeload and not earn her own money, and she will take full advantage.

不要通过为成年子女支付账单和食物等费用来纵容他们。我正在和我快18岁的女儿经历这种情况。她选择离开家，是时候让她面对现实世界了。她每周会向我要几次钱（还有DoorDash），也向所有家庭成员要。我已经告诉他们情况，他们都停止了。我不想让她在外面挨饿……但我们家里有充足的食物，她知道她可以回家。如果我资助她，只会让她觉得她可以白吃白喝而不需要自己赚钱，她会充分利用这一点。

If you have kids… start them off on the right path so they don’t have to learn it the hard way themselves. Make them authorized users on your credit cards, but don’t let them have access. Doing this will increase their credit scores… but don't screw up or it’ll lower their scores. As they get older and self-sufficient (teens), don’t fork over your money for luxuries - let them EARN or pay for it themselves. They won’t understand the value of things if everything is handed to them… they won’t appreciate it and they’ll take full advantage by asking for more. DO NOT waste your hard earned money on things they did not earn! If they live with you from 18+, make them pay some rent and bills. You don’t have to actually use it for that - if my daughter comes home when she’s 18, she will be contributing financially. My plan is to keep everything she pays into her savings account, and she’ll have a nice little nest egg saved up when she moves out to be on her own.

如果你有孩子…让他们一开始就走上正确的道路，这样他们就不必自己艰难地学习。让他们成为你信用卡的授权用户，但不要让他们使用。这样做会提高他们的信用评分…但不要搞砸了，否则会降低他们的评分。随着他们长大并能够自立（青少年时期），不要为他们提供奢侈品的钱——让他们自己赚或支付。如果一切都交给他们，他们不会理解事物的价值…他们不会珍惜，并且会充分利用这一点，要求更多。不要把你辛苦赚来的钱浪费在他们没有赚到的东西上！如果他们18岁以后还和你住在一起，让他们支付一些房租和账单。你实际上不必将其用于这些用途——如果我女儿18岁回家，她将做出经济贡献。我的计划是将她支付的所有钱存入她的储蓄账户，当她搬出去独立生活时，她将有一笔不错的储蓄。

This is all stuff I wish I’d known, instead of learning it all the hard way on my own.

这些都是我希望自己早已知晓的事情，而不是通过艰难的方式独自学习。

Yaozhou
From a Chinese perspective, the U.S. has the best investment markets and the highest wages in the world.

从中国的角度来看，美国拥有世界上最好的投资市场和最高的工资。

The only real problem is the high cost of living—things like high property taxes, HOA fees, sky-high housing prices and rents, expensive insurance, and the exaggerated tipping culture.

唯一真正的问题是高昂的生活成本——比如高额的房产税、业主协会费用、天价的房价和租金、昂贵的保险以及夸张的小费文化。

Even parking on the street isn't safe. To live in a safe neighborhood, you have to pay higher housing prices.

即使在街上停车也不安全。要住在安全的社区，你必须支付更高的房价。

These are not personal finance issues, but policy problems.

这些不是个人财务问题，而是政策问题。

Dan Caugherty
A few I can think of..

我能想到一些...

Getting tax refunds, spending tax refunds, treating tax refunds as free money. You overpaid the IRS, true. But you also gave them a zero-interest loan over the course of the past tax year. Adjust your withholding amount and keep your money in the first place!

获得退税，花掉退税，把退税当作免费的钱。你确实向国税局多付了钱。但你也给了他们一个在过去一个纳税年度内的零息贷款。调整你的预扣金额，一开始就留住你的钱！

Following stock tips. Investing with no due diligence into a company’s performance is not investing, it’s gambling. You need to roll up your sleeves and examine the data: income statements, cash flow, price-to-earnings ratio, comparing similar firms in the same sector, and so on. Yes, there’s always risk. (And you should accept extra risk only through compensation from higher returns.) But every publicly traded corporation or mutual fund is required to supply you with accurate information - it’s not a crapshoot.

盲目跟随股票建议进行投资，而不对公司业绩进行尽职调查，这不是投资，而是赌博。你需要卷起袖子，仔细研究数据：包括损益表、现金流、市盈率，以及比较同行业中类似公司等等。是的，投资总是存在风险。（而且你应该只在通过更高回报获得补偿的情况下接受额外的风险。）但每一家上市公司或共同基金都必须向你提供准确的信息——这不是一场掷骰子的游戏。

Speaking of gambling: don’t play the lottery. Especially anything with odds as astronomical as Powerball. The lottery is a tax on people who never got math.

说到赌博：不要买彩票。尤其是像强力球这样中奖几率极低的彩票。彩票是对那些不懂数学的人征收的税。

Not paying off credit cards religiously, every month. It’s called “credit” because it’s a loan, people. And it’s short-term credit, so the interest rates will be sky high. In private, credit card companies call people who never carry a balance “deadbeats”. Be a deadbeat.

不要每个月都虔诚地还清信用卡。它被称为“信用”是因为它是一种贷款，人们。而且它是短期信用，所以利率会非常高。私下里，信用卡公司称那些从不欠款的人为“赖账者”。做个赖账者吧。

Going into debt to buy a car. Say no to car loans. A new car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot, and the trajectory of that decline in value resembles that of a falling safe. I’ll admit it, I had to do it once, only because I was just starting in the workforce and needed the wheels. But I made damn sure I paid that thing off well ahead of schedule. And I started saving and investing for the next car right then, and kept doing so. I paid for every single vehicle I ever owned afterwards upfront, in cash.

为了买车而负债。对汽车贷款说不。新车一旦你开走，它的价值就会立即贬值，而且价值下降的轨迹就像坠落的保险箱一样。我承认，我曾经不得不这样做，只是因为我刚开始工作，需要一辆车。但我确保我提前还清了贷款。然后我开始为下一辆车储蓄和投资，并一直这样做。之后我购买的每一辆车都是用现金一次性付清的。

Amy Winn VOTE BLUE
Using credit cards that they don't understand the terms of. Buying what they want instead of what they need. Buying more house than necessary, not realizing what it costs to maintain a large home. Going to restaurants instead of cooking at home. Thinking they need designer clothing. Buying the latest tech gadgets, which are quickly obsolete. Buying a car that's more than they can afford. Not having any money put aside for emergency. Not planning ahead for retirement. Failing to make a clear budget and stick to it. Screwing up their bank account because they don't keep track of their money and end up with massive fees and penalties. Taking payday loans or title loans which have usurious fees.

使用他们不了解条款的信用卡。购买他们想要的而不是他们需要的。购买超出必要的大房子，没有意识到维护大房子的成本。去餐馆而不是在家做饭。认为他们需要设计师服装。购买很快过时的最新科技产品。购买超出他们负担能力的汽车。没有为紧急情况存钱。没有提前为退休做计划。未能制定明确的预算并坚持执行。搞砸他们的银行账户，因为他们不跟踪他们的钱，最终导致巨额费用和罚款。接受高利贷的工资日贷款或汽车产权贷款。

We need to teach our children financially responsibility. We need to teach them how banks work, how credit works, how to read the terms of a financial contract, how to budget and how to save. I've seen hundreds of questions on this website from absolute financial illiterates. We have to do better.

我们需要教导我们的孩子财务责任。我们需要教他们银行如何运作，信用如何运作，如何阅读金融合同的条款，如何预算以及如何储蓄。我在此网站上看到了数百个来自完全财务文盲的问题。我们必须做得更好。

Phillip Goodrich
Along with many of the excellent answers provided (since I didn’t see, and perhaps overlooked this one, from my childhood which apparently persists), I would add, “Placing long-term savings in a savings account.”

除了许多优秀的回答之外（因为我可能没有看到，或者忽略了这个从我童年时期就一直存在的观点），我想补充一点：“将长期储蓄存入储蓄账户。”

My first bank account, at age 11 as a newspaper delivery specialist (ahem, “paper boy”) was a savings account at a savings-and-loan. I got a nifty account book, along with a metal bank for specie, that could be brought to the bank when full, for further deposit into the savings account. And every time I checked, yep, the money was still there! It never depleted, why should it? The bank had spent it long ago in financing a loan, and simply carried the paper balance. And my meager 2- or 3- figure account, if called, certainly wouldn’t have created a “bank run.” So I was happy; the bank was happy.

我的第一个银行账户是在11岁时作为报纸投递员（咳咳，“报童”）在储蓄贷款银行开设的储蓄账户。我得到了一个漂亮的账户本，以及一个金属储蓄罐，当储蓄罐装满时，可以带到银行进一步存入储蓄账户。每次我查看时，钱确实还在那里！它从未减少，为什么要减少呢？银行早就用这笔钱来发放贷款了，只是保留了账面余额。而我那微不足道的两位数或三位数的账户，即使被提取，也肯定不会引发“银行挤兑”。所以我很高兴；银行也很高兴。

That loan provided an APR gain of 4% at the time. This would just about keep up with inflation. And that was all. So, 40 years later, it would still be the same amount, corrected for inflation. It never earned a penny, while the same funds, invested in a mutual fund, would now be worth approximately $4 million.

当时那笔贷款提供了4%的年化收益率。这几乎能跟上通货膨胀。仅此而已。因此，40年后，经过通货膨胀调整后，金额仍然相同。它从未赚到一分钱，而同样的资金如果投资于共同基金，现在将价值约400万美元。

Rob S
The single biggest mistake most Americans make is that regardless of income, when it comes to big ticket items such as houses and cars, they buy the most expensive thing they can afford.

大多数美国人犯的最大错误是，无论收入如何，在购买房屋和汽车等大件物品时，他们总是买自己能负担得起的最贵的东西。

The thought process goes something like this; They need/want a new car. So they go to the bank and find out how big a loan they can get, and then they spend that much.

他们的思考过程大致是这样的：他们需要/想要一辆新车。于是他们去银行了解他们能获得多大额度的贷款，然后他们就花那么多钱。

It doesn’t matter if they earn $20K a year or $200K a year. Between home and cars they spend all their money. This approach guarantees they spend all their money, because if they make more, then they just buy more expensive things to match (and consume) that new income.

无论他们每年赚2万美元还是20万美元，他们在房子和汽车上花光了所有的钱。这种方法确保他们花光所有的钱，因为如果他们赚得更多，他们就会买更贵的东西来匹配（并消耗）那部分新增收入。

Sure they may have a 401k, or some other specific “savings”, but at the end of the day after they have set aside whatever they save (if they save) they spend all the rest.

当然，他们可能有401k计划或其他特定的“储蓄”，但归根结底，在他们留出他们储蓄的部分（如果有储蓄的话）之后，他们会花掉剩下的所有钱。

And while having a nice house and a nice car is nice, they won’t know the satisfaction of simply buying what they need and having the extra money just building up, so that if something new comes along be it an emergency, a career setback, or just something fun and exciting that they can do it without thinking about how to scrape up the money.

虽然拥有一栋漂亮的房子和一辆好车是件好事，但他们不会体验到仅仅购买所需之物并将多余的钱积攒起来的满足感，这样，如果出现新情况，无论是紧急情况、职业挫折，还是一些有趣和令人兴奋的事情，他们都可以毫不犹豫地去做，而不用考虑如何凑钱。

If you have a $50K car and you enjoy it, and then you get a raise, there is no reason to automatically buy a $75K car next time.

如果你有一辆价值5万美元的车并且你很享受它，然后你得到了加薪，那么下次没有理由自动去买一辆价值7.5万美元的车。

Randal Anthony
Three mistakes stand out: 1) living beyond ones income, although that is easier said than done in a society that does not provide decent wages for many in a hyper consumerist society with business developing millions of ways to get you to buy what you may want but wont really need or use; 2) focusing on getting max returns in the stock market when a steady save as you go mentality works just fine as long as you invest in matters that reliably pay more than inflation like US Treasury I-bonds; and 3) not having a pension or 401k or similar building up through time, again easier said than done given the caveats in #1.

三个突出的错误包括：1) 入不敷出，尽管在一个不为许多人提供体面工资的超级消费主义社会中，企业开发了无数种方法让你购买你可能想要但并非真正需要或使用的东西，这说起来容易做起来难；2) 专注于在股市中获得最大回报，而实际上只要投资于那些可靠地支付超过通货膨胀的资产，如美国国债I型债券，稳扎稳打的心态就足够了；3) 没有随着时间的推移建立养老金或401k或类似的储蓄，再次鉴于第1点中的注意事项，这说起来容易做起来难。

Thomas Blaisdell
The majority of Americans cannot make financial mistakes as they cannot create money on their own.

大多数美国人不能犯财务错误，因为他们无法自己创造钱。

The US government, however, makes many financial mistakes. These all stem from private ownership interests influencing the flow of resources and funding.

然而，美国政府犯了许多财政错误。这些都源于私有制利益对资源流动和资金分配的影响。

Money is merely an accounting tool. Not spending what you have is the only mistake you can make with it as this hurts EVERYONE on the planet collectively.

金钱仅仅是一种会计工具。不花你所拥有的钱是你唯一可能犯的错误，因为这会集体伤害地球上的每一个人。

The way to address and fix this issue is to end all privatization of resources and land. Collective ownership of our productive capacity will render personal finance extinct.

解决和修复这个问题的方法是结束所有资源和土地的私有化。我们生产能力的集体所有制将使个人财务不复存在。

Talwinder Singh
People makes many mistakes for their financial spending on day to day uses. Americans are spend more money to buy luxury items and buy expense watches, cars, foods and other things. When they buy a luxury cars in loans without thinking about their financial situation and then they stuck with huge EMI and car insurance which impact their pocket. Many people spend on online shopping and browsing lots of websites for just searching the items.

人们在日常消费中会犯很多错误。美国人花更多的钱购买奢侈品，如昂贵的手表、汽车、食物等。当他们不考虑自己的财务状况就贷款购买豪华汽车时，就会陷入高额的月供和汽车保险中，这会影响他们的经济状况。许多人在网上购物时花费大量时间浏览多个网站，仅仅是为了寻找商品。

Brown Mark
When I was five years old, my family moved around and ended up in Hebei, where I attended half a grade. Back then, there was no such thing as kindergarten.

我五岁的时候，我的家人搬来搬去，最后在河北定居，我在那里上了半个年级。那时候还没有幼儿园。

The winter fog was heavy, and every day I would wander through the mist, listening to the unfamiliar language of my classmates and attending classes I couldn’t understand. At that time, I felt like an outsider.

冬日的雾很重，每天我都会在雾中徘徊，听着同学们陌生的语言，上着听不懂的课。那时，我感觉自己像个局外人。

After returning home, I directly entered first grade. Back then, there was still morning study, and elementary school only went up to fifth grade. The classroom facilities were incomplete, and every day I had to carry a candle, walking through the village to attend morning study. I was terrified of the barking dogs, and the glow of the candle was my only comfort.

回家后，我直接进入了一年级。那时候还有早读，小学只上到五年级。教室设施不完善，每天我都要带着蜡烛，穿过村庄去参加早读。我非常害怕那些吠叫的狗，而蜡烛的光芒是我唯一的安慰。

Later, the nine-year compulsory education reached our area, and we had brand-new classrooms. My parents started working night shifts, and it seemed like nothing had changed. I went to school alone in the morning and came home to a house with just my younger brother and me in the evening.

后来，九年义务教育普及到了我们这里，我们有了崭新的教室。我的父母开始上夜班，似乎一切都没有改变。我早上独自去上学，晚上回到家只有我和弟弟两个人。

At first, we would have a sister from a neighbor’s family accompany us, but for us at the time, this felt more like cruelty. Anything beautiful, you always want to hold onto forever, but it never lasts.

起初，我们会有邻居家的一位姐姐陪伴我们，但对当时的我们来说，这感觉更像是一种残忍。任何美好的事物，你总是想永远抓住，但它从未持久。

My deepest memory of childhood is sitting alone at my grandparents’ house, drawing a chessboard and playing chess against myself.

我童年最深的记忆是独自坐在祖父母家，画一个棋盘，然后自己和自己下棋。

In middle school, I went to a private boarding school. At that time, I only had one pair of shoes because, in my mind, shoes could only be replaced when they were worn out. Every time after class, when everyone gathered at the second-floor railing to look into the distance, I would instinctively tuck my dirty shoes into the shadow of the sunlight.

在初中时，我上了一所私立寄宿学校。那时，我只有一双鞋，因为在我看来，鞋子只有在穿坏了的时候才能更换。每次下课后，当大家都聚集在二楼的栏杆旁眺望远方时，我会本能地把脏鞋子藏在阳光的阴影里。

In high school, I had a one-month relationship. The reason we broke up was because she told me, “Can you get a new pair of shoes? It’s embarrassing for me in front of my friends.” From then on, I didn’t date anyone until after I started working, because I knew that some things require a certain foundation to maintain their beauty.

在高中时，我有过一段为期一个月的恋情。我们分手的原因是她对我说：“你能买双新鞋吗？这让我在朋友面前很尴尬。”从那以后，直到我开始工作，我都没有再谈恋爱，因为我知道有些事情需要一定的基础才能维持其美好。

In college, I worked part-time at a restaurant while studying. The winters were cold, and every day at 5 a.m., I had to go to the restaurant to wash potatoes. The icy water made my hands red and swollen. Sometimes I would complain why my peers could enjoy their youth while I had to wash potatoes in freezing water and scrub greasy stovetops with a rag.

在大学期间，我一边学习一边在餐厅兼职。冬天很冷，每天早上5点，我都要去餐厅洗土豆。冰冷的水让我的手又红又肿。有时我会抱怨，为什么我的同龄人可以享受青春，而我却要在冰冷的水中洗土豆，用抹布擦拭油腻的炉灶。

Later, I came to terms with it because, if you’re a butterfly, you’ll eventually break out of the cocoon.

后来，我接受了这一点，因为如果你是一只蝴蝶，你最终会破茧而出。

At the end of 2018, I went to Jinan and interned at a listed company. After graduation, I was officially hired. My first-year salary was a little over 4,000 yuan, and I saved 30,000 yuan, living in a 580-yuan shared apartment and racking my brains to buy meal cards that my colleagues didn’t want. That year, I felt accomplished but also deeply anxious.

2018年底，我去了济南，在一家上市公司实习。毕业后，我正式被聘用。第一年的工资略高于4000元，我存了30000元，住在一间580元的合租公寓里，绞尽脑汁购买同事们不想要的餐卡。那一年，我感到有成就感，但也深感焦虑。

I excelled in everything I did in the team, scored the highest in every project, and was always the first to be promoted. Yet, even so, by 2020, my salary had only increased to 6,000 yuan. In Jinan, for a fresh graduate, that was considered quite good. But when I thought about Jinan’s housing prices, which were over 10,000 yuan per square meter, I fell into depression. I had given it my all, progressed in ways that others admired, yet still felt so insignificant in the face of the world.

我在团队中表现出色，在每个项目中都取得了最高分，并且总是第一个被晋升。然而，即便如此，到2020年，我的工资也只涨到了6000元。在济南，对于一个应届毕业生来说，这已经相当不错了。但当我想到济南的房价每平方米超过1万元时，我感到沮丧。我已经全力以赴，取得了别人羡慕的进步，但在面对这个世界时，仍然感到如此渺小。

So, at the end of 2020, without telling anyone, I took a 26-hour train to Shenzhen. I wanted to fight for myself one more time.

所以，在2020年底，我没有告诉任何人，坐上了26小时的火车前往深圳。我想再为自己奋斗一次。

I didn’t tell my family because I was afraid they would worry, and because they believed one should stay at a single workplace for decades. They would scold me and feel sorry for me.

我没有告诉我的家人，因为我害怕他们会担心，而且他们认为一个人应该在一个工作场所待上几十年。他们会责骂我，并为我感到难过。

At the end of 2020, Shandong was very cold. I wore a thick sweater, standing out like an outsider in Shenzhen, where everyone was in shorts and T-shirts, just like when I was in Hebei in half a grade.

2020年底，山东非常冷。我穿了一件厚毛衣，在深圳显得格格不入，那里每个人都穿着短裤和T恤，就像我在河北读半年级时一样。

In Shenzhen, I couldn’t find an ideal job for half a month because no company would double my salary just because I moved to Shenzhen. Why should they pay me double my Jinan salary of 6,000 yuan? Later, I met a benefactor who introduced me to overseas business. That year, I was given the top salary for that position—15,000 yuan.

在深圳，我半个月都没找到理想的工作，因为没有公司会因为我搬到深圳就给我双倍工资。他们为什么要支付我济南6000元工资的双倍呢？后来，我遇到了一位贵人，他介绍我从事海外业务。那一年，我拿到了该职位的最高薪水——15000元。

In 2021, I was transferred to the headquarters in Hangzhou. In 2022, after accumulating resources, I resigned.

2021年，我被调到了杭州的总部。2022年，在积累了资源后，我辞职了。

I went to Chengdu and started my own company.

我去了成都并创办了自己的公司。

In the four years after graduation, I moved to a new place almost every year.

在毕业后的四年里，我几乎每年都会搬到一个新地方。

So, in 2023, I returned to Heze. Since it was an internet company, it could operate from anywhere. I wanted to see my teachers, visit my grandmother, and spend time with my family.

所以，在2023年，我回到了菏泽。由于这是一家互联网公司，它可以在任何地方运营。我想看望我的老师，拜访我的祖母，并与家人共度时光。

That year in Heze was absurd. I mingled with the powerful, gathered friends, and spent recklessly. All the behaviors others couldn’t understand seemed like a feast for my younger, restrained self.

那年在菏泽是荒诞的。我与权贵交往，结交朋友，挥霍无度。所有别人无法理解的行为，对我那个曾经年轻而克制的自己来说，就像是一场盛宴。

At the end of 2024, my company’s overseas business led to a broken capital chain, and my financial investments lost hundreds of thousands. It seemed like everything had returned to the starting point.

2024年底，我公司的海外业务导致资金链断裂，我的财务投资损失了数十万。一切似乎又回到了起点。

So, I went back to Shenzhen.

所以，我回到了深圳。

My friends always say that seeing my current situation gives them a headache, but I don’t feel that way. Because I’m used to having nothing, and in my years of hardship, I was fortunate to have gained the ability to make things better.

我的朋友们总是说，看到我目前的状况让他们感到头疼，但我并不这么觉得。因为我已经习惯了什么都没有，而且在我艰难的岁月里，我很幸运地获得了让事情变得更好的能力。

So, I always tell myself: live calmly in unpeaceful times.

所以，我总是告诉自己：在不安定的时代里平静地生活。

Sean Gardner
After years of getting financial advice and making a few good investments, I discovered that keeping my money fanned out on a piece of aluminum foil on top of the toilet was not a very good place to save money. First of all, it gained no interest and sometimes a few bills would fall onto the floor or into the bowl, and secondly sometimes if I had guests over the money would just disappear, I just assumed one of them needed an emergency loan and would pay it back next time they came over and had to use the bathroom but so far that hasn't happened, and now using the bathroom is the first thing my friends do when coming to visit me. So after thinking about it for a while I decided to move the foil and the money to the hood of my car, which should solve some of the previously mentioned problems.

经过多年的财务咨询和几次成功的投资后，我发现把钱摊开放在马桶上的一块铝箔上并不是一个很好的存钱地方。首先，它不会产生利息，有时几张钞票会掉到地上或马桶里；其次，有时如果有客人来，钱就会消失，我只是假设他们中的某个人需要紧急贷款，下次来用洗手间时会还回来，但到目前为止这还没有发生，现在我的朋友来拜访我时，第一件事就是去洗手间。所以经过一番思考，我决定把铝箔和钱搬到我的车引擎盖上，这应该可以解决之前提到的一些问题。

Investor Yum
I believe the biggest mistake people often make is being overly confident. Many times, that confidence borders on arrogance, especially when it comes to investing. Investing is inherently counterintuitive. Warren Buffett has a famous saying: "Be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy."

我认为人们常犯的最大错误是过于自信。很多时候，这种自信近乎傲慢，尤其是在投资方面。投资本质上是反直觉的。沃伦·巴菲特有一句名言：“在别人恐惧时贪婪，在别人贪婪时恐惧。”

One year, the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to behavioral economists who studied why people make so many investment mistakes.

有一年，诺贝尔经济学奖被授予了研究人们为何在投资中犯下如此多错误的行为经济学家。

For example, when investing in stocks, a company's performance might show rapid growth, such as Lotus（NASDAQ：LOT）, a renowned British luxury car brand. From January to September 2024, Lotus achieved total revenue of $653 million, up 105% year-over-year; service revenue reached $29 million, up 129%; and total deliveries hit 7,617 units, marking a 136% increase year-over-year. All its business indicators are growing rapidly.

例如，在投资股票时，一家公司的业绩可能会显示出快速增长，比如Lotus（纳斯达克股票代码：LOT），这是一家著名的英国豪华汽车品牌。从2024年1月到9月，Lotus实现了6.53亿美元的总收入，同比增长105%；服务收入达到2900万美元，同比增长129%；总交付量达到7617辆，同比增长136%。其所有业务指标都在快速增长。

Yet, many investors fail to look at financial reports, company announcements, or fundamentals when making decisions. Instead, they rely on hearsay or half-baked information. It's no surprise, then, that losses are hard to avoid in such cases.

然而，许多投资者在做出决策时未能查看财务报告、公司公告或基本面信息。相反，他们依赖道听途说或半生不熟的信息。因此，在这种情况下，损失难以避免也就不足为奇了。

Scott Anderson
Here is a few, Small, regular expenses, like daily coffee runs or frequent dining out, can add up over time and strain finances. Living Beyond Their Means Many people spend more than they earn, often relying on credit cards to cover the gap, which can lead to debt Not Following a Budget

以下是一些小的、定期的开支，比如每天买咖啡或频繁外出就餐，随着时间的推移，这些开支会累积起来，给财务状况带来压力。许多人生活超出他们的收入水平，通常依赖信用卡来填补缺口，这可能导致债务。不遵循预算。

Failing to create and stick to a budget can make it difficult to track spending and save effectively Not Having an Emergency Fund Without an emergency fund, unexpected expenses can lead to financial hardship. Not Having an Emergency Fund Without an emergency fund, unexpected expenses can lead to financial hardship. Impulsive Spending Emotional or unexpected purchases can derail f financial plans and lead to unnecessary debt. Over Reliance on Credit Cards Using credit cards for non-essential purchases and not paying off the balance each month can result in high-interest debt. Not Saving for Retirement Many people delay saving for retirement, missing out on the benefits of compound interest. Buying New Vehicles Purchasing new cars, which depreciate quickly, can be a significant financial burden. Misusing Home Equity Using home equity for non-essential expenses can put one's home at risk. Never-Ending Payments Subscxtions and memberships that are not essential can drain finances over time.

无法制定并坚持预算会使跟踪支出和有效储蓄变得困难。没有应急基金，意外支出可能导致财务困境。没有应急基金，意外支出可能导致财务困境。冲动消费，情绪化或意外的购买可能会破坏财务计划，并导致不必要的债务。过度依赖信用卡，用于非必需品的购买且不每月还清余额，可能导致高利息债务。许多人延迟为退休储蓄，错过了复利的好处。购买新车，其价值迅速贬值，可能成为重大的财务负担。滥用房屋净值用于非必要开支，可能会使自己的房屋面临风险。非必要的订阅和会员资格会随着时间的推移耗尽财务。

This is something helped me become better on my feet.

这帮助我更好地站稳了脚跟。

Mike Hartigan
I don't know if it afflicts a majority, but being ignorant of the pitfalls of credit cards is a biggie.

我不知道这是否影响大多数人，但忽视信用卡的陷阱是一个大问题。

For example, using a credit card for day to day expenses like food or utility bills is a really, really bad habit unless you plan to pay off the balance every month. If you can't afford this month’s food, then what makes you think you'll be able to afford both this month’s and next month’s a month down the road?

例如，使用信用卡支付日常开支，如食品或水电费，是一个非常、非常不好的习惯，除非你计划每月还清余额。如果你连这个月的食品都负担不起，那么你怎么会认为一个月后你就能负担得起这个月和下个月的费用呢？

Also, paying substantially less than the total balance is digging a hole that's very difficult to climb out of. At that point, the bank has already sent somebody to help you dig. Every month you don't pay it off, the shovel gets bigger and bigger.

此外，支付远低于总余额的金额是在挖一个很难爬出来的坑。到了那个时候，银行已经派人来帮你挖了。每个月你不还清，铲子就会越来越大。

John Meyers
It's really not rocket science, It's self discipline! There are plenty of stories about people, passing and leaving behind millions, who no one ever suspected as being rich.

这真的不是火箭科学，而是自律！有很多关于人们的故事，他们去世后留下了数百万的财产，而没有人曾怀疑他们富有。

You too, can become a millionaire, without a large income. A certain minimum income is required and it varies by location, but it's much less than most think. You are likely going to give up some things now to do it, though.

你也可以成为百万富翁，即使没有高收入。虽然需要一定的基本收入，且这个数额因地区而异，但它远低于大多数人的想象。不过，你可能需要现在放弃一些东西来实现这一目标。

The absolute first thing to do (after getting educated for a job you'll like, not necessarily college, but knowledge and revisited), is to save up an emergency fund. Having even a small emergency fund can make all the difference in the world as you won't need to use expensive credit.

首先要做的是（在获得你喜欢的工作所需的教育之后，不一定是大学教育，而是知识和复习），就是存一笔应急基金。即使是一笔小的应急基金也能带来巨大的不同，因为你不需要使用昂贵的信贷。

Buy a cheaper, good quality car instead of something flashy and expensive to maintain. You can do flashy later.

买一辆更便宜、质量好的车，而不是那些花哨且维护费用昂贵的车。你可以以后再考虑花哨的。

Buy clothes that will last beyond 1 season, possibly from a thrift store or even free. We get tons of clothes and home goods free from "Buy Nothing “ groups on Facebook, it's also a great way to get rid of what you no longer want.

购买能穿超过一个季节的衣服，可能来自二手店甚至是免费的。我们从Facebook上的“Buy Nothing”小组免费获得大量的衣服和家居用品，这也是处理你不再需要的东西的好方法。

Vacation on a budget.

预算有限的假期。

Invest, the younger you start the better, compound interest has been called the 8th wonder of the world. Starting at 20, your savings can easily grow 16 times by retirement age and likely more. Keep it simple at first using funds that cover the markets. When you feel more confident, you can consider individual stocks. Then maybe a multifamily rental where you live in one unit, though being a landlord is not for everyone.

投资，越早开始越好，复利被称为世界第八大奇迹。从20岁开始，你的储蓄在退休时很容易增长16倍甚至更多。开始时可以简单使用覆盖市场的基金。当你更有信心时，可以考虑个股。然后也许可以考虑多户出租房，你住在其中一个单元，不过当房东并不适合所有人。