Even the most diligent people can make little money mistakes every day that hold them back in a big way over time. From saving and investing to insurance and credit cards, it can be hard to sidestep all the hidden landmines in your financial life.
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On the bright side — you don’t have to bat a thousand to come up on top. If you can just avoid the most basic unforced errors, you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
Here are the top 100 money mistakes that can impede your progress and keep you from building wealth.
Failing To Budget
Global Credit Union (GCU) experts outlined some of the most common money mistakes they see people making daily. The biggest is failing to create a budget.
Without one, you won’t know where your money is going, can’t optimize your savings and run the risk of unintentionally overspending.
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Overcomplicating Your Budget
A budget that’s so complex that you don’t stick to it is just as bad as having no budget at all.
“You don’t have to get super granular with your budget,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst at DealNews. “Different levels of detail work for different people and situations, but you should have some idea of a budget. You should at least have an overarching idea of your income and expenses to be able to determine if you’re living beyond your means.”
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Not Tracking Spending
Even if you don’t have a formal budget, you must have a spending plan.
“If you’re not tracking your spending, you’re flying blind,” said Rhett Stubbendeck, finance and insurance expert and CEO of Leverage Planning. “Knowing where every dollar goes is eye-opening.”
Daily Spending Without Thinking
If you’re not spending according to a plan, you’re more likely to make small but frequent expenditures that drain your bank account.
“Daily splurges, like your morning coffee, really do add up,” said Stubbendeck. “It’s a small leak that can sink a great budget.”
Remaining Financially Illiterate
The more you know about money, the better you’ll become at spending, saving and investing it. One off the worst and most common money mistakes is a failure to commit to lifelong financial learning and education.
Paying Bills Manually
Most personal finance pros suggest putting whatever bills you can on autopay to simplify your life and avoid missed payments.
“Manual bill payments?” said Stubbendeck. “They are easy to forget and costly. Automating them keeps your finances smooth and stress-free.”
Neglecting To Build a Tax-Advantaged Nest Egg
Contributing even small amounts of money to a tax-advantaged account today can secure your retirement for tomorrow. Waiting too long to save for retirement is one of the most common money mistakes.
“Procrastinating on contributing to a 401(k) or IRA can result in a significant shortfall when it’s time to retire,” said Abid Salahi, co-founder of the personal finance and credit site FinlyWealth. “According to the Economic Policy Institute, nearly half of American families have no retirement savings whatsoever, putting their golden years at risk.”
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Passing on Employer Matches
If you turn down your employer’s offer to help you build your nest egg, you’re passing up wealth you don’t have to work for.
“Skipping on your 401(k), especially if there’s an employer match, is like turning down free money,” said Stubbendeck. “Why would you?”
Amassing Unused Subscriptions
Like daily coffee, subscriptions are dangerous because they appear to be affordable. But cumulatively, they become expensive and are easy to forget about even after you stop using them.
“Subscriptions can sneak up on you,” said Stubbendeck. “If you’re not using it, you’re just throwing money away.”
Betting on Unfamiliar Investments
Warren Buffett is just one of many accomplished investors who found success by investing only in what they know.
“Investing in what you don’t understand?” said Stubbendeck. “That’s a gamble, not an investment.”
Ignoring Your Credit Report
Lenders, landlords and even employers will see your credit report before deciding whether or not to give you a chance — make sure you know what’s in it before they do.
“Not checking your credit report could mean paying for someone else’s mistake,” said Stubbendeck. “Always keep an eye on it.”
Waiting To Save
When saving money, there’s no such thing as starting too early — especially considering the wealth-building power of compounding.
“Believing you’re too young to save is a myth,” said Stubbendeck. “The sooner you start, the more you benefit.”
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Not Saving Consistently
The best time to start saving is right now — but the best way to save is consistently.
“While you don’t have to contribute to your savings every single day, it’s a good idea to contribute something to your savings on a consistent basis, whether that’s weekly, biweekly, monthly or some other schedule,” said Ramhold. “If you aren’t contributing on a regular basis, you’re missing out and may find that you need to contribute far more later on to catch up.”
Placing Immediate Wants Over Long-Term Needs
Everything you want is always just a click away — but every dollar you spend on something you’d like to have right now is one you won’t have for things you need later on.
“Succumbing to the allure of instant gratification can have severe long-term consequences,” said Salahi.
Impulse Purchasing
Similarly, whim-based purchasing without thinking is a bad habit that leads to spending beyond your means.
“Impulse purchases, fueled by a ‘buy now, worry later’ mentality, can quickly snowball into crippling debt,” said Salahi.
Never Allowing Yourself the Occasional Impulsive Splurge
While it’s never good to let your impulses steer your daily spending habits, being unrealistically rigid can result in a destructive spending binge.
“Don’t refrain from ever treating yourself,” said Ramhold. “Sometimes you need a little impulse buy, but if you’re doing it every single day, those small impulse buys add up quickly. Instead of giving yourself free reign, choose to limit your impulse purchases to once or twice a week and save them for when you really need them either as a reward or if you’ve had a hard day and need a quick pick-me-up.”
Borrowing To Finance Your Lifestyle
Credit cards let you extend your purchasing power — but if you don’t have the cash to cover it on hand, you can’t afford it.
“According to a recent Gallup study, the average American carries a staggering $38,000 in personal debt, a testament to the hazards of unchecked spending,” said Salahi.
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Carrying a Revolving Balance
GCU reminds its customers that when you pay your credit card statement balance in full every month, you pay no interest. But when you carry a balance, you pay a finance charge with an APR commonly over 20%.
Paying Only the Minimum Balance
Paying only the minimum balance is the surest way to lock yourself into an endless cycle of borrowing and paying finance charges that can wind up exceeding the amount borrowed over time.
Buying Things You Can’t Afford on Payments
Services like BNPL let you increase your buying power without credit card interest by letting you stretch out purchases into multiple payments. But if you don’t have the cash to pay them off, you may find yourself borrowing to keep up when the payments come due.
Attacking Your Debt Without a Plan
You have a much better chance of tackling debt if you approach it with a plan, like paying more than once a month or using the snowball method to eliminate the smallest debts first regardless of their interest rates.
Hoping for the Best Instead of Preparing for the Worst
Neglecting to build an emergency fund is another recipe for financial disaster.
“Unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, can easily derail your budget if you lack a financial cushion,” said Salahi. “Experts recommend setting aside at least three to six months of living expenses to weather life’s inevitable storms.”
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Investing Your Emergency Fund
According to CNBC, experts insist that a fully liquid, FDIC-insured savings account is still the best place for emergency savings. You can grow it faster in a brokerage account if your investments are up, but if they’re down, you might have to sell for a loss if an expensive crisis arrives — or you could lose it all and have nothing in case of an emergency.
Using a Credit Card as Your Emergency Fund
Assuming you don’t need an emergency fund because you leave a credit card open for unexpected expenses is a common and dangerous money mistake. Experts warn that borrowing your way out of a crisis can lead to an endless cycle of debt — especially if one expense leads to another, which is so often the case with emergencies. Also, you can’t use a credit card for every type of expense.
Keeping Too Much Money in Savings
An emergency fund is necessary, but once you establish a healthy financial cushion, you should start investing instead of overstuffing a savings account. The reason is that money in the bank loses value to inflation instead of pursuing wealth-building gains.
Blowing Your Tax Refund
Most Americans get tax refunds, and according to GCU, it’s all too easy to treat that windfall as found money and blow it all on a splurge instead of dedicating at least some of it to debt reduction, investing or an emergency fund.
Getting Too Big of a Tax Refund
Everyone loves a tax refund, but every dollar you get back is one you loaned the IRS involuntarily and for zero interest. Fill out Form W-4 to adjust your employer withholdings to pay the IRS what you owe and nothing more — and then use that money to invest or build your savings throughout the year.
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Living Beyond Your Means
GCU joins nearly all personal finance experts in warning against spending more than you can reasonably afford according to your income and obligations.
Succumbing to Lifestyle Inflation
Similarly, if your spending increases as your income grows — known as lifestyle inflation — you’ll always live paycheck to paycheck.
Keeping Up With the Joneses
Like lifestyle inflation, engaging in the game of consumerism one-upmanship with your friends, family and neighbors will ensure that you never earn enough money to live within your means.
Paying To Use Your Checking Account
According to CNBC, the average checking account holder pays $9.87 per month in fees — or about $118 a year — when they should instead switch to one of the many banks that charge nothing. Here are some common bank fees that it’s a mistake to pay.
Paying Account Maintenance Fees
Account maintenance or “service” fees can range up to $15 per month. Go with one of the many banks that don’t charge them.
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Paying Overdraft Fees
Consumer outrage led many banks to nix their overdraft fees, which are among the most expensive in the industry. Don’t make the money mistake of paying up to $35 for a fee that hits you when you’re already strapped for cash.
Paying NSF Fees
Like overdraft fees, it’s easy to find a bank that has stopped charging non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees, so don’t make the common money mistake of paying up to $35 to a financial institution that hasn’t.
Using Out-of-Network ATMs
If you make the mistake of using an out-of-network ATM, CNBC says you can expect two fees–one from your bank, an average of $1.63, and one from the ATM operator, an average of $3.09.
Paying To Close an Account
Always read the fine print on your bank account’s user agreement before you close it. Some banks charge roughly $25 if you shutter an account within 90 to 180 days of opening it.
Paying Fees To Access Cash Abroad
If you travel overseas, you might incur an extra charge when using ATMs, usually a percentage of the amount withdrawn. Instead, get a debit or credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees.
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Paying for Paper
Some banks charge customers around $5 for not signing up for paperless statements. Always sign up for electronic correspondence.
Settling for Low Savings Yields
Fees aren’t the only way you can lose money to the bank. Don’t make the mistake of settling for your bank’s unimpressive savings yield without shopping around for the best return.
Settling for High Loan Rates
Accepting low savings yields is one money mistake that puts your cash in the bank’s vault. Another is to accept a loan at a higher rate than you could have secured by checking with competitors.
Paying Brokerage Commissions
According to SmartAsset, some brokerages charge up to $20 per trade. Don’t make the mistake of forking over money for nothing when no-fee investment brokerages are easy to find.
Paying Excessive Fund Management Fees
According to the Investment Company Institute, actively managed mutual funds charge an average of 0.66%. It’s a big money mistake to pay so much when index funds have expense ratios as low as 0.03%.
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Spending Too Much on Housing
Standard personal finance advice says to spend no more than 30% of your income on housing, but experts at Fidelity think that’s too high a ceiling and that you’re making a money mistake by not capping it at 25%.
Failing To Customize Insurance Policies
John Crist, founder of Prestizia Insurance, said that one major money mistake is opting for generic insurance policies without considering your unique needs, which can lead to overpaying for unnecessary coverages or being underinsured when disaster strikes.
“For example, a homeowner living in a flood-prone area may not realize their standard home insurance policy doesn’t cover flood damage until it’s too late,” said Crist.
Not Protecting Yourself Professionally
Crist says another prevalent mistake is neglecting professional liability insurance, especially for small business owners and freelancers.
“In today’s litigious society, failing to protect oneself against claims of errors, omissions, or negligence can jeopardize not only your business’s financial health but also your professional reputation,” he said. “A case in point involves a consultant we insured who avoided a potentially devastating lawsuit thanks to having the right errors and omissions coverage in place.”
Failing To Increase Your Protection With an Umbrella Policy
Another mistake Crist sees frequently is people ignoring the benefits of an umbrella policy for additional liability protection.
“Many don’t realize that once the liability limits on their home or auto policy are exhausted, they’re personally on the hook for any remaining damages,” he said. “An umbrella policy is a cost-effective way to increase your coverage limits and safeguard your assets against major claims.”
Forgoing Life Insurance
Life insurance can replace your income and provide your spouse, children, partner or other beneficiaries with tax-free cash and financial security when they need it most. Going without is a money mistake if people depend on you.
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Passing on Renters Insurance
Homeowners are required to buy insurance. Renters are not — but according to Forbes, those without renters insurance risk losing everything from their computer to their clothes in the case of fire, flood, theft or other disaster, when paying a monthly premium would have been much cheaper.
Not Insuring Your Vacation
Many people make the money mistake of passing on travel insurance, which CNBC says can protect against financial losses before and during your trip, allowing you to recoup your costs for things like cancellation, delay, illness, injury and baggage loss.
Not Insuring Fluffy
Unexpected medical treatment for animals can be as financially crippling as it so often is for humans. The American Veterinary Medical Association suggests animal lovers invest in pet insurance to cover or offset the high cost of animal healthcare.
Not Insuring Your Identity
According to Equifax, life in the digital age makes identity theft insurance a good investment that can protect you from fraudulent purchases, unauthorized use of credit and the hefty costs associated with recovering from a stolen identity.
Not Insuring Against Uninsured Drivers
Most states require motorists to purchase liability coverage, but if you have an accident with an uninsured driver, Allstate says uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can help you pay for medical bills or even damage to your vehicle.
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Not Protecting Your Car From the Unpredictable
While comprehensive auto coverage is optional in most states, Allstate says it can pay for itself by protecting you from damage caused by things like hail, theft, vandalism and fire.
Not Insuring Against Collisions
Like comprehensive coverage, collision insurance is usually optional — but you could be making a big money mistake by forgoing coverage that pays for damage if you get in an accident with another driver or collide with an object like a fence.
Not Buying Coverage for Potential Medical Bills
According to Allstate, medical payment coverage is also optional but immensely beneficial if you or your passengers are hurt in an accident and require expensive medical care
Failing To Review Your Policies Annually
Insurance is something most people don’t think about until they need to file a claim, but according to Travelers, it’s important to review your policies at least once a year to ensure your coverage is still appropriate for your life circ*mstances and that you’re not paying too much.
Not Earning Money While You Spend It
If you have good credit, you leave money on the table every time you spend cash or use a debit card. Cards like Citi DoubleCash and Wells Fargo Active Cash pay you 2% cash back that never expires with every purchase — and if you pay your statement balance in full every month, you can redeem your free money in multiple ways without ever paying interest.
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Not Chasing Grocery Rewards
Inflation drove up the price of groceries faster than nearly anything else in the post-pandemic economy — and it’s a mistake not to offset those costs with a supermarket-specific rewards card if you qualify and can take on another credit account healthily. For example, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred gives you an industry-leading 6% cash back on annual grocery purchases up to $6,000, which is roughly what the BLS says the average household spends at the supermarket per year.
Signing Up Without Collecting a Bonus
Experts caution against opening a credit card or bank account just for a signup bonus, but the good bonuses are juicy, and they should factor into your overall selection strategy. For example, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card charges a $95 annual fee, but new cardholders get a $300 bonus if they spend $3,000 in the first three months, offsetting the annual fee for three years plus change.
Traveling Without a Card That Chips in for Your Vacations
If you’re a frequent or even casual traveler, it’s a money mistake to go without a card that kicks in for your next vacation, provided you qualify for approval and use it responsibly. For example, the popular Chase Sapphire Preferred card gives you 5X points and the equivalent of $750 (if you meet the minimum spend for the signup bonus) when redeemed through Chase Travel.
Not Using Cash Back Apps
It’s so easy to get cash back from apps and/or browser extensions like Rakuten and Ibotta that it’s always a money mistake to leave the easy money they provide on the table.
Shopping Without a Coupon App
Platforms like The Coupons App bring the timeless money-saving strategy of couponing to your phone or laptop for use whether you’re shopping in-store or online.
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Not Searching for Discount Codes When You Buy Online
Apps like Honey and RetailMetNot scour the web for discount codes at checkout to land you special prices on things you were already going to buy.
Failing To Check If Someone Else Is Selling What You’re Buying for Less
Not getting the lowest price is a classic money mistake, and apps Like CapitalOne Shopping and Honey can scan the web and make sure another seller isn’t offering what you’re about to buy for less.
Paying Full Price for Prescriptions
Apps like GoodRx let you compare prices and get free coupons for prescriptions for pharmacy savings of up to 80%.
Filling Up With What Might Not Be the Cheapest Gas
Considering the high cost of fuel, it’s a major money mistake not to use apps like GasBuddy and Gas Guru to find the cheapest gas when you need to fill up.
Cosigning a Loan
Failing to think twice before co-signing a loan is a dangerous money mistake that AllWorth Financial says puts all the risk on you while limiting your opportunities to secure new credit and possibly doing more to harm your relationship with the consignee than if you had said no.
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Living Without Long-Term Financial Goals
According to Credit Karma, it’s essential to establish long-term financial goals — which generally take five or more years — at every stage of life to achieve sound financial health and make continuous progress in your financial journey.
Not Working Toward Short-Term Money Goals
SoFi says short-term goals like building an emergency fund are just as important as long-term goals like saving for a home down payment or getting out of debt.
Not Using Savings Buckets
According to Synchrony Bank, bucketing — establishing a unique savings sub-account within your main savings account for each of your long- and short-term goals — is one of the easiest and surest ways to improve your chances of reaching your financial objectives.
Not Discussing Money With Your Partner Before Getting Married
According to New York Life Insurance, it’s crucial to have an open and honest discussion about your finances, credit, debt and money goals before tying the knot. The often uncomfortable but absolutely necessary money talk can help you keep your finances — and marriage — intact.
Not Discussing Money Regularly After You Get Married
Money discussions don’t end when you get married — in fact, that’s when they begin in earnest. According to USA Today, it’s crucial to schedule planned financial check-ins with your spouse or financially entwined significant other on a regular basis to touch base, keep tabs, provide accountability and adjust if needed.
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Keeping Money Secrets From Your Partner
Studies show that nearly half of all people in committed relationships keep money secrets from their significant others. CBS News calls it “financial infidelity” and says it’s a recipe for both romantic and personal finance disaster.
Investing Without Goals
According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), goal-setting is the key to investing success. Ask yourself why you’re investing for the short-, mid- and near-term and develop a clear picture of what success looks like.
Investing Without a Time Frame
FINRA says step 2 is to establish a time frame and determine when you’ll need your money.
The organization writes, “Too often, investors realize they need money sooner than expected and are forced to sell when the market is against them.”
Investing for Short-Term Wins
FINRA echoes the advice of most investment advisors in recommending a strategy that doesn’t require short-term buying and selling based on the market’s ups and downs.
The organization writes, “Investing for the long term (buying and holding) generally works out better than trying to make a quick score.
Failure To Diversify
According to Time magazine, “Diversification among different asset classes and types of investments can help to mitigate investment risk.”
One of the biggest money mistakes any investor can make is to put all their eggs in one basket. Strategies include diversifying across industries, asset classes and countries.
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Over-Diversifying
Although failing to diversify is usually a recipe for failure, Time says that it is also possible to spread your capital too thin. Over-diversified portfolios can be hard to manage, quick to fall out of balance and cluttered with losers that dilute gains from the winners.
Picking Stocks
Kiplinger writes that stock-picking is a money mistake because “It’s nearly impossible to beat the market — but it is cheap and easy to match it.”
The publication reports that even the vast majority of professional fund managers will fail to beat the market’s returns over time, but a cheap and accessible S&P 500 ETF will always match them.
Failing To Adjust Your Portfolio as You Age
The Motley Fool parrots common investing wisdom in advising you to adjust your portfolio’s asset allocation as you age, creeping toward a more conservative blend as retirement draws nearer. One simple strategy is the rule of 100 — subtract your age from 100 to get your percentage of stocks to bonds. If you’re 60, for example, stocks would make up 40% of your holdings.
Setting and Forgetting Your Portfolio
Buying and holding for the long term is a wise tactic for most average investors — but that doesn’t mean you should tune out completely. According to Heritage Capital, setting and forgetting your portfolio can lead to locking in subpar returns, appreciated stocks becoming overpriced, your holdings falling out of balance and dangerous investor apathy.
Obsessing Over Your Portfolio
While you shouldn’t tune out completely, you should resist the urge to check in with your portfolio’s performance too often. This can lead to poor, reactionary or emotional decision-making.
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Trying To Time the Market
Like beating the market’s returns, it’s nearly impossible for even sophisticated fund managers to predict or time the market consistently in the long term. Waiting for the right entry time, attempting to exit at the bottom, etc., are strategies that will almost certainly fail over time. According to Schwab, “because timing the market perfectly is nearly impossible, the best strategy for most of us is not to try to market-time at all.”
Not Asking for a Raise
Sometimes, the surest way to increase your income is also the easiest. According to PayScale, fewer than four in 10 workers have asked for a raise, but 70% of those who do end up getting one.
Not Asking for Lower Credit Card Interest Rates
It’s not just your income where the simple act of asking can boost your wealth. According to Forbes, credit card companies are likely to lower your interest rate — depending on your credit and payment history — if you call to negotiate.
Not Asking To Pay Less for Cable
Consumer Reports says it’s fairly common for cable companies to offer reduced rates, special deals or other retention incentives to customers who call and ask for a lower bill — particularly if they politely but firmly threaten to cancel their contract.
Failing To Shop Around To Get Lower Rates From Lenders
According to LendingTree, you can compel mortgage companies and other lenders to lower their initial offer by shopping around and showing them better quotes from competitors. The same goes for car loans and other consumer borrowing, as well.
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Stretching Payments To Purchase More Car Than You Can Afford
With a long enough loan term, an average earner can drive home in a six-figure Ferrari or Porsche — which is why car dealers are typically eager to negotiate prices based on the monthly payment you say you can afford. The problem is that the longer the term, the more interest you pay, and since longer loans are riskier, you’ll usually pay a higher rate. Experian says that extended-term loans can lead to negative equity and upside-down loans.
Ignoring the 20/40/10 Rule When Car Shopping
According to Call Federal Credit Union (CFCU), car buyers should plan to put down at least 20% of the car’s value, finance the vehicle for no more than four years and ensure that combined ownership expenses don’t exceed 10% of their income.
Ignoring Maintenance and Repair Costs
Maintenance and repairs contribute significantly to the overall long-term costs of vehicle ownership. If you don’t use a site like RepairPal to estimate the annual costs of keeping your car running smoothly, you should expect unpleasant surprises because some cars are much more expensive to maintain than others.
Ignoring Insurance Costs
Insurance is another long-term cost that will determine whether you can actually afford a car you’re considering buying — and premiums can vary wildly depending on the vehicle.
For example, Forbes reports that the average annual premium for a Honda CR-V LX is $1,574, but for a Tesla Model S Performance, it’s $3,960.
Not Shopping for Insurance Before You Buy a Car
You must have insurance to drive home in your new car after you buy it. To avoid getting stuck with expensive, substandard coverage at the moment of truth, be sure to shop around for quotes before you sign on the dealer’s dotted line.
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Not Getting Pre-Approved
When shopping for a home, car or other big purchase, it’s always a mistake not to get pre-approval first. According to NJ Lenders Corp, pre-approval helps you determine your budget, accelerate the buying process and gain a competitive advantage when making an offer.
Not Considering Your Local Credit Union
Before you take out a loan, accept a credit card or open an account with a bank, consider your local credit union first. According to CNET, credit unions are nonprofit, employee-owned institutions that don’t have profit-hungry shareholders to satisfy, and as such, they often pay higher yields and offer lower loan rates.
Not Having an Estate Plan
Another common money mistake is assuming that estate planning is only for the rich. However, according to the Ager Law Office, wills and trusts are essential for anyone who wants to ensure their assets are handed down according to their wishes while minimizing fees and taxes for their heirs.
Waiting Until You Have Enough Money To Invest
Some people make the money mistake of associating investing with wealth and therefore assume they’re not ready until they have a hefty sum to put in play. The truth is that partial-share investing and no-fee brokerages let just about anyone start with just about anything — and as CNBC points out, every dollar on the sideline is not one that’s gaining value and paying dividends.
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Borrowing Money From Family or Friends
According to Citizens Savings and Loan, borrowing from friends and family members can harm relationships, create awkward social situations and soil your reputation — and off-the-books loans don’t help you build your credit, even when you make every payment on time. [70]
Lending Money to Family or Friends
When it comes to mixing money with friendship, it’s often best to just say no. According to Mass Mutual, lending to a family member or friend leaves you with little recourse if they default, relationships are likely to be harmed and you could enable and encourage irresponsible financial behavior.
Putting Too Much Faith in Government Programs
Eligibility rules for programs like SNAP can change at any moment, Social Security may or may not exist in its current form when you’re old enough to receive benefits and student loan forgiveness plans are always just one court ruling away from becoming a fantasy. While you should get every dollar out of every available program, don’t come to depend on any of them — self-reliance is a key component of financial security.
Believing Financial Myths
Some money mythology is repeated so frequently that people accept it as truth — all debt is always bad, don’t use credit cards to avoid falling into debt, homeownership always makes more sense than renting, etc. Whether you read it online, hear it from a friend or get it from a social media influencer, take statements on personal finance with a grain of salt until you confirm it independently.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 100 Simple Money Mistakes That Are Holding You Back
