The Seven Stages of Money Maturity: Understanding the Spirit and Value of Money in Your Life

In January 2002 my wife and I hit rock bottom financially. We owed nearly $45,000 in credit card debt alone, another $20,000 in student loans, and another $30,000 or so in car loans, personal loans, etc. We rented a ramshackle house and had no savings or investments whatsoever. And yet I found it impossible to pass up a bookstore without a new book in hand or the latest CD. I had read a number of books about personal finance, but I understood that there was something deeper that I was looking for. Something that would help me to understand the psychology of money, to understand why I made the choices that I made. Fortunately, I came across an ad for George Kinder's book in Harvard Magazine in 2002. As a Christian I can understand that some might be put off by Kinder's infusion of Buddhist philosophy throughout the book. I studied East Asian studies in college, so I wasn't that bothered by it. In fact, I think Kinder's metaphor of the seven chakras, or energy centers, correlated perfectly with the seven stages of money maturity. The main problem with most popular approaches to teaching personal finance is that they start at level four or five. But you haven't addressed the fundamental issues of levels one through three. This gap helps explain why the average American household has a negative net worth. We are doping ourselves at the mall with our credit cards! Four years after reading the Seven Stages we have paid off all of that old debt (no bankruptcy!), own our own home, and are closing in on six figures liquid net worth. Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad helped me to realize that The Matrix had me in its grasp; Kinder helped me see the code.

My experience of George Kinder's breakthrough book, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, has been life changing. As a financial planner I was first drawn to reading it out of professional curiosity and to learn something about the emerging "Life Planning" movement within financial services. What I discovered was the most comprehensive understanding about how our relationship with money forms, and what throws us out of balance with money, that I had encountered. As the book progresses through the Seven Stages, what emerges is a clear and specific model that leads one out of confusion, fear, distortion, or insecurity about money and personal resources. The process progresses towards a healthy, vigorous state that supports appropriate choices and strategies that allow one to financially organize the life that is genuine and congruent with whom an individual is, the values that matter, and the activities one wants to be engaged with. There are numerous case histories that illustrate the unfolding stages, including the obstacles that had to be addressed and the layers of change that occurred.One of the outcomes from the study of the Seven Stages is that I now have a much more expanded vocabulary and conceptual framework for describing and communicating with myself and with clients about subtle issues concerning money. Money and finances are tough subjects for many people to talk about - there are still many taboos in our culture about open and frank discussions of money. As my clients read The Seven Stages of Money Maturity and begin working through some of the basic exercises Kinder has designed, a new capacity for clear and direct conversations emerges. I watch as embarrassment, denial, and anxiety lessen, while enthusiasm, engagement, and exploration increase. Defining one's real goals, implementing new strategies, and tracking the progress over time have increased the sense of empowerment and possibility in my clients, and for me as their advisor.My recommendation is that anyone who has an interest in having a healthy, functional relationship with their financial and personal resources would benefit from reading this book and going through each exercise honestly and thoughtfully. It will have an impact, and may bring awareness to habits, patterns of thought, and personal beliefs that are no longer helpful or useful in our adult development and growth. In addition, I found The Seven Stages of Money Maturity to be beautifully written and insightful as a text about being human and the challenges of everyday life.

I have read most of the money books that are around and they have all been helpful to various degrees. But now there is a book available that takes money issues to a completely new level. Kinder's experience as a financial planner combined with his understanding of how the mind works from his work as a Buddhist practitioner and teacher has provided anyone with the opportunity to discover the real core of our money issues.If you have any issues around money, and most people I know do, read this book. You will find it entertaining, practical, and most important you will discover the REAL ISSUES that are keeping you from being at ease around money AND the tools to transform those issues.

I have never read such a profound book of knowledge, heart and the expression of the process of financial planning as the book "The Seven Stages Of Money Maturity" by George Kinder. It is a must, if you desire to understand the power of money dynamics in your life and your family's lives. Even as a financial planner of 17 years, I read this book in two days. I could not put it down until I had finished it. Kinder's ability to weave the sensitivity of people and their feelings with the processes of financial planning has created a great primer for the uninitiated as well as the professional.

As an investment advisor for the last twelve years serving the needs of clients with assets ranging from $50,000 to $50 million, I have been most struck by the similarities among my clients rather than the differences. The 7 stages have helped me deal with money issues that are shared by all of us. These include: guilt around having too much money, not being able to save money or spend money, worrying too much about money, being too carefree about money, feeling that money corrupts, thinking that earning money must be a struggle. This book relates stories and practical techniques that have helped me and my clients become more at ease around these money issues. As I and my clients have worked through these money obstacles, our business, work, and family lives have improved, and our self-esteem has increased. Money is the most difficult issue to address--more so than sex. This book provides the tools and the inspiration to help all of us delve into the issue that brings up so much emotion. We spend so much time on money (making it, worrying about it, spending it), and so little time using it for personal growth and transformation. We marry without having the necessary money communication skills to deal with our spouse--yet money is the number one cause of divorce. We all need to get more comfortable talking about money, discovering what we value and why, and shedding old or disabling beliefs about money. This is the perfect book for anyone who earns money, spends money, or thinks he or she would be happier with more money.