Personality and finance : The effects of personality on financial attitudes and behaviour

Personality has been found to be associated with attitudes and behaviours in general but limited research has focused on finances. Conscientiousness and extraversion have been shown to affect saving and borrowing behaviours but minimal attention has been paid to how personality affects broader financial matters. This study attempts to rectify this. Utilising a survey, personality profiles and financial habits were established for 269 participants aged from 16 to 71 years, of whom 46.1% were male. In line with expectations, the results indicated conscientiousness and locus of control to have a profound impact on both financial attitudes and behaviours. Agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism were also found to be important whilst extraversion was shown to impact on regular saving patterns. These results supported the hypothesis that personality has a profound effect upon financial matters.