Managing money is an essential life skill, yet most U.S. adults would fail a financial literacy test.

Consider the results of a survey meant to measure financial literacy, called the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index. On average, U.S. adults correctly answered only 50% of its financial literacy questions in 2022.

In other words: If you find money confusing, yousa国际传媒檙e far from alone. But the reasons yousa国际传媒檙e baffled may have more to do with how our brains work than how money does. Understanding some of the common barriers, along with strategies to cope, could help you finally get a handle on your finances.

MONEY IS A NEW LANGUAGE

You wouldnsa国际传媒檛 expect to carry on a fluent conversation in Madrid or Mexico City if you only knew a few words of Spanish. Similarly, is loaded with terms, jargon and concepts that take a while to learn.

sa国际传媒淓ntering the world of money is like entering a whole new culture and learning a new language,sa国际传媒� says Ed Coambs, a certified financial planner and couples therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

You shouldnsa国际传媒檛 feel stupid for not understanding everything instantly, and no one should make you feel that way. However, learning can be more difficult if we encounter judgmental, condescending or dogmatic people sa国际传媒� which unfortunately describes many people who are fluent in personal finance lingo.

sa国际传媒淢any money experts, professional or non-professional, can become varying degrees of authoritarian: sa国际传媒榊es, I know whatsa国际传媒檚 best for you. This is what you should do,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Coambs says.

People with a rigid approach to personal finance may not understand the culture and life experiences that shaped you. They may insist you funnel every possible dollar into paying off debt or saving for retirement, for instance, but you may feel itsa国际传媒檚 important to tithe to your church or support your elderly parents.

Rather than dictating how you should spend your money, helpful advisors meet people where they are, says Rachael DeLeon, interim director of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education, a nonprofit foundation that administers financial counseling credentials.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 figuring out: What are your values? Whatsa国际传媒檚 important to you? And how do you make that work within your own financial situation?sa国际传媒� DeLeon says.

MONEY IS EMOTIONAL

For many people, money evokes strong and often negative emotions. For example, if you struggle with managing your finances, you may be so embarrassed that you try to avoid talking or even thinking about money.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 what really stops people from making money progress,sa国际传媒� Coambs says. sa国际传媒淭hey feel ashamed that they donsa国际传媒檛 know, and they feel like they should know.sa国际传媒�

Painful early experiences often shape our view of money, says Coambs, author of sa国际传媒淭he Healthy Love & Money Way: How the Four Attachment Styles Impact Your Financial Well-Being.sa国际传媒� Listening to parents fight about money or suffering financial hardship can be traumatic, leaving us convinced that money is dangerous or shameful.

Coambs suggests discussing your feelings about money with supportive and compassionate people. That could include an empathetic financial advisor, a financial therapist or trusted, knowledgeable friends.

sa国际传媒淎ction is predicated on feeling safe for many of us,sa国际传媒� Coambs says. sa国际传媒淯ntil we feel safe and accepted, wesa国际传媒檙e typically going to feel stuck and stalled.sa国际传媒�

MONEY IS COLLABORATIVE

Fear is another common emotion people experience around money: fear of making a mistake, not having enough, or being scammed or misled.

sa国际传媒淭here are a lot of predators in this space, and knowing who to trust is hard,sa国际传媒� DeLeon says.

Educating yourself is crucial. You can learn about personal finance basics from trusted sources, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or JumpStart Coalition, which focuses on financial literacy for young people, DeLeon says.

But you also can hire people to help you. DeLeon recommends fee-only advisors, meaning theysa国际传媒檙e compensated only by the fees paid by their clients rather than by commissions or other financial arrangements that could influence their advice.

Look for advisors who are fiduciaries, which means they are required to put your interests ahead of their own. Fiduciary advisors include CFPs and people with the credentials offered by DeLeonsa国际传媒檚 organization, the AFCPE, including accredited financial counselors and financial fitness coaches.

Currently, the AFCPE offers free virtual financial counseling sessions. You can learn more at AFCPEsa国际传媒檚 site. In addition, your employer, 401(k) provider, bank or credit union may also offer free or low-cost financial advice.

With money, itsa国际传媒檚 more important to know whom to ask than to have all the answers ourselves, DeLeon says.

sa国际传媒淣ot everybody needs to be a personal finance expert,sa国际传媒� DeLeon says.

sa国际传媒擫iz Weston Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press