The 3 money mistakes even smart people make (and how to fix them)
- Pal Kim
- Nov 3
- 2 min read
Let’s be honest being smart doesn’t protect you from making bad money decisions.
Some of the most brilliant people I know (engineers, consultants, entrepreneurs) are great at solving complex problems, but when it comes to their personal finances… things get fuzzy.
Why? Because we were never taught how to manage money properly.
We were told to work hard, get promoted, and save a bit on the side but no one explained how to make our money actually grow.
Here are three mistakes even smart, high-achieving people make all the time and what you can do differently.
1. Saving without strategy
Saving is safe, but it’s not a plan. Leaving all your money in a savings account feels responsible but inflation quietly erodes it year after year.
Meanwhile, those who learn how to invest (wisely, not wildly) build long-term stability and freedom.
You don’t have to become a stock market genius overnight.
The key is learning how to align your savings, investments, and career goals so every euro or dollar you earn actually works for you.
2. Stopping your financial education once life gets busy
Most people upgrade their phones more often than their money habits. We go from our 20s to our 30s, maybe get a raise or two, and assume we’ve “figured it out.”
But the financial world changes faster than we do new tools, new tax rules, new opportunities.
What worked when you earned 40k a year doesn’t work when you’re managing 90k. Each career stage needs its own financial strategy.
At Learn Corporate, we build personalized learning paths think of them as GPS systems for your financial and career journey.
3. Thinking a better career automatically means better finances
You can be great at your job and still be financially stressed. Because career growth doesn’t always equal financial growth.
When your income increases but your money habits don’t, lifestyle creep kicks in bigger apartment, better car, more dinners out and somehow, you end up saving the same (or less).
Financial confidence doesn’t come from earning more, but from understanding more. When you learn how to budget, invest, and manage your resources strategically, your career growth starts compounding instead of just inflating your expenses.
Financial literacy isn’t a luxury. It’s a survival skill. And it’s becoming one of the top predictors of long-term career success.
That’s why we're building Learn Corporate a platform designed for professionals who want to take control of their money. Because learning how to grow your income is good. But learning how to keep it, multiply it, and align it with your purpose, that’s real power.
→ Join the waiting list now Get early access to Learn Corporate before the official launch and start building smarter money habits for your future self.
Take care,