Find your financial archetypes.
Six questions to explore the habits, hopes, and feelings that shape your relationship with money.
A note from Matt
Financial archetypes can be thought of as energies within us. They give us a basis for understanding how we got the financial life we have today, as well as tools to create the financial life we most want.
These core financial archetypes can help us to identify the powerful internal forces that affect us in our daily lives. These forces, which are so ingrained in our culture and personalities, can affect us in balanced, healthy ways as well as in unhealthy ways.
It is helpful to understand your financial archetype in order to get a greater insight as to the reason for you making and spending money the way you do.
The following questions will help you identify and understand your financial archetypes.
Question 1 of 6
0 of 6 answered
Money primarily allows (or would allow) me to:
Choose up to three answers that feel true for you.
When it comes to money, at my most extreme, I’m:
Choose up to three answers that feel true for you.
Over the last five years, my financial net worth has:
Choose up to three answers that feel true for you.
Which of the following rules do you seem to mostly live by?
Choose up to three answers that feel true for you.
Which of the following has been most true of me over the past three years?
Choose just one answer, the one that feels most true.
What I have to show (financially) is:
Choose up to three answers that feel true for you.
Your answers stay on this page. Nothing is sent or saved.
A moment of perspective
Your financial archetype map.
There is a story in the way you relate to money. This is a place to pause and see it a little more clearly.
All eight scores
A snapshot of your answers today. Space for every part of you.
Your strongest patterns
Each selected answer adds one point to every type linked to it. Some answers count toward several types. These are point totals, not percentages or a measure of financial success. The bars are scaled to your highest score.
Some scores are tied, so your map includes every pattern tied at the third-place cutoff.
Pitfalls and gifts
Financial archetypes
| Archetype | Pitfalls | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian Always alert and careful. | Worry, anxiety | Alertness, prudence |
| Pleasure Seeker Prioritizes pleasure and enjoyment in the here and now. | Hedonism, impulsiveness | Enjoyment, pleasure |
| Idealist Places great value on creativity, compassion, or spiritual growth. | Distrust, aversion | Vision, compassion |
| Saver Seeks security and abundance by accumulating more financial assets. | Hoarding, penny-pinching | Self-sufficiency, abundance |
| Star Spends, invests, or gives money away to be recognized, feel hip or classy. | Self-importance | Leadership, style |
| Innocent Avoids putting significant attention on money and believes or hopes that life will work out for the best. | Avoidance, helplessness | Hope, adaptability |
| Caretaker Gives and lends money to express compassion and generosity. | Enabling, self-abandoning | Empathy, generosity |
| Empire Builder Thrives on power and innovation to create something of enduring value. | Greed, domination | Innovation, decisiveness |
The workshop also lists Sceptic: cynic, doubter. Sceptic is not scored in this eight-type quiz.
Pitfalls and gifts
| Archetypes | Pitfalls | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian | Worry, anxiety | Alertness, prudence |
| Pleasure Seeker | Hedonism, impulsiveness | Enjoyment, pleasure |
| Idealist | Distrust, aversion | Vision, compassion |
| Saver | Hoarding, penny-pinching | Self-sufficiency, abundance |
| Star | Self-importance | Leadership, style |
| Innocent | Avoidance, helplessness | Hope, adaptability |
| Caretaker | Enabling, self-abandoning | Empathy, generosity |
| Empire Builder | Greed, domination | Innovation, decisiveness |
Financial archetypes
- Guardian
- Always alert and careful.
- Pleasure Seeker
- Prioritizes pleasure and enjoyment in the here and now.
- Idealist
- Places great value on creativity, compassion, or spiritual growth.
- Saver
- Seeks security and abundance by accumulating more financial assets.
- Star
- Spends, invests, or gives money away to be recognized, feel hip or classy.
- Innocent
- Avoids putting significant attention on money and believes or hopes that life will work out for the best.
- Caretaker
- Gives and lends money to express compassion and generosity.
- Empire Builder
- Thrives on power and innovation to create something of enduring value.
The workshop also lists Sceptic: cynic, doubter. Sceptic is not scored in this eight-type quiz.
You want more information?
matt@livebeyondwealth.caQuestionnaire and eight financial archetypes credited to Brent Kessel, It’s Not About the Money. Archetype summaries adapted from Matt’s workshop, Mindfulness and the Art of Abundant Living.
This is an educational reflection exercise, not a validated psychological assessment or personal financial advice.