Why Does Financial Literacy Feel So Intimidating? How Finding The Right Accountant Can Make It All Click

Hi, hello. It’s Denzil here.

I’ve always been a words person. I can unpack how people use language to communicate for hours. But ask me about finances and spreadsheets, and my brain goes dial-up-internet mode.

For a long time, I thought that meant I just wasn’t a ‘numbers person.’ But recently I realized something… money has its own kind of language. 💡

Okay, I wish I could say I realized this all on my own, but truthfully, it was a conversation with Heard’s CEO Andrew Riesen on Radio Front Desk that sparked this. Andrew is a certified ‘numbers person’. I mean, he co-founded an accounting platform... 🙃

But even he was quick to admit that when it comes to talking about finances, it’s really easy to get lost in the weeds. Not only is there a lot of complicated terminology (aka, big words), but there’s also this weird shame when you don’t understand everything…

Money is funny, isn’t it? It affects everything we do…our security, our sense of freedom, our stress levels… and yet we rarely talk about it. And when we can’t talk about it, we can’t learn it. We end up nodding along to words like “deductions”, “liabilities”, and “retained earnings” without really understanding what they mean for us personally.

But, like any language, it can be learned … and it can be translated (if you have the right teacher).

When I started working with different accountants, I realized that they all had access to the same information, but the good ones spoke it differently.

They didn’t throw numbers at me. They paused. They asked questions. They took something abstract and made it personal… they translated it into my language.

And that made all the difference.

So, if this all sounds like you, I wanted to share a few things this “words person” has picked up while learning to speak money:

Ask questions (even the “dumb” ones).

The right professional won’t make you feel small for asking. In fact, their answers (and the way they give them) tell you a lot about how they work.

Look for translators, not performers.

The best accountants or advisors don’t try to impress you. They help you understand. If you leave a meeting feeling smarter, not smaller, you’ve found your person.

Request things in writing.

For anyone who learns best by reading (like me), having written notes or summaries helps you absorb the meaning long after the conversation ends.

Notice who goes “above and beyond.”

The pros who think one step ahead are the ones who make the learning process so much easier. Seek out the ones who share the extra tip, explain an overlooked detail, and provide examples that are specific to your life.

When you really think about it, financial systems are just another kind of story. It’s just that sometimes, stories are written in a language you don’t understand.

And honestly, I love that. Because that means I don’t have to stop being a “words person.” I just have to learn a new language.

Are you still learning the language of numbers? Was there something that really helped make it all click for you? Share it with me. I’d love to learn more!

Until next time,

Denzil, Editor-in-Chief of Front Desk

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