The Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions

by David Robson

People with high IQs are also just as likely to face financial distress, such as missing mortgage payments, bankruptcy or credit card debt. Around 14 per cent of people with an IQ of 140 had reached their credit limit, compared to 8.3 per cent of people with an average IQ of 100. Nor were they any more likely to put money away in long-term investments or savings; their accumulated wealth each year was just a tiny fraction greater. These facts are particularly surprising, given that more intelligent (and better educated) people do tend to have more stable jobs with higher salaries, which suggests that their financial distress is a consequence of their decision making, rather than, say, a simple lack of earning power.22