An economist studied popular finance tips. Some might be leading you astray

Managing your money is obviously an important part of being a responsible adult. But how should you do that? It turns out that there's a large gulf between the advice given by the authors of popular finance books and academic economists.

In a new study titled "Popular Personal Financial Advice versus the Professors," the Yale financial economist James Choi rummages through 50 of the most popular books on personal finance to see how their tips square with traditional economic thinking. It's like a cage match: Finance thinkfluencers vs economists dueling over what you should do with your money.

And, yes, Choi is an economist, but he may be a more impartial referee of this smackdown than you'd think. That's because he's a behavioral economist who doesn't swallow the canon of old-school economics hook, line, and sinker. Traditional economic models portray humans as hyper-rational, disciplined creatures, who always make optimal financial choices for themselves. Behavioral economics, which has pretty much taken over the field, emphasizes that people are quirky, often irrational, and prone to errors.

In a way, Choi says, behavioral economists like him try to help people overcome their shortcomings and achieve their financial goals they were the savvy creatures of old-school theory. And so, he says, classic economic theory