A person's own perception and that of others usually differ - sometimes there are nuances, sometimes even worlds in between.

In addition, shortcomings are often kept secret, so you have to answer questions about yourself.

Apart from such possible individual peculiarities, there are interesting regional differences in terms of money in Germany when looking at the 16 federal states.

Kerstin Papon

Editor in business.

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"I know my way around finances," is what many Hessians say in this country, for example.

With the financial metropolis Frankfurt in the background, which during the day quickly turns into a city of over a million people, as many employees prefer to live and commute in the closer or further vicinity, this could well be the case.

But the residents of Brandenburg also feel well equipped when it comes to financial matters.

When it comes to financial issues, Berlin is apparently the worst place to be.

At least this is shown by a comparison of the federal states within a representative survey by TeamBank together with the opinion research institute Yougov, the results of which are exclusively available to the FAZ.

For this purpose, 3158 German citizens between the ages of 18 and 79 were surveyed via the Internet in January of this year.

Berlin seems beaten

Around 71 percent of the Hessen surveyed rate their financial knowledge as good - 5 percentage points more than the national average of around two thirds. Brandenburg follows with 70 percent. Financial knowledge seems to be below average in Saarland or Baden-Württemberg, for example, where 60 percent of the participants rate their financial knowledge as good. In Berlin it is only a good half (58 percent).

Sometimes it is less a long and well-thought-out planning that matters than spontaneity and the right gut feeling. There also seem to be greater regional differences in terms of the willingness to make decisions quickly. According to the analysis by TeamBank, which is part of the cooperative financial group, a good half of the Bremen and Hesse residents spent on travel or leisure activities more spontaneously than before during the pandemic, followed by the Brandenburgers (47 percent). Often, because of the infection and changing regulations, it was not really possible to plan for the long term and had to make a short-term decision. Nevertheless, on average, only 41 percent of the survey participants showed themselves to be more spontaneous. Respondents from Rhineland-Palatinate (30 percent) were relatively inflexible.

"It is one of the most important financial foundations to be able to budget wisely with your own money and to avoid unnecessary cost traps," says Frank Mühlbauer, CEO of TeamBank. Corona has shaken up the financial planning of many people, this is also shown by the study. A good three quarters of Germans check their account balance every few days and track all debits. In order to keep an eye on their own financial situation, many people keep a household book - whether handwritten or digitally. This concept is apparently particularly popular in Saxony-Anhalt. There, 38 percent of those surveyed record income and expenditure in this form - the national average is 30 percent. Thuringia and Brandenburg are also above average, while Hesse is in the middle.In Saarland, only a quarter of those questioned organize their finances in this way.

By contrast, the people in Brandenburg in particular, but also in Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, are characterized by a particularly high level of payment behavior. 90 percent of respondents or more pay their bills there as soon as they receive them. This is what 85 percent say on a national average. Hessen is slightly below that. At the bottom of this category is Baden-Württemberg, where around a fifth of those surveyed like to take their time when paying.