There are a lot of scary things in this world. That’s something we figure out from a very young age when we start checking under the bed, in the closet and sleeping with the lights on. As we get older, the objects of our apprehension goes from having less to do with boogie men and monsters and more to do with the real-world threats that stand to upset the security and lives we’ve built for ourselves.

There’s no denying that scary things exist. The Great Depression happened. So have wars, and large-scale credit issue, unforeseen recessions, identity thefts – yes, they happen. But as is the case with any other fear, the key to carrying on a happy existence is to not let the frightening what-ifs prohibit you. You do have to take risks – whether that means jumping into a dark lake where there definitely could be a monster hiding, or investing in the stock market where there definitely could be a crash waiting around the corner. So let’s confront our fears – and learn how to deal with them.

Fear: Stock market crash

Oh this is a big one – so many people site this threat as a reason to not invest at all. Here’s the truth: what you really ought to be concerned about isn’t so much the bottom falling out of the entire market (how often does that really happen? Come on), as it should be the threat of not getting enough of a return on your investments. Both fear and a sense of invincibility tend to mess people up in the stock market: the whole buy-low, sell-high approach doesn’t get used as much as it should. When prices are high, you feel confident and don’t want to sell, in case things keep going up. When your stocks are in the dumps, you panic and figure that any return is better than nothing, rather than waiting it out for the potential upswing. Don’t forget: you’re investing to make money, not be scared of it.

Here’s what to do: set up your money in a variety of markets, countries and investment vehicles, keep a level head about when to buy and sell, and you’ll do as well as you can when playing with stocks.

Fear: Identity Theft

Even though this seems like something about of a suspense movie, identity theft, and even more, the idea that it could happen, is becoming more prevalent. And being afraid that this could happen to you is natural; it can do major damage to your finances and credit score, and be a real pain to pin down, figure out and fix. That said, banks and credit companies are getting wiser to the games of identity thieves – even if this does happen to you, it’s getting more and more possible all the time to figure it out early, track exactly where the fraudulent actions occurred, and get you out of the mess with minimal personal damage.

What are you afraid of?

Do you have any financial fears that affect the way you spend or save your money? How have you overcome them / planned to protect yourself?