Brains Don't Equal Money

Being a genius is little guarantee of financial success, and being a little behind the curve doesn't mean you're destined to burger-flipping wages, shows a longitudinal survey on intelligence and wealth. In fact, there's no notable gap in wealth between people with above-average and below average IQs, say researchers.

While it's true smart people tend to make more money (between $202 and $616 per IQ point to be exact) they're also more likely to max out their credit cards than people of just-above-average intelligence. Overall, people of higher intelligence don't show an advantage when it comes to total financial assets either, reported the fifteen-year study.

Researchers speculate this may be because these smart folks just aren't saving enough as others. Could it be that these "smart," high-status lifestyles simply cost more? (Figures on average student loan debt sure seem to indicate so!) Or is this simply a sign that the greatest predictor of wealth has much more to do with parental' wealth than I.Q.?

Read more: You Don't Have To Be Smart To Be Rich, Study Finds