FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY Shun Emotional Investing.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Amy Alexander

7 You might not be the touchy-feely sort. But that doesn't mean you're immune to what David Geller, a certified financial planner and CEO of GV Financial Advisors in Atlanta, calls emotional investing.

"When it comes to investing, many people let their emotions get in the way of making the most of their money," Geller said. "Emotions can cause people to not only make the wrong decisions, but sometimes to make no decisions at all."

A large part of focusing your money is getting a handle on the feelings that can warp your perspective and stall your wealth-building.

IBD's 10 Secrets To Success feature, which ran Oct. 18, identified emotions that can interfere with time management.

The following two emotions can throw a wrench into your financial growth, according to Geller, who also gives some strategies for controlling them.

Fear. "Some people fear being poor and not being able to pay their bills, while others fear wealth and the additional responsibilities they perceive will accompany that," Geller said.