Are you a savor or spender? Studies say it could be parents' fault.

Spending more than you earn or saving pennies for a rainy day could be results from listening to parents, according to NPR.

"We found that parents played a really big role in the kinds of behaviors that their children exhibited," Joyce Serido, a researcher at the University of Arizona, said on NPR. "So those kids who said they spoke with their parents about financial matters actually performed more responsible financial behaviors."

In Serido's research, she and colleagues studied freshmen entering the University of Arizona and documented if students had been involved in financial talks with their parents. Students who heard about debt challenges and saving for a car were more likely to make responsible financial decisions by graduation, according to the article.

However, many parents avoid these important discussions with their kids because it can be "scary and uncomfortable," Serido said on NPR.

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