THERE are many a website, podcast, and such that talks about Financial Literacy, but many folks don’t have the initiative to search out the information, know what to look for or even the time for research. So, I decided that I would work on something that might be of some help.
First off, I have to say that I’m not a financial expert. I have no degree in finances, other than one from the school of “Hard Knocks.” I am a veteran of education, having served 27+ years as a teacher and counselor at the middle school, high school, and junior college levels. My folks didn’t teach me much about money and finances, but I found in interest in money, some time back, and began to learn. This started back in the infancy of the internet, so it was tougher back then, there was not as much info available at the time. Heck, many of the bloggers I follow are young enough to have been my students. 🙂
While I was at The Victoria College, in Victoria, Texas, in 2013 and 2014, I was fortunate to teach a class in which we covered a unit on money. We were not able to go in depth due to the limited curriculum and time allotted. Plus, not everybody was really interested, so we hammered through what we had pretty quickly. During the time that I taught those classes I had not yet been exposed to the following quote, one of the most important I believe in looking at Financial Literacy
“One must have an interest in money in order to have money.”
I don’t clearly remember where I first heard this, but I believe that it was during an episode of The M.O.N.E.Y podcast, one of many that I have listened to. I think that it was shared by one of the co-hosts, Paula Pant. Paula runs the Blog Site Afford Anything. She used to host with J. Money, who runs Budgets Are Sexy, but J. no longer is involved with the podcast and it’s now known as the Afford Anything Podcast, hosted by Paula.
Anyway, it stuck in my mind, and I realized that I had believed those very thoughts before hearing them ever spoken.
Let’s look at the quote closely. Notice that it does not say, “One must earn money in order to have money” Nor does it say, “One must have an interest in money in order to earn money.” Hmmm.
“One must have an interest in money in order to have money.”
Pretty powerful, if you ask me. We’ll revisit this quote in the future, but now it’s time to jump into the Foundations of Financial Literacy.
SO.
What is Financial Literacy? From my internet research, I have not found one singular definition. In contrast, I have found many definitions, but the one that really hits home for me can be found in “FINANCIAL LITERACY – The Federal Government’s Role in Empowering Americans to Make Sound Financial Choices”; http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11504t.pdf
“There is no single definition for financial literacy, but it has previously been described as the ability to make informed judgments and to take effective actions regarding current and future use and management of money. Financial literacy encompasses both financial education and consumers’ behavior as it relates to their ability to make informed judgments. Financial education refers to the processes whereby individuals improve their knowledge and understanding of financial products, services, and concepts. However, being financially literate refers to more than simply being knowledgeable about financial matters—it also entails utilizing that knowledge to make informed decisions, avoid pitfalls, and take other actions to improve one’s present and long-term financial well-being. “
Although I don’t believe in a number of the government’s policies and practices, I do agree with that which is noted above, especially the bold section in the quoted statement. Now those words can be interpreted in a number of different ways, thus the reason for this project. It is my hopes to help people gain some insight into Financial Literacy and possibly bettering their financial position in life.
There’s more to come, as I’m also working on another new project. So far, I’ve shared the idea with David Carlson of Young Adult Money. David’s first impression is positive, so I’m putting ideas together and hammering out some writing.
Stay tuned for more on these adventures!
What’s your take on Financial Literacy?
Woohoo excited for this! I think you are correct that it comes down to having an interest. Beyond that, you need to have the time – or I should say, make the time – to become more financially literate. It takes time and effort, and those are two scarce resources that you have to voluntarily dedicate to it.
Thanks DC!! I have to admit, you’re one of the main reasons I’m pursuing this adventure. You’re teaching some great stuff, and I want to do the same. Not everybody is interested in money. Oh, they want money, but they don’t have an interest in learning about it, then there’s the small percentage that does, and others that haven’t yet had the spark lit to learn about it. Maybe we can help. I think so.