One of the direct results of my time working as an accountant was the realization that money habits, good or bad, start young. It didn’t take long, after I brought a sweet bundle-of-joy home for the first time, for me to start planning her financial education. I wanted her to see money as a tool, something to use carefully and ... Read More »

I’m back in the market for advertising letters and mailers people receive promising some sort of debt or credit help. As a reward for helping me scout out the latest mailers so I can review them I’m reinstating my “I Buy Junk Mail” program I offered a few years ago. Why I Do This I’ve found the best way to ... Read More »

Sex sells, I think we can agree on that, so can it also help attract people to learn more about financial literacy and money topics? At least that’s what I wondered years ago. After all, what can make a boring subject the least bit attractive for those that would otherwise almost never venture into a subject they could care less ... Read More »

Kids.gov recently published these comics designed to teach kids all about learning ways to save money. The first is aimed at younger kids with an interesting message that you can buy stuff you really want if you use your own money. It struck me as an interesting message since it seems to be a tacit approval that you can buy ... Read More »

When I was 8 years old my dad took me into Citibank to open my very first savings account. He said it would teach me the value of a dollar and the importance of saving. I don’t remember how much I started my account with and if I deposited on a regular basis but I do remember being the talk ... Read More »

Chapter 4 – Why Money Doesn’t Make You Happy If you’ve nodded your head a few times reading the first three chapters of this book, get ready: I’m going to introduce you to a program which, if you stick to it, will help you to be happy and have money. First, consider that part of what has been blocking your ... Read More »

One of my Twitter buddies, Thomas Fox (@thomasjfox) sent a tweet about an article titled “Financial Ignorance is Not Bliss.” When Americans were questioned by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, more than 41 percent of adults gave themselves a grade of C, D or F when it came to their understanding of financial literacy. And less than half the ... Read More »

What’s Your Money Personality? Are you a balanced spender/investor or are you a Binge Spender? A Big Spender or a Micromanager? Take this fun quiz to find out which money personality best describes your style of money management. You may find that two or more answers to some questions seem correct in describing you. In that case, select the answer ... Read More »

photo © 2010 Alan Cleaver | more info (via: Wylio)The Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation in conjunction with The University of Melbourne released a Research Report in March 2011 about Financial Literacy and “What Causes Suboptimal Financial Behaviour? An Exploration of Financial, Social Influences and Behavioural Economics”. This following article will showcase their report and findings. All quotes ... Read More »

The Honorable Dennis McKinney, Treasurer, State of Kansas U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Representative Moore, Chairman August 24, 2010 Testimony by Kansas State Treasurer Dennis McKinney Good morning Chairman. As Kansas State Treasurer, I believe financial literacy is a national priority. As a result, my office provides a variety of financial literacy ... Read More »

I just got these thank you notes in from students that I thought I share with you. As I’ve mentioned before part of the money I receive each month I invest in projects or services to help others. One of those areas is financial literacy for kids. Read More »

In what feels like a never ending series of debunking articles about financial topics, like why a 15 year mortgage is less safe than a 30 year mortgage, here is another installment, this time about financial education. Typically financial education classes are touted as some sort of inoculation that can be given to high school students to prepare them for ... Read More »

An inovative new program from Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas significantly rewards students that graduate within five years, with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, secure employment in the Dallas metropolitan area, maintain a good credit history and donate 400 hours of volunteer time to the community. University president Michael Sorrell is quoted as saying “This program ... Read More »

As someone that deals with the aftermath of the financial mess my answer will surprise you. Yes there should be classes but it is NOT a vaccination against financial problems but it might be part of a longer term multifaceted solution. My observation is that teaching these issues in high school is a bit like requiring all students to take ... Read More »