New Report: National Strategy for Financial Literacy

Posted by on October 20, 2006

[posted from AssetBuilding newsletter]

Taking Ownership of the Future
The National Strategy for Financial Literacy
2006

Today?s increasingly complex financial services market offers consumers a vast array of products, services, and providers to choose from to meet their financial needs. While this degree of choice provides consumers with a great number of options, it also requires that they be equipped with the information, knowledge, and skills to evaluate their options and identify those that best suit their needs and circumstances. This is especially the case for populations that have traditionally been underserved by our financial system. Financial education also is essential to help consumers understand how to prevent becoming involved in transactions that are financially destructive, how to avoid becoming victims of fraud, and how to exercise their consumer protection rights. Financial literacy can empower consumers to be better shoppers, allowing them to obtain goods and services at lower cost. This optimizes their household budgets, providing more opportunity to consume and save or invest. In addition, comprehensive education can help provide individuals with the financial knowledge necessary to create household budgets, initiate savings plans, manage debt, and make strategic investment decisions for their retirement or their children?s education. Having these basic financial planning skills can help families to meet their near-term obligations and to maximize their longer-term financial well being.

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/financial-education/Pages/activities.aspx