After a year-long pandemic has rattled the economy and left many Americans without jobs, this Financial Literacy Month may be the most important one in years. Even before the pandemic, many Americans were living beyond their means, and because states vary widely on whether they offer financial education in schools, many adults never learned the practices that can help in a financial crisis.
We have gathered a few websites and tools to help you or a loved one get started on learning financial basics. From an initial financial health check to savings calculators to games that can help whole families learn, you can find the resources you need on this list:
After a year-long pandemic has rattled the economy and left many Americans without jobs, this Financial Literacy Month may be the most important one in years.
Financial Literacy Resources
NerdWallet Financial Health Score
NerdWallet is a great site to browse for basic financial information, including credit card reviews, mortgage rate comparisons, and more. They also provide a test you can take to judge your own financial health.
After taking the test, your scores are divided into three categories: financially vulnerable, financially coping, or financially healthy. For each segment, NerdWallet provides resources on related subjects like managing financial crises and paying off debt. You have to know your numbers to change your numbers, and this is the perfect place to start.
As a one-stop hub for resources, Edutopia provides videos, apps, and lessons on everything from entrepreneurship education to how financial literacy differs between states to the value of financial literacy. It even has resources for families with separate lessons for children in grades K–8 and 9–12.
This page is essential if you ever have to do the math for budgeting or long-term goal setting. There are tools for college financial aid, tax and withholding calculators, saving and investment tools, and much more.
If you are more of a reader and want longer financial literacy materials, this site has plenty of eBooks and long-form downloads for you. Topics vary from basics like credit management to how to protect yourself from identity theft.
Sort of a Wikipedia for finance, Investopedia is the perfect place to look up a specific financial term or definition. These are not lessons or courses so some pages can be pretty advanced, but it has a wide breadth of knowledge — you can use it as a dictionary.
Hit the Road: A Financial Adventure Game
The National Credit Union Administration has found a way to take typically dry financial literacy material and make it fun for children and adults. The game revolves around a road trip where you must ration your supplies and make sound financial decisions — a bit like Oregon Trail but for modern financial concepts.
While financial literacy may not solve systemic issues, the tools learned through financial education can help anyone live an easier life.
While financial literacy may not solve systemic issues, the tools learned through financial education can help anyone live an easier life. Knowing these concepts helps you avoid debt and gives you the peace of mind of living through financial security.
April is recognized as National Financial Capability Month to highlight the value of high-quality financial education in improving Americans’ financial capability. See the White House’s statement here.
FFS Agents – share this post with your networks using our resources in the ABO.
