Learning how to earn, spend, and save money wisely ought to start in childhood. But if you missed the early lessons, websites such as these offer many ways to catch up on financial literacy.
Among articles on Visa’s PracticalMoneySkills.com site is one on the company’s annual “Tooth Fairy survey,” which Visa says “shows that American children are receiving an average of $3.70 per lost tooth this year, a dramatic increase of 23 percent over the $3 per tooth left in 2012.” Visa doesn’t say if that’s a good thing, though. A link on the page takes you to a collection of YouTube videos focused on financial literacy and the need for it in formal education, as well as tutorials on mortgage loans, bankruptcy and a couple of dozen other money-minding subjects. tinyurl.com/FinLitVisa
The blog at Credit.com has posts that cover a range of financial subjects and last week included one on a report that gave 11 states failing grades on their policies to foster financial literacy. It explains: “To get an F grade, the state will have few or no requirements for personal finance education in high school. The report from the Center for Financial Literacy notes that some school districts in those states may require or excel at such education, but the grade is based on statewide requirements.” News about credit is, of course, another big area on the blog, as are issues of privacy and identity theft. tinyurl.com/FinLitCredit
The PBS video series “Your Life, Your Money” and supporting material are available at PBS.org. Under the “Real Stories” tab, find video of people telling their own tales of struggling to make and hold on to money. A game on the site encourages youngsters to make an animated figure hop around the screen to explore the subjects of saving, learning, and setting goals at different stages of life, from school days to career to retirement. There’s a lot to explore here and an invitation to share your own story about financial challenges and how you handle them, or don’t. tinyurl.com/FinLitPBS
Links to financial-literacy groups and resources of all sorts are cataloged on this page maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a banking regulator. Get past the jargon and you’ll see a host of materials from public and private groups aimed at people of all ages and abilities. The various regional Federal Reserve Banks, advocacy groups, educational-curriculum designers and others offer lessons, games and guides. There are links for tax assistance, for learning how to recognize and avoid abusive lending practices, and for a set of resources on “financial literacy for multilingual populations.” tinyurl.com/FinLitComptroller
©2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer
Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.philly.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
