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Financial Literacy: Home

This guide provides information and resources to help promote financial literacy instruction.

What is financial literacy?

When Money Matters

Money is emotional.  Everyone has a history with money, as a result it can be difficult to talk about money. 

Things to keep in mind:

1.  Not everyone has the same needs and/or wants.

2.  Our past history with money influences our current use of money.  

3.  Little things add up so 1 $5 latte won't sink your budget but 1 $5 latte twice a day 5 days a week is $50 and that can sink a budget so be real with your spending.

Top 10 Financial Tips

Take from "Financial Literacy for Millennials"

  1. Keep it simple.
  2. Live modestly.
  3. Avoid debt.
  4. Save relentlessly.
  5. Embrace skepticism.
  6. Diversity investments.
  7. Taxes matter.
  8. Thing long term.
  9. Understand yourself.
  10. Take your money seriously.

Key Terms

Bankruptcy is simply a legal process by which debts are eliminated or greatly reduced, so the debtor can make a fresh start.

A budget is a plan you write down to decide how you will spend your money each month.

A budget helps you make sure you will have enough money every month. Without a budget, you might run out of money before your next paycheck.

A budget shows you:

  • how much money you make
  • how you spend your money

Types of credit: credit cards, student loans, car loan, mortgages

A credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, such as how likely you are to pay a loan back on time, based on information from your credit reports.

Something you owe or an obligation,such as a car loan, student loans, and such

An expense is a cost; money that you spend.

Examples:

Utilities

Loan payments

Food

Any money you bring in, including job salary, gifts, and savings.

Investments are anything of value you intend to hold for a later time that will produce some financial benefit (a return).

M. P. Baker Print Books

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