The Problem with Financial Literacy Month

American Banker
Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Fifteen years ago, the Senate passed a resolution recognizing the month of April as a time to "highlight the importance of financial literacy and teach Americans how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits." However, research may now suggest that such programs may not be that impactful. Moreover, for many people the issue is not lack of financial knowledge, but rather the conditions of extreme inequality and income volatility that keep them down. The reality is, people who have money woes tend to already be keenly aware of their problems. For this reason, Jennifer Tescher, CEO of the Center for Financial Services Innovation, argues that we need more than uplifting content to guide people back to financial health.