Financial literacy by the numbers

Young Americans are in a tough spot, financially. Today’s 20-somethings hold an average individual debt of about $45,000 between student loans, credit cards, car payments, mortgages and other sources, according to PNC Bank, a staggering burden for an unprepared young person to carry, exacerbated by an elevated unemployment level among this group. 

Consequently, this group is significantly more likely to feel that financial planning is complicated and overwhelming, according to a recent study by Northwestern Mutual. The study found that young people rank “not falling below your current standard of living” as an important financial goal, but only 54 percent believe that they are on track to achieve this goal.

And it’s not just young people who feel they could be more financially prepared. The majority of Americans feel their financial planning needs improvement. In fact, Americans rated “improving personal finances” as their second highest annual priority, according to Northwestern Mutual’s study. They are also worried they’re unprepared to financially support themselves into their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Education is empowering

This month, get thinking about how you can improve your financial literacy and become better prepared for your future. You can use resources such as TheMint.org to re-teach yourself and your children how to manage money wisely. Understanding the fundamentals of personal finance is the first step to planning for the rest of your financial future. So why not learn more? It just makes “cents.”

For more information, and a variety of educational resources and interactive tools, visit themint.org.