Personal Finance

Americans Aren't Learning Personal Finance Skills

U.S. students score low on financial literacy tests compared to other developed countries.

Americans Aren't Learning Personal Finance Skills
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Americans aren't learning personal finance skills.

In the U.S., only 17 states require that high schools teach money skills.

2022 Update: More States Requiring Personal Finance Education
2022 Update: More States Requiring Personal Finance Education

2022 Update: More States Requiring Personal Finance Education

Fourteen states now require high school students to take a financial literacy course before graduating.

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And American students have low marks internationally on financial literacy. The countries that score highest, like Australia, make personal finance part of official curriculum.

Americans say they struggle with basic money skills: About 60 percent say they don't set a budget and track spending, 43 percent worry about not having "rainy day" savings for an emergency and 37 percent carry credit card debt month to month. A majority of Americans say they could benefit from personal finance lessons.