Posted on 06/22/2018 7:28:09 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The average American has an abysmally low personal finance IQ, yet the public school system continues to ignore the importance of educating students in this key area of life. Why is this? And when will things change?
The State of Personal Finance in America
When you look at salary and income statistics, Americans are killing it. When you look at just about any other statistical category as it relates to personal finance, the average American is miserably failing. How bad are things? Take a look:
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Yes, I certainly included this advice, along with A. Einstein’s admonishment that compound interest is one of the stronger forces in the universe. (Or something like that.)
Because math is tough and finances are Mommy and Daddys responsibility.
School staffs in general are left-leaning, tending to support Democrat policies. Since citizens who are able to manage their own lives successfully have little need for Democrat policies, with their tendency to take from the successful to give to the lazy or unlucky, fewer will vote Democrat. Therefore it would not be in their interest to teach such skills; in fact they would oppose such courses.
The few stray women with whom I am acquainted have strayed so far to the left that you would not be interested.
But now everyone's phone has a calculator.
Econ 101 for millenials: “Whaddaya mean there’s no money in my bank accout? I still have checks!”
It’s probably because it’s “too depressing,” which is the excuse given for not teaching economics in high school. It harshes the narrative of the cost of success.
From what I can see of my summer hire here at the farm they aren’t teaching them much of all at screwl. I’ve had the same experience in adult education. My students have all but nothing in the way of even basic knowledge.
What are they teaching? What to think and what to know to pass a standardized test maybe but not anything else like how to think.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Money falls into that category.
Without goals and objectives you will wander aimlessly never knowing what you are working for or when you have achieved it.
I do not have high hopes for our future.
I went to work for a major oil company when I was 22 out of college. I seem to be the only new hire they had ever encountered that asked about the pension trust.
For some reason I began thinking about the day I would not be able or wanting to work any longer at a very early age. I’m glad I did that 40 years ago.
Personal finance education——in my day that’s what parents were for.
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Yup, I’m surprised more haven’t realized this. It’s just to keep the masses down and ignorant as possible. It keeps a certain skill set, in this case simple knowledge of how an economy works, among the elite by default.
It should be taught as just another class all throughout public education, like math or English, from simple concepts in elementary school to more complex in high school.
Freegards
Just read your essay on your profile page. Couldn’t agree more with all you said.
We raised two youngsters. Both are fine. Not long after our son was married and well on his own he offered this. We have enough saved to pay cash for a house when we need to, all our debts are paid, we have money in the bank and retirement savings underway. You and Mom taught me to manage money, live well and well below my means, to pay myself as soon as I could [savings].
For a long long time we spend every dollar as if it was the last we would ever see.
He and his wife just finished a new house and paid cash for it. They also own a paid for rental house and some other stuff.
My parents were children of the Depression. They lived like every thing they owned was all they would ever have so they took pretty good care of it. They also treated every dollar like it was their last one.
“My parents were children of the Depression.”
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So was I,and also fatherless.
My mother was my “finance professor” .:-)
Sounds like you did a good job with your kids.
I feel a little better about Trump now than I did in 2017. He is growing into the job. Each encounter with the swamp teaches him something new and he learns well. He is still just a speed bump though. What he is doing is much like the garrison at Rourke’s Drift or any other beseiged group with no place to turn but to fight. There is always the possibility that you may win and that has happened before. In not fighting there is a 100% chance that you will LOSE. I think with Trump though the thought of losing never crosses his mind. At least if it does we will never know it.
There is a difference between education that should be denied and education that should be heeded.
It was in mine, part of the Free Enterprise class. Problem is that’s sophomore or junior year, about 10 years before you’re ever going to have any money to personally manage. And really, who really remembers crap you learn in school. Personal finance is something you need to be taught for years by parents.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, too many parents have no idea how to balance a checkbook, create a workable budget, save for an emergency or invest for the future.
wouldn’t want to educate people on the realities of life, budgeting income expenses taxes cost of food, housing car insurance maintenance cost of children where money for entitlements comes from (not obamas stash)etc..they might not need the govt to think for them if they were not so ignorant...
Americans saving money would errode their welfare state.
And lo, it has come to pass!
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