When I travel the country speaking
to high school and college students about exactly what they need to do to
become financially successful in life I always begin my presentation by asking
three questions:
“How many want to be financially
successful in life?”
“How many think they will be
financially successful in life?”
Almost every time I ask the first
two questions every hand rises in the air.
Then I ask the magic third question:
“How many have taken a course in
school on how to be financially successful in life?”
Not one hand rises in the air, ever.
Clearly every student wants to be
successful and thinks they will be successful but none have been taught by
their parents or their school system how to be financially successful in life.
Not only are there no courses on
basic financial success principles but there are no structured courses teaching
basic financial literacy.