Why Are More States Requiring Personal Finance Education?

You’ve probably seen the memes by now, poking fun at how we learned concepts in math class that didn't exactly prepare us to be financially responsible.  But some schools, like West High School in Denver, Colorado, are listening. That’s where Daniel Walter teaches a financial literacy course, created at the request of parents in the wake of the pandemic.  The demand for financial literacy education spans far beyond Colorado, though. In fact, a total of fourteen states now require students to take a course before graduating. Michigan, Georgia, and Florida are three of the most recent states to join this growing trend. Experts told Newsy that learning about financial literacy in school is a welcome step in the right direction. Experts also say this is something that students of all ages can learn about. But they point out that learning about the concepts of saving or investing alone can’t guarantee financial success.  Requiring one course to graduate is a good start, but they’d like to see more.