Recently, ETSU held a talk about how to become more financially literate. This seems to be a popular topic for many people in college and in their young adult years, and rightfully so. Becoming financially literate can be a daunting task, and some people are at a disadvantage, depending on their previous education or home life.
For example, some people were offered classes in high school that taught them about important aspects of financial literacy, which gives them an advantage over those who were not offered those classes or chose not to take them.
Home life also plays a huge role in financial literacy in young adulthood. If one has parents who are not willing to teach them what they know about finances or if one’s parent is financially unstable or illiterate themselves, that puts that person at a huge disadvantage compared to someone who is able to learn from their parents.
There are several things I wish I had learned about finances sooner than I did, and there are plenty more I have yet to learn at all. For example, I just learned to how to file taxes this year, and I know many college students complain about not knowing how taxes work, as well. Some things that I have yet to learn that I think are important are investments, establishing and maintaining credit and saving for retirement.
I know I am definitely not alone in feeling like finances are sometimes a big mystery. Thankfully, being in college, our university offers a lot of resources to students, including this talk. With patience and the willingness to learn, one can begin taking the steps needed to learn how to become more financially literate and will in turn, hopefully be able live more financially stable, successful lives in the long run.
