Are You Financially Literate?

I have always been interested in finances. I remember in elementary school learning about the money system and being fascinated with it. This interest led me to obtain my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the finance world.  Upon graduation, I wanted to give back in a meaningful way. After some years, I discovered an enormous hole- financial literacy.

Did you know? 

Did you know less than 34% of adults can pass a financial literacy test?! That is alarming if you really think about it! Consider yourself for a moment- do any of these words scare you: 401(k), retirement, investing, budgeting? If they do, don’t worry, you’re not alone. To help solve this gap, I joined the board of a nonprofit (Young Investors Society) which teaches financial and investment literacy to high school students. In the last 6 years, we have reached more than 1,300 schools, 7,000 students, in 45 states and 26 countries.

Free Tools

Here at FCB, we also offer a free tool to help bridge the financial literacy gap in our local communities. We have partnered with a group called EVERFI to build an online learning resource free to the public. Using interactive modules, this tool teaches many financial literacy concepts for both the young and old. Regardless of your experience with managing money, there is always something new you can learn! I would encourage you to take some time this month and review those courses. Choose one subject that interests you and take 10 minutes to increase your skills and knowledge. You can enroll for free by clicking the button below.

Enroll in Financial Literacy Courses

Author: Bryan Jack, EVP Chief Financial Officer

Bryan started off as a CPA after graduating college and transferred to the world of banking 10 years ago. He currently sits on the FCB Community Reinvestment Act Committee as well as on the board for the Young Investors Society, an international non-profit whose mission is to help educate the rising generation on financial literacy.