Americans want — and need — financial literacy

Strong public support

• 87% agree that financial concepts should be taught in high school
• 72% believe they would be better off financially if they had learned finance basics earlier
  (Source: Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Bankers Association; survey conducted March 21-23, 2025.)
  
• 83% say their state should require a personal finance course to graduate
  (Source: ABA Banking Journal, “Survey: Most Americans want high schools to offer financial education”)

The cost of financial illiteracy

• $1,015 – estimated average loss per person due to lack of personal finance knowledge
  
  • Estimated $243 billion in total losses for all adults
• Nearly 35% of adults say personal finances are a cause of stress
  (Source: National Financial Educators Council, How Much Financial Illiteracy Costs survey and Money and Mental Health survey)

Reaching Gen Z

• Gen Z has the lowest financial literacy rate at 37%
  BUT
• Gen Z has the highest interest in personal finance courses (30%) compared to 20% for millennials and 7% for boomers
  (Source: WalletHub, Financial Literacy Statistics, June 9, 2025)

How banks can help

Banks can play a key role in bridging the financial education gap by leveraging free ABA Foundation programs:

• Teach Children to Save – ages 5-12
• Lights, Camera, Save! - ages 13-18
• Get Smart About Credit – ages 13-30
• Safe Banking for Seniors – ages 55+ (and their families)

The need for financial literacy has never been more critical. Empower your communities today: aba.com/FinEd