PAOLA, Kan. – Identifying April with tax time is a given, but in the U.S., April also is designated as National Financial Literacy Month.
The goal is to highlight the importance of financial literacy and teach the public how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits, said Diane Burnett, K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Miami County, Kan.
The designation dates to 2004, and is credited to Money Management International (MMI), a non-profit, full-service credit counseling organization.
According to MMI, Americans have about two trillion dollars in consumer debt. And, about 30 percent of consumers are without extra cash and live paycheck to paycheck, said Burnett, who earned a master’s degree in family financial planning at K-State, and believes: “It’s never too late to improve your financial situation.”
To begin, Burnett said the first and most important step in developing and following a financial plan is to examine your attitudes about money and decide if you are ready to accept responsibility for changing your financial situation.
As a second step, she advises assessing your current financial situation, including income, assets, liabilities and debt.
Doing so need not be a chore, said Burnett, who recommended a motivational self-assessment tool online at Financial Literacy Month.
In following through, if you are not in the habit of saving, begin saving something – a dollar a day adds up to $365 a year.
If you don’t have an emergency fund, Burnett encourages setting aside money each week to begin building one immediately.
Having funds available can reduce stress in an already stressful situation, and eliminate the need to charge on a high interest credit card, or borrow without time to shop for lower interest rate loan, Burnett said.
More information about basic money management is available at K-State Research and Extension offices throughout the state, and online at Financial Management.
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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Story by: Nancy Peterson
nancyp@ksu.eduK-State Research & Extension News Diane Burnett is at 913-294-4306
