State Superintendent Tony Evers on Personal Financial Literacy for Students

Link to Tony Evers column in October 10 Stevens Point Journal, "Students need information on personal financial literacy".

Excerpt: Financial literacy is an important part of preparing our students for a successful future. As we kick off Money Smart Week, Oct. 10 to 17, the Department of Public Instruction has released a new publication, "Planning Curriculum in Personal Financial Literacy," the first of its kind in the nation to offer comprehensive instruction in personal financial literacy for students.

Today's young people face financial choices that have expanded well beyond what their parents or grandparents dealt with as teens and young adults. An estimated 80 percent of Wisconsin students work while they are in high school, and nearly one-third have personal checking accounts and credit cards in their own names.

From college savings plans to investment funds and various retirement accounts, to the wide range of borrowing options, students need to make wise financial decisions as they avoid excessive debt and have adequate resources to meet their personal financial goals.