Sushi Money

     I was asked recently how someone could really gain financial knowledge… to learn about financial issues, saving, investing and managing finances successfully to achieve a secure retirement.   It’s a question that a lot of us have asked at one time or another in our lives.  Heck, it’s a question we keep asking isn’t it?   Do we ever really know enough?  It seems like the more I do learn, the greater awareness I have for how much I don’t know.  If that makes any sense…

     Sure, some people have an interest or passion for financial issues, and keep after it throughout their lives.  Others just fall into it as a career option, or expansion of business and management.  A good education goes a long way no matter what you do   The statistics specifically show that with increasing education comes increasing wealth.  Knowledge about financial issues often grows with the responsibility for managing that increasing wealth for many people.  Yet for countless millions, financial literacy remains a challenging concept… something that is not “applied” in their lives, and may never really be well understood.    How many bad decisions are made in terms of loans, credit, debt, scams and frauds are tied into lack of awareness and knowledge of financial matters?   

    I am always amazed that we still have enormous numbers of people living in poverty in the U.S.  Take a look at this chart from the U.S. Census Bureau:

     These are statistical numbers based on Census Bureau calculations of Poverty Thresholds.  They are used to calculate a poverty rate and comparisons of the number of people in poverty in the U.S.  The Poverty Thresholds are based on income per family size, and if the income is below the poverty level, then the entire family is considered to be living in poverty.  The official Census Bureau poverty definition is updated for inflation using the CPI, and only uses pre-tax income, not including sources such as capital gains, subsidized housing, food stamps, medicaid, etc. 

    The Poverty Thresholds are different than the U.S. Poverty Guidelines calculated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  But the Poverty Guidelines are very important, because they are the numbers used to determine qualification for a host of federal programs such as school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC, food stamps, Job Corps, subsidized Medicare, State Children’s Health Insurance programs, Head Start, etc. 

    Regardless of the approach to defining poverty, the results are fairly close:  For a family of four today, they are living in poverty if their annual income is around $20,600 or below.   What if there’s one spouse working at a minimum wage job, the other spouse not working, and two school-age kids?  That’s a pretty difficult economic situation for a family, and they would be challenged to earn more than the poverty level.   What about those living alone?  A one-person household is living in poverty if their income is around $10,000 per year.

     Many of the government programs tied to the poverty guidelines are used primarily by families with children, which brings up an interesting point.  Children under 18 years old have the highest rate of poverty in the U.S.  Some people find that surprising, but it’s not when you think of the number of poor children in some families.  It’s not against the law to be uneducated, to be poor and to continue to have many children, but that is a reality in many parts of the nation… and world of course.  Unfortunately, lack of education goes hand-in-hand with reduced economic well-being, just as we cited the opposite as being a reality:  Greater education results in greater long-term wealth, and fosters improved economic well-being.

Here’s a chart showing historical poverty by age group:

     So it brings up the question of where the poor are getting help in terms of financial knowledge and education?   If someone has very little money and is struggling from paycheck-to-paycheck, how much time do they really have to learn and plan for long-term financial needs?   Probably not much.  Financial planning is simply not going to be the focus for so many struggling families- they are simply trying to make do from month-to-month and survive, especially with children.  And the financial services industry doesn’t really help- everything from brokers, fund managers, financial planners, accountants, financial counselors… what type of clients do they really serve?    Mostly it’s clients with money.   No matter how altruistic their motivations, these professionals are in business to make money.   Sure, there are exceptions such as the many counselors and social workers who do serve lower socio-economic markets and clients, but it’s a challenge, especially with liability insurance and other professional costs of being in business.  

    That’s why I believe so strongly in education and financial literacy.  All the government programs in the world are simply “stop-gap” measures aimed at helping people get by.   People must receive practical, applied training and education in order to pull themselves out of poverty!  The old axiom about teaching someone to fish rather than simply giving them a fish is very true.   The government should give them a few fish along the way, but it is possible to get an education and improve economic well-being.  It is possible to learn how to manage financial matters.  We can help people do that… and make a huge difference in the lives of those in need, especially children.  And we need to start at younger ages… teach children about saving and using money all throughout public school, especially the hazards and use of credit cards and debt.

     And just maybe we are finally looking at these issues as a nation.  Did you know there was a U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission?  In 2002 the U.S. Treasury Department established the Office of Financial Education, and soon after created the financial literacy focus.  In 2006, the website MyMoney.gov went live as a place chartered to “provide financial education and resources to all Americans.”  It’s a decent site filled with helpful information and references for many different financial topics.  One of the key strengths of the site is how they’ve integrated government resources such as Social Security information into the topical areas. 

     By the way, what was my answer to the question about how to gain financial knowledge?  Just good ‘ole fashioned effort and discipline primarily.  Take a few classes at a community college or university on budgeting or investings.  Stay away from “get rich quick” ideas and investing seminars.  Read and learn as much as possible… use the internet and the local library for all the fantastic financial books out there.  Stay with it, and keep learning over time.  Meet with an objective fee-only financial planner and talk about the future.  The bottom line and best advice I’ve ever heard?  The simple answer of starting to save and invest as early as possible… Time is on your side if you start young.  It’s hard to make up the older you get.

     I wish there was a better prescription for learning financial  ”stuff” but it just takes time and effort.  How do you do it?  Is it because you enjoy handling financial matters?  What do you think our country can do to improve financial literacy and education in the U.S.? 

    I see financial literacy as an increasing imperative for many nations around the world.  I just don’t think we can leave the details of our financial future up to someone else.  If you’re fortunate to have the resources to let a professional manage your financial well-being, that’s great… but seems to me it’s still important to stay in touch and continue learning along the way, not to mention a responsibility for educating others.   How many billions of dollars are spent providing aid to those who may have been able to do better for themselves, if someone had helped educate them earlier?

     There are many other people that need our help of course, and especially family members who are counting on our knowledge, or at least guidance.  I never even heard of a mutual fund until my father introduced them to me years ago.  If I had followed his advice at the time I would be a lot further ahead right now financially.  But he does receive the credit for pointing me in the right direction.   And I’ve learned something else along the way…. it’s never too late to start!

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