Financial Literacy Month

National Financial Literacy Month is recognized in the United States in April in an effort to highlight the importance of financial literacy and teach Americans how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

In 2000, The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy began promoting April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month and in 2003 the United States Congress showed its support. Senate Resolution 48 and House Resolution 127 asked President George W. Bush to declare April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month. At that time, governors of eight states had already named the month of April as such.

The year after Senate Resolution 48 and H Resolution 127 passed, further action was taken to designate April as National Financial Literacy Month to improve Americans’ financial and economic knowledge. April was named National Financial Literacy Month by the passing of Senate Resolution 316 with unanimous consent, championed by Daniel Akaka D-HI.

Many of the country’s financial institutions and nonprofit financial educational organizations and promote the month by holding promotional events and creating educational materials that center around effectively handling money and dealing with debt.