| For
the second year in a row Bankrate.com
has commissioned a survey to measure the financial literacy of Americans.
The result of this national poll was as dismal as the previous year's
results, with Americans scoring a "D" in financial literacy.
One positive finding though is that Americans are more aware of
what they need to be doing, they just need to actually do it. Bankrate.com
has provided 12 steps to good financial management which are listed
below. 1.
Pay bills on time to avoid late fees.
2. Pay
more than the minimum on your credit cards.
3. Read
your bank statement regularly.
4.
Build an emergency fund of at least 3 months' living expenses. 5.
Prepare a will. 6.
Shop around for the best insurance rates and coverage. 7.
Look around for and switch to credit cards with lower rates. 8.
Follow a monthly budget. 9.
Adjust your W-4 annually to make sure you are not giving the government
too much money. 10.
Check your credit report annually for accuracy. 11.
Contribute to a retirement account. 12.
Comparison shop for the best deal on your mortgage or refinancing. Additional
Resources: Bankrate.com
Financial Literacy Survey 2004 click
here
Studentdebthelp.org click
here Financial
Literacy Quiz click
here
American's
Nearly Flunk Financial Literacy click
here
Denying
Our Debt click
here
Why
We Lie About Money and Debt
click
here
Who's
Financially Literate? Who's Not? click
here
Financial
Literacy Pays Off in Many Ways
click
here
12
Steps to Financial Literacy
click
here
What's
Your Spending Style and Other Financial Quizzes
click
here |
