Now is the time to sharpen your financial acumen. April is National Financial Literacy Month as designated by the United States Senate.
This month-long focus on money is an effort to help Americans of all ages understand the importance of handling money wisely and giving them the skills to do so.
The Center for Financial Social Work defines financial literacy as “the ability to understand how money works in the world: how someone manages to earn or make it, how that person manages it and invests it, and how that person donates it to help others. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.”
You can take a short financial quiz at http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/financial_quiz.html. 
Forbes.com’s article, 7 Questions to Test Your Financial Literacy, lists seven common misunderstandings that can lead to big financial mistakes.
The FDIC has a publication for young adults, teens, and their parents called, For Young Adults and Teens: Quick Tips for Managing Your Money. It is a collection of simple, practical strategies for saving, borrowing, banking, and avoiding financial scams.
Numerous other organizations offer financial education programs for both children and adults. You can find them by doing an internet search for “Financial Literacy Month 2013.”
