Money, money, money: It’s the most widely traded item in the world. It’s the stuff that keeps the world functioning. Yet credit counselors at CCCS of Central Oklahoma say hardly a day goes by where they don’t hear someone say, “why didn’t I learn the proper way to handle money in school?”
Cash, credit, checks, income, savings, and expenses are all items that nearly everyone must deal with throughout their life! Money is like food: You must have it to survive, but misuse it and there are consequences. Since we can’t just quit eating or using money, we must learn to manage. That makes money management a discipline. Like most disciplines, the sooner you learn good habits, the easier it is to adopt and integrate them into your daily life.
One way the State of Oklahoma has worked to ensure all kids learn financial literacy is by adopting a program called The Passport to Financial Literacy. This Act, established in 2007 has been implemented slowly over the past several years. The final component is being implemented with the 2013-2014 school year.
Through this program, school kids are gaining a financial skill set that covers more than a dozen topics, including:
- Income
- State and federal taxes
- Banking
- Managing checkbooks
- Saving
- Borrowing and repaying debts
- Understanding interest
- Credit cards
- Renting and buying a home
- Insurance products
- Bankruptcy
Everyone has a limited amount of money, and unlimited ways to spend it. If you or your children missed out on financial education, or you moved to Oklahoma from another state and you feel your kids need to catch up, call CCCS of Central Oklahoma! Our budget counseling is free for kids and adults! We can tailor the counseling to your needs, keeping the counseling age-appropriate for your children. To schedule an appointment, call 405-789-2227. Outside the Oklahoma City Metro, call 800-364-2227. A parent or guardian must accompany children under 18 years of age to the financial literacy sessions.
If you would like more information on the Oklahoma State Department’s personal financial literacy program, visit their website at: http://ok.gov/sde/personal-financial-literacy
