Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has once again passed a resolution designating April as Financial Literacy Month. I thank my cosponsors, Senators Enzi, Dodd, Crapo, Johnson, Corker,…
Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has once again passed a resolution designating April as Financial Literacy Month. I thank my cosponsors, Senators Enzi, Dodd, Crapo, Johnson, Corker, Schumer, Cochran, Menendez, Wicker, Kohl, Merkley, Inouye, Durbin, Baucus, Murray, Lincoln, Begich, Gillibrand, Feingold, Levin, Carper, Cardin, Stabenow, and Hagan. I am glad to work once again with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to promote financial and economic literacy for all Americans.
This tax day I want to recognize those organizations that gathered information on the status of financial literacy in our country. This includes the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy's survey of high school seniors and the Employee Benefit Research Institute's Retirement Confidence Survey. These surveys present deeply troubling figures that underscore the need for increased financial literacy. The financial literacy of high school students has fallen to its lowest level ever, with a score of just 48.3 percent. Also, the percentage of workers who were ``very confident'' about having enough money for a comfortable retirement decreased sharply, from 27 percent in 2007 to 18 percent in 2008 to 13 percent in 2009, the lowest since the question was first asked in the survey in 1993, and representing a 50 percent decline in worker confidence since 2007. There is still much work to do in properly educating America's youth on basic personal financial management skills.
In addition, last year the Federal Reserve noted that household debt in the United States stood at $13.6 trillion. The 2009 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey Final Report of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that less than half of all adults keep close track of their spending, and nearly 16 million adults do not monitor their overall spending and do not know how much they spend on food, housing, and entertainment. With regard to retirement planning, the U.S. Department of Labor noted that only 43 percent of people in the United States have calculated how much they need to save for retirement. These findings suggest a serious problem underscored by the fact that most workers have not calculated how much they need to save for retirement, even if they believe they are behind schedule in their retirement.
Increased financial and economic literacy can help people navigate around the countless pitfalls found in the marketplace. A significant step occurred with the passage of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009. The Act requires credit card companies to disclose information about the impact of making only the minimum monthly payment. This includes how long it will take to repay a credit card and the extra amount in interest that must be paid when only the minimum payment is made. This easily-found information will allow consumers to become more aware of their financial situation and enable them to make better financial choices.
Our resolution designates April 2010 as Financial Literacy Month and highlights the need to promote financial literacy. I am pleased by efforts underway to promote financial and economic education and wish to highlight a few examples. Here in Washington, the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy is holding a celebration of financial literacy this month. During the celebration, Jumpstart will honor two national leaders, a State coalition of the year, and the prestigious Odom Award winner. In addition, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling will announce the winner of its annual poster contest. The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, DFI, announced that it is launching a new statewide financial education calendar. DFI is working with organizations providing financial education in their communities to incorporate existing calendars into a single searchable, comprehensive statewide calendar of financial education classes and events. Maryland Public Television is airing the program ``Pursuit of the Dream: Building Credit for Life.'' This special and important documentary will educate viewers on the importance of credit scores. Viewers will also learn tips for building a good credit score and helpful ways to avoid money traps that can drag down credit ratings. Viewers will also be able to hear from local financial experts and call a toll-free number airing throughout the broadcast to connect to valuable resources. In my home State of Hawaii, the Hawaii State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs recently organized a fair to provide free financial information and help arm consumers with accurate and useful information to encourage financial literacy.
As policymakers, we need to focus on these issues year round, not just in the month of April. However, focusing on Financial Literacy Month in April means that we have a designated part of the year when we can reassess and improve upon our efforts.
