x
Breaking News
More () »

Governor Branstad releases Iowa report on financial literacy

Iowa school and business leaders want kids to learn more about managing money. That’s one goal unveiled Monday in Des Moines by Gov. Terry Branstad. The n...

Iowa school and business leaders want kids to learn more about managing money.

That's one goal unveiled Monday in Des Moines by Gov. Terry Branstad.

The new report calls for a closer look at financial literacy in schools.

Davenport West students got a real-life lesson about money management in April.

"Oh, you've got an expensive life," one advisor warned.

DuTrac Community Credit Union hosted this session.

"Are you looking for a used car or a new car?" questioned another.

Good decisions in this exercise could lead to financial success down the road.

"Reality is going to hit everyone really hard," said student Austin Bebout. "If they're prepared for it, it's just going to be better for everyone."

An Iowa panel wants schools to focus on those 21st Century skills for financial literacy.  It recommends doing it without adding extra courses or requirements.

Junior Achievement of the Heartland President Barbara VenHorst participated in the panel earlier this year in Des Moines.

"It's real easy to go out and say, 'Oh, I'll just spend, spend, spend,'" she said. "A lot of kids can find themselves in a real problem before they even realize it."

Among other things, the report wants to improve communication, concepts and clarity when it comes to money.

Junior Achievement of the Heartland serves 55,000 kids with classroom volunteers.  It offers lessons about financial literacy as part of its key curriculum.

"We're not only teaching them the subject matter," she continued. "We're also teaching them how to approach these kind of decisions and the kind of things they'll need to do in the work day."

Financial literacy starts early with Kindergarten and continues until they graduate from high school.

"Need more checks?" asked one young student.

JA programs are helping Iowa to identify and meet these challenges.

"It's something that we need to have for everybody's benefit," she concluded.

It's building financial literacy to last a lifetime.

Before You Leave, Check This Out