5 Resources Helping People Learn About Finance

Paying bills, evaluating loans, and dealing with insurance are all important life skills, but for many, conversations about personal finance can be scary and confusing. Thankfully, there is no shortage of tools and organizations that help shed light on this topic. From navigating the world of credit to learning how to create a budget, here, in no particular order, is a selection of resources educating people about finance.

Coming in at #1 is America Saves, which is overseen by the Consumer Federation of America. Drawing on behavioral economics and social marketing, this research-based campaign helps people save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. In particular, it targets low- to moderate-income households, encouraging them to commit to a savings pledge and connecting them to a like-minded community.

America Saves encourages individuals to develop an emergency fund, as well as to set aside funds for big-ticket expenses such as education, buying a home, and maintaining a car. The campaign also runs specific initiatives for military families, young workers, and employers. Online, it shares financial tips and stories from everyday Americans, and it hosts periodic town halls and webinars on topics like eliminating debt.

In the #2 spot is Investopedia. Launched in 1999, this online resource works to simplify complex financial information, thereby helping its readers make better decisions with their money. Its wide variety of personal finance articles covers all manner of topics, from wealth and banking to home ownership and retirement planning.

Investopedia offers self-paced, online educational opportunities through its own academy, which has courses on managing debt, day trading, and using Excel. Elsewhere, it provides financial news and analysis on markets, trading, trends, and politics. In addition, this resource also features insightful guides on things like selecting a financial advisor and shopping for insurance.

At #3 is Experian. For more than 125 years, Experian has worked to help its clients succeed, offering consumer and business credit reporting and marketing services. With employees operating across more than forty countries, it is committed to helping individuals manage, use, and learn about their credit profiles.

As part of its dedication to consumer education, this company publishes Ask Experian, an online credit advice column that features information on topics such as budgeting, homeowners insurance, and medical debt. Experian has also partnered with organizations such as Operation HOPE and the NAACP to provide support to people experiencing financial hardship.

Coming in at #4 is the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, which was established in 2011 at the George Washington University School of Business. As an incubator for financial literacy research and solutions, GFLEC strives to empower individuals to participate in the economy and secure better futures. In particular, its work targets educational efforts with women, schools, communities, and the workplace.

Specific research projects from GFLEC have focused on entrepreneurship among baby boomers, mobile payments in the millennial population, and financial literacy for professional athletes. Additionally, this organization has produced a series of educational videos on a variety of topics, and periodically hosts events such as documentary screenings and summits and conferences on financial literacy.

Last but not least, at #5 is the Council for Economic Education. For over seventy years, CEE has educated students from kindergarten through high school in the areas of economic and personal finance. Each year, its in-person professional development reaches more than 50,000 teachers, who in turn instruct millions of students across the country.

In support of its mission, CEE conducts a number of programs. EconEdLink, for example, is an online resource featuring free personal finance and economic lesson plans for teachers, as well as other materials such as webinars and guides for family activities. This organization also runs a nationwide economics competition for high school students and an extracurricular program for young children.