David H. Lillard, Jr. is the Tennessee State Treasurer.
April is Financial Literacy month. It also marks 12 months of extraordinary challenges for many individuals and families in Tennessee. While the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened public health, it also presented widespread economic hardship and instability for so many.
With Tennesseans facing historic disruptions to the economy and employment, financial education becomes even more essential to ensuring a brighter future for our youngest citizens.
Resources are available
As your state treasurer, I have worked with our General Assembly, and dedicated businesses and individuals who share our passion, to expand access to high quality financial literacy tools through the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission.
When most people hear the word âliteracy,â they think about it in terms of having the ability to read and write. And rightfully so. That is the classic definition of the word, and the topic receives a great deal of attention in the education world. The ability to read, write and comprehend subject matter is the foundation on which lifelong learning is built and sustained. Without it, a personâs opportunities in life are severely limited.
But literacy also means to have competence or knowledge in a specified area, and when it comes to the skills one can learn in life, few are more important than learning and understanding the basics of personal finance and establishing a strong foundation on which to make sound money decisions.