Americans love money. Personal wealth is a cornerstone of the American dream, after all. But ironically, the wealthiest nation in the world isnât the most educated on financial matters. In fact, weâre not even in the top 10.
Financial literacy in the U.S. remains â to put it kindly â limited. In 2025, financial literacy for adults was particularly low, with those surveyed answering just 49% of basic personal finance questions correctly on average. Thatâs based on a 28-question index covering topics like borrowing, saving, and investing.
This may sound like bad news, but thereâs a silver lining. If weâre the wealthiest nation in the world now with only a cursory understanding of personal finances, imagine how much more prosperous weâd be if we approached money with confidence.
To that end, weâre sharing financial literacy month ideas that banks and credit unions can use to get involved. Hereâs how you can contribute to our financial IQ while engaging with account holders in your community.
Key Takeaways
Financial Literacy for Adults â Practical Ideas & Activities
No two paths to adulthood are the same. What we learn, how we apply it, and how much that knowledge matters is different for each of us.
That said, we know what should be important to adults of different ages, and we can use that to guide no-judgment sessions in person or to support financial education for adults across different life stages. Many of these topics can be uncomfortable to think about or discuss, making the role that community institutions play much more important.
By starting the conversation, you may be able to save your account holders from delayed retirements and spoiled legacies.
Managing and Growing Your Finances
At all stages of life, but especially in adulthood, investing depends on disposable income. Thankfully, any number of wise investment strategies exist for adults at all stages of life, whether they can spare $500 or $50,000.
As balances grow, so do the decisions attached to them. Questions around allocation, risk tolerance, and time horizon begin to matter in a more immediate way. Left unaddressed, these decisions are often delayed or made inconsistently.
Financial institutions can provide a steady framework by focusing on how money is allocated and why. Clear, practical guidance helps account holders connect their current position to longer-term goals without overcomplicating the path forward.
Relevant Skills
Ways to Introduce This Topic
Retirement Planning Basics
Next to nobody wants to work into their 70s or 80s, but life has a way of throwing unexpected expenses at us, and retirement isnât always foremost on our minds.
For many adults, retirement exists somewhere in the background â important, but easy to postpone. Time, however, is one of the few factors that cannot be recovered. Delays, even short ones, can have a lasting impact on outcomes.
Financial institutions can help bring this into focus by making retirement feel tangible rather than distant. Breaking the process into manageable steps allows account holders to engage without feeling overwhelmed.
Relevant Skills
Ways to Introduce This Topic
Estate Planning Fundamentals
As if financial matters werenât uncomfortable enough, they eventually collide with the least comfortable subject of them all â death.
Because of that discomfort, planning is often delayed until circumstances force the issue. Important details â beneficiaries, account access, and document organization â can be left unclear, creating unnecessary complications for those left behind.
Financial institutions can approach this topic with sensitivity by focusing on preparation rather than finality. When handled thoughtfully, these conversations provide reassurance rather than discomfort.
Relevant Skills
Ways to Introduce This Topic
Turning Financial Knowledge into Action â How You Can Help
Most adults understand the importance of managing their finances, preparing for retirement, and planning for the transfer of assets. These are not unfamiliar concepts. But understanding what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.
Without a clear prompt or immediate next step, important financial decisions are often delayed. Retirement contributions are postponed. Estate plans remain incomplete. Investment strategies go unexamined. Over time, these delays can carry real consequences.
This is where community financial institutions can play a more active role. By pairing education with accessible products and services, they can turn awareness into action.
A timely message, a simple recommendation, or a clear path forward can make the difference between intention and execution. When institutions connect guidance to real solutions, they create value not just for account holders, but for their own long-term relationships as well.
Let's Work Together to Increase Financial Literacy in America Today
Financial habits donât form all at once. They develop through repeated decisions, small corrections, and consistent exposure to better information. For young adults, that process often begins without much structure â but it doesnât have to stay that way.
With the right mix of timely outreach, practical education, and targeted communication, community financial institutions can introduce clarity at a stage where it matters most.
Even simple efforts can help young adults make better decisions today while building stronger financial foundations for the future. These financial literacy month ideas are a starting point for building stronger habits and deeper community relationships.
Main Street Clients Can Request Free Educational Materials
Main Street clients can receive free materials to share with their account holders, including our check writing booklet, our high-security check kit, and complimentary marketing materials like lobby displays and statement stuffers. Speak to your dedicated Account Manager to learn more.
Sources:
Patrobas Sirabo Wafula, âFinancial Literacy Around the World,â SMMC News & Events Blog, University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center, April 15, 2022, https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7550/558591870.
TIAA Institute and Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC). âNational Financial Literacy Remains Stagnant at 49% as Generational Gaps Widen.â May 29, 2025. https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute/about/news/2025-tiaa-institute-gflec-personal-finance-index.
