Over the last three years, there has been no bigger news story than personal finance. And for good reason. Most economists agree that our home-buying habits (fueled by dangerous lending practices) contributed to the Great Recession. Plus, most Americans were completely caught off guard by our plummeting economy — left without adequate savings when we needed it the most.
Sadly, some things haven’t changed much. Take a look at these scary statistics:
— Forty percent of Americans say they are saving less this year than they did last year, and 39 percent say they have no retirement savings (Harris Interactive).
— But according to the same survey, 28 percent say they are spending more this year than they did last.
— The U.S. student loan debt is now $870 billion (with a b), according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and it is expected to reach $1 trillion (with a t) very soon. This is way, way more than the country’s credit card debt and auto loan debt.
— Harris Interactive reports that 56 percent of all American households have no personal finance budget.
Last month was Math Appreciation Month — and it was also Financial Literacy Month. We couldn’t celebrate both at the same time, so May will be devoted to the math behind personal finance here are Math for Grownups.
Financial literacy has a lot in common with math. For many folks, the concepts are scary and somewhat mysterious. And in my experience there are many, many personal finance experts who prescribe a right and wrong way to approach money management. This month, I’ll take a look at both of these things.
We’ll consider the math behind budgets, credit card payments and savings. I’ll show you a few quick ways to estimate your financial health, and we’ll explore how you can apply your own methods to reaching financial stability (or teaching your kids the benefits of financial responsibility). Experts, including a mortgage broker, financial planner and more, will share how they use math in their jobs and even how you can harness your math know-how and become a better steward of your money. We’ll also look at lots of statistics. (What does the reduction in home values actually mean?)
Meanwhile, if you have questions about this subject you’d like to ask, share them in the comments section. I’ll be drawing up a plan for the month, and I’d love to hear what you think!
Buckle up — this is math everyone can use.