April 6, 2015
In 2004, Congress declared April as Financial Literacy Month in an effort to promote smart money management. It's no secret that your finances are important, yet it is one of the easiest topics to avoid discussing or continuously put off month after month.
This is a wonderful website to help get you started; it walks you through thirty steps to become more financially literate. This doesn't have to be done in one sitting--set a goal of achieving 1 or 2 steps a day throughout the rest of April.
If you have kids, encourage them to go through this project with you. They don't need to know your financial state, but kids always want something. Use this time to teach them the value of saving and help them create a plan for how they can make a desired purchase by saving their allowance.
I challenge you to take a step forward this month to understand something new about your finances. Set yourself a goal and create a plan to achieve that goal. Involve your family and always remember the best rule of thumb: Spend less than you make.
Ethan Wade, Financial Advisor
(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp. The author's opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).