Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Why financial literacy education in the US sucks

Blame the Space Race (kind of).

It’s a common refrain: School is full of useless (if interesting!) lessons, but we learn next to nothing about how to manage our finances.

It’s true that many Americans lack basic financial knowledge, which is a contributing factor to the money challenges — high levels of debt, insufficient savings, poor investment decisions — that a lot of us face. But it’s not necessarily true that we never learned anything. Many of us sat through a few classes on money management. It just may not have been enough to stick.

In this video, we’ll take a brief look at the state of financial education in the US: past, present, and future

You can find this video and all of Vox’s videos on YouTube.

This video is presented by Metro by T-Mobile. Metro has no editorial influence on our videos, but their support makes videos like these possible.

More in Video

Video
What would J.R.R. Tolkien think of Palantir?What would J.R.R. Tolkien think of Palantir?
Play
Video

How The Lord of the Rings lore helps explain the mysterious tech company.

By Benjamin Stephen
America, Actually
The progressive plan to reclaim the working classThe progressive plan to reclaim the working class
Podcast
America, Actually

Progressive caucus chair Rep. Greg Casar on his movement’s new playbook.

By Astead Herndon
Video
The Department of Holy WarThe Department of Holy War
Play
Video

What Pete Hegseth’s fascination with the Crusades can tell us about the war in Iran.

By Nate Krieger
Video
Live Nation lost. Will anything change for ticket prices?Live Nation lost. Will anything change for ticket prices?
Play
Video

A jury ruled Live Nation and Ticketmaster a monopoly, but what that means for ticket prices is not so simple.

By Frank Posillico
Eating the Ocean
Why are states unleashing millions of these fish?Why are states unleashing millions of these fish?
Play
Eating the Ocean

America’s fishing paradox.

By Nate Krieger
Video
Why Americans can’t escape credit card debtWhy Americans can’t escape credit card debt
Play
Video

Credit card APRs are now as high as 20 percent.

By Frank Posillico