About Us

Financial Education Initiative

Why Money Matters is maintained by the Economics Center for Education & Research, a not for profit organization at the University of Cincinnati.  Why Money Matters provides resources and improves communication on all things relating to personal financial education.  Educators, professionals and volunteers, parents and students all have a place to learn at Why Money Matters:

For Educators –

Why Money Matters helps schools incorporate more economics and financial education into their classrooms and across the curriculum.  We offer strategies, lesson plans, discussion boards, and other resources.  For more in depth content training and resources, Why  Money Matters will also offer links to regionally offered professional development opportunities for teachers.

For Professionals and Volunteers -

Why Money Matters represents an opportunity for true engagement in schools.  Schools desire public/private partnerships and presentations to students; but are unsure how to make initial connections.  People external to the education system are the content specialists and can work to keep teachers content knowledge current.

For Students and Parents -

For students, Why Money Matters offers a menu of interesting games, competitions and programs aimed at getting students involved in and excited about their own economic future. The Stock Market Game (SMG) and Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) are just two examples of programs available.

For parents, Why Money Matters offers a place to visit for ideas on how to teach children the fundamentals of money management.  It is also a safe and secure destination that parents can send their children to play educational games.  Parents are welcome to register as a home school teacher and gain access to all the same resources offered to educators.

Is this effort needed?  What does the research tell us?

Nationally, students are demonstrating an overall lack of basic financial knowledge.  

In 2008, on a national test of high school seniors in financial literacy topics, the average score was less than 50%.  College freshman scored only marginally better. 

Our nation is graduating high school students who are financially illiterate. 

85% of high school seniors do not have credit cards; but the number one reason listed for dropping out of college is “financial reasons” (i.e. credit card debt).  If we are asking our high schools to prepare students for college, this cannot be done without solid teaching in financial literacy. 

The United States is a debtor nation

As a Federal government, the United States regularly practices deficit spending.  The National Personal Savings Rate is near zero percent (0%) and for many years, immediately before the economic recession of 2009, there was a negative savings rate (people were spending more than they earned – accumulating debt, not savings).