Welcome to another deep dive from empowering
your finance. Today we're focusing on personal
financial education. That's right. Specifically
the topic. Empowering Your Finance, a guide to
financial education. And we're using their own
materials as our guide. Yeah, diving right into
the sword. Exactly. You know, sometimes finance
feels like it needs, well, a decoder ring. So
our mission today is to maybe decode some of
that to really get what financial education is
and how it can actually put you in charge of
your financial life. Sounds good. So to kick
things off, what's the like the central idea,
empowering your finances, pushing here? Well,
the core idea is, it's right there in the name,
empowerment. They really emphasize that financial
education isn't just collecting facts, it's the
tool, the fundamental thing that lets people
take real control. Control of their finances.
Exactly, control their financial destinies. And
this control, the way they frame it, it leads
to more security, greater independence, and well,
more opportunities in life. Security, independence,
opportunities, yeah, those definitely hit home.
They use that specific term, financial empowerment.
Seems like it's maybe bigger than just one person's
knowledge. It is, yeah. Their definition covers
both individuals and, interestingly, communities
too. Oh, communities. Right, it's about having
the ability, the capacity to manage your economic
well -being well. and make informed financial
decisions. And what's really interesting is their
point that it's not just about getting rich,
it's more about building resilience. Resilience,
okay. Yeah, and achieving that security that
lets you handle your day -to -day needs and plan
for the long haul. It's kind of about making
your money match your life goals. So less about
the dollar amount, more about feeling in charge.
That feels like an important difference. Definitely.
And they brought in a quote from Neville Goddard.
Financial success is not a matter of luck or
chance. It is a result of conscious thinking
and deliberate creation. How does that fit? Well,
that Godard quote, it really zeros in on the
active part we play. It suggests empowerment
isn't just handed to you. It's something you
build. Through thinking carefully and taking
deliberate steps with your money, understanding
and applying the principles, that's what gets
results. OK, so financial education is how we
get empowered. But what does financial education
actually cover? It's got to be more than just
spend less than you earn, right? Absolutely.
Empowering your finance sees it as a whole process.
Acquiring knowledge, yes, but also building the
skills. And getting a real understanding of how
to manage your personal finance as well. That
means principles, concepts, strategies, the tools
you can use. The whole toolkit. Exactly. For
making smart choices about budgeting, saving,
investing, and really importantly, planning for
what's next. your future. So knowledge and the
practical skills to actually use it and the goal
is to give you that so you can take the wheel
financially and well reach your goals. Precisely.
They quote Napoleon Hill too. Financial education
is a powerful weapon. That sounds pretty strong.
It is strong language. With it you can navigate
the complex world of money and make informed
decisions that will shape your financial destiny.
Yeah, that really paints a picture of the impact,
doesn't it? It does. Hill's point is that this
knowledge isn't just academic. It's a real asset.
It helps you navigate the, let's face it, often
tricky financial world and make choices that
actually help you long term. Okay. Which brings
up the next question. Why is this education so
needed right now? Are people generally doing
okay with this stuff already? That's the logical
next step, isn't it? You'd kind of hope so, but
I guess the fact we're talking about it suggests
maybe not. Yeah, unfortunately the info from
empowering your finance points to, well, a pretty
big gap. A gap. Uh -huh. They mentioned nationwide
testing showing that lots of people lack even
basic financial know -how. The kind needed for,
you know, qualified financial decisions. Wow.
It really highlights why resources like theirs
are so important to help fill that gap. That
is a bit of a wake -up call. makes you realize
you probably need to actively look for this stuff.
They also use a Sir John Templeton quote, something
about dangerous words. Ah, yes. The four most
dangerous words in investing are, this time,
it's different. How does that connect to needing
education? Well, Templeton's quote is a great
reminder that some financial principles are just
timeless. Right. Markets change, economy shifts,
sure. But the core idea is about risk. reward,
smart planning, they tend to stick around. Education
helps you grasp these fundamentals. So you don't
fall for hype. Exactly. Makes you less likely
to chase trends or think that the basic rules
don't apply anymore, which can be costly. Makes
sense. So given this need, what does empowering
your finance actually offer people? Well, they
definitely position themselves as experts. They
say they provide the best financial empowerment,
education, and planning. Big claim. Looking at
their materials, it seems like they cover a really
wide area. Yeah, the scope looks pretty broad.
Yeah. They talk about primary financial education
like the real basics. The essentials. Right.
All the way up to more advanced personal finance
stuff, college costs, retirement planning, investment
strategies, even business and economic news,
and understanding the global economy. Wow. That's
comprehensive. It really seems like they're aiming
for a full picture. And they have these specific
sections too, like financial counseling education,
college planning education, retirement planning
education, and investment planning education.
Each one has a learn more link. Yeah, those breakdowns
suggest a more structured, targeted approach,
don't they? Definitely. Like you can pick your
path. Exactly. You can focus on what's most relevant
to you right now, your stage of life, your goals.
It recognizes everyone's needs are different.
Right. Not one size fits all. And they're also
on Flipboard. That's kind of neat. Yeah. A magazine
called Financial Education. From debt to financial
freedom. Sounds like a good way to get information
in maybe shorter bursts. Articles, videos, news.
Yeah, that multi -platform thing caters to how
different people like to learn, right? Some want
a deep dive article, others prefer a video or
a quick news hit. Makes it more accessible. For
sure. It's about meeting people where they are.
And then there's the big one, their online learning
center. Right. The Evolve Personal Finance Education
eLearning Center sounds massive. Over 108 topics,
10 subject areas. And tailored for different
groups, too. Yeah. Individuals, couples, families,
college students, even high school students.
That tailoring is key. It shows they get that
financial needs change over time. And the range
of topics, budgeting, saving, investing, taxes,
it really points to a holistic approach. It really
does seem like they're trying to offer multiple
ways in, you know, to learn about managing your
money. Yeah. So looking at all this stuff from
empowering your finance, what are the main takeaways
for someone listening? Well, I think the biggest
one is that financial education, the way they
present it, is really about getting control.
Control. OK. Yeah. It's not just theory. It's
about getting practical skills and knowledge
that let you actually manage your financial life
and future better. Right. Building that security
and independence we mentioned earlier. Exactly
that. And I think a second key thing is just
the variety of resources they have. Whether you
like reading articles, taking online courses,
or need help with something specific like college
or retirement, it seems like they offer different
paths, caters to different styles, different
needs. That's really important, isn't it? That
flexibility, you can kind of pick and choose
what works for you. And those quotes they included
are pretty powerful too. Warren Buffett's advice.
Do not save what is left after spending, but
spend what is left after saving. So simple, but...
It's fundamental. Buffett's quote just nails
a core idea education tries to teach. Makes saving
a priority, not just, you know, whatever's left
over. Treat it like a bill you have to pay, almost.
Kind of, yeah. And then Robert Kiyosaki adds
that other layer. If you want to thrive... You
must challenge the status quo and get the financial
education necessary to succeed. That's really
a call to action, isn't it? It really is a reminder
that you need to be proactive about learning
this stuff, especially today. It's not just nice
to have. It's, well, necessary. Yeah, essential
for long -term success in this economy. So when
you look at empowering your finances resources,
it really comes down to building that foundation,
understanding the basics and then just keeping
learning. Absolutely. It's an ongoing thing.
And the huge range of topics they cover, from
the simple stuff to complex investing and retirement,
it really does suggest a very complete approach
to, well, empowering your finance. Yeah, it covers
a lot of ground. We hope this deep dive has maybe
made things a bit clearer about what financial
education involves and what places like empowering
your finance offer. So thinking about your own
situation, what feels like the most important
first step you could take on your financial education
path? That's a really good question to mull over.
Maybe checking out one of those learn more links
that jumped out. College funding, retirement,
getting a handle on investing. Whatever feels
most relevant right now. And maybe a final thought
to leave you with. How might actively going after
this financial knowledge do more than just improve
your bank balance? How might it give you a greater
sense of control and freedom in your life overall?