Essay On Importance Of Financial Literacy

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Since the word “literacy” is usually used to describe the measure of one’s ability to read, write, and speak a specific language, financial literacy can, thus, refer to: “An individual’s ability to read, write and speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual and in society.” (National Institute for Literacy 2008). Redmund has synthesised a brief comprehensive definition to include all the the above in such a way: “Financial literacy is a measure of the degree to which one understands key financial concepts and possesses the ability and confidence to manage personal finances through appropriate, short-term decision-making and sound, long-range …show more content…

With the current market conditions, it is “immensely” vital to be able to make the right decisions while managing a much precious resource “our money’. Thousands of sellers/suppliers are solely focusing their marketing and sales efforts to be everywhere a person goes, and mainly online through social media. Wants which were never thought of are emerging and new products and services are available at a glance every second, and thus, “informed decisions” are a must. Through social media, consumers are now tempted to desire products and services they do not need, but they can hardly resist that because it is simply there every time they scroll down their news feed of their Instagram or …show more content…

Applying for a credit card or personal loan has never been easier or faster. A myriad of financial products are available for all types of clients and all kinds of purposes. Terms and conditions are even becoming more and more flexible. How to decide whether a credit card is needed? How to handle a card? How to settle a loan? How to spend a loan? How to spend a car loan on a car, whose price is relatively reasonable compared to one’s pay? Is a loan the good sourcing tool to purchase a very expensive? These are all questions, which require a minimal to reasonable level of financial literacy. Literature review has been conducted on the importance of financial literacy, and the above notions were a significant part of almost most findings. “…the increasing development of financial systems and financial inclusion policies have made a wide range of financial instruments available to more members of the population – payroll cards, credit cards, savings accounts and other more sophisticated products. Those concerns grew during the recent global financial crisis, and some studies suggest that low financial literacy was one of the factors that caused many individuals to make wrong decisions.” (Gomes et al., 1) In his article “Financial Literacy Explicated”, Redmund emphasises the importance of financial literacy among Americans during the 2008

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