While it’s never too late to become financially literate, it certainly helps if you start early. That’s why the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is launching a national effort to improve financial education in schools.

The new educational initiative centers on a resource guide containing strategies to promote development and implementation of financial education in student coursework.

Although the guide is targeted toward policymakers, the CFBP says it was designed to assist all educators.

Each section of the guide – which begins with laying the groundwork for financial learning, building initiative and extending knowledge – includes case studies and a resource directory.

The Bureau says the effort was established as a reaction to research reports that show students who receive financial education from kindergarten to twelfth grade achieve significantly higher savings and net worth later in life.

“We have watched too many Americans struggle to manage their affairs within our complex financial system,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement. “Financial education in our schools is critical to the financial well-being of future generations.”

CFPB Launches Nationwide Effort to Advance Financial Education in Schools [CFPB]

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