19 alarming things we learned about financial literacy in America

September 10, 2012 at 10:23 AM
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Americans may be good at a lot of things, like winning gold medals at the Olympics, but our knowledge of financial matters is woeful. For example, in one 2009 study, only 21% knew that bond prices typically fall when interest rates rise. Even more alarming, 75% of Americans nearing retirement age in 2010 had less than $30,000 in their retirement accounts. Would more education at an earlier age help? One study found that the more math courses a student took in high school the more likely he or she would know how much was in their savings and retirement accounts.