Financial literacy: What it is and why you should care

At some point, most of us have had that moment — standing in front of an ATM or scrolling through a banking app, wondering where all the money went. It’s not that we’re reckless or lazy. It’s that no one really told us how money is supposed to work.

Financial literacy is the skill we all needed way before our first paycheck, but most of us are learning it as we go — after a few overdraft fees, a surprise tax bill, or realizing your 'emergency fund' is just $63 and a candle from Target.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Create your account today and start building your wealth.

What financial literacy actually means

Financial literacy isn’t a class you pass or fail. It’s not about being a numbers person or knowing what's happening with the stock market every day. It’s just the ability to understand and manage your money in a way that works for your life. That means knowing how to create a budget that doesn’t make you miserable. It means understanding why your credit score dropped when you missed that one payment. It’s knowing the difference between saving for short-term goals and investing for long-term ones.

It’s the real-life, everyday stuff that shapes your future, whether you’re making $40K or $400K.

Why it matters (even if you think you’re too young to worry about it)

Money touches every part of your life — where you live, the job you choose, when (or if) you can take a vacation, whether you can help out a family member, and what your future looks like five, ten, or thirty years from now. And while financial stress might be common, it is not something you have to just accept. Understanding how to manage your money gives you options. Not magic. Not instant riches. Just clarity. And in a world full of noise, that’s an incredibly powerful thing.

People sometimes think financial literacy is something you figure out "once you make more money." But the truth is, people who build wealth often get there because they started paying attention early — not because they were making six figures out of the gate. It's the habits, not the salary, that make the biggest difference.

The System Wasn’t Built to Teach You This

Let’s be real: most schools don’t teach basic personal finance. You probably learned how to solve for X or memorize dates from the French Revolution, but no one explained what a 401(k) is or how interest on a credit card adds up fast. And unless your parents were wealthy or taught you budgeting basics, you were left to figure it out on your own. That doesn’t mean you’re behind. It just means you’re like most people.

But ignoring money doesn’t make it go away — it just makes it more stressful. Learning about it gives you some breathing room. It lets you stop reacting and start making choices. Wealthist can help and the goal is to get you to a place where you understand your money and can leverage to make it grow.

Financial Literacy Isn’t About Perfection

This isn’t about becoming a finance bro or tracking every cent with a spreadsheet you built from scratch. It’s about understanding the basics well enough to make smart decisions most of the time. It’s not always exciting. No one’s going viral for opening a high-yield savings account. But exactly that kind of boring that builds money security.

As you learn more, you'll start to notice something — you'll feel a little more in control. Suddenly, your paycheck doesn’t just disappear. Your credit card isn’t a mystery. Retirement doesn’t feel like a far-off fantasy you’ll deal with "later".

You don’t need to do it all at once. You just need to start. We can help you there. Create your account and build your first budget to take the first step on your wealth journey.

So Where Do You Go From Here?

Right here is a pretty solid place to start. Over the next few months, we’re breaking down the things most people wish they had been taught — budgeting, saving, investing, taxes, major life planning — in ways that make sense. No jargon. No judgment.

Because money shouldn’t feel overwhelming. It should feel like a tool you know how to use.

And once you do, everything else gets a little easier.

If you liked this article, next week, we’ll walk through how to build a budget that doesn’t feel like a punishment. Spoiler: You get to keep your coffee.