If you are financially literate, you possess the knowledge and skills needed to make appropriate financial decisions. When combined with good financial behaviors, financial literacy allows you to navigate your life successfully in the short term while also working toward long-term financial goals. Your attitudes, beliefs, values, and habits will shape how you handle your financial resources, but you will still need financial literacy to make sure your behaviors are beneficial. When you use the principles of financial literacy and your behaviors are sound, you will be able to do things like:

Create and consistently use a budget
Manage your financial accounts effectively
Understand how credit cards work and how to use them without accumulating debt
Save for future financial needs and goals
Enjoy your day to day life

Financial Literacy-Your Financial Future:

College students work hard to receive a degree that will lead to a career that will enable them to earn sizable salaries or generate enough income to live a comfortable and secure life. It should be noted that the completion of a degree does not guarantee financial success. In fact, earning money is only part of the equation and does not automatically translate into your financial freedom and well-being. Instead, regardless of how much money you make, you have to learn how to manage your money effectively. During your lifetime, it will be important for you to remember that success is not totally dependent on the amount of money you make. It is also about the money you manage.

Increasing your financial literacy is a great step towards financial freedom and security. In this module, you will be introduced to eight principles of financial literacy and will learn how to apply them to your situation. As you progress through this module, you will be encouraged to think about your passions, things that you want to own, have, or would like to achieve in the future. Take these passions and goals with you as reminders of why it is important to understand the principles of financial literacy while also making good financial decisions.

Ball State Financial Wellness would like to personally thank "Niner Finance" of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for the use of some of their course content and/or material (with permission).