Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 30
Low-Literacy U.S. Adults Spend 13 Hours a Week on Finances, Versus 4 for Top Scorers
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 30

Low-Literacy U.S. Adults Spend 13 Hours a Week on Finances, Versus 4 for Top Scorers

1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 30

Summary

  • TIAA Institute found U.S. adults with the lowest financial literacy spend 13 hours a week dealing with money issues, compared with about four hours for the highest scorers.
  • Morningstar's Christine Benz said the gap likely reflects financial insecurity as much as knowledge, with people scrambling to cover bills, move money and handle creditors.
  • Experts said the fastest way to cut that time is to build an emergency fund and automate transfers, bill payments and debt payments to eliminate repeated weekly decisions.
  • Doug Boneparth also urged consolidating accounts and using dashboard apps, while TIAA's Surya Kolluri pointed people to employer financial-wellness programs and targeted advice instead of trying to learn everything at once.

Insights

With productivity at stake, why isn't financial wellness a standard part of every job?
If financial anxiety is a brain response, can budgeting apps ever truly solve it?
Is fixing financial stress about smarter citizens or a more stable economic system?