Why is it that most high schools don’t teach financial literacy? Most young people who go to school take classes in math or economics, but many don’t know the first thing about how money works in the world, how to earn or make money, or how to manage it.

Having recognized this shortcoming, one foundation is promoting financial literacy in schools. The Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, along with the New York Legal Assistance Group, has developed a curriculum that teaches financial management skills. The program is in use in high schools across the United States. The Foundation has also set up a website (LearnMoney.org) that offers resources and information on such issues as managing your money, saving and investing, and protecting your assets.

Who was Muriel Siebert? A true pioneer. Born in 1928, she was known as the “First Woman of Finance”, according to the LearnMoney website. “She was the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and the first to head one of its member firms, Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. She also served for five years as New York State’s first woman Superintendent of Banking, responsible for the safety and soundness of all New York State chartered banks and other financial institutions. She was a trailblazer for the rights of individual investors, women and financial literacy.” 

The Muriel F. Siebert Foundation continues its founder’s work to help people understand how money operates in the world, arming over 50,000 youth with the financial skills, knowledge and confidence to budget, borrow and save for the future.