Financial Literacy Fuels the American Dream, Treasury Secretary Tells Students

Most states now require completion of a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement.
Financial Literacy Fuels the American Dream, Treasury Secretary Tells Students
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks in Paris on March 16, 2026. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
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Save, budget, invest, and plan, and you’ll have a direct stake in helping the American economy thrive for its next 250 years, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a group of middle school students on Thursday.

Bessent’s brief remarks, delivered inside the Department of the Treasury’s historic cash room, capped off the monthlong celebration of Financial Literacy Month in the nation’s capital. During the April 30 financial fair, teenagers and their teachers also learned about the new Trump Accounts, a federally funded pilot program that provides children under 18 with $1,000. More than 5 million U.S. children are already signed up.

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Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
Author
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.