Rick Miller, CEO, Sensible Financial Planning, participates in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Financial Literacy and the Educated American Conference March 14th and 15th.
Financial Literacy and the Educated American
Overview
Recent financial crises in the US and abroad have highlighted the urgent need for an increased focus on educational and policy initiatives designed to promote financial literacy in citizens of all ages. To address this need, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences will convene a nonpartisan forum for diverse experts from academic, financial, private nonprofit and government institutions to share theoretical approaches, best practices, and research methods and findings. The conference will focus on the beginning and end of the financial life cycle of American citizens in order to emphasize the necessity for sustained fiscal education from kindergarten through retirement.
Chair: Gerald Rosenfeld (Lazard Ltd.; New York University). Planning Committee: Leslie C.
Berlowitz (American Academy of Arts and Sciences), Annamaria Lusardi (The George Washington University School of Business), Alicia H. Munnell (Boston College), David B. Peterson (Onera Media, Inc.), Steven A. Sass (Boston College)
Conference Organization
Approximately 30 guests will participate in a conference focused on financial literacy on March 14 and 15, 2013.
John W. Rogers, Jr. (Chairman, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer, Ariel Investments; Chair of The President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability), will offer the keynote.
This conference will be organized according to a series of guiding topics and questions, including:
I. Financial Education over the Life Cycle
What educational approaches, best practices guidelines, or other interventions have produced tangible results in consumers and investors of all ages? How can a comparative look at financial literacy in an international context highlight the successes and insufficiencies of our financial education continuum? What can behavioral research teach us about how people make financial decisions at key moments in the financial life cycle, and how to effectively influence that behavior for the better?
II. Financial Literacy Education K-College
What financial competencies does the “Educated American” need to acquire in order to make
sound financial decisions, and how do we effectively begin that training process as early as
possible? How can we integrate a focus on financial literacy into a liberal arts education,
highlighting it as a core component of what it means to be a well-rounded, educated individual?
III. Retirement
What financial educational resources, savings and budgeting tools, and consumer protections, are required to secure the financial health of America’s workforce now and in the future? Given the large population approaching retirement age, how can the institutions represented by our panelists respond to the needs of this diverse group?
IV. Planning Roundtable
Reflecting on lessons learned and planning for future projects. Possible topics to include:
planning the publication of a Conference Proceedings, identifying areas for future research, and the planning of public outreach programs.
