Financial Watch | April 2026

If you’re seeking to expand your understanding of money management concepts, techniques, and strategies, there’s no better time than during National Financial Literacy Month, which takes place each year in April. Financial Literacy Month focuses on raising awareness about the tools and resources available to help people increase their money management knowledge and skills.

Whether you’re a long-term investor or new to money management, strengthening financial literacy may help you make more confident decisions about spending, saving, building long-term wealth, and planning for retirement. 

Below are seven ways to help you expand your knowledge in areas that continue to evolve, from basic money management strategies to avoiding credit pitfalls, increasing fraud awareness, and more.

1.Determine your baseline
To evaluate your financial knowledge, consider taking an online financial literacy quiz to help identify areas you may want to brush up on or strengthen. Many financial institutions and organizations, including banks and credit unions, offer free online literacy tests and quizzes. Get started by checking out: Finra.org/financial_knowledge_quiz or FinancialEducatorsCouncil.org/national-financial-capability-test/.

2. Attend a local or virtual event
Check your local listings for community centers, libraries, or organizations hosting in-person presentations and events during Financial Literacy Month. Or consider attending a virtual event, such as YourLife Finance Classes, hosted by TheWomensResource.org/classes/. Live classes cover a wide variety of topics and are also archived for on-demand viewing. Men are also welcome!

3. Proceed at your own pace
If you prefer self-study on your timeline, visit Khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/financial-literacy. This free Khan Academy curriculum is comprised of 16 modules you can follow at your pace.

4. Embrace fun and games
Increasing your money management skills doesn’t have to be dull or boring. Ratchet up the fun by visiting PlayMoneySmart.fdic.gov/games where you’ll find more than a dozen learning games on topics from basic money management techniques to protecting your identity, smart borrowing decisions, and more.

5. Access interactive tools
Visit MyMoney.gov/mymoney-five-tools to access calculators, budgeting worksheets, and checklists designed to help you increase your fiscal management and organizational skills. You can access your free weekly online credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at AnnualCreditReport.com. Brush up on best practices for managing credit, including how to differentiate between good and bad debt, and create a plan to pay down credit card balances, student debt, or high-interest loans. 

6. Make it a family affair
Organizations like the Council for Economic Education provide different ways parents, grandparents, and other interested parties can get involved in helping children and teens develop positive financial habits early in life. Visit Councilforeconed.org/programs/for-families/ to download a free Family-At-Home Financial Fun Pack. This curated set of materials allows families to explore financial literacy activities, games, worksheets, and suggested books for children or adults.

7. Keep it going
Financial management tools, technology, products, and delivery methods continue to evolve over time. One of the best ways to keep up with the changing financial marketplace is to make financial literacy an ongoing endeavor by tuning in to podcasts, videos, articles, financial market research, and other educational tools available through your financial professional, bank or credit union, or your employer’s retirement plan website.

To learn about aligning wealth-building strategies with your goals, call the office to schedule a time to talk.