By SWNS staff
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Americans would have gladly swapped out a math class or two in order to receive a better education when it came to their own personal finances.
A third of millennials would have cut Geometry from their school curriculum. Other common classes respondents would boot in favor of personal finance included Trigonometry (31%), Algebra (30%), Gym (29%) and Chemistry (28%).
Nearly three in four (73%) wished they had a better education in personal finance and four in five (79%) think personal finance classes should have been a part of their high school curriculum.
A recent study of 2,000 millennials examined the confidence they had in their personal financial knowledge…and how they viewed their path to independence with regards to money.
Of those who no longer live in their childhood home, it took the average respondent three years before they felt completely financially independent.
A large part of that financial confidence came from the first “adult” job. It took a little time and a few paychecks for respondents to feel secure in their first grown-up position ‒ the average respondent was at their first job for six months before they felt comfortable with their bank statement.
The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of First Internet Bank revealed that it took the average 19-year-old 3.5 years after moving out on their own to feel like they achieved financial independence.
Results found the majority of respondents receive a little help from family and friends when they make their fresh start, with the average millennial getting $1,030.47 in monetary aid.
Even with the help, respondents admitted certain boxes had to be ticked themselves in order to be financially independent.
Forty-seven percent named paying the rent or mortgage as an integral part of becoming financially independent. Other top markers of independence included paying for utilities (45%), food (43%), transportation (40%) and Internet (36%).
Still, seven in ten think you can remain on the family cell phone plan and be considered financially independent.
First Internet Bank Chief Operating Officer Nicole Lorch noted, “The lack of financial literacy among millennials – and all generations, for that matter – is a serious societal concern. A growing focus in our industry is to help bridge the gap and provide financial education, which is critical to young adults who are seeking independence, but discovering for the first time what it’s like relying on their own fiscal resources.”
While paying the bills makes up a large part of adulthood, they’re not the only aspects of grown-up life millennials have found stressful.
Two in five said renting their first apartment was a major source of stress when starting out on their own. One-third of respondents named applying for their first credit card, and 32% thought paying taxes on their own for the first time was a nerve-wracking aspect of adulthood.
While those experiences are universal, many respondents feel like their friends are ahead of the curve when it comes to their financial wellbeing. One in four think their peers are better than them at keeping track of their dough.
Two thirds of respondents confessed they wouldn’t identify themselves as “very confident” in their own knowledge of personal finance.
“We can all relate to the anxiety of starting out on our own and making the right choices,” Lorch added. “Cutting-edge technology and great rates are only part of the equation for Millennials. To be most effective, we strive to create personal connections with customers to better understand their financial goals and help to achieve them.”
