Another study estimates that 65 million U.S. households will probably fail to realize one or more of their major financial goals because they have not developed a comprehensive financial plan. We are in the midst of a financial literacy crisis, and many will pay a high price. It pays to be skeptical, to do your homework and to ask tough questions. Wall Street can be a mean street for those who aren't careful with their money. Wall Street is no short cut to Easy Street.
Success takes persistence and practice.
Securities regulators from twenty-one nations in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean will also offer investor education programs in their countries that week. On Monday, March 30, the SEC will host a National Roundtable on Saving and Investing that will assemble many of the leading voices from government, industry, consumer groups, and the media to focus the nation's attention on the need for financial education. Participants in the roundtable will discuss where we are as a country when it comes to saving and investing, recent polling results on what Americans know and don't know, and educational programs and strategies that work. Employers will be encouraged to distribute copies to their employees. The day will focus on developing realistic expectations about market returns, understanding the risks and rewards of investing, and the need for diversification.