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Outlook> 2007
> October
Practice makes perfect
A NEW report into the attitudes of Australians towards money has been
released by the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, Peter
Dutton.
'Financial Literacy - Australians understanding money' is the result of
a survey of 7,500 Australians aged 12 to 75 on a range of money
management issues from budgeting and saving to investing and protecting
money.
"Overall, the results are very encouraging," Mr Dutton said.
"The vast majority of Australians report that they have the necessary
understanding and skills to manage day to day money tasks, such as
budgeting, saving and handling debt."
"Where people are less confident is on those tasks they have to do less
frequently, such as investing and planning for their retirement."
"This makes sense, as the more exposure and practice a person has in
dealing with money issues, the more confident they will become.
Encouragingly, most people expressed a genuine interest in learning
more about those areas which were less familiar to them."
"The report also highlights a number of beliefs that can stop people
from achieving their financial goals. It is hoped that by understanding
the extent to which people hold such negative beliefs that financial
literacy services can be better tailored to help people in the future,"
Mr Dutton said.
The Financial Literacy Foundation Advisory Board Chairman, Mr Paul
Clitheroe agrees, saying: "The more we know about people's attitudes
and behaviour, the better we'll be able to stimulate positive change
and get people to take those few simple steps to managing their money
better."
Also launched by the Minister, Financial Literacy Resources Australia
is a database of financial literacy programmes and resources.
"This database, for the first time, brings together in one place a
comprehensive listing of financial literacy programs and resources
provided in Australia by government, education, industry, banking,
finance and community organisations," Mr Dutton said.
People who provide or develop financial literacy programs and
resources, or who have a research interest in financial literacy can
apply for access to the database via the Understanding Money website. |