The state of personal financial knowledge in our country is low and not improving. Everywhere you look people are coming to grips with the negative impacts of poor financial decision making. From being overextended with student loan debt to being unable to sustain their lifestyles in retirement - the trail of poor money management is clearly seen. Today, many Americans are using crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for day-to-day living expenses.
According to author, Harry N. Stout, one of the major reasons for this is that most American adults have little or no formal personal finance education and do not understand the new technologically driven world of finance. They will have spent more time learning to drive an automobile than learning about how to use and manage money. They spend more time on social media each week than looking after their financial situations.
In The FinancialVerse: A Common Sense Approach for Your Money (October 9, 2019) Stout presents a straightforward, easy to read guide on what readers can expect at each stage of their financial lives and offers ideas and resources to assist in their decision making. The FinancialVerse covers a wealth of decisions, resources, and tools that any individual will encounter (and need to choose) in life’s financial journey, and, above all, helps people reduce their levels of financial anxiety and stress by giving them the knowledge they need to take control of their finances.
As Stout attests many people live in a world of almost constant financial anxiety and stress. In fact, most people, regardless of their economic background and level of education, do not fundamentally understand the financial matters such that they can successfully navigate the key financial decisions and risks they will face throughout life.
The FinancialVerse starts in our Adulting Stage, to working in the Striving Stage, to the final or Fulfilling Stage of life. In clear and simple language Stout details the risks and opportunities readers will need to make as they move through each stage. He explores what it is like to make decisions influenced by today’s technology, economic trends, and work opportunities. Stout believes improved financial education and literacy are needed as our lives become increasingly more complex in a world driven by technological innovation. The FinancialVerse is an important - and much needed - road map to making better sense of the most financial matters we face.
The FinancialVerse outlines 10 “Must Do’s” to manage your financial life including Spend2 which suggests that individuals spend two hours per week (just 17 minutes per day) learning and studying the world of personal finance. It’s a simple, yet effective way to make financial literacy a priority.
“Given our rapidly changing world, the revolution impacting work, lengthening life spans, and today’s major economic trends - navigating the FinancialVerse is more difficult than ever before,” Stout says. “To be successful in whatever the current stage of your financial life you find yourself, you must have an understanding of what you are looking to achieve. It is never too late to get started on improving your knowledge of and relationship with money. You can improve your journey and make it more successful with that success defined by you.”
About the Author
Harry N. Stout is an acknowledged senior leader in the global financial services business with practical experience in all key business areas with particular expertise in personal finance, life insurance, annuities, product innovation, and the delivery of advice services. He has over 30 years of financial services industry experience in the U.S. and abroad, working in Europe, Northern Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
He is a governance fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is a past director of the National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA), the Financial Services Council of Australia, the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association, and the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA).
Visit www.financialverse.com and subscribe to Harry’s weekly MoneySavers newsletter and order your copy of The FinancialVerse: A Common Sense Approach for Your Money today!