Do you know only 35% of college students feel prepared to manage their money after college and 49% actually have budgets? This is according to EverFi, meanwhile, more than 89% of schools support financial literacy from High School through to college. And also, according to National Financial Educators Council, larger percentage of college students fail their financial literacy exams every year.

This implies that these large numbers do not understand how to save, track and manage, keep record, invest, spend or even manage risk after ‘managing’ their finances in college. Perhaps they failed in managing their finances in college as well.

Fortunately, day in day out, trusted financial literacy resources for college students and students of all level are pumping up with highly qualified experts and educators giving out quality education on the subject via books, apps, blogs, tools and even in-person.

But before you get onto these resources, you must have an idea of what you are going in for. So, what is Financial Literacy?

What Is Financial Literacy?

Financial Literacy in simpler terms is the knowledge and understanding of various financial concepts and skills that equip you to make informed and responsible decisions about your finances/money. This include saving, spending, lending, borrowing, investing, budgeting, managing debt, managing credit and so on.

And out of the lot, below is just few reasons you must begin financial literacy journey now and get yourself ready.

• Emergency Preparedness
• Long-term Financial Goals
• Developing Healthy Financial Habits
• Financial Independence/ Freedom

Top 4 Blogs As Financial Literacy Resources For College Students

1. Investopedia

Founded in 1999, Investopedia provides investment directives, investment advice, reviews and ratings and comparisons of financial products. This blog has tutorials on trading and winning the slots in the crypto and forex market armature and experienced traders.

Every single page on the website speaks about money and investment and the boast of 310 million monthly users who use the site as a source financial education.

2. Nerdwallet

Just as the website’s tagline says, they help you make the right money moves. They have guide and tips articles written and constantly being written by investment experts. Quality on how to make money and how to manage your finance.

Nerdwallet believes and works towards making their readers nerds who make financial decisions with confidence.

3. Better Investing

BetterInvesting.Org is a blog website established by National Investors Association with the sole aim of offering individual unbiased investing education. They teach stock analysis that guide readers on how to invest and achieve financial goals.

They have their resources in forms of articles, webinars, online classes and one on ones, publications and investor clubs are also available to make every single member feel like a family.

4. Financial Resource Literacy Directory

This is the biggest financial literacy resource on the internet. Under the auspices of the U.S Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, this enormous directory provide consumers with large selection of financial literacy resources arranged by topic.

Users can resources based on financial capabilities, credit management, home buying, financial security and retirement, financial literacy programs, webinars, toolkits and many more.

Best 4 Books On Financial Literacy Resources For College Students

1. I Want More Pizza

I Want More Pizza: Personal Finance: Real World Money Skills for High School, College, and Beyond written by Steve Burkholder has been voted by several financial blogs and financialists a book worth ready for college students.

The books discussed in practical terms savings, spending. prioritization, goal setting, compound growth, investing, debt, credit cards, student loans, mental blocks and taking the money action in a simple 180 pages. It is tagged, the best financial literacy book for reluctant readers due to how practical and real Mr. Steve Burkholder make it feel

2. Broke Millennial : Stop Crapping By And Get Your Financial Life Together

This book was released in 2017 and has helped a lot of people maneuver the fear of venturing into money making avenues. Especially, people in the 20s and 30s.

The main points of the book are:

• How to get out of debt and avoid the debt trap forever.
• How to budget and save your goals
• How to invest and grow your wealth
• How to deal with tricky financila situations and
• How to negotiate your salary.

The author Erin Lowry wrote in a witty and relatable style that makes finance education more attractive to even the best reluctant reader.

3. The Richest Man In Babylon

This book was published in 1926 but its concepts are still valued in today’s class of wealth creation. George S. Clason teach his readers with series of parables set in ancient Babylon. The main points of the book are:

• Save atleast 10% of your income and invest wisely
• Seek financial advise from only mentors and experts. Don’t follow untrusted and and unsupported trends and results, there may be something they are not telling you.

4. Financial Literacy 101 for College Students: How to Find the Money, Budget the Money, and Grow the Money.

Published by Chris Corinthian in , it literally teach students how to get the money, budget the money and grow the money as a student so you won’t have to face college financial stress. The key takeaways are:

• How to find money sources, such as scholarships, grants, loans, and part-time jobs.
• How to budget your money effectively, using tools like spreadsheets, apps, and envelopes.
• How to grow your money by saving, investing, and avoiding debt.

Top 4 Apps For Financial Literacy Resources For College Students

1. Mint

Mint is a popular personal finance app that provides a comprehensive platform for managing finances. It allows users to track their income, expenses, and investments in one place. Mint automatically categorizes transactions, creates budgets, and provides insights into spending patterns.

By offering personalized recommendations and alerts, Mint empowers college students to make informed financial decisions.

2. Acorns

Acorns is an app that focuses on micro-investing and encourages users to save and invest small amounts of money regularly. It allows users to link their bank accounts and credit cards, rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar and investing the spare change into diversified portfolios.

Acorns also offers educational content and personalized investment advice.

3. GoodBudget

Goodbudget is a budgeting app that follows the envelope budgeting method. It helps users allocate their income into virtual envelopes representing different spending categories, such as groceries, transportation, or entertainment. Goodbudget encourages responsible spending and provides insights into saving and achieving financial goals.

4. Credit Karma

Credit Karma is an app that focuses on credit monitoring and education. It provides users with access to their credit scores, credit reports, and personalized tips for improving credit health.

Credit Karma also offers educational resources on credit management, debt repayment, and building credit.

Conclusion

The fight for financial independence starts the moment you know what you want your financial to look like. For it to look good, you must make use of the financial literacy resources listed in this piece and be ahead of the 35% who can’t take charge of their financial lives.

All the blogs, books an apps listed are highly trusted and highly voted sources of financial literacy resources for college students. The right ones you can use as a student. So get it going and learn how to save some bucks.