Many people are financially illiterate and the risks that they face

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In a recent poll on financial literacy, Generation Z scored the lowest; almost half could answer only two or fewer questions about personal finance.

In a recent poll on financial literacy, Generation Z scored the lowest; almost half could answer only two or fewer questions about personal finance.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY

Allison Schrager

I recently joined the board of my Manhattan co-op, and I love it. One of my duties is reviewing applications for apartments, which – as both a prospective neighbour and a retirement economist – has been a revelation.

It turns out, based on not only my limited sample but also more rigorous and representative surveys, a surprising number of people have no idea what they are doing when it comes to their finances. It’s not just the young folks with their online retail addictions. This is a multi-generational problem that spans income and wealth groups, and it’s getting worse.

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