1Recognizing the month of April 2013 as "Financial Literacy
2Month" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Throughout the United States, the financial services
4industry benefits millions of people by providing products and
5services which allow individuals and families to build homes,
6buy cars, finance educations, start businesses and plan for
7retirement; and

8WHEREAS, Personal financial education is essential to ensure
9that individuals are prepared to manage credit, debt and
10investments in order to become responsible workers, investors,
11entrepreneurs and business leaders; and

12WHEREAS, Financial education is linked to lower delinquency
13rates for mortgage borrowers, higher participation and
14contribution rates in retirement plans, improved spending and
15saving habits, higher net worth and positive knowledge, attitude
16and behavior changes; and

17WHEREAS, Financial literacy empowers individuals to make wise

1financial decisions in an increasingly complex economy; and

2WHEREAS, Many young people fail in the management of their
3first consumer credit experience, establish bad financial
4management habits and stumble financially, learning by trial and
5error; and

6WHEREAS, Personal financial practices and habits are often
7formed during our youth; and

8WHEREAS, The National Council on Economic Education, its
9state councils and centers for economic education and the
10Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, its state
11affiliates and its partner organizations have designated the
12month of April as "Financial Literacy Month" to educate the
13public about the need for increased financial literacy for
14youths in the United States; therefore be it

15RESOLVED, That legislators, employers, schools, service
16groups, community organizations, libraries, financial
17institutions and the media be encouraged to provide
18opportunities for financial literacy education for all
19Pennsylvanians through a variety of means, including
20collaboration with organizations such as Economics Pennsylvania,
21the largest not-for-profit economic and financial literacy
22organization in this Commonwealth, in order to provide outreach
23and education; and be it further

24RESOLVED, That the Senate, in special recognition of the
25importance of increasing financial literacy among this
26Commonwealth's children and youths, recognize the month of April
272013 as "Financial Literacy Month" in Pennsylvania.