Retirement planning, and the related issue of personal investing, is an area of confusion for many people. This poses major risks to both individuals who face hardships as they age and to governments in their efforts to mitigate these hardships.
Long a topic of conversation among educators, politicians, and economists under the label “Financial Literacy”, the focus has been primarily on specifics of how to budget, saving and investment strategies, and compound growth. Promoted and in large part developed by the private financial sector, the result has been seen as a distinct add-on subject largely divorced from the broader curriculum. Some have even seen it as a marketing exercise by banks, brokerages, and mutual fund companies.
As a starting point, here are some core concepts that I see as underlying this issue:
- exponential growth
- risk assessment
- present-focussed / future-focussed psychology
- population distribution statistics.
Quick links to other Post-Pandemic Curriculum issue pages: