In the spirit of celebrating Financial Literacy Month at CooperKatz (#CKFinLit), I began reflecting on the financial advice that’s made a difference in my life.

I know, I know…how boring, right? What can I add to the millions of words already dedicated to this topic?

Yet, the feeling “I wish I’d know this earlier” (or, “I wish I’d listened...”) is very real when it comes to finances. That’s because all the talking heads or HuffPo articles in the world won’t change a simple fact: people don’t generally like to talk about money, at least not in ways that matter. 

We all know the importance of saving for retirement, but we also want to live a little. Have you always dreamed of taking a trip around the world? Utilizing automatic savings can help you make it a reality. I promise; it is possible. I’m living proof. My husband and I took a leave of absence from our jobs and traveled around the world for 8 months...

In honor of Financial Literacy Month, we asked our Account Coordinators how they are able to survive in the city that is really good at stealing their money. Here’s what our ACs believe is the most valuable money management lesson they’ve learned since starting their career.

Did you get a tax refund this year?  Instead of celebrating your windfall and going on a spending spree, use your found money to finally take the leap and force yourself to create a personal budget.

What was your favorite topic in high school? Math, Science, English or Personal Finance? Oh wait, you probably didn’t have a personal finance class. Have you ever stopped to wonder why you were never taught how to handle something that touches your life every day?