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　　FINANCIAL EDUCATION
　　Bernanke: Kids Will be Better Off Than Parents, But…
　　Speaking at a Fed town hall meeting with educators, Chairman Ben Bernanke said kids today will have it better than their parents. But they'll also need to be financially astute, and Bernanke said every student should be exposed to an economics or personal finance class.
　　By Dan Kadlec | @dankadlec | August 8, 2012 | 4
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　　Children today will have a better lifestyle than their parents. But they will also have to take on greater personal responsibility for their futures and require a higher level of financial acumen, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday.
　　“My best guess is that our kids will be better off than we are,” Bernanke said during a town hall meeting with educators, called to discuss financial education in schools. He cited technology gains that make workers more productive, great universities, an entrepreneurial culture, an efficient market-based economy, and a diverse workforce as leading factors for his optimism.
　　But the Fed chief was quick to note that kids will face many challenges, and one of them is the need to become more financially astute. “If you think about what adults are required to do each day,” economics and financial literacy are critical, he said. Among the things that Bernanke says kids must learn:
　　• How to evaluate student loans
　　• How to seek credible information before making a purchase
　　• That financial education is a “lifelong undertaking”
　　Bernanke said he is “all in favor” of adding economics and personal finance courses to school curriculums. One way to do that, he said, is through Advanced Placement classes that drill down on things like bank runs, subprime mortgages, the financial crisis, recessions, and the role of the Fed and how monetary and fiscal policy work. He called these “complex issues” but says that teachers could find a way to bite off pieces and help explain current events.
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