MeL Minute

Tools for Personal Financial Literacy from MeL

A 2021 Federal Reserve study stated that 32% of adults don’t have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency expense. Financial literacy tools can help everyone plan for the unexpected, as well as a brighter future. Several eResources in the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) provide knowledge and insight to help both young and young at heart learn to better manage our financial lives.

Budgeting and Saving

Having an emergency fund is a good way to prepare for unexpected costs. In Kiplinger’s Personal Finance from MasterFILE Complete, "De-Risk Your Finances" offers ideas to help prepare for furlough, layoff, or even job loss. Educating children from a young age about how money works, including budgeting and saving, can be a helpful step toward future financial independence. The eBook Public Library Collection has eBooks to help children and teens navigate important money-related topics including Building a Budget and Savings Plan, Teen Guide to Financial Literacy, and Financial Literacy for Gen Z: A Practical Guide to Managing Your Financial Life. Adults and entrepreneurs might consider The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation, Money-Smart Solopreneur: A Personal Finance System for Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Side-Hustlers, or 10 Ways to Manage Money.

Investing for the Future

Once a safety net is established, planning for retirement might be a part of one’s goals. To better understand the wide variety of retirement savings plan options, Small Business Reference Center includes the NOLO Guide IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans (15^th ed). This guide provides information about various retirement savings plans, as well as the rules that govern each type.

Library Programming Ideas

National Financial Literacy Month will be recognized in April 2024. Prepare to celebrate by planning programming for your community. Some ideas include:

• Hold a financial literacy event for families with sharing from local experts such as financial planners, insurance agents, and bankers
• Design a financial literacy challenge that includes articles and eBooks from the MeL eResources that patrons can read to be more informed on a range of personal finance topics
• Invite families of students who are preparing for college to learn about filling out the FAFSA form and demonstrate the Scholarship Finder in EBSCO LearningExpress

Libraries have always been considered valuable resources to the communities they serve. By using the MeL eResources, we can help families understand how to plan for stable financial futures.

If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact melerhelp@mcls.org for help.

Brought to you by Laura Warren-Gross from the MeL Team. 

Supporting Michigan Libraries by Putting You First. 

Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs,  visit http://mel.org, or sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks. 

MeL eResources are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only. 

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.