How to become financially intelligent
posted on Jul 4, 2019
Want to start making intelligent financial decisions? Read this
First, let us clarify some claims;
- Budgeting is not financial literacy
- Financial literacy is not acquired by reading one book
- Financial literacy is not all about knowing the latest prices of stocks and Foreign exchange
With those out of our way, we can begin to look at what financial literacy really is, and how to actually develop one personally.
According to Wikipedia Financial literacy is the possession of the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.
To consider yourself as financially literate, you need to be able to go beyond budgeting to actually backing financial decisions with intelligent and informed decisions.
If you think of yourself as financially illiterate, you are not alone. Many people struggle with knowing how to manage personal finances, reduce debt, decipher the stock market, make smart investments, etc.
The good thing is that the internet has blessed us with the abundance of resources that can help improve knowledge about making financial decisions. Most of these resources are available for free.
Having said that, becoming financially literate does not happen overnight, nor is it accomplished by reading just one book. It happens over time through education, practical experience, and life lessons.
We’ve put together 5 top ways to improve your financial literacy.
1. Start Now, Not Tomorrow.
Mastering financial literacy is a game of time. The more time you put into developing the skill and consuming content in that space, the better off you will become.
There is no better time to start than now. Don’t be deceived by how little you currently know on the subject, all the experts you wish to be like today, were once rookies, it’s only a matter of time before anyone becomes a pro.
What to do?
Increase your knowledge about investing, real estate, social security, how credit cards work, how financial institutions work, credit histories and scores, saving for the future, insurance, retirement, planning, budgeting, and taxes.
Tackle one topic at a time. Start with the one you are most interested in learning and begin to build a solid foundation of financial know-how.
2. The Internet is Your Friend, Use It
The internet is the most versatile entity that exists right now, whatever you want to know, chances are that someone has written about it, and made it public over the internet.
So, the internet should be top list on your Go-to place for financial related contents.
Many of the cable news networks have websites with a finance tab. Some educational resources provide tutorials that can cover single topics.
Financial institutions like Page Financials have blogs where they inform the public on how to make better financial decisions. There are also specialized blogs like Nairametrics.com that talk about finance.
These are just a few of the places on the internet where you can get so much resources that will help you get closer each day, to your financial goals.
3. Attend Financial Literacy Events
You should definitely endeavor to attend local events that talk about financial literacy.
Iron sharpens iron, and one of the best places to meet other financially literate minds which has high potentials of helping you get better, is at strategic events and meetups.
Look out for events in your city that attracts the top respected financial experts from your area.
Some of these events might not be free considering the caliber of people attending and the value of the knowledge shared, but it is always a good investment in one’s self when you take out time to attend the right event.
Events and meetups afford you the opportunity to connect with like-minds and learn new ways of getting things done in your industry.
4. Read Newspapers and Magazines
A very important and daily source of information that will help your brain become financially intelligent is the daily newspapers and magazines publications.
Begin to read the financial section of your local/regional newspaper (a lot of people don’t ever visit these pages)
Read finance and business newspapers like Business day, Daily post, Daily Times of Nigeria, and Business Hallmark. They provide insight into the domestic and global world of finance and business.
5. Have a Financial Partner.
There is no better way to get to a destination than to walk with someone who has been there and is ready to take you.
Your financial partner is your financial adviser, they give you support and are ready to lend a listening ear anytime you have questions.
Financial partners teach you how to make smart financial decisions in especially areas such as loans and investments.
In times when you need to decide on the rout to take concerning a goal you have set, your financial partner is able to help you understand the scale of preference with respect to that goal and your needs.
Page Financials is a leading financial partner in Nigeria that you can trust. Haven been in the business of providing financial solutions to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians for over 6 years, Page understands the important of financial literacy in helping her customers make better informed financial decisions.
In April 2019, Page took financial literacy to the grassroot, taught children financial literacy at St Georges Boys/Girls School Ikoyi.
We believe that the more informed you are, the more you confident you are at making financial decisions.
Page also has dedicated financial experts who speak with customers and strangers alike, to help them get up and running with financial advices.
All you need to do to access this Free service from Page is to call the helpline 016317243 or send an email stating your request to customer@pagefinancials.com and you will get personalized advice to take you further in your journey to financial intelligence.
PS:
The core services that Page Financials offers are fast and convenient loans, smart investment plans and secure payment solutions for your day to day transactions, you might want to try any of them by clicking the links.