Intergenerational Financial Literacy: The Case for Teaching Sustainable Financial Decision Making in Schools

Abstract

This article examines national (US) educational financial literacy standards through the lens of sustainability and intergenerational responsibility. Linking financial literacy standards to important sustainability issues like the Bruntland Report, the American Indian seventh generation concept, and future ethics, the article recommends the addition of specific ethical, social, and environmental standards to current financial literacy standards. The example of water is used to illustrate the connection between sustainability and financial literacy, and implications for current educators are discussed.