Have you ever looked at your bank account and wondered when you April fooled yourself?

Since 2004, April has been designated as National Financial Literacy month in the United States.

When it comes to financial literacy—which includes things like knowing what a credit score is, how to budget, file taxes, factor in the interest rate on a loan—52% of Americans lack expertise.

National financial literacy month is a chance for advocates to change that statistic around.

“This designation is more than symbolic. It is a call to action,” Rep. Carol Hill-Evans said, (D-York). 

Today, elected officials spoke to raise awareness for the need of financial literacy in schools and communities. The state’s general assembly has made progress on this issue.

Starting in the 2026/27 school year, by Pennsylvania law, schools must offer a financial literacy course that high schoolers must complete to graduate.

“How are we setting them off into the real world? Whether they're going to get a job, whether they are going to go to college,” Tim DeFoor said, Pennsylvania Auditor General. “If they have a student loan... do you understand student loans? Do you understand how to save? Do you understand credit?”

While groundwork is set for the next generation; community organizations continue to encourage adults to face their finances.

“Sometimes we just need an accountability partner, someone to walk with us when it comes to our finances, and that’s okay,” Natasha Knight said, a financial literacy specialist for the St. Martin Center in Erie, PA.

She gave several finance 101 tips for anyone feeling nervous about their bank account.

“When you're facing financial difficulties, there's two different ways that you can approach this,” Knight said. "You can increase your income or decrease your expenses."

"Another thing is stick to a budget,” Knight said. "And when you're doing that budget, make sure that you're being realistic and you're being honest about it.

Knight looked sternly into the camera at this point.

"Because the only person that you're lying to when you're not doing so is yourself.”

Financial choices made as young people can have huge influence on your future. But,

“We're all human. We all have made mistakes, and none of us get it right the first time,” Knight said. “None of us. And so it's not too late to actually sit down and to do a budget or to get more knowledge about your finances.”

For more financial literacy resources, you can visit the Auditor General’s Be Money Smart website.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has courses for adults on their website.