If you’re a fan of Clark.com, you might know more about money than the average person. But a study on financial literacy says about two-thirds of Americans have some work to do.
Read more: How I paid off my $86,000 mortgage in 2 years
5 questions to test your financial literacy
The FINRA Foundation study asked participants a handful of questions about interest rates, investing, bond prices, mortgages and risk — all the basics.
However, only 37% of people answered at least four out of five questions correctly.
That’s down from the National Financial Capability Study in 2009 — during the Great Recession — when 42% of respondents got a passing grade.
Can you ace the test? Good luck! (Answers below)
Question 1: Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2% per year. After 5 years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
- More than $102
- Exactly $102
- Less than $102
Question 2: Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1% per year and inflation was 2% per year. After 1 year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
- More than today
- Exactly the same
- Less than today
Question 3: If interest rates rise, what will typically happen to bond prices?
- They will rise
- They will fall
- They will stay the same
- There is no relationship between bond prices and the interest rate
Question 4: A 15-year mortgage typically requires higher monthly payments than a 30-year mortgage, but the total interest paid over the life of the loan will be less.
- True
- False
Question 5: Buying a single company's stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.
- True
- False
Those with higher financial literacy are more likely to do the things we talk a lot about here: planning for retirement, building an emergency fund and using credit cards responsibly.
If you want to learn more about your money, here are some resources to get you started:
- Why compound interest is a saver's best friend
- Clark's investment guide
- How much to save each month to retire a millionaire
Quiz answers
- More than $102
- Less than today
- They will fall
- True
- False
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