Financial literacy, recovery rebate credits, and living in balance

I had a great trip to Chicago last Friday and Saturday, keynoting a financial literacy event to a large group of students ranging in age from 16 to over 50.  The best part: a most enthusiastic crowd, many of which had traveled two hours of more for the education.  Talk about self-selection for success!

I’m not sure financial literacy has ever been more important than today.  More people get it everyday (”It” being the importance more so than the education, unfortunately, but I am working to change that.)

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Not surprisingly given what’s going on in the world, my post from several weeks ago, Economic Stimulus Payments are now Recovery Rebate Credits – will you get yours? continues to get a ton of traffic and frequent comments/questions. If you didn’t receive the maximum economic stimulus payment last year (that special check often for $600 or $1,200), find out if you’ll get it this year. You might be surprised at the answer.

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I just finished reading through this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Funny About Money and featuring my article Roth IRA Contribution Limits: Your Earnings, Income, and Marital Status Matter – a good primer as we enter the time of year when most people make their IRA contributions.

The best “other” article of the carnival this week is by Kate at The Paycheck Chronicles, titled 5 Reasons That Not Saving Money is Saving Me Money. It’s a great reminder of the importance of not sweating all the small stuff, and, more importantly, of living in balance, a key component of living Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck.

Enjoy and have a great week!