    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [April 25, 2007]
    [Page 485]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting on Financial Literacy
    April 25, 2007

        April is Financial Literacy Month, and so I've asked some of our
    Nation's most caring citizens to come and talk to us about how to
    develop and hone a strategy that will help more of our American citizens
    become financially literate. If you're not sure how interest works, it's
    hard to be a good homeowner. If you don't understand rates of return,
    it's hard to be a good investor. If you're not sure how money works, it
    will be missed opportunity for people from all walks of life.
        It is in this country's interest that people in every neighborhood,
    from every background, understand the financial literacy world,
    understand what it means when people talks terms related to their money.
    The more financially literate our society is, the more hopeful our
    society becomes.
        And ours is a great system. It is a system that means somebody can
    come to America or live in America with nothing and end up with a lot; a
    system where people can realize dreams and work hard and realize those
    dreams. But unless we have a financially literate society, not enough
    people are going to be able to realize the great promise of America.
        And so I want to thank the Secretary of Treasury and the Secretary of Education, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for agreeing to be a part of the committee to
    make sure the Federal effort toward financial literacy is well
    coordinated with the private sector. And I thank those from the private
    sector for joining us. We've got people from corporate America, we've
    got people from faith-based America, we've got people from community-
    based-program America. We've got people from all walks of life, all
    around the country, who are deeply concerned about making sure this
    country is as financially literate as possible, and I thank you for
    coming. I appreciate you joining us.
        Mr. Secretary, thanks for chairing the project.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:10 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.