[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.