    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 17 (Monday, April 30, 2007)]
    [Pages 526-527]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    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 to 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 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

    [[Page 527]]

    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.