Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent capped off financial literacy month on April 30, saying that financial literacy unlocks “opportunity for every American.”
“We live in the greatest country on earth, and Financial Literacy is what fuels the American Dream. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, I believe that embedding financial literacy into the fabric of our great nation is more important than ever,” Bessent said during his remarks at the Financial Literacy Capstone Event.
Bessent has worked throughout April–Financial Literacy Month–to host multiple events, engagements, and partnerships and launch resources to improve understanding of finance. The Treasury’s official financial literacy resources are available at MyMoney.gov.
The Trump administration highlighted Trump Accounts, the tax-advantaged investment accounts for American children under the age of 18 years old, which passed under the Big Beautiful Bill. Eligible children born during Trump’s second term in office, or 2025-2028, can also receive $1,000 in seed money from Treasury for their Trump Accounts.
Bessent closed out Financial Literacy Month at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, welcoming more than 50 students from the greater Washington, DC, area for a financial literacy fair. The event, hosted alongside Visa, included Visa’s Financial Soccer, a fast-paced literacy game that quizzes players on real-world money decisions, and a fair that included interactive booths and free resources from more than a dozen partners such as the SPARK Institute, Robinhood, and more.
Students even got to tour the historic Treasury Vault as America begins to prepare for the country’s 250th anniversary.
Groups that either hosted a booth at the financial literacy fair or had handout materials included:
- SS&C Technologies
- Chime
- Robinhood
- Fidelity Investments
- MissionSquare
- SIFMA Foundations
- inspHire IO
- Lincoln Financial
- Everfi
- Voya Financial
- Addition Wealth
- SPARK
- ABA Foundation
- Jump$tart
- Corporate Insight, Inc.
- Redwood Consulting Solutions LLC
- VISA
In his remarks, Bessent highlighted the administration’s work to improve Americans’ ability to save and make more informed financial decisions:
In today’s world, financial literacy is a necessity, just like reading and writing, which is why I am encouraged to see you all here today. President Trump’s leadership has been a driving force in our efforts to cultivate financial literacy across the country, and we at the Treasury Department are very proud to host ongoing initiatives and events such as these.
Understanding how to make informed financial decisions and mastering how to save, budget, and plan can unlock opportunity for every American, and your age is the perfect time to begin. At the Treasury Department, we are committed to providing you and your peers with resources to help jumpstart that journey. You can visit MyMoney.Gov to access educational tools from across the federal government, and I hope when you will leave today you will encourage your friends and families to do the same.
He also explained the Trump Accounts to the young attendees. “Additionally, the President has launched Trump Accounts, a new type of investment account for kids across the country, just like you. Trump Accounts will further your financial literacy and help you all save for the future. These accounts will provide all American children the opportunity to build wealth from a young age,” he said. “Through Trump Accounts, you will have a direct stake in the American economy and can track your savings in real time. I ask each student here to encourage your parents to sign you up for an account today – don’t miss out on this historic opportunity.”
Bessent encouraged the students present to learn how to make sound financial decisions. “Our goal as a department is to help you make informed financial decisions—whether that means saving, investing, or planning for major life milestones like higher education, home ownership, and then much later down the road, retirement.
“It is up to each of us to build a better foundation of financial knowledge so that we can ensure that the United States thrives for the next 250 years.”
He added, “While Financial Literacy Month technically ends this week, we will continue to promote financial education across the country all year, so we can help put ALL Americans on a path to their own financial prosperity.”
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