Ryan FowlerMarking International Day of Education, Eleanor Levy, chief commercial officer at now:pensions, has emphasised the role of financial education in building a fairer future. She highlighted the importance of open discussions about money and the impact of financial literacy on long-term financial resilience.
Levy said: “This International Day of Education is an opportunity for us to raise awareness of the importance of financial education and the role it plays in creating a fairer future for everyone. Quality education includes learning and talking about money even though it may feel uncomfortable or taboo. It can even be tempting to just avoid the topic altogether. But having open and honest conversations about money and savings with family, in particular children, can encourage engagement with finances without fear, and that is both positive and powerful.”
now:pensions has partnered with Debate Mate to provide students with lessons on personal finance, aiming to improve their understanding of key financial topics and strengthen their ability to make sound financial decisions in adulthood.
Levy explained: “now:pensions long-standing partnership with Debate Mate aims to educate students about personal finances to help build healthy relationships with money, savings, and pensions. Developing their understanding of key financial topics can improve financial resilience so they are better prepared to make financial decisions in adulthood. This is particularly important when it comes to pension savings – including understanding the impact of decisions about career, employment, and family caring responsibilities, on retirement lifestyles.”
The importance of financial education is further underscored by now:pensions’ research with the Pensions Policy Institute, which found that women retire with average pension savings of £69,000 compared to £205,000 for men, highlighting the stark gender pensions gap.
