The curriculum is decades behind reality
National curriculums update slowly. Personal finance sits awkwardly between maths, economics and PSHE — nobody owns it, so nobody teaches it properly.
Teaching money is politically messy
Any serious lesson on debt, credit or investing touches banks, mortgages and government policy. Schools tend to avoid subjects that look like they're picking sides.
What to do about it now
Learn the fundamentals yourself: budgeting, an emergency fund, compound interest, index investing, credit scores. A weekend of reading covers 80% of what most adults need.
Start our Personal Wealth Management category for a step-by-step path.
Key takeaways
- It's inertia, not malice — no one subject owns money.
- The basics can be self-taught in a weekend.
- Investing early beats earning more later, thanks to compounding.