Financial literacy rates decline amid rising economic complexity

At the 2026 Teaching Personal Finance Conference held at Stanford University, educators discussed the increasing difficulty of teaching financial literacy in a complex modern economy. Data from the 2026 TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index indicates that U.S. adults answered only 47% of index questions correctly, with Gen Z scoring even lower at 38%.

Experts note that the complexity of consumer decisions has reached an all-time high due to the emergence of cryptocurrency, online sports betting, prediction markets, and AI. While financial literacy remains a challenge, there is progress in formal education; 39 U.S. states now require a personal finance course for high school graduation, an increase from 35 states in 2024.