You can't hide from making financial decisions. Many of life’s decisions are directly or indirectly related to financial matters. Even simple choices like choosing to buy a soda or take a "free to you" drink from a local water fountain, requires a thoughtful decision-making approach because all decisions cost something of value. Spending time and money to do one thing forfeits the value of the next best choice. 

Importantly, every decision each of us make is personal. Following the crowd just doesn’t work. Consequently, being lazy and just doing what others do is a recipe for failure and in the financial world, failure can be catastrophic. Acquiring financial literacy and the willingness to apply it will empower you to avoid mistakes and improve your financial position, now and for the rest of your life.

This yourcashcounts.com website will help you identify and learn several important facts, relationships and attitudes pertaining to financial matters and decision making. It will also expand your perspective, help you ask and answer appropriate questions and give you a sense of power that will feel good. Armed with this knowledge, process and comfort, you will make decisions that will improve your chances of making the right financial choices now and in the future.

PLANNING THE TRIP - HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE:

This website is designed to be a comprehensive resource for young adults beginning to take charge of their lives. With responsibility come consequences that are both positive and negative. Consequently, knowing before acting is critical to avoiding financial mistakes that can impact one’s life for quite some time. The website has ten major components that range from general information about personal finance, to applying personal finance principles to specific personal decisions, to correcting mistakes, to identifying and using community resources. Because the website is organized from general information to specific tasks, it is recommended that users plan their trip from home to the final destination. 

Begin by clicking on 1) quiz and then follow the listed links in order of number through 12) tools until you have read through all 12 major components of this website. You will have become more financially literate and have made choices that result in wealth accumulation, financial freedom, and above all, the accomplishment of your life’s goals.

It is recommended that you do not skip a link. It is possible that when you review a link, your base knowledge will allow you to move through the material quickly, but don’t avoid the material altogether as review and reinforcement is always a good thing.

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You're on your way to financially literacy! Read on...

This yourcashcounts.com website is designed to service the personal finance needs of young adults ages 17-24 years old and help them to make better financial decisions. Although helpful to all young adults, this project incorporates a rural America context in its design. Funded by the Consumer Financial Education Development Award at the University of South Dakota, the website development, service, and related faculty involvement takes place at the Beacom School of Business, USD.

The website and related materials are unique in many ways. First and foremost is the focus on young adults. Over the years, many K-12 personal finance educational curricula have been developed and implemented but few comprehensive programs have been made available to 17-24 year olds - an age group that makes numerous decisions that can impact their financial lives for the rest of their lives. Of course, the material incorporated into the site can have value for both younger and older people seeking enhanced financial literacy depending upon their specific needs and circumstances.

The major goal of yourcashcounts.com is to be a “game changer” in regards to financial decisions now and in the future. Participants in this program will develop a structured approach to making choices and realize that following that structure is well worth the time. Specific cases or applications highlight young people’s current needs and user can focus on the area important to them now.

In addition, the website incorporates a close community connection with the respective financial decisions common to the age group and identifies local resources that can be most helpful in making good choices. With the advent and acceptance of “social media” to supplement the internet, the delivery system is now in place to assist young people to learn more about effective decision making in the very areas that matter to them. Realizing that financial education is not just about content, this website successfully integrates motivation, content, local resources, and peer involvement into its framework.

Although the developer is responsible for this website, many people have helped in creating its structure, philosophy, content, and layout. It is with sincere thanks and appreciation that the following people are recognized for their service to this project:

Special recognition is given to Jennifer Vaillancourt for her leadership in the creation and maintenance of this website.

As is so often the case, projects such as this one are and should be a work in progress. Revisions and additions will be made continuously. Consequently, review it often.