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What makes April special? Let us count the ways:

April Fool’s DayIncome Tax Day My Brother’s Birthday National Frog Month National Autism Month No Housework Day International Guitar Month . . . and more!

It’s also Financial Literacy Month. Even with 2 days left, it’s worth it to take a minute and get a little education. (And it still counts even if you wait until May!)

Every couple years, Jump$tart Coalition issues a "personal finance" exam to high school seniors. The test highlights the importance of personal financial literacy among America's youth and comes at an especially important juncture. In the last test, 12th graders answered 48.3% correct on average and posted the lowest scores since Jump$tart first issued the test in 1996.

Can you do better? Find out by taking the complete Jump$tart Personal Financial Literacy test for yourself online.

The average adult scores 68%.

There are a great many other links concerning financial literacy and personal finance. Here are a few of my favorites:

Credit.com

The Official Free Annual Credit Report

Credit Info Center

You Need a Budget

truecredit.com

myfico.com

Free Money Finance

Get clicking and get reading . . . the health of your wallet depends on it!

 


160 Million “We’re So Sorry’s” and One Big Opportunity
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
" We're so sorry, Uncle Albert We're so sorry if we caused you any pain We're so sorry, Uncle Albert But there's no one left at home And I believe I'm gonna rain" Can you say "We're so sorry" 160 times? And do it again a million…
Guess What Number Could Doom Your Loan Now (Hint: It's Not Your Credit Score)
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
Guess What Number Could Doom Your Loan Now (Hint: It's Not Your Credit Score) "I'm thinking of a number " Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years, you've seen the ubiquitous FreeCredit. com commercial featuring a too…
No Cash? No Credit? No Problem? Secret Weapon Revealed
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
There's a mortgage ad running on Chicago area radio stations that seems to be aimed at credit-challenged borrowers with limited cash. The guy with the "perfect" mortgage suggests that even these borrowers can still get a mortgage. His "secret"…
What Mortgage Fraud Looks Like
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
According to the FBI's 2007 Mortgage Fraud Report more than 46, 000 cases of suspected mortgage fraud were reported last year. This led to bank losses exceeding $813 million. If you're looking for reasons why mortgage underwriting is…
What's In Your Wallet? More Than You May Want!
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
If you were to stop what you were doing and give yourself 10 seconds to list everything in your wallet or purse, what would be on your list? Cash, driver's license, credit cards, debit cards, membership ID, a receipt or two and a subway card --…
The Counties In Which Home Prices Are Rising
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
When real estate news is reported on television or in the papers, it's usually told as a national story. Unfortunately, stories like these aren't helpful for everyday Americans because real estate is not a national market. Real estate is…
You're Not Immune -- No Matter What Your Credit Profile Looks Like
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
Four times annually, the Federal Reserve surveys 84 different banks about general banking conditions. One of the survey questions asks about current mortgage lending standards and whether they are loosening or tightening. The chart at right is from…
Memo To Fed: Remember The Fool In The Shower
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
The Federal Reserve announced yet another rate cut of 25% to the Federal Funds Rate last week -- its 7th since September 2007. University of Chicago Economist and Nobel-laureate Milton Friedman had a favorite way of describing what the Federal…
Why Your Mortgage Is Not A Big Mac (or Why It Pays To Have A Personal Mortgage Advisor)
Ben Barber (Chicago Bancorp)
The typical way to order a Big Mac® looks something like this: step up to the counter, order your burger, pay and eat. Your order taker doesn't ask whether you really need a Big Mac® Nor does he question whether it's the right…
 

Ben Barber

Chicago, IL

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Chicago Bancorp

Office Phone: (312) 738-6253

Cell Phone: (312) 738-6253

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