Financial Literacy Fuels the American Dream, Treasury Secretary Tells Students

Save, budget, invest, and plan, and you’ll have a direct stake in helping the American economy thrive for its next 250 years, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a group of middle school students on Thursday.

Bessent’s brief remarks, delivered inside the Department of the Treasury’s historic cash room, capped off the monthlong celebration of Financial Literacy Month in the nation’s capital. During the April 30 financial fair, teenagers and their teachers also learned about the new Trump Accounts, a federally funded pilot program that provides children under 18 with $1,000. More than 5 million U.S. children are already signed up.

The Trump Account program is also meant to serve as a learning tool for students, allowing them to track savings and investments in real time before accessing the fund at age 18 or beyond for a major expense like college, a home purchase, or starting a business.

“As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, I believe that embedding financial literacy into the fabric of our great nation is more important than ever,” Bessent said. “In today’s world, financial literacy is a necessity, just like reading and writing, which is why I’m encouraged to see you all here today.”

The closing day festivities employed a World Cup theme, recognizing Visa as the main sponsor of the 2026 global soccer competition hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Kelly Mahon Tullier, Visa’s chief people and corporate affairs officer, told the young audience that financial literacy can be fun—like leveling up in a video game or marveling at Iron Man’s brilliance in a comic book.

“You are the guardians of your own and America’s financial future,” she said.

The students then separated into two teams for a “financial soccer” match, each coached by a senior official in Bessen’s department. Correct answers to questions about mortgages, credit cards, household expenses, and financial objectives translated into ball possession, free kicks, and goals on large screens displaying a video game—Electronic Arts FIFA 2026—with the U.S men’s team against Paraguay, an opening group play match in June.

As in soccer, financial planning can involve strategies that are offensive, balanced, or defensive—“like the early 2010s Barcelona” squad, Treasury employees explained.

Nationally, 30 states now require, or will phase in, completion mandates of a financial literacy course for high school graduation, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education.

“Seventy-three percent of high school students in the country will receive a financial literacy education before they graduate,” the organization states on its website. “This is remarkable considering only 9 percent of high school students received a financial literacy education in 2017.”