Exploring the Financial Lives of Millennials

In addition to providing curriculum for educators and resources for consumers, the National Endowment for Financial Education ® (NEFE ®) also provides research funding for exploratory projects on personal finance and financial behaviors.

NEFE-funded research includes several projects in recent years focusing on the financial lives of Millennials.  The research provides educators with a glimpse into this complex generation, as well as offering recommendations and next steps for the financial capability field to serve these young Americans who are poised to play a pivotal role in our country's social and economic development.

Youth Focused NEFE-Funded Research


The majority of young adults are struggling to achieve financial security in their transition from college to adulthood, according to the latest report from the Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students (APLUS). 

APLUS is a longitudinal study at the University of Arizona that has followed young adults from their college years to the workforce to discovering how this time of passage affects financial attitudes, behaviors and overall well-being. 


Young adults face distinctive challenges and financial concerns as they come of age, enter employment, and form families. 

Typically young adults often must take on debt to finance investments in the future. This debt has a dual nature: It can be both an accelerator and a deterrent to major life transitions and milestones.

This study reveals how Millennials' life decisions are shaped by debt as they pursue multiple paths to adulthood.
Other NEFE Educator Resources
CashCourse® - online materials for college students
Financial Workshop Kits - resources for adult financial educators
Evaluation Toolkit® - databank of questions to measure impact
On Your Own - young adult blog about financial lessons learned
Spendster - confessions of bad spending habits
Smart About Money - consumer finance tips and tools
High School Financial Planning Program | [email protected] |  www.hsfpp.org
The High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) is the flagship program of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE®). NEFE is the leading private nonprofit, noncommercial foundation dedicated to inspiring empowered financial decision-making for individuals and families through every stage of life.

Learn more about the complete suite of NEFE's free consumer and educator resources at  www.nefe.org .
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