Driver’s Ed for Money

If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?

At eighteen, America hands you a credit card application before it hands you a compass.

One signature opens the door to adulthood. Another signature opens a line of credit. Few young adults understand the difference. That gap shapes decades.

If I had the authority to change one U.S. law, I would require comprehensive financial literacy education in every public high school before graduation. Structured. Practical. Required. Because access without understanding creates consequences that echo for years.

Proverbs 4:7 teaches, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.” A nation built on independence thrives when its citizens understand the mechanics of money. Freedom functions best when paired with knowledge.

Access Without Instruction

The United States offers extraordinary financial access. Credit cards arrive in mailboxes. Student loans unlock campuses. Buy-now-pay-later buttons sit beside every checkout screen.

Yet many young adults begin earning income without clarity about interest, taxes, compound growth, or long-term planning. Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much.” Faithfulness requires comprehension.

Louis Brandeis once observed, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Education acts like sunlight. When financial systems become clear, confusion loses power.

The Culture of Consumption

American culture celebrates consumption. Advertising pulses across screens. Social comparison drives spending. Lifestyle inflation sneaks in with each raise.

Young adults often mistake credit for capacity. Debt becomes tomorrow’s burden disguised as today’s convenience.

Ecclesiastes 11:2 advises, “Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” Scripture speaks to diversification and foresight. Strategic planning carries ancient wisdom.

Peter Drucker wrote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Financial literacy equips young people to design futures rather than react to bills.

Why This Law Matters

A federal financial literacy requirement would level the starting line. Students would graduate knowing how to read a pay stub, evaluate a loan, build an emergency fund, and understand compounding. Those skills reduce preventable stress.

This proposal carries zero political theater. It focuses on preparation. Preparation builds stability, and stability strengthens communities.

Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Financial literacy gives young adults the opportunity to know better early.

Soul Insights

1. Financial stress leaks into every area of life.

Money pressure affects sleep, relationships, and long-term decision making. When young adults misunderstand interest rates or debt cycles, anxiety grows. Education acts like insulation against preventable panic. Structured knowledge reduces emotional volatility. Stability creates space for creativity and purpose.

2. Credit is leverage, and leverage demands respect.

Credit itself carries neutral power. Used wisely, it builds opportunity. Used carelessly, it compounds burden. Early education reframes credit as a tool rather than free money. Clarity shifts behavior faster than fear ever could.

3. Compounding works in two directions.

Investments grow through time and discipline. Debt also compounds through time and neglect. Young adults rarely receive visual demonstrations of this dual reality. A classroom whiteboard could illustrate decades of impact within minutes. That image would linger long after graduation.

4. Independence without literacy becomes fragility.

American culture prizes self-reliance. Self-reliance thrives when paired with skill. Financial illiteracy increases vulnerability to predatory systems. Education restores agency. Agency strengthens civic participation.

5. Prevention costs less than repair.

Many public policies address damage after it spreads. Financial literacy addresses causes before crises erupt. Teaching young adults how money flows reduces future bailouts and bankruptcies. Wisdom at eighteen reverberates at forty-eight. Early structure builds generational resilience.

Final Thoughts

This law would require commitment, curriculum design, and federal alignment across states. The investment would ripple for decades. Young adults would enter adulthood with clarity instead of confusion.

Financial literacy does more than balance budgets. It calms nervous systems. It protects marriages. It preserves dreams. It gives young people the dignity of informed choice.

A nation built on freedom flourishes when its citizens understand the rules of the economic landscape.

Call to Action

If this vision resonates, begin small. Share financial lessons with someone younger. Offer a workshop at church. Mentor a recent graduate. Wisdom multiplies when passed forward.

And if you enjoy reflections that blend life, faith, and personal growth, my book 17 Syllables of Me offers poetic insights designed to anchor everyday decisions with intention and heart.

Soul Path Insights