The U.S. Governments Financial Education and Literacy Commission promotes five principals for Americans to keep in mind as they make day-to-day decision about money and plan their financial goals.
Earn – Make the most of what you earn by understanding your pay and benefits. If you aren’t using vacation pay or personal days off, that’s a benefit that you are leaving on the table, and you’re not getting the rest and leisure that you’re eligible for.
Save and Invest – It’s never to early to start saving for future goals. If you have a retirement account, you should routinely review those accounts and make sure they are on track to meet your goals.
Protect – Make sure you have an emergency savings, and that insurance plans provide adequate coverage for home, car and other property.
Spend – Get good value for your purchases. Shop around and compare, especially on big purchases.
Borrow – Most of us have to borrow money to buy a house or other large purchase at some point. Borrowing money and paying back loans helps to build credit. However, remember that borrowing money comes at a price – paying interest. When you borrow you repay the debt and pay interest.
Everybody will manage their money differently, and these are principles, not hard and fast rules. We can’t always stick to these principles depending on our circumstances. 
By: Brenda Langdon
