iii Financial Capability— What Does It Mean to You? As a young adult, one of the most important keys to your success will be financial capability. Financial capability is the ability to combine financial knowledge with the attitude, skills, and behaviors needed to use money wisely in a person’s own life. Financial literacy is knowledge about basic topics related to finance, such as making, spending, and saving money. As a young person, you will need to learn how to make wise financial decisions at an early age. Wise financial decisions will help you lead a productive life, as well as enable you to be a positive contributor to your community. Exploring Financial Literacy will provide you with opportunities to learn about financial literacy topics and how they impact your life now, as well as how they will influence your future. As you read about each new topic, jump in and see how the information applies to you as a student. Learn how to make your money work for you and how to plan for your career and your future. Have fun as you begin the journey and explore financial literacy! About the Author Judi Deatherage is a retired business education teacher with a passion for educating teens about money. She received her bachelor degree from Eastern Kentucky University and her master degree from the University of Cincinnati. During her teaching career, Judi taught accounting and finance courses to high school and college students. She was the recipient of Ashland Oil’s Golden Apple Award for Teachers and is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Judi is the author of a trade book, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, which focuses on basic principles of financial literacy for teens. After retiring, Judi worked part-time in an accounting office, keeping up-to-date on current tax laws. She lives in northern Kentucky with her husband, near her children and grandchildren. Judi continues to speak to groups of all ages, teens through adults, about using money wisely.