The Basics

"Financial literacy" means having a general understanding of how to manage your money, which includes getting money, spending money, and saving up money. Over time, financial literacy can help you do big things like pay for college, buy a house, or have money as you get older. It can also help you stay away from scams and be ready for unexpected expenses and difficult life events.

Financial literacy is especially important for people with disabilities, who often:

• Spend more on everyday activities
• Have high medical costs, and
• Get public benefits that have rules about money and assets.

This article has pages about these key financial literacy topics:

• Budgeting, which means making a plan for how to use your money and following that plan
• Credit, which is a way of borrowing money to buy things
• Paying down debt, if you need to pay back money you’ve borrowed
• Avoiding identity theft and other scams, so that you can keep your money safe
• Homeownership, if you are interested in buying your own home
• Self-Employment, if you want to understand the good and bad parts of having your own business
• Social Security disability benefits, if you get them and want to understand how to manage them

Each page is focused on important issues for people with disabilities and has links to programs that can help you with them.