2003 Economic and Financial Literacy Conference
A statewide conference to raise awareness about the importance of economic and financial literacy, and identify strategies for improving these skills in Hawaii’s schools and among its adult population.

Mark Spiegel, Economist
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

The Hawaii Council on Economic Education encourages a comprehensive approach toward helping individuals and families improve their personal financial skills and understand how economic decision making can be useful in their daily lives. Educated and informed consumers of all ages contribute to efficient financial markets and benefit the overall economy.

• Bankruptcy filings in Hawaii grew from fewer than 400 in the first quarter of 1994 to over 1,300 in the first quarter of 2001.
  
• In a 2003 survey of Hawaii's workforce, 43% of those surveyed did not know the definition of a budget deficit. 51% of those surveyed mistakenly believed that money holds its value well in times of inflation.