“The time is now for Maryland to become the fourth state in the nation to require a standalone course in financial literacy as a high school graduation requirement,” Comptroller Franchot said. “I believe that fewer people would be drowning in debt today and facing the loss of their homes, their credit ratings and their financial security if they had been armed with a financial education. We don’t have time to wait,” he added.

A state officer the Comptroller met at Overlea High School in Baltimore County explained how his fellow students could avoid the financial ruin many adults have experienced by receiving a financial education. “If everybody has the knowledge they need, then they'll be able to avoid financial tragedy, like foreclosure and credit card debt and that, in the end, helps everybody," State President Aaron Moore said.