Last Updated: April 12, 2010

The month of April marks National Financial Literacy Month! Below are some tips from financial planning experts and others on how you can celebrate.

• Think short-term. Set up a short-term financial goal and then tell one person so that he or she can be the "accountability partner in achieving that goal," said FPA member, Saundra D. Davis, MSFP, executive director at Sage Financial Solutions, Inc.
• Think small. "Families could meet and set a household budget for sharing, saving and spending for one month," said Tony Morse, a director at Padilla Speer Beardsley.
• Read a primer. According to J.Thomas Regan, a new business development director at PlanViser Financial, consider reading the "My Money" Tool Kit provided by the U.S. government.
• Track your spending. "Every member of the family can track their spending for the month, then meet at the end to discuss what they find," said Jonathan Sprague, past director, pro bono services at Financial Planning Association® (FPA®). "The best low-tech idea for tracking spending that I've heard of recently is to get a stack of index cards and date them. Each morning, you take that date's card and mark all expenses, toss it back in the pot at the end of the day, then add it all up at the end of the month."
• Get a free financial roadmap. Find out if you are financially on track to meet your goals.
• Host an educational seminar. FPA can help you secure a guest speaker that can address virtually any personal finance or money management topic to help those closest to you learn the basics of financial planning. If you would like FPA to locate a speaker for your seminar, please complete the Speaker Request Form.
• Get answers to your financial planning questions via FPA's "Ask a Planner" e-mail hotline. Ask general financial planning questions and receive answers by FPA members, the financial planning experts.
• Get financial planning advice. Connect with qualified financial planners in your area via FPA's PlannerSearch®, a financial planner search service. Find the right planner with search options including location, how planners charge, planner specialties, asset and income minimums and last name.