Financial education: The pending issue for young Mexicans

The first time Luis, a recent college graduate, tried to understand his bank statement, he felt like he was being spoken to in Aramaic. "Neither high school nor college prepared me for this," he confesses. His case is not unusual: The data from the National Financial Inclusion Survey (2021) are conclusive: 54% of Mexicans between 25 and 35 years old live from day to day. ; and the 68% of young people admit they don't understand basic concepts like the APR or compound interest. (ENIF, 2021). But why do we continue to treat money as a taboo subject?

Ernesto Reséndiz López, financial education specialist and CEO of Smart+ , a company specializing in financial education, identifies four fundamental pillars that everyone should master to build a solid financial future. These concepts are part of the Financial Transformation Plan that Smart+ promotes through its digital academy:

Active income as a starting point

"At Smart+ Academy, we teach that salary should be the springboard, not the economic ceiling," explains Reséndiz. The methodology includes practical workshops on various topics. financial education , business development , he crypto world and personal growth , among others.

The importance of building passive income

As part of its Smart+ Innovator program, it guides people in identifying real opportunities for developing productive projects. "You don't need large amounts of capital to get started, just applied knowledge," the specialist explains.

Diversification as a habit, not a gamble

In the face of the proliferation of "trading gurus" on social networks, Smart+ emphasizes an approach based on rigorous financial education "Our courses show how good financial management and investing in productive projects can provide people with financial peace of mind," says Reséndiz.

Financial plenitude as a goal

This core concept of the Smart+ model goes beyond accumulating money: " We seek to ensure that young people achieve freedom of choice in their professional and personal lives. Financial fulfillment, as we understand it, isn't about accumulating wealth, but rather about generating stability, freedom, and personal autonomy. It's about building with discipline, without debt, and reaching a point where each person can make their own life decisions with confidence and without financial pressure," the executive emphasizes.

The Smart+ model

It started operations in 2010, covering three pillars: ● Learn : Through Smart+ Academy , which has courses , graduates and workshops by experts and specialists , Smart+ promotes personal training in five relevant topics for entrepreneurs: Finance, Personal Growth, Business Development, Leadership, and Personal Image.● Grow your assets : This step focuses on optimizing capital, either through the opportunities provided by being part of the Smart+ community or through the different resources available on the market to boost the growth of personal assets.● Diversify : Smart Innovator is dedicated to promoting the diversification of assets through knowledge, facilitating the linking of productive projects and ventures; To date, more than 120 productive projects and more than 7,000 jobs have emerged thanks to Smart+. ; In addition, this phase also promotes preparation for adapting to changes of any kind (technological, financial, social) to ensure a future that is not only innovative but also financially stable.

“Real change begins when young people understand that financial education is not a luxury, but a basic necessity in today's world,” Reséndiz concludes.