Very true...understanding of risk and how to control it is very poor in we middle class non business class people. Our youngsters and the ladies must have knowledge of financial transactions,compounding, legal procedures as these are as important as driving a car or using internet these days...very essential skills.
On my weekends I help old people with their problems of pensions, bank accounts, taxes various legal documents etc and I found that this knowledge is very bad even in educated families....when someone has to make an affidavit, they feel as if it is something that has to come from Supreme Court of India..
I tried to teach things like mutual funds, income tax, indemnity bonds, affidavit, will, probate,succession certificate, how to read various agreements,property agreements,apartment deeds, conveyance,property registration etc to my relatives ( particularly ladies as they need to know this more) free of cost on a Sunday...the typical responce was as under :
1) All this needs commerce background...we wont understand any of these.
2) We go out in on Sundays so cannot make it.
3) All these things my husband's office or CA takes care so why should I bother ?
4) Finance is not my area...I get bored...
5) We will see when it comes to us....
6) My husband will handle all this...
Needless to say the class never took off....
Smart_trade