I Have a PhD in Business but Never Had a Personal Finance Class | Dr. Karen DeLong | 206

I Have a PhD in Business but Never Had a Personal Finance Class | Dr. Karen DeLong | 206

From Catching Up to FI by Bill Yount & Jackie Cummings Koski

April 5, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 206

About this episode

Dr. Karen DeLong discusses the importance of financial literacy education for college students and her efforts to integrate it into her curriculum.

APRIL IS FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH! What if one passionate professor, one classroom, and a few brave money questions could change hundreds of financial lives before graduation? We head to Knoxville for a special Financial Literacy Month episode with Dr. Karen DeLong, the University of Tennessee professor quietly doing the work most schools still don't: making sure students leave campus with more than a degree. Karen shares how three advanced degrees somehow included zero personal-finance education and how that gap pushed her to build an annual money session for her students. Bill and Jackie reflect on what it was like to teach these soon-to-be graduates and how any late starter can become a powerful financial literacy advocate in their own little corner of the world. This episode covers: ➡️ Why Dr. Karen DeLong started bringing personal finance into her classroom ➡️ How someone can earn multiple degrees and still never take a money class ➡️ Why college students are hungry for practical money conversations ➡️ The kinds of personal finance questions students are asking before graduation ➡️ How Bill and Jackie prepare for live financial literacy teaching sessions ➡️ Why financial…

People in this episode

Hosts: Bill Yount, Jackie Cummings Koski

Guest: Dr. Karen DeLong

Topics covered

  • financial literacy
  • personal finance education
  • college students
  • teaching methods
  • advocacy

Keywords

  • financial literacy
  • personal finance
  • college education
  • money questions
  • student advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Tennessee, Farm Credit Mid-America

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