RICHMOND, Mo. — Nearly half of Gen Z adults today don’t expect to retire because they don’t think they can afford it, don’t want to or aren’t thinking about it, according to a report.

It has pushed experts everywhere to help this generation better understand the impact of the financial decisions they make at a young age.

According to the Council for Economic Education survey of states35 states require a personal finance class to graduate from high school, including Kansas and Missouri.

The mission to make that happen in all 50 states is part of what’s driving high school students in Richmond, Missouri, to teach personal financial habits in area elementary schools.

On Tuesday, high school students taught second through fourth grade students financial literacy, from savings and spending to opportunity costs.

KSHB 41 The News Staff

Sally Burnett is their Instructional Technology Coach.

“There are a lot of families who don’t talk about financial issues,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here today.”

KSHB 41 The News Staff

He started his career in finance but switched to education after he said he saw this gap in children’s education.

“We’re in a market economy — they already know a lot of things,” Burnett said of elementary students. “They make decisions as opportunity costs, they just don’t have the language for it.”

High school students who teach younger students make real-life financial decisions themselves, saving for their own cars, futures, and more.

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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers issues related to the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.