I was perplexed the first time I realized that highly educated me was completely illiterate when it came to money matters. I was just turning 40 (yeah, I know -- a bit slow) when me and my husband had to face the fact that our financial situation was not going to allow a high school education for our beloved teenage daughter. Never mind her 3 siblings!

Although we had a fairly good living, we were perpetually in debt. With endless years of paying off our mortgage laying before us, and numerous other debts taking their toll on our monthly budget, our financial future did not look very promising.

Numbers don't lie. We had to admit that we had been hopelessly ignorant in managing our income. For the first time we questioned those honored diplomas we had received in college. Was this the successful and prosperous life they had so ardently promised years ago?

Looking around us we discovered that we were not the only ones. Most of our likewise highly educated friends were in the same boat...