ABSTRACT
This chapter explores why students should take control of their personal finances and build a secure future by creating private wealth. It explains the importance of taking control and responsibility for their personal finances. The chapter discusses the benefits of creating personal wealth and the different methods of wealth accumulation. Wealth is regarded as a financial reserve that allows people to smooth their consumption over their life cycle. In the later stages, wealth is used to maintain consumption in retirement when income from work declines or stops. A high level of savings may be expected among older households, since they have had time to accumulate these through employer pension plans and other savings and investments. The combination of declining birth rates and rising life expectancy in some regions produces an ageing population. An ageing population exerts a huge strain on the healthcare system and public finances, affecting the government's ability to look after people in old age.
