personal finance education is needed to help an individual or a family make rational financial decisions throughout their life. Before 1990, mainstream economists and business faculty paid little attention to personal finance. However, several American universities such as�Brigham Young University,�Iowa State University, and�San Francisco State University�have started to offer financial educational programmes in both undergraduate and graduate programmes in the last 30 years. These institutions have published several works in journals such as�The Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning�and the�Journal of Personal Finance. Research into personal finance is based on several theories such as�social exchange theory�and�andragogy�(adult learning theory). Professional bodies such as�American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences�and American Council on Consumer Interests started to play an important role in the development of this field from the 1950s to 1970s. The establishment of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) in 1984 at�Iowa State Universityand the Academy of Financial Services (AFS) in 1985 marked an important milestone in personal finance history. Attendances of the two societies mainly come from faculty and graduates from business and home economics colleges. AFCPE has since offered several certifications for professionals in this field such as Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) and Certified Housing Counselors (CHC). Meanwhile, AFS cooperates with�Certified Financial Planner�(CFP Board)
