Many years ago, I took a class in the Bronx to get my motorcycle license. The lessons took place in a random, shabby parking lot with bottom of the line loaner bikes that didn’t even have sideview mirrors. Most of the other students, like me, had cheap, low tech gear, barely meeting the requirements. One guy, though, had the full kit. His jacket, pants, gloves, boots, and helmet must have cost thousands of dollars. He looked impressive. But he was also the worst student in class. He actually flunked out, because he couldn’t make simple turns without falling over. I’ve witnessed new government programs suffer the same fate.

Happy National Financial Literacy Month. In the U.S. April kicks off a national focus on financial education and financial inclusion. We are all about that! We hope it’s starting to look like spring where you are. Snag something delicious and settle in for:

• Five things we just heard – part 2 (the end)

• Fresh state metrics

• Updates from Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Hawaii, Missouri, and some Global updates

• In the world of state-sponsored retirement programs, how much does culture matter? Expert Joel Metlen weighs in

We hear all the time about other countries’ innovative ways to improve financial security. Sometimes, we can adopt similar solutions, but other times, those ideas simply won’t work here in the United States. There are a lot of reasons for that - legal, logistical, and political - but one you can’t ignore is culture.