April is Financial Literacy Month in the U.S. It's an event that aims to improve Americans; financial awareness, how they can better manage their money, how they can better plan for their financial future. We're taking an in-depth look at the country's young labor force, its financial picture, its student loan debt, advice for when it comes time to look for a job in the online era. We've teamed up with CNNMoney to focus today's show on some of the financial challenges facing this newest generation of American workers.

 

A good place to start is to define it. We're talking about people born in the 1980s and 1990s. It's time to meet the millennials.

 

Hey, millennials, what makes you so special anyway?

 

Well, for starters, that generation is the biggest in American history. There are at least 80 million people aged 18 to 35. They're the most educated generation ever and they have the student loan debt to show for it. The average student loan balance for someone under 30 years old, more than $21,000.

 

I already have $46,000 in debt.

 

I have about $54,000.

 

I have $95,000 in student debt.

 

Scarred by the Great Recession, millennials have been reluctant to buy a house.

 

I don't think I plan to buy a home at any point.

 

It never occurred to me, that I would purchase a home.

 

I really believe in a sharing economy.

 

Thirty percent still living with their parents, but most millennials say they want to buy and some are starting to take the plunge.

 

My goal for a down payment is $20,000. And I'm actually achieving that goal and I'm gonna get there quicker than I actually thought.

 

Living in mom and dad's basement means fewer millennials are tying the knot. Their parents probably got married in their early 20s. This generation, 30 is the new normal. And they're waiting to have kids, too.

 

I don't wanna bring a child into the world until, you know, you know that I can afford that.

 

Millennials are the first generation born online. They're tech savvy, which makes them quick learners and smart shoppers. But they care about much more than just the bottom line, so companies have to adjust to make their products more sustainable, higher quality and customizable. That's what millennials want.

 

The ethics are very important to me. I'm looking for authenticity. It's good to know that it will go to a good cause, if it goes to a good company. Ready or not, millennials are dramatically changing expectations and shaping the world.