1.  The article implies the author grew up in a poor economic area.  So becoming aware of these ideas may have been a big deal to the author.

2.  I do think there is a wide range of financial literacy and I do think many people don’t know those three things about their personal finances.  Too busy, too uneducated, no role models, too scared to look, and/or just trying to get by.

3.  The three ideas are a basic variation of Management 101 - you have to measure it to manage it.  I’ve found it remarkable how many questions can be answered with basic measurements - how long, etc.