Santander issues warning to millions of customers born in certain three years Only a fifth of 18–21-year-olds show an interest in learning about debt management, according to new data. Santander issues warning to millions of customers born in certain three years Santander has issued a warning after it emerged four in five young people are not interested in learning about debt management. Only a fifth of 18–21-year-olds show an interest in learning about debt management, according to new data. Just one in three were taught about student loans at school, and only one in 10 learnt about personal loans. Research from Santander reveals that only one-in-five young adults are interested in learning about debt management. ‌ Santander says the figures have emerged despite borrowing becoming increasingly prevalent amongst young people, with research from debt charity Step Change finding that almost one-in-four (23%) 18–24-year-olds are in some form of financial difficulty. Article continues below READ MORE UK set for NEW hottest day of year with exact date next week announced Common forms of debt include buy-now-pay-later and student finance, with around £20 billion loaned to 1.5 million higher education students each year. ‌ It is increasingly important that young people are aware of the risks associated with borrowing money, yet, the school curriculum - as it stands - falls short of these important topics, with less than a third (30%) of young people surveyed learning about student loans at school. Only 12% had learnt about personal loans, and a fifth (21%) recall learning about credit cards, with more than a quarter expressing a desire to know more about them. Mark Weston, Director of Financial Support at Santander UK, said: “Debt is an important part of most people’s day-to-day finances. Article continues below "Borrowing money allows people to buy homes, access higher education, and make big purchases. However, it’s crucial that people know the appropriate risk and reward trade-off before making the decision to borrow, to avoid unexpected difficulties in the future. “That’s why it’s vital that we give young people the tools needed to make well-informed decisions around their finances. Simple and free-to-use tools, such as our Financial Health Check, are a great place to start – giving an overall view of day-to-day spending, budgeting and borrowing.”