Ideas change everything

How I learned to read -- and trade stocks -- in prison

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Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll |

TEDxSanQuentin

• January 2016

Financial literacy isn't a skill -- it's a lifestyle. Take it from Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll. As an incarcerated individual, Carroll knows the power of a dollar. While in prison, he taught himself how to read and trade stocks, and now he shares a simple, powerful message: we all need to be more savvy with our money.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Financial literacy isn't a skill -- it's a lifestyle. Take it from Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll. As an incarcerated individual, Carroll knows the power of a dollar. While in prison, he taught himself how to read and trade stocks, and now he shares a simple, powerful message: we all need to be more savvy with our money.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxSanQuentin, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Learn more Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll's work on empowering people to identify the emotions that affect their financial decisions.

About the speaker

Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll

Financial literacy advocate

See speaker profile

Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll overcame poverty, illiteracy, incarceration and a lack of outside support to become a stock investor, creator and teacher of his own financial literacy philosophy.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxSanQuentin, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Learn more Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll's work on empowering people to identify the emotions that affect their financial decisions.

Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll: How I learned to read -- and trade stocks -- in prison | TED Talk