How good a reader a child is relates to how financially capable they are. Indeed, this report shows that children and young people who have good reading skills are four times as likely to have good financial skills compared with their peers who have poor reading skills. The reasons for this link are complex, and we bring together three broad areas of education -- reading, financial capability and general academic motivation -- to understand how they are related. Building on our previous research on how literacy impacts different aspects of people's lives, this is the first time that we have explored whether and how literacy and financial capability are associated. We have developed a comprehensive model, which shows that reading and financial capability can be linked through general academic motivation. [This research was funded by The Hymans Robertson Foundation.]