These days, you can't really get ahead unless you have a basic understanding of banking and finance. Especially in the post-recession climate, it's important to know about the systems into which you place your money.
If you aren't sure of the difference between equity release and life insurance, then you should probably look at taking steps to improve your knowledge of finance. A better understanding will allow you to manage your own money more intelligently, and may help you in your working life as well.
The simplest way to learn about the world of finance and banking is simply to enrol yourself in a short course. An evening class should be fine for the purposes of grasping the basics, but if you're keen to gain some kind of qualification out of the experience then obviously you'll need to do something a little more intensive.
Scour the website of your local university. Often these big institutions run summer schools and casual classes that are ideal for getting a good idea of the fundamentals. In addition, these are often run by the same professionals who lecture students in the field, and so you'll be exposed to great teaching.
Without an idea of how the world of finance works, managing your money can be a difficult, confusing process. With a little insight, however, you'll be able to make more informed monetary decisions and this will hopefully lead to an increase in your own financial security.