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GO TO STEP 1 NOW >Reading List for September 17-19
Investing
This long but worthwhile article from the Atlantic expertly explains just how severe the shutdown and subsequent market responses were in March of 2020.
“The function of shares as risk?bearing capital is to act as a shock absorber in hard times. Far more worrying than equity markets was what was happening in the market for bonds, and above all, U.S. Treasuries—the safe assets that promise a counterbalance to volatile equities.”
The article gives perspective...
FinCap Friday: Entrepreneurship On The Rise
It's the first week of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month and we dive into that in the episode below. We look at the trend line for entrepreneurship in the Latinx community and also the details regarding working Latinas, specifically. Fun Fact: All throughout the coming weeks, NGPF will be highlighting Latinx and Hispanic voices on the blog and in Virtual PDs. You can also find themed Question of the Day resources and blog posts that you can use in the classroom with students!
For the answers to...
[Updated 9/23/21] NGPF Recognizes 1,591 Gold Standard Schools For Guaranteeing All Students A Standalone Personal Finance Course
High school personal finance courses change lives, with benefits ranging from higher credit scores and decreased use of predatory lenders to larger retirement account balances and a greater accumulation of wealth during students' lifetimes.
The following 1,591 schools inspire us because their teachers, parents, and community members have put in the work to guarantee ALL their students are getting those benefits RIGHT NOW. How? According to their course catalogs, they ensure ALL their...
15 Top Middle School Personal Finance Activities to Explore
Today's NGPF Middle School Tips post has one goal: get you the very best from the NGPF Middle School Course, quickly! I've highlighted 15 Resources: 5 Experiences, 4 Articles, 3 EdPuzzles, 2 Activities, and 1 Think-Pair-Share. You can use any and all of these during this semester to engage your middle school students in impactful discussions about personal finance, or even as a differentiator for high school students. Have fun!
5 Terrific Teacher-Guided Experiences
Maximizing student-driven...
Interactive: Your Financial Well-Being
Many teachers perceive that their personal finance class provides a great opportunity to teach students the skills to improve their financial well-being. This skill development can also reduce the likelihood of future mental health problems that can be brought on by money worries. This longitudinal study found that the financial stress of college students causes depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and eating disorders (in females). For many lower to moderate-income students, low measures of...
Question of the Day [Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month]: What percent of Latinx/Hispanic respondents said they would use extra money (otherwise available to invest) to help a family member instead?
Hat tip to Yanely for highlighting this research report that was the source for the question.
Answer: 44%
Questions:
Within your own family, is there an expectation that the money you earn from a job would be used to help your family? Explain.
What do you think are the factors that impact how any individual would answer this question?
Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (2020 State of Hispanic...
Question of the Day: What app category had the highest growth among Gen Z in 2020? Finance, Shopping or Social Media?
Answer: Finance with about 60% growth in time spent on apps
Questions:
What has caused the growth in Gen Z's interest in Finance apps?
Do you have financial apps on your phone?
If so, which do you use most often?
If not, why not?
What are the pros of cons of using your mobile phone to learn and/or manage your finances?
Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (Business of Apps):...
Mission 2030 Guest Post: Tammy Vrzak's Students Advocated for Personal Finance to be Taught
The following post is one in a series of inspiring stories from NGPF's Gold Standard Challenge Grant Program which incentivizes high schools and districts to commit to ALL students taking personal finance courses before graduation. Learn more, and apply for your $2,500 to $30,000 Gold Standard Challenge Grant before the August 31, 2022 deadline here.
About Today's Guest Author
Tammy Vrzak is an educator at Turkey Valley School in Jackson Junction, Iowa. Their school is the...
My Classroom Podcast: How Business Teachers Approach Personal Finance
My Classroom is a short NGPF podcast series devoted to supporting the efforts of teachers. Each week we speak with teachers who share timely tips, resources, and teaching strategies that can be implemented immediately in your classroom.
This week, we welcome Jacqueline Collins and Alex Lamon. They will share the approach that business educators take when teaching personal finance.
Jacqueline Collins is in her 15th year at Mansfield Public Schools where she was the 2021 National Business...
Curriculum Updates: Paying For College Unit Updates
Every year the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing period opens on October 1st. We’ve gone through our Paying For College Unit materials to make sure you’ve got the most up to date information that will help your students make the best decisions for their future.
What’s changed?
Loan Rates - Every summer the Office of Federal Student Aid adjusts their loan rates. These figures are updated through all resources for loans disbursed from...
Question of the Day: Based on current projections, what is the year that Social Security will need to curtail benefits to retirees?
Answer: 2034
Questions:
What is the purpose of the Social Security system? Do you know anyone currently receiving Social Security benefits?
What impact do you think a 20% cut in benefits would have on seniors collecting Social Security?
Does this news impact how you might think about your own retirement?
Interested in trying to solve the Social Security funding problem? Be sure to check out the Social Security Reformer game.
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day...
The Horrors of Cosigning
Hat Tip to Joey Running for sending the story above along to us. As you will read, a student cosigned for a "friend", and then disaster unfolded. A cosigner is a person who is obligated to pay back the loan just as you, the borrower, are obligated to pay. A co-signer could be your spouse, a parent, or a friend. In other words, if you co-sign a loan for someone, you are responsible if that person fails to make payments. If someone is co-signing a card for you, they're agreeing to take the...
Question of the Day: What percentage of adults have carried credit card debt in the past year?
Answer: 50% of families held credit card debt in 2020
Questions:
What does it mean to “carry” credit card debt?
Even though high-interest rates on credit card debt make carrying a balance expensive, how or why might consumers get into a situation where they cannot pay their credit card bill in full every month?
Credit card companies often list a minimum payment due on their monthly statement. Do you think it is a good idea to make only that minimum payment? Why or why not?
What...
Collaborate with Educators At NGPF Professional Development This Week (September 13-16)
We have a full slate of LIVE professional development opportunities this week for teachers!
Here's what teachers are saying about our Virtual PDs:
"Honestly, these sessions have all been amazing! I have used so much due to the PDs!"!
"Each time I join the sessions, I come away with new knowledge, insights, and ideas on how to use this information with my students."
"I was so nervous at the start of this school year, but with the training and resources provided by NGPF I was able to be more...
Planet Money Summer School Season 2: All About Investing
The second season of Planet Money Summer School was devoted to investing—perfect for a personal finance class. (Season one was devoted to microeconomics.) Below find a summary of the first three podcasts, each between 35 and 40 minutes long (with ads) along with a few suggested discussion questions. These might make a great lesson for a substitute teacher or a remote assignment.
Session 1: The Stock Market
Summary:
Investing is described in this episode as moving money...
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