Reading List for May 14-16
The delayed tax deadline is Monday. So let’s start this week’s list with one on Taxes.
5 tax tasks to take care of by May 17 (Don't Mess With Taxes)
Economics
Here are several articles discussing the Consumer Price Index jump in April.
CNBC covers the basics and the NYT (I highly recommend reading anything by Jeanna Smialek) provides a bit more analysis.
The WSJ discusses Fed Governor Waller’s comments on the number, and also discusses which components of the CPI may...
NGPF On-Demand: Budgeting in the Gig Economy
NGPF On-Demand is a professional development opportunity that allows teachers to deepen their content knowledge on their own schedule and at their own pace.
One of the 26 modules available is “Budgeting in the Gig Economy”. This module explores the gig economy and unique budgeting considerations and strategies that gig work necessitates.
Here are some highlights from the module:
Watch a video that describes what is meant by “the gig economy”.
Watch a...
Question of the Day: What sneaker brand had the highest average resale value in 2020?
Answer: Jordan (averaging a resale price of 54% above retail)
Questions:
Have you ever bought or sold a product in the resale market? Why?
Why are certain brands/products so desirable in the resale market?
2020 saw a boost in sneaker resale. What caused this spike in sneaker sales?
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (Statista):
"Over the past few years, the secondary sneaker market has grown into a beast...
Question of the Day: What percent of the U.S. food supply is wasted?
Answer: 30-40%.
PBS video (5 minutes): Top Chef’ Tom Colicchio on America’s staggering waste of food
Questions:
Is food waste an issue in your family?
How does “Sell by date” lead to unnecessary food waste? What steps are being taken to fix this situation?
What are some ideas that you can use to reduce the amount of food that you/your family waste?
Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the...
JACKPOT! The Data USA Interactive
By Brian Page
|
Apr 07, 2021
|
Interactive, Career, Budgeting, Current Events, Student Loans, Paying for College
Data USA is the greatest interactive I have ever seen. Highlighted with orange boxes below are the primary categories you want to click on when exploring the site.
These data visualization tools can be used in countless ways. You can always go straight to the site yourself and think through ways you can use it. For those who wanted this work done for you, you’re in luck. Here’s what I’m going to share in this post:
The Interactive: A 4 minute tutorial on how to...
Reading List for March 19-21
Economics
Retail sales fell in February. Was it the cold? Or did folks run through their stimulus money in January. (CNN)
Weekly unemployment were back up slightly from last week. Read about new and continuing claims from AP.
Fed FOMC met this week and will likely keep rates at or near zero until 2023 and expects GDP growth to hit 6.5% this year. (AP, Yahoo Finance)
Trying to remember how the Federal Reserve Bank handled the impending financial crisis a year ago? Here is a good recap....
Reading List for March 5-7
By Beth Tallman
|
Mar 05, 2021
|
Financial Literacy, Economics, Investing, Cryptocurrencies, Retirement, Budgeting
Financial Literacy
ICYMI--Here is a link to Tim Ranzetta’s piece for The Street.
Economics
This week marked Fed Independence Day (Happy 70th!). Here is a Planet Money episode explaining what that is all about.
Speaking of the Fed, Jerome Powell’s comments yesterday about the potential for some inflation as the economy restarts sent markets moving. (CNBC)
For more on Powell’s message stressing patience, read the NYT explanation.
Initial jobless claims...
Question of the Day: What percent of homebuyers in Nov/Dec 2020 made an offer on a house they hadn't seen in person?
Answer: 63%
Questions:
Would you consider buying a house that you couldn’t see in person?
What do you think home buyers might miss if they rely strictly on online sources of information?
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (NY Times):
Sixty-three percent of buyers who used Redfin in November and December went on to make an offer on a home they hadn’t seen in...
Question of the Day: What percent of Gen Z subscribe or share a Netflix account?
Answer: 78%
Questions:
Do you subscribe to Netflix? What makes it such a popular platform?
How do you enjoy movie and television content? What is your streaming service of choice?
In light the Covid-19 pandemic and the growth of streaming services, do you think movie theaters will continue to find success when reopened?
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (Business of Apps):...
Question of the Day (Updated): How much did 18-24 year olds expect to spend on Valentine's Day?
Answer: $184
Questions:
Which age group(s) plan to celebrate the most?
Which age group is expecting to spend the most?
What do you think are the most common items purchased on Valentine's Day?
Try and name 5 and estimate their cost.
Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (National Retail Federation):
As consumers in the United States bought heart-shaped treats and made...
Reading List for February 12-14
By Beth Tallman
|
Feb 12, 2021
|
Cryptocurrencies, Investing, Economics, Budgeting, Taxes, Paying for College
Happy Valentine's Day!
BitCoin
Bitcoin may be winning the headline contest over GameStop this week. Let’s start with “What can you buy with bitcoin?” (NYT)
The nation’s oldest bank, BNY Mellon, and Mastercard announce they are getting on the cyrptocurrency bandwagon. (Markets Insider)
Tesla may have triggered the latest run-up in bitcoin pricing after their announcement of a $1.5 billion investment, and that they would accept bitcoin as payment for their cars. (CNBC)...
Question of the Day [Black History Month]: How much money do Black Americans give in charitable donations annually?
Answer: Over $11 billion a year
Questions:
Have you ever donated before? What causes are you most interested in supporting?
How might your own family history and tradition impact your giving in the future?
How might learning about the experiences and traditions of others impact your own spending/giving?
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (Forbes):
Though research is limited...
Question of the Day: How much on average did Super Bowl LV viewers spend on food and drinks for the big game?
Answer: $74.55 on average, totaling more than $13.9 billion
Questions:
Did your family spend any money on food and drinks for the Super Bowl this year?
How would you/your family's spending differ from last year's Super Bowl?
Would it surprise you to learn that the Super Bowl is the second biggest eating day in terms of consumer spending? Why do you think it's so popular?
Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the...
Question of the Day: What was the average price of a new car sold in the 4Q of 2020?
Answer: More than $40,000; monthly payment of $581
Questions:
Why do you think that people are spending so much on new cars?
What happens to the value of a car once you drive it off the dealer's lot?
Do you think about cars as an investment? Explain.
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (Marketplace audio):
"New car and truck sales were down 15% last year. That may not...
Question of the Day: What are the top 3 categories that Gen Z spends its money on?
Answer: Clothes/Shoes, Books & music (physical copies), and Apps
Questions:
In which of the following categories do you spend your own money?
Are you surprised by the top 3 results in this study? Why or why not?
How do you think COVID-19 has impacted Gen Z spending habits? Do you think this will be a temporary or lasting change?
Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.
Behind the numbers (IBM): ...
Teacher Accounts
To get access to NGPF answer keys, assessments, and teacher-only resources: create a FREE Teacher Account
