Hat tip to Jessica for uncovering this gem which will be a great jumping off point for a discussion about having a bank account. 

This interactive allows you to get down the MSA level (Metropolitan Service Agency) to uncover trends in the unbanked. The dots represent the MSAs covered in this study: 

When you scroll over the MSA in the interactive, you will see this information: 

Have your students go directly to the map above and scroll over their MSA and answer these questions: 

• Has the access to banking services increased or decreased from 2013 to 2015 in your MSA? 
• What does it mean to be "underbanked?"
• Why do you think some people choose to be be "unbanked?"
• What do you think are some of the challenges you encounter in daily life by not having a bank account? 

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Here's the video Spent that shows what the lives of the unbanked look like. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.