Financial Education Resources – Basic Savings
Curricula and Programs
Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial
Future
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
"Building Wealth" helps individuals and families
develop a plan for building personal wealth. The program
presents an overview of personal wealth-building strategies
that includes setting financial goals, seeking guidance,
budgeting, saving and investing, and managing debt.
Get the Facts:
The SEC's Roadmap to Saving and Investing
Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education
and Assistance
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers a web-based
adult financial literacy curriculum entitled, "Get
the Facts: The SEC's Roadmap to Saving and Investing,"
through its web site. The program provides basic instruction
in saving and investing.
H.I.P.
Pocket Change
Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint
The United States Mint promotes financial literacy through
various educational programs, including the 50 State Quarters®
Program Lesson Plans for grades kindergarten through six.
Materials can be accessed through the H.I.P. Pocket Change
Web site for children and educators at www.usmint.gov/kids.
These programs incorporate basic financial education concepts.
Money Math: Lessons for Life
Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt
The Bureau of the Public Debt offers a four-lesson curriculum
supplement for middle school math classes entitled, "Money
Math," using real-life examples from personal finance.
The 86-page book is a teacher's guide with lesson plans,
reproducible activity pages, and teaching tips.
Money Smart
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) developed
the "Money Smart" curriculum to help adults enhance
their money management skills, understand basic financial
services offered by the financial mainstream and build their
financial confidence to use banking services effectively.
The "Money Smart" curriculum is comprised of ten
comprehensive instructor-led modules covering basic financial
topics including an introduction to bank services, tips
on obtaining credit and buying a home.
Personal Finance Curriculum
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
As part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s
community relations program, a personal finance curriculum
was developed and is being taught to middle-school students.
Course objectives and materials are provided online.
Social Security and You
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a curriculum
program for grades 9 through 12 entitled, "Social Security
and You," geared to the interest level of young people
about to enter the workforce. SSA has also partnered with
the American Savings Education Council to promote the "National
Save for Your Future" Campaign.
Strengthening
the Family in the 21st Century: Financial Security
Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau
The Women’s Bureau is sponsoring a Financial Security
Outreach Program that will help women across the country
better understand the importance of financial security and
how to achieve it. This financial outreach program is comprised
of two projects. The Hispanic Financial Literacy Project
(“Las Mujeres y el Dinero”) is a series of 10
nation-wide financial education conferences designed for
Hispanic women. “WI$E UP” is an e-mentoring
financial security and retirement savings demonstration
project focused upon women 22-35 years old consisting of
a curriculum accessible via the web and at selected institutions
in six Women’s Bureau regions.
The New Color of Money
Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and
Printing and the Federal Reserve Bank developed a lesson
plan designed to teach students about the features of the
newly redesigned note. The lesson plan offers educators
the opportunity to teach U.S. history, economics and language
arts at the National Standard level and includes a variety
of educational activities in four independent sections.
Understanding Taxes
Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has developed an interactive,
instructional tax program called "Understanding Taxes"
to provide high schools, community colleges, and the general
public with a technology-based instructional tool. Divided
into two areas of content (the “How's of Taxes”
and the “Why's of Taxes”), the program offers
both print and online materials to help you learn more about
the history, theory, and application of taxes in the United
States.
Other Initiatives and Resource Centers
Department of Education
The Department of Education facilitates dialogue on economic
education and financial literacy in support of the goals
of the "No Child Left Behind Act". The Department
of Education also sponsored its first "Forum on Economic
Education and Financial Literacy" in January 2003 to
help educate departmental employees and outside guests about
new developments in the field of financial education. The
forum is part of the administration's ongoing effort to
improve financial education among school-age children.
Federal Citizen Information Center
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration distributes financial
education materials developed throughout the Federal Government
through its Federal Citizen Information Center. The center
acts as a clearinghouse, distributing various consumer-oriented
publications via its website and regular mail dealing with
personal finance, money, credit, investing & saving,
and retirement planning, among other topics.
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has developed several tools
for managing money wisely. The website includes tips for setting financial
goals, creating a budget, saving and effectively and spending wisely.
Financial Security in Later Life
Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service
Financial security is the ability to meet future needs
while keeping pace with day-to-day obligations. Preparing
for retirement and potential long-term care costs takes
planning, saving, and debt control. This Cooperative Extension
initiative seeks to help people improve personal finance
behaviors leading to financial security in later life, enhance
the capacity of local educators and their partners to deliver
effective programs, and increase economic vitality and quality
of life for families and communities.
LIFELines Services Network
Department of Defense, United States Navy
The U.S. Navy's LIFELine Services Network is a web portal
providing "Quality of Life" information to military
personnel and their families. Through the LIFELines Financial
Management section, military personnel are provided information
and tools for saving money and handling income and expenses
while enabling their family to work toward financial stability.
Topics include budgeting, understanding income, understanding
credit, investing, and retirement.
Military Assistance Program – The Money Station
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense has established the Military Assistance Program – The Money Station to give servicemembers and their families a chance to learn more about personal finances and to encourage them to better manage their money. This initiative is directed toward junior enlisted servicemembers who are most at risk and spouses of service members who have not received the personal finance information that is part of military training.
Minority Business Development Agency
Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development
Agency is an entrepreneurially focused organization, committed
to empowering minority business enterprises for the purpose
of wealth creation in minority communities. The agency fosters
financial education through a variety of resources and programs.
National
Credit Union Administration
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is the
independent federal agency that charters and supervises
federal credit unions. The NCUA works with credit unions
to provide opportunities for economic empowerment and access
to low-cost financial services. The NCUA website features
links to its "Access Across America" initiative and the
agency's Share Insurance Estimator.
Office of Financial Education
Department of the Treasury
The mission for the OFE is to ensure that Americans have
access to financial education programs and that they obtain
the practical knowledge and skill sets that will enable
them to make informed financial choices throughout various
life stages. For example, the ability to evaluate credit
card offers or the practical skill to compare retirement
plans. The OFE also focuses Treasury’s financial education
policymaking, and coordinates financial education initiatives
within the Department and all of its bureaus.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Department of the Treasury
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) encourages
bank participation in financial literacy initiatives. Involvement
in these programs helps banks develop new customers while
enhancing their visibility in the communities they serve.
Bank participation in financial literacy programs also may
receive positive consideration under the Community Reinvestment
Act.
Office of Thrift Supervision
Department of the Treasury
The Office of Thrift Supervision promotes financial literacy
through its community affairs activities and partnerships
with various financial education organizations.
Personal Financial Education
Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve provides economic literacy materials
to help students and the public better understand the U.S.
economy and the role of the Federal Reserve. Each of the
twelve Federal Reserve Banks supports this objective through
a wide variety of education partnerships, publications,
learning tools, and student challenge contests. Links to
Financial Education resources offered through each of the
twelve Federal Reserve banks are available through the Personal
Financial Education website.
|