Education
- 58% of U.S. high school students (grades 9-12) have never received any financial education beyond basic math
- Only 29% of U.S. high schools require a financial literacy course for graduation
- 53% of U.S. parents report their teen children “never” use financial tools (e.g., budgeting apps) to manage money
- 63% of U.S. teens (ages 13-17) learn financial skills primarily from parents, 18% from school, 9% from employers
Knowledge
- Only 24% of U.S. teens have basic financial knowledge (defined as understanding interest, inflation, and risk diversification)
- 65% of U.S. teens (ages 13-17) can correctly calculate a 10% tip on a $25 meal, but only 22% can budget for monthly expenses
- 62% of U.S. teens (ages 13-17) do not understand the concept of inflation’s impact on purchasing power
Habits
- 63% of U.S. young adults (ages 18-24) have used a credit card, with 31% carrying a balance month-to-month
- 47% of U.S. college students (ages 18-24) have overspent their monthly budget in the past 3 months
- 39% of U.S. young adults (ages 18-24) have over drafted a bank account, with 12% doing so in the past 6 months
Benefits of Education
- 41% of U.S. parents with financial-literate teens report their children have “significant” savings for college
- U.S. youth with financial literacy education are 3x more likely to have opened a retirement account by age 25
- 47% of U.S. young adults (ages 18-24) with basic financial literacy have a net worth over $10,000, compared to 18% of those with low literacy
- 39% of U.S. college students (ages 18-24) with financial literacy graduate with <$20,000 in debt, vs. 12% of low-literacy peers
- Youth with higher financial literacy scores have a 28% higher employment rate (ages 15-24) due to better job planning
Grades K-8 Resources
High School/ Young Adult
Resources for All Ages
Greenlight for Classrooms
A free web-based personal finance curriculum and resource library mapped to your state’s standards. Built by teachers, for teachers.
Teach your way with 100+ topical videos, quizzes, activities, discussion topics, and lesson plans. Choose from lessons mapped to your state standards covering topics like earning, spending, saving, investing, and more.
You can sign up as a parent with the plan to teach this program as a homeschool curriculum.
NFEC PK – 8 Education Standards and Teaching Guide
The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) developed a set of standards for teaching children the elements of personal finance management.
These standards lay out learning outcomes, essential questions, practical teaching tips, and hands-on activities to help kids connect money lessons with real-world experiences they’ll encounter in life.
The guidelines are sequenced by grade level – PK – 8th grade – to ensure that learning is appropriate for children’s age and developmental stage.