Personal Finance

The journey to financial empowerment starts here! By completing this Personal Finance course, students will acquire financial skills to be implemented immediately, and develop a foundation of knowledge to build off of as their finances become more complex throughout high school and into adulthood. In addition to obtaining specific financial skills, students will analyze how the world around us influences our earning capacity and spending behavior.

Personal Finance includes four units that begin with obtaining fundamental financial information, continue by acquiring specific money management skills and evaluating decision making processes, and conclude with the development of a personal financial plan for students to use as a reference beyond their high school careers. Content is aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

Using resources from Next Generation Personal Finance and through a series of reflective assignments, case studies, and the development of a personal financial plan, this course is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the financial opportunities and challenges they will encounter today and throughout their adult lives.

In this standard-level course, students are expected to invest approximately 6 hours per week on their course work.

Acknowledgements

This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

How do our choices shape our financial future?
How will the financial skills we need evolve over time?
What are the most influential financial decisions we make?
What is required to ensure financial security?

Course Learning Objectives:

Align personal values and goals to financial practices.
Apply financial standards to common life events.
Use quantitative skills to evaluate financial decisions.
Implement strategies to make financial decisions.
Develop an authentic personal financial plan.

Additional Requirements

None.