Financial Literacy Resources

The mission of ShareSaveSpend.com is to help youth and adults achieve financial sanity by developing and maintaining healthy financial habits. 

The following statistics are from the ShareSaveSpend web site:

  • Young people 18 and under will spend and influence the spending of more than $1 trillion dollars this year
  • Young adults (25 and under) are now one of the fastest growing segments filing for bankruptcy
  • Average credit card debt per U.S. household is nearly $9,000
  • Average after tax U.S. savings rate has plummeted to 0.2%
  • College students have on average 4 credit cards and $3,000 of credit card debt
  • Children today spend FIVE times more money (adjusted for inflation) than their parents did at the same age

MORE RESOURCES...

For Young Children (elementary school): 

  • A to Z Kid Stuff - Features lessons plans, monthly calendars and educational activities that will help young children learn more about money.
  • H.I.P. Pocket Change -  Sponsored by the U.S. Mint, this site discusses coins as "History In Your Pocket."  Cartoons, games, news about coins, and other activities to teach young children about our currency.
  • LearnToSave.com - A site from Raindrop Entertainment for parents and children with activities and lessons for families to download and complete together.  The focus is on simple saving concepts for very young children.
  • BestPrep - A statewide nonprofit that serves 100,000 students and teachers in grades 4-12 annually. More than 1,000 volunteers from business, labor, education, government, and social services conduct presentations in classrooms, work with students, serve as faculty-in-residence, provide technology related services to schools, and participate on committees and/or the board of directors. BestPrep's mission is to best prepare Minnesota students with business, career and financial literacy skills through experiences that inspire success in work and life.
  • Junior Achievement - Overview of elementary school programs

 For Tweens & Teens (middle & high school):

  • Money in Motion: What Teens Should Know About Managing Finances - A financial literacy program designed to help teachers educate their students on basic financial skills. Targeted to students in grades 7-12 and using handouts and problem-solving exercises, the materials cover a broad range of subjects. Free, ready-to-go resources from ABAEF.
  • It's My Life: Money - Sponsored by PBS, this site includes articles on how to make money, how to be a smart spender and how to manage your money.  Play a game, print and complete activities offline--including journal pages and a crossword puzzle--and interact with other youth in the "You Said It" section.
  • Don't Buy It: Get Media Smart - A media literacy site for young people that encourages users to think critically about media and become smarter consumers. 
  • Teen Business Link - Sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, this site is geared towards teens who want to turn a hobby into a small business.  It offers helpful tips and checklists, practical advice, and case studies of successful young entrepreneurs. 
  • Kids & Money - Hosted by Family Education, Kids & Money offers lessons, articles and all kinds of advice for teaching young people the value of saving and spending wisely.
  • Start Smart: Money Management for Teens - This Consumer News report, published by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., is a guide to help teens get good grades in money management. 
  • 12th Annual USA WEEKEND Teens & Money Survey
  • BestPrep - A statewide nonprofit that serves 100,000 students and teachers in grades 4-12 annually. More than 1,000 volunteers from business, labor, education, government, and social services conduct presentations in classrooms, work with students, serve as faculty-in-residence, provide technology related services to schools, and participate on committees and/or the board of directors. BestPrep's mission is to best prepare Minnesota students with business, career and financial literacy skills through experiences that inspire success in work and life.
  • Junior Achievement - Overview of middle grades programs and high school programs.
  • MyGrowthPlan - a nonprofit growth planning service that trains and supports high school and college students in the power of growth planning that helps them succeed at school and in life.
  • LifeSmarts - A fun program run by the National Consumers League that encourages high school students to learn about the consumer issues they face today and the new challenges that are right around the corner!  
  • CreditScore.net - Click on "Teen Financial Education" at the top of the site, and access resources about everything from personal finance basics to paying for college, housing, and transportation.  Thanks to Mrs. Hughes's class at Monument Charter School for sharing this resource!
  • A Student's Guide to the Credit Card - Overview of how to young adults may apply for, use and pay for credit cards wisely and responsibly.

Something missing?  If you are aware of other financial literacy resources for youth, please share them with us. Contact April Riordan, Director of Training & Community Partnerships, (612) 370-9148.