Pandemic Puts personal finance article for high school students

Susan Kelly Updated on Jan 05, 2023

The Covid-19 outbreak has compelled educators to reconsider how they impart personal financial lessons to high school students.

It is critical for high school pupils to comprehend the fundamentals of money management in light of the current economic crisis.

As a result, schools have adopted fresh curricula that are designed to instruct about financial matters like investing and budgeting.

The new curriculum is made to assist children in being ready for the financial choices they will have to make as adults.

The subjects covered include saving for retirement, managing credit, and budgeting. Taxes, insurance, and other financial subjects are also covered in school courses.

Teachers are also urging their kids to take part in extracurricular financial education programs.

This involves actions like opening bank accounts, keeping tabs on expenditures, and making investments.

In order to teach financial literacy lessons, the epidemic has also compelled schools to investigate new technologies like online classes.

Why is it important to teach personal finance in schools?

Personal finance is the managing of one's finances, which includes financial planning, budgeting, saving, and investing.

Unfortunately, a lot of people lack the information and expertise needed to make wise financial decisions.

People who lack financial literacy are more prone to make expensive mistakes and experience financial instability.

For instance, only 24% of Americans could correctly respond to four fundamental financial literacy questions, according to a poll by the National Financial Educators Council.

Financial Education is necessary in order to:

1. To Make Better Financial Decisions: Financial education gives people the information and understanding of how money functions that they need to make better financial decisions.

It aids individuals in comprehending how their choices affect their financial security and the value of setting aside money for savings.

2. To Manage Debt: People who have received financial education are better able to manage their debt.

It educates individuals on how to manage their debt by setting priorities for payments, negotiating better terms with creditors, and finding resources.

3. To Invest Wisely: The basis for making wise investments is financial education.

People learn the fundamentals of investing through it, including risk vs. return, diversification, and the value of compounding.

4. To Build Wealth: By teaching people the value of setting aside money for savings, investing, and maintaining a budget, financial education aids in wealth building.

Additionally, it gives the information required to make wise long-term financial decisions.

5. To Create Sound Financial Plans: Financial education teaches people how to properly manage their finances and comprehend the range of investment possibilities that are accessible.

6. To Make Sensible Retirement Decisions: By educating people on the value of saving and the many retirement account options, financial education enables people to make smart retirement decisions. The maximization of Social Security and other retirement benefits is also covered.

How Personal Finance is Trained in High Schools?

High schools are beginning to recognize the importance of personal finance education and are taking steps to incorporate it into their curriculum.

In some cases, personal finance is being taught as a standalone class. Other schools are opting to incorporate personal finance into existing courses, such as mathematics or social studies.

No matter how it is taught, the goal is the same: to equip students with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions.

This covers topics including budgeting, money management, investments, credit, debt, and insurance.

Additionally, financial technology applications are used to teach pupils how to handle their finances.

Basic terms included in Agenda are:

1. Introduction to Personal Finance: By teaching students the fundamentals of budgeting, saving, and investing, high schools can expose them to personal finance.

This can cover subjects including how to open a bank account, handle credit cards responsibly, and create a budget.

2. Financial Literacy: Students can learn the skills necessary to make wise financial decisions in high school.

This entails educating students about financial items like loans and insurance as well as fundamental ideas like compound interest and risk management.

3. Investment: Students can learn about investing in high schools, including how to read financial statements and evaluate stocks and mutual funds.

Students that do this may be able to better comprehend the stock market and make wiser investment choices.

4. Retirement Planning: High schools can instruct students on retirement planning topics like how

to save for retirement and the value of investing in a variety of different types of securities.

5. Taxes: Students can learn about taxes in high school, including how to file taxes and the many sorts of taxes.

This can assist students in comprehending the tax code and how to take full advantage of their deductions.

What benefits may personal financial education provide?

For students, personal finance education can provide a variety of advantages. One benefit is that it can assist them in acquiring the knowledge and abilities needed to make wise financial decisions.

This includes being aware of how crucial budgeting, saving, and investing are.

Additionally, it can assist students in comprehending the effects of financial decisions, such as the effects of credit card debt.

When it comes to making important financial decisions, like buying a car or a house, this can be really helpful.

Finally, educating students about personal finance can help them gain the self-assurance they need to take charge of their financial futures.

This can be especially useful in difficult economic times, like the one we're in right now with the epidemic.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the importance of teaching personal finance in high schools.

High schools are assisting in giving students the knowledge and abilities needed to make wise financial decisions now and in the future by teaching them the fundamentals of budgeting, saving, and investing.

Personal finance education has many advantages, and high schools are starting to realize how crucial it is to include it in their curriculum.