Financial Education Resources -
Alphabetical List by Program
Name
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.
TAX Interactive (TAXi)
Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service provides tax guidance for
teenagers and young adults through its "TAX Interactive"
(TAXi) website. The website includes a collection of tax-related
resources to help teachers integrate lessons about taxes
into a variety of classroom settings.
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
Consumer and Family Economics
Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service
"Consumer and Family Economics" aligns with the
USDA mission of providing economic opportunities for farm
and rural residents. It supports the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) agency goal to
enhance economic opportunities and quality of life among
families and communities.
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 Readiness Campaign
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense has established the Financial
Readiness Campaign to give servicemembers and their families
a chance to learn more about personal finances and to encourage
them to better manage their money. The campaign 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.
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 Sentinel
Department of Defense
Military Sentinel is a project of the Federal Trade Commission
and the Department of Defense to identify and target consumer
protection issues that affect members of the United States
Armed Forces and their families. Military Sentinel also
provides a gateway to consumer education materials covering
a wide range of consumer protection issues, from auto leasing,
to identity theft, to work-at-home scams (delivered via
the FTC website).
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.
National
Summit on Retirement Savings
Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
As directed by the SAVER Act, the Department of Labor's
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration coordinates
the National Summit on Retirement Savings, co-hosted by
the President and the Congressional leadership in the House
and Senate. Summits have been held in 1998 and 2002; the
next Summit is scheduled for 2005. The purpose of the Summit
is to increase public awareness of the importance of retirement
planning and to identify ways to promote greater retirement
savings by all Americans.
Office of Community Planning and Development
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD)
seeks to develop viable communities by promoting integrated
approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living
environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and
moderate income persons. The primary means towards this
end is the development of partnerships among all levels
of government and the private sector, including for-profit
and non-profit organizations. Financial Education is a principal
component of CPD initiatives.
Office of Consumer and Business Education
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission distributes several guides
to using and effectively managing credit through its Consumer
Protection website.
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 Housing
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is the
nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership,
particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing
opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless,
elderly, people with disabilities and people living with
AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community
development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing
laws. HUD's Housing Counseling program provides advice on
buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues
and reverse mortgages through HUD-approved counseling agencies
throughout the country.
Office of Public and Indian Housing
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) ensures safe,
decent, and affordable housing, creates opportunities for
residents' self-sufficiency and economic independence, and
assures the fiscal integrity of all program participants.
Financial Education is a principal component of the Resident
Opportunities and Self Sufficiency Program (ROSS) which
links public housing residents with supportive services,
resident empowerment activities, and assistance in becoming
economically self-sufficient.
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.
Retirement
Savings Education Campaign
Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
The Department launched its Retirement Savings Education
Campaign in 1995, which subsequently became mandated under
the Savings Are Vital to Everyone's Retirement Act of 1997
(SAVER Act). The Campaign, whose slogan is "Saving
Matters", continues to reach out to workers with access
to a workplace retirement plan, encouraging them to participate
and enjoy the many advantages of that method of saving or
expand their participation to the maximum level allowed.
The Campaign also continues to reach small employers, encouraging
them to set up a plan for their employees and assisting
them in setting up and operating the plan.
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