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Personal Finance

Course Description

Understanding and managing personal finances are key to one's future financial success. This one-semester course is based on the Missouri Personal Finance Competencies and presents essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about real world financial issues. The course is designed to help the learner make wise investments, spending, saving, and credit decisions and to make effective use of income to achieve personal financial success.  Students will consider how the Rings of Culture (age, gender, religion, class, national, orientation, and ethnicity) influence one’s personal financial decisions.  This course prioritizes responsible decision-making and self-management as key competencies for financial success.

Grade Level(s):  9th-12th grades

Related Priority Standards (State &/or National):  Missouri BMIT Instructional Framework

  • 9-12.PF.II.1.A: Evaluate how career choices impact income and quality of life.
  • 9-12.PF.I.1.A: Evaluate the role of choice in decision making.
  • 9-12.PF.III.1.C: Create a budget that includes savings goals, emergency funds, fixed expenses and variable expenses.
  • 9-12.PF.IV.1.A: Identify short, medium and long-term savings goals including saving for high value purchases, postsecondary education/training and retirement.
  • 9-12.PF.III.3.A: Evaluate substitutes when the price of goods or services exceeds your budget.
  • 9-12.PF.III.2.E: Analyze the costs and benefits of different payment options.
  • 9-12.PF.V.3.C: Identify ways to avoid and/or correct credit problems.

Essential Questions

  •  What makes a good financial decision?
  • What is my perspective on money?
  • How does career choice impact career earnings and quality of life?
  • What steps can I take to find goods and services that are right for me and my budget?

Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas

  • Financial literacy and sound financial decisions can increase a person’s standard of living and wealth.
  • Your perspective on money affects your behaviors regarding money.
  • Maximizing utility with money requires planning.
  • Consumer credit is an essential part of the American economy.
  • A person’s standard of living is established by money and income.
  • Your credit past is your credit future.
  • The road to financial independence should begin at an early age in order to build wealth and achieve financial security.

Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

  • Unit 1 - Financial Well-Being
  • Unit 2 - Values, Goals, Needs, and Wants
  • Unit 3 - Job Exploration
  • Unit 4 - Career and College Readiness
  • Unit 5 - Housing Choices in College
  • Unit 6 - Employment in Your Field
  • Unit 7 - Banks and Budgeting
  • Unit 8 - Credit Cards and Identity Theft
  • Unit 9 - Purchasing and Automobile
  • Unit 10 - Purchasing a House

Course Resources & Materials: 

Date Last Revised/Approved: 2022