JA Personal Finance®
JA Personal Finance emphasizes earning money and spending it wisely through budgeting, saving and investing money, using credit cautiously, and protecting one’s personal finances. JA Personal Finance consists of five 45-minute volunteer led sessions. JA Personal Finance is recommended for grades 9th – 12th.
Following participation in the program, students will be able to recognize the fundamental elements of their personal finances (earnings, savings and investing, budgeting, credit, risk management, and giving), and apply these fundamental elements to a personal financial plan that allows them to set specific goals for their lifelong financial needs and desired quality of life.
Session One: Plan to Earn
Students learn that healthy personal finances take planning and managing. They begin to analyze major life events and issues that have financial implications.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize the role income plays in personal finances.
- Evaluate the effect their educational choices have on lifetime earnings.
- Describe the importance of planning in making financial decisions.
Session Two: Saving for Life
Students analyze the role saving plays in their personal finances and how having a healthy savings plan is necessary in all phases of life.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize high-dollar items and unexpected costs that require savings.
- Review key concepts related to successfully saving money.
Session Three: The Budget Game
Students investigate budgeting and why many people have difficulty staying within a budget.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize the importance of making and keeping a spending plan.
- Consider the wide range of expenditures that might make up a monthly budget.
Session Four: Credit Choices
Students analyze the importance of credit and the outcomes of wise and poor use of credit.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize the importance of credit as part of personal finances.
- Express the need to make good credit decisions to avoid costly consequences.
Session Five: Savvy Consumer
Groups work together to create public service announcements (PSAs) to inform each other of risks they could face in their finances and identify ways to protect themselves from potential loss.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize potential risks to their personal finances.
- Describe appropriate preventive methods to limit potential losses.