HSFPP Personal Finance Module Topics

The program is a six-part series. Each module in the series contains an assortment of 45-minute lessons.

Instructors can pick which lessons to use and also can choose the sequence of lessons based on their audience, purpose and time frame.

The HSFPP format is flexible enough to use as a stand-alone program or combined with other resources so that teachers are able to incorporate other favorite activities and resources as desired.

View the HSFPP Program Outcome Summary.

Money Management: Control Your Cash Flow -

Control Your Cash Flow

There's an old saying, "Most people don't plan to fail; they just fail to plan." This can be doubly true when it comes to money. People without a plan for how and where they want to spend or save their money tend to find that it’s all gone before they know it.

Throughout this module, students learn how to manage personal spending to meet financial goals. They also learn about strategies to minimize the impact of financial obstacles. 

Borrowing: Use—Don’t Abuse -

Use—Don’t Abuse

There are many forms of credit. Some types are portrayed as good and others as bad, but the reality is that credit itself is actually neither. How individuals use credit is what’s good or bad. Learning how to weigh the benefits and risks of borrowing prepares teens to make informed decisions about whether or not to take on debt as adults.

Teens already are displaying habits that will impact their borrowing decisions. Activities in this module guide students to take responsibility for their own borrowing habits while establishing behaviors that will improve the likelihood of credit approval and mindful use of credit.

Earning Power: More Than a Paycheck -

More Than a Paycheck

Actions taken during the teen years can impact a person’s options for education, training and career opportunities when entering adulthood. This, in turn, impacts a person’s earning potential and future lifestyle.

In this module, students learn that planning for their future success is the most important investment they can make. They explore how career choices impact earning potential and consider their own marketable skills and interests. Through exercises and discussions, students look at the value of employee benefits and learn about factors that impact personal tax liability and take-home pay.

Investing: Money Working for You -

Money Working for You

Pop culture portrays wealth as the amount of money someone earns or the number of expensive houses and cars they own. The truth is that being wealthy isn’t about how much you earn — it’s about how much you accumulate.

In this module, teens learn how to put personal assets to work to build personal wealth. The activities in this module are designed to help students examine investing options and strategies so they can start reaping the benefits of accumulating assets and investing at an early age.

Financial Services: Care for Your Cash -

Care for Your Cash

Understanding how to evaluate and use the wide range of financial services available equips teens to discern what works best for them now while preparing them to make choices as their own situations change and new services become available later.

This module introduces students to different types of financial institutions and the various services and products they offer. Teens learn how savings and checking accounts work and how credit and debit cards differ. They also explore strategies to protect personal and financial information, especially when using automated and online services.

Insurance: Protect What You Have -

Protect What You Have

Insurance is that quiet thing that usually lives on paper in a file cabinet. We pay for it, but most of us rarely think about it until we need it. It’s hard to fault kids if they have little interest in or knowledge about insurance, yet insurance is applicable to their young lives.

In this module, teens explore the general features of insurance coverage—including auto insurance–and how claims are made. In particular, teens learn about strategies that they immediately can apply to minimize the risks and inconveniences of financial and property loss, while controlling out-of-pocket and insurance costs.