Interesting thought experiment and Informative HuffPost column on how one financial literacy expert (John Pelletier of Champlain College) used his time:

This past spring I was asked to make a financial literacy presentation to a group of high school seniors that were going to college in the fall. In a survey the year before, seniors at this high school indicated that they wished they had received personal finance instruction prior to graduation.

Here is his 7 points of emphasis
(I inserted some NGPF content that aligns with his points):

• Know your student loan deal
  • Activity: How Much Should I Borrow for College?
• Get a checking account and debit card and understand how fees work
  • Lesson: Beware of Checking Fees
• Know what a credit score is and how it works
  • Activity: Calculate FICO Scores
• Handle your credit card carefully, like a loaded gun
  • Lesson: The Costs Of Not Paying Off Your Credit Card
• Majors matter
  • Chart: What is Value of College Degree By Major?
• Exit carefully (do exit interview with financial aid office)
• Resist peer pressure to spend
  • Video: Why are teens so brand conscious?

Are there other topics that you might cover?  Leave your responses in the comments below.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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