COVID-19 Financial Literacy Resources

(Grades K-12) The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is a non-profit organization that focuses on personal finance and economic education for K-12 students. You can find online financial literacy video games and EconEdLink, a site for classroom materials K-12.

(Grades 7-12) FEFE provides free, ready-to-teach classroom materials, teacher training, online resources, and other tools to enable them to incorporate lessons related to money management into their 7th through 12th grade classrooms. 

(Grades K-12) Highlights from this resource link include lesson plans for grades K-12 on personal finance, monetary policy, money, economics, banking, and the Federal Reserve. You can also access online games and simulations that teach economic principles.

(Grades 5-12) Put your financial skills to the test with Visa's fast-paced, multiple-choice question game. The updated game, which features improved graphics and additional questions, tests players' money management skills as they advance down the field and try to score. Educators can use the study modules to help students get ready for gameplay. 

(Grades K-12) The Money Smart Child initiative was led in Vermont by the State Treasurer's Office, People's United Bank, and the Vermont Jump$tart Coalition. This resource guide provides information to support parents in teaching their children about money. 

(Grades PreK-12) This credit counseling organization shares a number of free resources, including worksheets, activities, videos, comics, and more. Content is categorized by different age groups to help users identify appropriate resources.

(Grades 7-12) Investopedia provides a wealth of information for beginner, experienced and active traders. A simulated stock trading account can be set up where you can experience stock trading without the risk. The dictionary function on this site is especially helpful for students to quickly find brief descrptions of ecnomic and financial terms. 

(Grades PreK-12) The national Jump$tart Coalition curates an up-to-date resource clearinghouse. Users can search by grade level or topic, sorting to ensure content meets the Jump$tart Coalition's national financial education standards.

(Grades 9-12) The Kahn Academy offers practice exercises in microeconomics and macroeconomics, built around instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empowers learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.

(Grades 6-12) NCEE is a nationwide network that promotes economic literacy with students and their teachers. The council charges for some of its educational products, but also offers some resources to teachers for free. At this resource link, view more than 500 free lesson plans for students mainly in grades 6-12. There are also a few lessons plan for students grade 3-5.

(Grades 6-12) Carefully designed exercises and activities move the student step-by-step toward each of the six core competencies that the NEFE High School Financial Program teaches. The core competencies are: money management, borrowing, earning power, investing, financial services, and insurance.

(Grades K-12) The National Education Association's financial literacy resources page includes standards, lesson plans, and games for educators to teach children personal finance concepts.

(Grades 6-12) Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) is a free high-school personal finance curriculum and professional development partner helping teachers deliver essential money understanding in an easy-to-grasp, engaging way. NGPF offer a complete course of up-to-date, customizable lessons and activities designed to spark participation and make ideas memorable.

(Grades 6-12) This website, sponsored by Visa, provides a range of learning activities and lesson plans to help develop an understanding of financial concepts.

(Grades K-6) This is a financial and literacy education program run annually by the Vermont State Treasurer's Office, in partnership with Vermont elementary schools. Help your child complete a personal reading log of books aimed at teaching lessons about money. If your child sends a completed reading log to the Treasurer's Office by the annual deadline he or she will entered into a drawing to win one of twenty $250 Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan savings accounts. Also, view online lessons and activities and a reading list of books that explore money themes.

(Grades 7-12) Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, students work in teams to strive to create the best-performing portfolio using a live trading simulation. SMG is the only market simulation that is endorsed by the New York Stock Exchange and is correlated to voluntary national and state standards in math, economics, business education, English, language arts, family and consumer sciences, technology and social studies. It is run by a non-profit foundation that does not accept advertising products in delivering this program. Vermont teachers and students may participate in the game for free.

(Grades 1-5) This nonprofit organization presents information for younger students. Content is organized into lesson plans that are sorted by grade. 

(Grades K-12) TeachFinLit.Org is a resource offered by Champlain College's Center for Financial Literacy. The website acts as a clearing house for education resources that have been identified by teachers as excellent tools to teach children personal finance concepts. Browse to find curriculum, games, and other activities.

(Grades K-12) A variety of classroom activities for students K-12. Highlighted materials include games for very young students on coins and related math skills; math problem-solving activities for older elementary-age children; and lesson plans for teens on currency and the monetary system.

(Grades K-12) The Vermont Jump$tart Coalition offers a variety of resources for Vermont educators and parents, including an annual teacher training conference and programming around the state. 

(Grades K-12) At MyMoney.Gov's Resources for Youth page, you can find a variety of financial education materials for kids of all ages.
 

AnnualCreditReport.com is a website where you can check your credit score for free. The website is sponsored by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a variety of educational resources on their consumer protection website. This section provides helpful tips to guard personal financial information protect against identity theft. Visit identitytheft.gov for more.

BankRate.com has free rate information for consumers on more than 300 financial products.

The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) offers several helpful publications to answer questions for the beginning investor.

Do you ever wonder how to start a budget and begin saving? The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) has online budgeting resources you can use to start managing your money now.  

Check out the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) consumer education page, which has tips on a range of issues from avoiding unexpected bank account costs to financial planning tips for young adults.

Before you invest, learn what questions to ask and how to check whether the investment is legitimate. Learn more at FINRA's Investor Education Foundation "Save and Invest" web site.

Investopedia provides a wealth of information for beginner, experienced and active investors. 

A regional non-profit network of accredited agencies aimed at helping consumers manage their debt.

The NYSE Group has assembled educational articles and resources that explain basic concepts and questions of interest to investors.

The 401(k) plan is a retirement savings plan to which an employee or self-employed individual can make contributions from his or her paycheck before taxes are taken out. It is one of the most common types of retirement plans available today. At this link, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has provided resources for you to better understand 401(k) plans. FINRA is the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the U.S.

The Alliance for Investor Education is dedicated to facilitating greater understanding of investing, investments and the financial markets among current and prospective investors of all ages.

The National Endowment for Financial Education has put together these resources to help you evaluate your current financial situation, identify goals and develop a plan to reach them. More resources are available by going to their Smart About Money web site.

This U.S. Department of Labor publication gives you some quick tips on steps you can take to start a plan for your retirement years.

An annuity is a contract in which an insurance company makes a series of payments to the individual annuity purchaser at regular intervals in return for a single premium or premiums. Annuities are often bought for future retirement income. As with any insurance product, it is important to review the contract and understand all charges and fees. At this link, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission offer helpful consumer information on annuities.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy provides a variety of services and tools to address the problems and questions you may face as an investor. We cannot tell you what investments to make, but we can help you to invest wisely and avoid fraud.

Credit scores influence the credit that's available to you. At this link the Fair Isaac Corporation explains how credit scores are calculated.

Vermonters should always "ask & check" to verify the registration (license) status of the individuals and companies offering them investment opportunities before actually investing. This can be done on the web site of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a non-governmental regulatory body, using their BrokerCheck system.
 

Looking for information about how Vermont schools and educators are implementing financial education standards? The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) manages a webpage with financial literacy resources. The Agency has an ongoing partnership with Champlain College Center for Financial Literacy to provide educator training.

Seeking guidance on financial education programs available for low or moderate income families? The Department for Children and Families’ (DCF) Reach Up program works with participants one-on-one using the CFPB’s financial toolkit “Your Money Your Goals” as well as the workbook “Behind on Bills.”

Interested in financial literacy topics? The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) offers information on investing, banking, and insurance, through a variety of platforms. Resources for Vermont consumers are available on the department’s website, including information about how to: check the license or registration of an insurance agent, investment broker, or other financial service engaging in business in Vermont; understand different insurance products; choose an investment professional, and how to file a complaint.

Interested in financial education opportunities for those seeking employment opportunities? The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Workforce Development Division staff receives training to administer the CFPB's “Your Money, Your Goals” with clients in group and individual settings. DOL’s regional offices offer regular financial literacy workshops as part of their Monthly Calendar of Events.

Interested in financial literacy trainings or events? The Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) shares and promotes financial literacy resources, consumer information, business information, and houses a public meetings calendar. 

Want to learn more about tax preparation? The Vermont Department of Taxes (TAX) conducts outreach and education to help those who are required to pay Vermont taxes obtain a better understanding of what taxes to file and how to pay them. There are several free tax preparation services available to income- and age-eligible Vermonters, and the department distributes information on these services to the public. 

Want to learn more about health care financial literacy? The Department of Vermont Health Access’s (DVHA) Health Access Eligibility and Enrollment Unit (HAEEU) distributes materials such as “Health Insurance 101” and “Health Insurance: Why It’s Important & What You Need to Know” online and in print to help Vermonters make educated decisions about choosing a health insurance plan that will best meet their needs and budget.

Want to report a scam or learn more about data breaches? The Vermont Attoney General's Office operates several consumer protection initiativesto protect Vermonters from fradulent activities and scams. Visit their Consumer Assistance Program to report a scam and to recieve more information about scam alerts and other helpful tools.

Looking for information about financial literacy education, saving, and unclaimed property? The Treasurer’s Office actively works to promote financial literacy in collaboration with State partners, educators, financial institutions, and community organizations. Two K-6 curriculums are available for use: The Reading is an Investment program and VerMoney, an afterschool financial education program. The Treasurer also manages several retirement plans, and provides a free consumer protection service to reconnect Vermonters with their unclaimed property.