Personal Finance Education for the Modern Student

By the time students reach middle school, they’ve already developed the capacity to understand complex economic concepts and make financial judgments. However, most students don’t receive the personal finance education needed to navigate the modern financial world.

FutureSmartSM, powered by The MassMutual Foundation, empowers students to effectively manage their finances, make sound decisions, and become stewards of their financial future through interactive exercises and real-life scenarios.

FutureSmart’s Financial Literacy Coursework

EVERFI FutureSmartTopics Covered:

  • Saving and Investing
  • Payment Types
  • Banking
  • Risk Vs. Return
  • Financial Values & Goal-Setting
  • Budgeting & Opportunity Costs
  • Planning for the Future

Ready to Get Started?

“FutureSmart is something students can really use. Kids get a lot of here’s what you need to do – but not, here’s what you can do for yourself and your future. My students like that.”

– 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Course Overview

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Course Description

By assuming the role of Townville’s Mayor and helping the citizens achieve their financial goals, students embody perspectives and address real-world financial decisions within the context of a larger goal. The result is a learning experience that builds healthy financial habits and encourages students to apply a variety of financial skills to many connected decisions, rather than in isolation.

This course is currently only available to U.S. schools.

View Curriculum Guide

Featured Lessons

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify opportunity cost in a given scenario
  • Components of a budget
  • Needs vs. wants
  • Applying comparison shopping methods

Learning Objectives:

  • Available payment methods
  • Strategies for using credit
  • Benefits and costs of using credit
  • Understanding credit score
  • Different sources of income
  • State and federal taxes

Learning Objectives:

  • Match personal skills and interests to various career options
  • Compare education and training requirements
  • Compare the costs of post-secondary education with the potential increase in income and lifetime earnings

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze a budget
  • Open a deposit account at a financial institution
  • Compare different interest-bearing accounts
  • Learn about compounding
  • Summarize inflation and deflation

Learning Objectives:

  • Minimize the risk of financial loss
  • Categorize typical expenses
  • Premium, deductible, copayment, and coinsurance
  • Compare stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
  • Suggest appropriate investment types