Teachers who attend our Summer Institute in Palo Alto become NGPF Fellows the following school year -- this Fellowship includes presenting with us at PD sessions, offering NGPF feedback on products, writing guest blog posts, ... the list goes on. Today features a blog post from Kelly-Anne Rush of Windham High School in Windham, ME. Here's what Kelly-Anne has to say...

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Over the past 6 years I’ve taught 12 semester's worth of seniors in my personal finance course, a required course for all students to take before graduation. Once they’ve left the doors of high school and have entered into the ‘real world’, they find themselves in situations where they are actually putting the information they’ve learned in class to good use. The problem is, although they are now familiar with a variety of topics and skills, it’s a bit more difficult for them to remember and access the specific resources we’ve used in class. I’ve received many messages from former students asking for links to various calculators, apps, and tools so I decided to put the most helpful financial literacy resources all in one place for them to access at any time!

So, former students, these resources are for YOU (and anyone else hoping to brush up on their financial literacy skills)!

FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

Practical Money Skills  (Helpful Financial Calculators)

If you are thinking about buying a car, taking out a loan, saving for a big-ticket item, or want to compare interest rates, this is my FAVORITE source to play around with various calculators.

Better Money Habits Videos (Great Refresher Videos)

These videos from Bank of America in partnership with Khan Academy provide a great overview of a variety of financial topics. Watch them to refresh your memory on the various topics covered in class!

Dave Ramsey's Budget Calculator

I'm sure you remember using Dave's spending categories and percentages when creating budgets in class! Here's a link to his budget calculator (you will have to create an account but it's free). You can also download the free 'EveryDollar' app to create a budget on your phone! There’s also this free and easy online budget tool.

Federal Trade Commission (Consumer Protection)

As you may remember, you are entitled to a FREE credit report check from each of the three main credit reporting agencies once per year. On this site you can find the link to access your credit report as well as information about reporting identity theft and protecting yourself from fraud.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Along the same lines as the resource above, this website from the federal government has resources to help protect you as a consumer (as the title indicates).

FAME (Finance Authority of Maine)

A great resource about paying for college, filling out the FAFSA, and general money management.

Salary Finder

When trying to make decisions about your future post-secondary plans, it may be helpful to research and compare salaries in various fields. This salary finder tool not only compares salaries across states but also across various stages of a given career field (starting salary vs peak salary).

College Scorecard (Comparing College Data)

This is the resource we used when comparing net price, average loan payment, graduation rates, etc. of various colleges. If you are trying to find the best 'bang for your buck' and want to see how your school compares to others, use this interactive website!

Maine Snap-Ed (Healthy Eating on a Budget)

If you’re looking for recipe ideas and shopping lists to stretch your grocery budget, this resource will provide just that! It IS possible to eat healthy while pinching your pennies- a great resource at any stage of life!

These essential resources are a great ‘go to’ for anyone looking to bolster their financial literacy skills. Former students, use them to confidently and knowledgeably make decisions regarding your finances and your future choices!

About the Author

Jessica Endlich

When I started working at Next Gen Personal Finance, it's as though my undergraduate degree in finance, followed by ten years as an educator in an NYC public high school, suddenly all made sense.