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Financial Literacy Resource Center

Students often have countless questions about money, especially as daily financial habits evolve. With this free resource hub, you can simplify complex terms and help teach financial literacy to the next generation.

Students often have countless questions about money, especially as daily financial habits evolve. With this free resource hub, you can simplify complex terms and help teach financial literacy to the next generation.

Lesson Plans for Elementary School Educators
We are dedicated to supporting schools and underserved communities that have often been left out of financial education. To help, we’ve created free classroom resources and materials designed to align with today’s financial environment. These can be found in our Financial Literacy Resource Center as well as our newsletter, The Classroom Investor.

In the table below, you’ll find downloadable lesson plans complete with activities and worksheets to support both classroom and at-home learning for students in grades K–5. Each grade includes eight lessons, with concepts building on previous material and increasing in detail as students grow. (Simply right-click on a lesson to open it in a new tab and download the content.)

Keep scrolling to discover teen-focused lessons, too. While this is just the beginning, these resources are designed to help young learners grow into confident and informed participants in the financial world.

Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade
#1 Needs & Wants Earning, Spending, Saving Needs & Wants Money Traits Financial Literacy Basics Exploring Careers
#2 Needs & Wants Opportunity Cost Goods & Services Key Money Concepts The Stock Market Jobs & Money
#3 Needs & Wants Producers & Consumers Producers & Consumers Earning Money Deep Dive The Stock Market Profession vs. Job
#4 Community Helpers Spending Money Types of Income Save, Spend, or Share? The Stock Market Training & Education
#5 Community Helpers Why People Spend Money Education & Income What is a Budget? Evaluating Stocks Skills in the Workplace
#6 Classroom Economy How People Spend Money Research Project Fixed vs. Variable Expenses Active Investors Writing a Resume
#7 Making Money Decisions Savings Goals Research Project Borrowing Money Bonds & Commodities Outline a Career Path
#8 Show What I Know Show What I Know Presentation Day Let’s Make a Budget Investing Strategies Show Your Career Path
Financial Education for Teens
Financial Education for Teens

Frequently Asked Questions

Financial literacy means having the knowledge and skills to make smart money decisions. It includes areas like budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, and long-term planning. Building these skills early can help you achieve life goals such as saving for college, buying a home, preparing for retirement, or even starting a business.

The Financial Literacy Resource Center is a free online hub designed for teachers, parents, and learners who want to strengthen money skills. It offers downloadable lesson plans, worksheets, and guides for children in grades K–5, along with curated articles to support teens in grades 9–12 as they begin earning, saving, and preparing for higher education.

For younger students (K–5), the center provides lesson plans that introduce the basics of personal finance and investing in age-appropriate ways. For teens (grades 9–12), the resources cover credit building, money management apps, digital payments, investing, and real-world financial skills—all reviewed and tested by professional educators.

Yes. The resource center is regularly updated with new lesson plans, articles, and teaching tools to expand financial learning opportunities. You can stay informed by bookmarking the page or following updates on social media.

Beyond the resource center, learners can explore the Stock Market Simulator to practice trading in a risk-free environment. There’s also a monthly newsletter for educators, packed with teaching tips, real-world finance examples, and additional free resources.