Financial Literacy

< Back to Actuary – Kristi Matus

Financial Literacy (1:35)

“Building wealth is all about how to create and maintain the ability to grow your financial resources. It will give you a sense of independence, and it will give you the ability to make your own purchasing decisions, which is invaluable.”

Role models in order of appearance: Keisha Perry, Alicia Masse, Karin Schmitz, Katherine Giscombe, Ph.D., Eliza Sorise-Sawyers, and Whitney Johnson.

Quick Start

1) The first role model in the video said that financial literacy is the way you will be able to provide for yourself now and in the future. How can learning how to handle money now help you later on when you are an adult?

2) The second role model in the video said that money gives you “freedom to do the things you want to do in life.” What things do you want to do in life that will require money?

3) The third role model in the video said that it’s important to “be accountable for” or keep track of your money. What are some good ways to keep track of the money you earn and the money you spend?

4) You can spend money on things you want or on things you need. Why is it important to know the difference between wants and needs?

5) When it comes to money, you always have a choice to save it or to spend it. Is it easier for you to save your money or to spend it? Why is this so? Explain your answer.

6) When you invest your money, you spend it to help another business grow. If that business is successful, you earn more money back than you invested. People like to invest in successful companies like Disney and Apple, Inc. What business would you like to invest in? Why?

7) If you are frugal with your money, you spend very little of it. Why might it be wise to be frugal with money? Explain your answer.

8) When you live on a budget, you decide ahead of time how much money you are going to spend and save each week. How can a budget help you build wealth?

Video Transcript

Financial literacy is the foundation of how you will be able to provide for yourself now and in the future.

It gives you freedom to do the things that you want to do in life.

Get a checking account and be accountable for the money that you spend.

You need to understand what you want versus what you need.

It’s really never too early to become a disciplined worker, and you need to look at the earnings from that job to really think about how you can use those earnings to build your financial future.

So any birthday money you get, or if you have graduation money or babysitting money or money from your summer job, put some of it away, and it will pay off later.

So I want you to live on a budget, be frugal, and then I want you to take that money that you’ve saved and build wealth.

Building wealth is all about how to create and maintain the ability to grow your financial resources.

It will give you a sense of independence, and it will give you the ability to make your own purchasing decisions, which is invaluable.

One of the things you can do as a young girl is you can start to invest. You can invest in Disney. You can invest in Apple. You can invest in Abercrombie & Fitch. There’s a book that just came out called Warren Buffett, who is one of the richest men in the world– called Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl. Well, you’re that girl. So why don’t you go out and invest? Because maybe in 30 years, people will be saying, “So-and-so invests like you.”

Discussion Guide

Independent Learning Guide: This all-purpose guide can be used by educators, parents, and mentors to jumpstart a lively discussion about making, saving and spending money.

Financial Literacy Terms To Know

Financial Literacy is a key to controlling your destiny and living the life of your dreams. Challenge yourself to learn just one of these Financial Literacy Terms To Know each day.

Classroom Lesson Plan

This video is all about money: how to make it, spend it, and save it.

Classroom Lesson Plan: This step-by-step lesson plan is available to guide a more in-depth “before, during, and after” learning experience when viewing the video with students. This lesson plan is also suitable for use in after-school programs and other educational settings.

Empowerment Activities

Use Empowerment Activities as a fun way to reinforce the video topic and build community with your students.

Fun Page Activity

Fun Page Activity: Do you need or want books for school? How about a smart phone? You’ll have fun with this activity deciding which things you need, and which you want. It’s not always easy to decide, and the good news is, there are no wrong answers!