12 youth financial literacy programs

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About 66.9% of American adults believe that financial literacy should be a mandatory part of school curriculum, according to a Finder.com study. With a push for more financial literacy education, our financial experts pulled together a list of financial courses with lesson plans, videos, games and quizzes on standby for parents and teachers to use.

Financial literacy programs in the US

Program name	Best for	Cost	Features
EVERFI	Teachers teaching grades 4–12	Free	5–7 ready-made lesson plans and games for financial literacy, covering: Banking Budgeting Credit Debt Employment Student loans Taxes
Fifth Third Bank Young Bankers Club	Teachers teaching grades 4–6	Free	This 8-week program teaches kids how to apply financial knowledge with the help of Maximillion Money, a character that guides kids through a financial literacy game. Kids learn: Basic money calculations Banking Budgeting and spending Loans Jobs and income Saving Investing in stocks Risk and insurance
Hands on Banking for Youth	Parents and teachers of grades 1–12	Free	Teachers and parents get access to 3–8 lesson plans, worksheets and engaging activities for each grade, teaching: Coins Earning money Budgeting and spending Saving Giving to charity Taxes Insurance
Jump$tart Clearinghouse	Parents and teachers of kindergarten through adulthood	Free	Search this library to find over 800 resources developed by educators and experts, including quizzes and games. Resources cover everything from: Allowances Balancing a budget Entrepreneurship Investing Taxes Inflation And more
Money 101 by Step	High schoolers in one of Step’s 100+ participating schools	Free	High schoolers run through 6 lessons online via Step’s app, learning about: Banking Budgeting Saving Credit Loans Stocks and crypto investing
Money Smart for Young People by the FDIC	Parents and teachers of pre-K–12	Free	Get 6–22 printable lesson plans, handouts and teaching slides per grade, covering everything from: Earning Saving Giving Loans Careers Homeownership Retirement Insurance
MoneyTime	Parents and teachers of grades 6–8	$12.95 per month or $66 per year for one child 25% off to add children	This program provides 30 turnkey lesson plans with quizzes and a money management game that simulates real-life financial choices. Kids learn: Saving Jobs and income Spending Borrowing Buying real estate Investing Taxes
Operation HOPE	Programs designed for all ages for schools or personal development	Free	Virtual learning program led by financial coaches and volunteers. Young adults can attend in-person workshops and 1:1 mentoring. Programs cover: Budgeting Savings Credit Debt Income Identity protection
Schwab Moneywise	Parents and teachers of grades pre-K–12th	Free	Parents and kids explore videos and lessons, while teachers tap curriculums developed by fellow teachers. Kids learn: Saving Spending Investing Business Economy Cryptocurrency Insurance
School Savings	Parents who volunteer at their kids’ schools	Free	This program, approved by the US Department of Education, helps kids make savings deposits at school through Websaver. It features: An online savings register Animated budgeting app Prizes for kids who save throughout the year
Teach Children to Save Day	Parents or teachers of grades K–8	Free	Reach out to participating banks to set up a one-time educational event, taught by volunteer banks. Events may cover: Managing credit Starting savings habits Banking career Budgeting Needs vs. wants Paying for college
TD Bank WOW!Zone	Teachers of grades K–12	Free	This program provides up to 10 lesson plans per grade and even TD Bank financial instructors, teaching: History of money Smart spending Saving Traditional and alternative banking Types of credit Careers and entrepreneurship Virtual stock market game

Related: 6 stock market games for kids

Related: Banking for kids

Other financial literacy tools

Lessons and games aside, your child can also learn the ins and outs of managing money through top-notch kids’ debit cards designed to empower them to build healthy spending and saving skills. Some popular cards include:

1. BusyKid. This card helps your kids manage chores and automatically save part of their allowance while offering the chance to invest in stocks and give to charity.
2. FamZoo. This highly customizable account lets kids set up a budget and track chores and expenses. Parents can also split family bills and start a mock loan with interest that kids have to repay.
3. Greenlight. This card is packed with features that help parents limit their kids’ spending per store. It also offers investing for kids, a 2% to 5% savings bonus and cash back on debit card purchases.
4. Jassby. Along with allowance and chore tools, Jassby encourages kids’ financial learning by rewarding them with points for completing tasks. Kids can cash out for money at 100 points.
5. Step. Not only does Step help kids build credit just by managing their money through the app, but it also lets kids earn cash back in stores and save money using its round-up savings feature.

Dive deeper: Investing for kids: Get started the right way

Are allowances popular?

One popular way to teach kids about money is to give them an allowance, something which most parents (68%) do , giving on average $31 to their kids each week.

Bottom line

Kids can learn a variety of money skills, from counting coins to starting their savings. It’s never too early to teach your kids about money or provide them with the resources and tools to start. The point is to start the conversation so they can grow in financial literacy over time.