The jumbled mess of bank statements, credit card bills, and financial information spill out like a freshly opened jigsaw puzzle. There’s no picture on the box to follow here - but put together correctly, the clues will crack the veil of secrecy and expose the unsavory character’s plot. Nothing short of crunching the numbers and burning the midnight oil will solve this workplace caper. And it’s just the beginning as your knowledge of personal finance is put to the test.

Imagine - for a moment - your students getting the chance to be the hero, to rid the company of an embezzler, all while learning the skills of personal finance.

Why Teach Personal Finance and Wealth Management
The skills of finance are essential to competing in a global economy. More individuals own stock today than at any other time in history. Understanding financial markets and how the flow of money is transferred will greatly benefit your students as they prepare for their futures. It empowers them to make informed choices about managing debt, 401k, balancing a checkbook, and ensuring financial stability after their working career. Students will begin to understand how math, language, and technology can make the difference.

Some Key Concepts and Outcomes

• Apply analytical skills and financial concepts to real world problems
• Understand and demonstrate a basic knowledge of money management
• Explain the dangers of poor money management practices and their effects on one’s financial future
• Understand and demonstrate the use of spreadsheets in analysis and prediction of financial trends
• Prepare an informational or persuasive oral presentation
• Explain basic strategies of personal finance and wealth management

Curriculum Length
The curriculum has been designed for flexibility with two separate projects. The length of the curriculum is controlled by the educator and can run from 20 to 45 hours.

How We Teach
To make the curriculum easy to implement, all the necessary knowledge and skills of Word, Excel, and personal finance are delivered through totally interactive software. Through text, pictures, animations, and digital videos, students are led through the exciting world of personal finance and wealth management. Due to the highly interactive and self-directed nature of our curriculum, students are allowed to find their own pace. Regardless of the learner’s motivation or learning style, students will find a new level of success with our curriculum.

This curriculum is designed to support state assessments by addressing national math, language, income, money management, spending and credit, and saving and investing standards.

Skills for Life
Good life skills are made relevant through situations that have students examine their actions. Through interactions with their boss, co-workers, and customers, students learn what it takes to be successful in the real world. They discover the long-term benefits of making the choice to take pride in what they do.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Employers want people who solve problems. Our projects lead students through analyzing, brainstorming, and creating solutions using the design process.

Computer Requirements:
For PC: Windows® 98SE or higher, Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, 128 MB of RAM, 1 GB of hard disk space, CD-ROM, sound card, headphones, minimum 1024x768 screen resolution

For MAC: Processor: G3, Mac OS X—compatible processor or higher; Operating System: Apple Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or later; Memory: 256 MB of RAM; 1 GB of hard disk space; Drives: CD-ROM drive (or connection to a local area network if installing over a network); headphones