As an Advance accounting student here at Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint, NM, accounting is a major part in our daily lives and so is being in debt. On the Navajo reservation majority of the population are in debt and that is due to the lack of financial education provided. As being a parent, wondering about my children’s future and would like for them to be debt free in the future. Developing a foundation of personal finance in high school would be very helpful. Second, exposing teens to strategies to better themselves financially is a 21st century survival skill and last, opening the minds of students and having them to make inform decisions on finance at an early age would help them in their future. An overwhelming majority of teens—87%-- admit they don’t know much about personal finance, according to a new study by ING Direct. All high school students should take a personal finance course. The first reason on why high school students should have developed a foundation of Personal Finance in high school. Teens deserve to be introduced to complicated financial concepts by caring teachers charged with preparing them to make wise and informed financial decisions. If we teach teens the skills they need today to manage their money tomorrow, we stand
Some high students may not see the value in financial literacy education, and may think that it is a waste of time. Many may think that they know about finance by watching their parents pay bills and by managing a checking and saving account. But what they don’t know is that there is a lot more to finance and many of the high school students have already been embedded with good or bad spending habits. Having the students go through the courses at a young age and to begin training their minds on the aspects of finance. Would help a great deal in their life and to break the bad spending habits or to improve on good spending
Etzioni explains that working jobs doesn’t teach teens good money habits. First of all, I don’t believe it is McDonald’s job to teach kids how to use their money. One of the biggest advantages to having money at that age is that they can completely mess up and it won’t affect them in a dangerous way. Having money to spend can teach kids to spend their money wisely. The first several times they see something they want they will buy and find out later when it goes on sale that they messed up. Also teens try to borrow money all the time to get what they want quick. Often times they will end up in debt, but lucky for them they’re young enough that their parents can bail them out. If they don’t have the chance to make these mistakes before they move away, the consequences could be much more
One of my classmates posted in the discussion that they heard about the Financial Peace University and were interested in finding out what it was all about, therefore I would suggest that my classmates get hold of this book, read it, create a financial plan, stick to it, become debt free and have the “Peace that comes from the walk with the King of Peace, Christ Jesus” (Dave Ramsey).
Once high school ends, most students progress to college after a year or two from graduation. Due to all of the expenses for textbooks and etc., the student might realize that they don’t comprehend what to conserve or spend their money on to get through their years of college which will leave them clueless on what to do next. With situations like this that might occur, all high school students should take a financial literacy class as part of the mandatory course in order to get a diploma. With a numerous amount of students not having enough knowledge about how to manage their money carefully, presumably they’ll have trouble living their life as an adult. Taking a financial literacy class would help students stay out of debt, they’ll be prepared for their future, and they would recognize the discrepancies between wants and needs.
To counteract this massive loss of profit and potential, the reasons behind dropping out must be addressed. One of the main reasons teenagers are forced to drop out of high school is to counteract family costs. Family costs include regular bills such as mortgages, rent, car insurance, car payments, gas, grocery bills, and utilities. Family costs also include unscheduled expenses such as medical bills, school field trips, and holiday celebrations. Teenagers must s...
Most of them are very young, anywhere from eighteen to twenty-two. In some cases, they may have never held a “real job,” as many bank on the fact that they will be drafted into a professional league, where they will make millions upon millions of dollars. Also, a great amount of college students do not possess the ability to handle their money in proper and intelligent way. This chart (Bidwell 1) displays how college students are becoming even less financially active and responsible. They tend to spend their money on things other than financial necessities, which the chart shows. Students spend less time focusing on important things like paying bills and balancing their checkbook, and more time dedicated to their other activities in
Most kids that have graduated high school have never been educated on the subject of personal finance, so they don’t know things like how to pay bills, or even how to do something as simple as applying for a job. According to a family friend of mine, Ron Hart; who happens to also be an award-wining author and TV/radio commentator, believes that students in high school don’t learn anything about how to get a job or get prepared financially. He states that, “ Students should prepare for a job. Maybe, instead of taking a fifth field trip to the Trail of Tears site, do one to learn about real jobs in an area they might want.” Hart believes that most basic high schools aren’t teaching students how to become financially stable for their future, which can cause major issues. He claims that “few schools teach about the value of hard work, ingenuity, gumption and entrepreneurship. Those lessons are as rare as Donald Trump bumper stickers in the faculty parking lot.” Hart also goes on to talk about how high school does not prepare you for life the same way college will. There are so many more lessons to learn there that people are missing out on. College is very important due to the fact that it will teach students more skills about finance and job seeking that most high schools don’t. In college, kids will learn how to save and budget their money, pay for their own expenses, and prioritize their needs verses their wants. Learning financial responsibility is also something that kids will carry with them throughout their jobs and their life. Having more freedom to understand the concepts of person finance will allow students to make mature decisions while easing their way into real world
In an article written by Andrew Lehren, the author provides the bold statement that “the only thing worse than graduating with lots of debt is not going to college at all” (Lehren). In today 's society, many families lack the funds to provide a full ride for their children in terms of college. Due to this fact, many people turn to alternate solutions such as loans or diving straight into the workforce instead of attending college at all. These solutions, however, may greatly affect a person throughout the course of their life. The problem of college debt is increasing rates in regards to tuition, however, fortunately there are various solutions accessible in order to decrease or eliminate the debt that many american students face.
Questions like “what is most important?” and “what is needed?” are commonly asked to help provide a focus toward where money will be spent. Having enough money for bills, food, doctor visits, fuel for vehicles, insurance, and an abundance of other things becomes a major struggle. Top priorities must be managed accordingly so there is enough money to pay for what is most important. Having a strict budget also makes it difficult to save money. For instance, if a student were to take out a loan for $15,000 then drop out and work for minimum wage, it would take over two years to pay back the loan. Acquiring a large sum of debt is never a good thing. It causes high levels of stress and fatigue. It also creates a low credit score. A good credit score is needed in order to buy a house, car, and other high price items. Debt can build as time progresses, eventually leading into a whirlpool of financial
One might say there is a strong argument for the requirement of financial literacy for students in America. Americans continue to have increased balances on their credit cards as well as show a continued increase in bankruptcy filings according to statistics. Even the “baby boomer” generation is no longer exempt from financial hardships, as their generation has recently taken the title of “Fastest Growing Bankruptcy Demographic” from the 25 – 34 year olds (Linfield, 2011). Would it not make sense to say that Americans need to learn how to budget and borrow more wisely? Would not the best place to start be in schools? Well, the answer to that question is not a simple one.
Numerous amounts of people have financial problems when they get out of high school, so what should the school board do? In 2007, thirty-four out of fifty states have personal finance courses in their curriculum (Bernard 4). A financial literacy course seems to be what a majority of states are doing. Financial literacy courses have their pros and their cons just like everything else. Financial literacy courses bring up some very important questions.
...ial literacy, encouraging independent thinking, and reinforcing good habits. Building financial literacy in children while they are young gives them a chance to use and begin to understand money for a longer period of time. Therefore, giving them a better understanding of it when they are older and, in a way, giving them a head start for being financially responsible as adults. Encouraging independent thinking will give adolescents a chance to think for themselves even if it is small decisions at first. Because they will most likely value their money and not want to give it away for just anything, their peers will have less of an influence on their decisions. You, as a parent, can reinforce good habits like self-discipline, setting short and long term goals, and learning and practicing good work ethic. Nagging all the time has got to stop. Set up an allowance system.
Managing personal finances is an important skill to acquire. However, no where in school is this subject taught. As a result of a lack of preparation, our society is subject to a high percentage of people who lack financial success. Those who are successful at managing their personal finances will find that they are successful in many other areas as well. To learn how to manage personal finances there are books and web sites that provide a step by step guide to successfully managing personal finances. Those who lack financial success often possess many of the same traits.
Many students in grade school don’t obtain money very often because they do not have a steady income, so they are prone to spend the money they get. For example, if a student gets money for a holiday, the first thing that comes to mind is to spend it on something they want because they are not used to having money. They don’t know the next time they will get more money so they don’t see the importance of saving. Since there would be a constant income a student will see the effect of saving because their amount of money would constantly be increasing which will motivate them to keep saving. If students learn how to save while they are younger they will be more successful in life, and they will also have that money to use when they graduate.
The lack of knowledge plays a big part in the debt young people are getting themselves into. Credit cards are often offered to young adults as soon as they get out of high school. Many take advantage of having a credit card without even thinking about the responsibilities that come with it, instead they think about the things they will be able to buy. In “Generation Debt” the author Tamara Draut says that young people are getting into debt younger than ever before. Two of the reasons that are more costly on young students that hit hard on the budget are car repairs, and travel for students who have families and friends in other states (231). From my experience I know first-hand what it was like to be offered credit cards right out of high school, and I didn’t hesitate to get any of them. I st...
Personal Finance is a class I’ve wanted to take for a while now. My major is Finance not because I want a career in finance but more to learn about finance for my own personal situation. This class taught me so much! During this class I was able to evaluate my financial situation and set financial goals for myself. The four topics that helped me the most were emergency savings, buying a car, purchasing a home, retirement, and estate planning. After completing this class I have a better understanding of these topics and how to achieve my financial goals.