Meeting the Nebraska State Standards
Financial Avenue provides online courses and mini-modules to help students gain important
knowledge about the basics of personal money management. The Financial Avenue online
financial education program covers all aspects of the financial education core competencies
developed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission.
These core competencies serve as a guide to the basics of financial education, and also include
actions and behaviors that can be demonstrated for each category.
Core Concept
Earning
Spending
Knowledge
Gross versus net pay.
Understand your paycheck.
Benefits and taxes.
Learn about potential benefits and taxes.
Education is important.
Invest in your future.
The difference between needs
and wants.
Saved money grows.
Know about transactional accounts
(checking).
Saving
Borrowing
Protect
Action/Behavior
Know about financial assets (savings
accounts, bonds, stocks, mutual funds).
Develop a spending plan. Track spending
habits. Live within your means.
Understand the social and environmental
impacts of your spending decisions.
Start saving early. Pay yourself first.
Understand and establish a relationship
with the financial system.
Comparison shop. Balance risk and
return.
How to meet long-term goals and
grow your wealth.
Save for retirement, child’s education,
and other needs. Plan for long-term
goals. Track savings and monitor what
you own.
If you borrow now, you pay back more
later. The cost of borrowing is based
on how risky the lender thinks you are
(credit score).
Avoid high cost borrowing, plan, understand, and shop around. Understand how
information in your credit score affects
borrowing. Plan and meet your payment
obligations. Track borrowing habits.
Analyze renting versus owning a home.
Act now to protect yourself from
potential catastrophe later.
Identity theft/fraud/scams.
Choose appropriate insurance. Build up
an emergency fund. Shop around.
Protect your identity. Avoid fraud and
scams. Review your credit report.
Financial Avenue Learning Objectives
Compared to Nebraska’s State Standards
Within your state, you may already have predetermined standards for how personal finance, economics,
or financial literacy will be delivered. We have compared the Financial Avenue learning objectives against
your state standards, providing you with a simpler way to ensure you’re compliant with standards.
Financial Avenue
Courses
Financial Avenue Learning Objectives
Nebraska Objectives
1. N
ame at least four reasons why it is important
to have a budget.
Budgeting
2. N
ame the characteristics of SMART goals and
develop six financial goals that follow these
guidelines.
3. Create a personal budget.
SS 12.2.7 Students will apply effective money
management concepts.
SS 12.2.7.a Organize personal finances and use a
budget to manage cash flow.
4. D
escribe at least three ways to minimize
expenses and keep a budget on track.
SS 12.2.8 Students will critique strategies used
to establish, build, maintain, monitor, and control
credit.
1. Understand how revolving credit works.
Credit Cards
2. Understand how to check a credit report.
SS 12.2.8.a Analyze factors that affect the choice
of credit, the cost of credit, and the legal aspects
of using credit.
3. Explain the new laws related to consumer rights. SS 12.2.8.b Identify strategies of establishing.
and maintaining a good credit rating for effective
credit management (e.g., credit cards, auto loans,
mortgages).
1. E
xplain why credit history is important and the
purpose of a credit report.
Credit History
2. O
utline and explain the components of a credit
report.
3. U
nderstand how to resolve errors on a credit
report.
4. Name at least three ways to raise a credit score.
1. L ist several products and services a bank might
offer.
Banking Basics
2. D
escribe the difference between a traditional
bank, online bank and credit union.
3. List and define the fees tied to bank accounts.
1. D
escribe the basics of auto, renters and health
insurance.
Understanding
Insurance
2. D
efine basic insurance terminology and how
insurance works.
3. Describe renters insurance and how it works.
4. R
ecognize the importance of health insurance
and where one might find coverage.
SS 12.2.8 Students will critique strategies used
to establish, build, maintain, monitor, and control
credit.
SS 12.2.8.a Analyze factors that affect the choice
of credit, the cost of credit, and the legal aspects
of using credit.
SS 12.2.8.b Identify strategies of establishing
and maintaining a good credit rating for effective
credit management (e.g., credit cards, auto loans,
mortgages).
SS 4.2.3.b Identify financial institutions in the
community and their purpose (e.g., banks, credit
unions, consumer/business loans, safety of
deposit, investments/trust services).
SS 12.2.7.b Compare and contrast checking and
savings accounts.
SS 12.2.8.c Compare and contrast the cost and
benefits of various lending institutions (e.g., banks,
credit unions, paycheck advance businesses, pawn
shops).
SS 12.2.9.c Analyze appropriate and cost effective
risk management strategies (e.g., health, disability,
life, auto insurance).
Financial Avenue
Courses
Importance of
Saving
Financial Avenue Learning Objectives
1. D
escribe strategies for saving and reducing
spending.
2. D
escribe how much one should set aside for
unexpected events.
3. Discover ways to save money on a tight budget
1. E
xplain how interest works when borrowing
money.
Borrowing Money
2. E
xplain how a credit record affects the ability to
borrow money in the future.
3. O
utline the process of getting a loan and why it
is important to repay on time.
4. Understand the basics of how to use a credit
1. Explain
how retirement investments such as a
401(k) and an IRA work.
Investing in Your
Future
Nebraska Objectives
SS 12.2.9 Students will evaluate savings,
investment, and risk management strategies to
achieve financial goals.
SS 12.2.9.a Explain the importance of saving to
ensure financial security.
SS 12.2.8.b Identify strategies of establishing
and maintaining a good credit rating for effective
credit management (e.g., credit cards, auto loans,
mortgages).
SS 12.2.8.d Students will identify situations when
borrowing money and paying interest may be a
wise or unwise decision.
2. P
rovide examples of why it is important to start
investing early.
SS 12.2.9 Students will evaluate savings,
investment, and risk management strategies to
achieve financial goals.
3. D
efine and explain how stocks, bonds and
mutual funds work and the risk involved with
each.
SS 12.2.9.b Implement an investment strategy
that is compatible with personal goals (e.g., stocks,
bonds, mutual funds, retirement plans).
4. Define basic investing terminology.
1. List tips for being successful in an interview.
Your First Job
2. D
escribe how to follow-up with a potential
employer.
3. O
utline and describe the components of a
benefits package, including health insurance,
life insurance, paid time off and retirement.
SS 12.2.6.c Assess the incentives for investing
in personal education, skills, and talents.
SS 12.2.6.d Identify various ways people earn a
living by using career programs to explore
opportunities (e.g., Nebraska Career Education).
SS 12.2.10.c Explore various forms of taxation
(earning, consumption, or wealth) and discuss
outcomes of various tax philosophies as drivers of
economic activity.
1. E
xplain how to use the W2 form to complete an
income tax form.
Taxes and You
2. O
utline the process for preparing, completing
and submitting federal and state income tax
forms.
3. L ook at the components of an income tax form
and describe how to fill one out.
4. Explain taxes and how tax money is used.
SS 12.2.7.c Assess the effects of taxes on personal
income.
SS 3.2.10.a Identify goods and services funded
through local taxes (e.g., snow removal, waste
management, law enforcement).
SS 12.2.11.a Examine how governments can
use taxing and spending policies to influence
behavior (e.g., alcohol tax, home mortgage
interest deduction).
SS 12.2.10.b Investigate multiple roles of
government in a market economy (e.g., forms of
taxation, enforcing private property and zoning
laws, collecting sales tax).
Classroom Integration
If you’re not really sure how to find time to squeeze Financial Avenue into your already packed class,
consider these suggestions:
• P
repare students for college by moving to a flipped class format, in which students work on Financial
Avenue outside of the class and come back together to discuss what they’ve learned.
• A
nother opportunity is to involve parents/guardians: have the student complete a finance activity
at home with help from their parents/guardians, like creating a monthly budget or going grocery
shopping with coupons. Or have the student take their family through a financial education exercise
to share their knowledge.
• S
tudents often have to write a number of papers for English that delve into expository writing or
research; if possible, suggest that these paper topics be focused around financial education.
Additionally, you’ll find that an easy way to find added support and resources for certain topics is to check
out national financial education campaigns. During the months listed here, you’re likely to find plenty of
resource kits, activities, presentations and other valuable tools to make your life easier.
• National Consumer Protection Week (Feb)
• Financial Capability Week (April)
• America Saves Week (Feb)
• National Credit Education Week (Sept)
• Financial Aid Awareness Month (Feb)
• Protect Your Identity Week (Oct)
• Financial Literacy Month (April)
• Financial Planning Week (Oct)
• Money Smart Week (April)
Contests and Competitions
Contests and competitions may be the easiest way to tap into student motivation to complete the
Financial Avenue program. Here are some ideas to get you started based on the concept of rivalry:
• Student groups: juniors vs seniors, Yearbook staff vs Newspaper staff, Spanish Club vs French Club
• Athletic groups: football vs basketball, girl’s teams vs boy’s teams
• School rivalries: compete against your high school’s rival, encourage them to sign up, too
Register Your School Today!
Start building your students’ financial intelligence now for FREE! Contact us to get started today.
Inceptia.org/FAchallenge/register
888.529.2028, ext. 6306
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