Build money confidence before the big decisions.

Audience

For parents, caregivers, educators and community organizations supporting young learners. The proposed learning groups are ages 6–10, 11–13 and 14–18, with activities adapted to the learners' needs.

Learning pathway

Early money skills for ages 6–10: Explore where money comes from, the difference between needs and wants, and how saving helps us work toward a goal. Use a pretend shop, a simple savings chart or a family spending conversation to practice choosing.

Everyday choices for ages 11–13: Compare prices, plan a small project budget and learn how advertising can influence a purchase. Introduce banking and the difference between paying now and borrowing money to pay later.

Preparing for independence for ages 14–18: Understand a first paycheck, basic taxes, debit and credit, the cost of borrowing, education and training expenses, and common financial scams. Explore how work and small-business ideas connect to financial responsibility.

Proposed activities

• Make a savings goal with a target amount and a realistic timeline.
• Compare two purchasing choices and explain the trade-offs.
• Read a sample paycheck and identify gross pay, deductions and take-home pay.
• Create a simple budget for a school event or small enterprise.
• Practice what to do when an online message asks for money or personal information.

Learning goals

Activities will aim to help young people explain a spending decision, keep track of a goal and know when to ask a trusted adult for help. Learning will emphasize understanding and habits rather than encouraging children to purchase financial products.

Invitation

Help us develop youth financial education for your school or community. Requests involving children should come from a parent, caregiver, educator or authorized organization representative.

Small choices. Skills that last.

A child choosing between two treats and a teenager deciding what to do with a first paycheck are both practicing financial judgment. We want to make those moments easier to talk about, without pressure to have all the answers.

Our youth learning approach connects familiar situations to a few useful habits: pausing before a purchase, setting a realistic goal, noticing advertising and asking a trusted adult when something is unclear.

Learning through everyday experiences

• A saving goal: name something meaningful, consider its cost and identify manageable steps toward it.
• A spending decision: compare options and describe what you give up when you choose one.
• A first income conversation: talk about work, pay and the difference between receiving money and planning how to use it.
• A digital-money moment: explore in-app purchases, subscriptions and why an online offer deserves a second look.

For parents and educators

You do not need to turn every conversation into a lesson. A simple question—“What matters most to you about this choice?”—can open room for a child to explain their thinking. Activities will be designed for adaptation by age and setting, with adults guiding discussions rather than collecting children’s private financial information.

A starting conversation

Imagine a teenager who wants to buy headphones but also wants to save for a summer activity. Instead of giving the “right” answer, compare the timing, alternatives and trade-offs together. The learning comes from explaining the choice, revisiting it and noticing what changed.

Learning companion: CFPB Money as You Grow offers age-based ideas for family conversations.