YA A to Z: Financial Literacy and Teens by Michelle Biwer

Media literacy and fake news have been hot topics in youth services lately, but financial literacy is often lower on the radar of educators and students. Most states do not require students to take finance classes in school.

April is Financial Literacy Month, so now is a great time to highlight personal finance topics at your library. One option is to bring in a speaker. In the past I have invited a representative from a local credit union to talk about basic money management practices. There are also many online resources with finance guides for educators and young people, including from the Federal Reserve.

If you want to go a less formal route, there are a number of resources that could be featured on a bookmark or display in the teen area of your library.

Mint is a free online budgeting tool which can be used to help you set and reach your financial goals. Teens may like that it also has an app for tablets and smartphones. PC Mag ranks Mint highly.

Nerdwallet is a website which allows you to compare different financial institutions, credit cards, insurance and more. It does not require a login and is free to access.

The Financial Diet is a Youtube channel targeted towards young adults that covers finance topics in a simple way.

Planet Money is an NPR podcast that covers genuinely interesting topics related to money in a humorous and relatable way that will appeal to teens.

Am I missing resources you have promoted with your teens? Let me know in comments.

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