Bank of America recognizes that when individuals and communities face uncertain economic times, the value of understanding the importance of sound financial management becomes even more important. Consumers today are making tough financial decisions to sustain them during the current economy and lay the groundwork for future growth. Bank of America’s commitment to helping individuals and families become financially empowered stems from our longstanding belief that the health of our business is intrinsically linked to the economic success of the communities we serve. We believe our support of financial education to meet the needs of individuals and working families, with a special focus on the under-served, contributes to the financial stability and long-term success of communities.
Tools You Can Use
Bank of America’s Student Financial Handbook – The Student Financial Handbook helps students learn how to manage their money, including information on opening a savings and checking account, planning and paying for college, online banking, setting a budget and investing. Download the guide. (You will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to download.)
Bank of America’s The Essentials: Your Guide to Credit – This easy-to-use guide helps students understand credit card basics such as using credit wisely, understanding a credit score, creating and maintaining budgets, identity theft, and where to get more information. Download the guide. (You will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to download.)
The Ultimate Money Skills Bank: Interactive Banking Simulator – This is an interactive way for you to learn about and experience alternative ways to bank. From online banking to mobile banking to text banking, you'll find out how to use these easy, convenient self-service banking methods. You'll also learn about a variety of ways to better manage your accounts.
Building and Managing a Budget – This interactive budgeting tool allows you and your students to create and manage your own budgets. You can create as many budgets as you want, and all your information will be saved to your profile, so you can come back as often as you like to update and make changes.
The Playing with Plastic Game – This interactive game teaches students how credit cards really work, illustrating how purchases, interest rates and finance charges can affect a credit card account.
College Funding Tool – A free resource that provides a comprehensive, interactive overview of the entire college financing process, including valuable tips and deadlines for the FAFSA and information about the types of financial aid available. You, your students and their families will also have access to the electronic College FundPathTM Worksheet, which allows users to create their own customized college funding strategy.
Financial Challenge Test – This fun quiz will test your students’ financial knowledge and give them resources to help them learn more about the topics they’re not so savvy about.
Financial Aid Timeline – This interactive timeline gives students important events and dates to remember about the admissions and financial aid process.
Financial Glossary – A list of definitions related to personal finance, including financial aid terms, banking terms, credit terms and more.
Bank of America Financial Resources
There are many ways to manage your money. Now there is a resource that can help. Get articles, calculators and tips along with advice from experts all right here.
Resources from Other Financial Education Partners
Your Financial Future - Your Financial Future is a guide for anyone to deliver financial education lessons to students from lower to high school. This back to basics concept will give students a foundation of personal financial management knowledge. This curriculum was developed in partnership with the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). The lessons are adapted to student development and thinking by grade and more activities are added as students advance in grade. The books contain a comprehensive guide for volunteers to deliver the lessons. The books can be downloaded at no cost. (Access your Financial Future Curriculum today).
Jump$tart Coalition - Jump$tart is a national coalition of organizations dedicated to improving the financial literacy of kindergarten through college-age students by providing advocacy, research, standards and educational resources. Jump$tart provides the collaboration needed to ensure that personal finance is included in the education of all students. The Jump$tart Coalition website provides free information and resources about financial literacy for use by educators.
Financial Fitness for Life – The Financial Fitness for Life Curriculum consists of high quality materials created by long-time financial education experts, Council for Economic Education with support from Bank of America. The curriculum assist students from kindergarten to grade 12 make better decisions for spending, saving, borrowing, investing, and managing their money. The materials at the four levels (grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) focus on a fitness theme and are designed to align with a child’s cognitive development. Find out more about the program and its curriculum.
