Personal and Family Finance

Dollar Decision$ curriculum (available in Spanish, revised 2006) teaches low to moderate-income individuals and families how to track expenses and make ends meet.

Lesson 1 Tracking Income and Expenses covers:

• Identification of spending leaks
• Needs versus wants
• Methods to track expenses

Lesson 2 Making a Spending and Saving Plan covers:

• Goal setting
• Sources of income
• Other assistance and resources
• Developing a spending and saving plan
• Ways to increase income and decrease expenses

Visit Publications Catalog to purchase this curriculum.

The Credit Cents: Making Sense of Credit, Debt, and Identity Theft curriculum (2007) provides the knowledge and skills adults and young adults need to wisely use credit, avoid or get out of debt and understand and avoid identity theft.

Lesson 1 Credit Basic covers:

• Credit
• Interest
• Four types of credit
• Advantages and disadvantages of using credit
• Think before using credit
• Comparison shopping for credit

Lesson 2 How Does Your Credit Score? covers:

• Building and repairing credit history
• Credit reports
• What your credit score says about you

Lesson 3 Take Control of Debt covers:

• Building and repairing credit history
• Credit reports
• What your credit score says about you
• Steps to control debt
• Using a worksheet to assess personal debt
• Setting debt reduction goals
• Tracking spending, finding money for debt repayment
• Four debt repayment methods
• Avoiding future debt problems
• Internet sites that include debt/loan calculators
• Where to seek professional counseling if you can't solve debt problems on your own

Lesson 4 Guard Against Identity Theft covers:

• What is identity theft?
• How does it occur?
• How to protect personal information
• What steps to take if your identity is stolen

For fact sheets, complete with worksheets and a thorough glossary, that cover various kinds of credit topics, please view the Credit Cents Bulletin 841 Fact Sheets.

4-H Financial Champions projects include a helper's guide and two program books for youth: "Money Fundamentals" and "Money Moves."

Please contact Luke Erickson, erickson@uidaho.edu or 208-356-3191, or Lyle Hanson, lhansen@uidaho.edu or 208-324-7578, for more information.

High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) curriculum is provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education.

Extension educators in Idaho offer the curriculum and training sessions to teachers and other professionals working with youth in partnership with the Idaho Credit Union League.

Please visit the High School Financial Planning Program website for more information.

The curriculum includes six modules:

• Money Management: Control Your Cash Flow
• Borrowing: Use-Don't Abuse
• Earning Power: More Than a Paycheck
• Investing: Money Working for You
• Financial Services: Care for Your Cash
• Insurance: Protect What You Have