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Nadine Clement

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Put personal finance as a high school requirement

Personal finance is course neglected in our high schools and colleges as a requirement for education even though it is vital. The decisions of where to put money, invest and save is an idea that recent graduates are not even aware of coming out of high school and often because of that they struggle unnecessarily with debt.

I suggest making personal finance a high school requirement to teach kids some of the following:

1) The Importance of IRAs
2) How to Invest Responsibly
3) How Credit Scores Effect Your Financial Life
4) How Insurance works
5) Why Saving is Important
6) Ethical Consumerism
7) Making Budgets
8) Understanding how Taxes Work
9) Understanding the Importance of Keeping Records
10) Privacy in the Internet Age
11) How to Write Effective Wills
12) How to Write Renter's contracts
13) How to Start a Business

These are issues that every American has to go though in the course of their lives, giving them the tools to not make mistakes is vital for the health of America's economy.

Please make personal finance a high school requirement.

I started a petition about this issue, if you agree please visit my site.
http://www.change.org/petitions/put-personal-finance-as-a-high-school-requirement

If you think that adding another thing would help please let me know and I will add it

Topics: business credit credit cards credit scores education finance
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    Paul Lillebo

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    Dec 26 2011: Yes, absolutely, Nadine. In July, '09 I wrote a note on "Education for Democracy" on the website Blue Ridge Journal. I wrote about the need for young people to understand the nuts and bolts of our complex society before they launch out in it. About personal finance I wrote: http://www.blueridgejournal.com/brj-edu-democracy.htm :

    "Many youths have suffered from having to learn about household finances "on the job". But it's too complex, and there are too many serious mistakes that can be made. The schools need to teach about everyday financial planning and management, including insurance, credit, contracts and mortgage. About taxes and tax-deferments; about savings, investment, and yes, even about pension. All these and more financial matters quickly become crucial to the young person starting a household; our recent history shows clearly the many destructive traps that unprepared young people may fall into. If youths are not familiar with basic financial issues, our educational program has not done its job."
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    Randall Bretz 500+

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    TED AttendeeTEDx Organizer
    Dec 10 2011: Junior Achievement has a curriculum that you might want to explore. I suggest you take a look at it: http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_high_personal_finance.shtml
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    Eamonn Colman

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    TED Translator
    Nov 30 2011: Great idea, even a crash course would suffice.
    To me, the scariest thought is that kids in high school (and they are kids!) are confronted with the choice of college and which loan they will choose to get through it. I know a lot of people that didn't have their parents help them on that, and they almost immediately signed themselves into bankruptcy.

    I went to a good high school, and I remember my college guidance counselor showing me options in colleges - as well as corresponding loans as if the loans were a free bonus.
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      Nadine Clement

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      Nov 30 2011: Yes I have to say it is very scary that to be anyone now you need a college degree but to do that you need to have a lot of debt (for the most part) it is very scary to me that we are having very young people make decisions that are the basis for their whole lives without a lot of education. I mean I have to say I was very lucky my mom was able to put me through community college without a loan but I had trouble figuring out how to get a car loan by myself without getting a bad deal I can't image what it is going to be like when I have to go get a college loan for my BA
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    lynn eschbach 30+

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    Nov 29 2011: I signed.
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      Nadine Clement

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      Nov 30 2011: Thank you very much! I am hoping we can all change the system of education
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