Money Matters 101

Being smart with your money

Great American Financial Resources, Inc. has partnered with USA TODAY to create Money Matters 101, a series of free lesson plans for educators to use in the classroom. Each of these lessons will be posted online for unlimited use and discussion in the classroom. Based on actual articles from USA TODAY, lesson topics include saving for now and for later, being prepared for a financial crisis, using credit cards, protecting yourself from online scams and much more. The lessons will enable educators to use real-world examples to help teach students about finances and planning.

Most Popular Lessons:

• Colleges’ debit-card deals draw scrutiny
• $500 can stretch far for gifts
• Consumers get frugal, so retailers get creative

Budgeting & Decision Making

• $500 can stretch far for gifts
• Lease or Buy?
• Consumers get frugal, so retailers get creative
• Teens Confront Economic Reality
• Slow times mean pay cuts for many

College

• Colleges’ debit-card deals draw scrutiny
• Who should apply for college aid?
• Merit awards make college affordable
• Bill aims to topple college obstacles

Credit & Debit Cards

• Credit card rates headed for federal slapdown?
• Weigh before you pay: Debit or credit?
• How you use credit cards should determine how you choose them
• Free’ credit reports sometimes aren’t free

Financial Scams

• Typos can lead to imposter sites

Financial Security

• Recession affects children’s progress
• Economy’s stuck, but business is booming at therapists’ offices

Health Care Insurance

• Who’s uninsured in 2007? It’s more than just the poor

Payroll Taxes

• Payroll taxes are simple, steady — and in trouble

Retirement

• 7 ways for Gen Xers to help secure their retirement
• Social Security hits first wave of boomers

Savings

• Bright ideas for bringing up smart savers
• Those just starting out find the game changed