Debt, Protection, and Investing

This unit expands foundational personal finance skills to focus on managing debt, protecting assets, and selecting appropriate savings and investment vehicles. Students will learn practical strategies for reducing and responding to debt, evaluating insurance and identity-theft protections, and choosing among retirement, education, and fixed-income investment options to meet short- and long-term goals.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal debt situations and apply debt-reduction strategies (including consolidation, repayment prioritization, and bankruptcy implications) to create a documented repayment plan
• Evaluate credit reports and credit-use options, identify red flags of identity theft, and demonstrate steps to correct credit errors and respond to fraud
• Apply criteria to compare and select insurance products and coverages (homeowner, personal injury, and disability) and calculate appropriate coverage levels based on risk assessment
• Compare savings and investment vehicles (bonds, mutual funds, 529 plans, IRAs, 401(k)s, and brokerage accounts) and recommend a diversified plan aligned with specific goals, time horizons, and tax considerations