Guidance to Create Programs in Financial Literacy for Adults

All those who are enthusiastic to offer training in financial literacy for adults will benefit from perusing the resources on this page. Here we provide an overview of the unique circumstances adult learners face and ways to determine which pedagogical strategies to choose for a given adult financial education audience.

In Terms of Financial Literacy, Adults are Unique

The central facet of programming should be alignment with the unique features of an adult audience. In financial literacy adults require a different focus than you might employ with children or youth.

The first consideration should be whether they have already adopted problematic behaviors. Do they need help recovering from money mistakes? Some common mistakes include lack of financial planning, lack of personal finance training and content knowledge, misunderstanding the amount of money they need, taking advice from under-qualified sources, having unrealistic expectations, or negative habits fallen into when they were very young.

Next, have they built sturdy financial foundations? Many people – especially those just striking out into adulthood – need assistance to lay the groundwork for greater security now, while beginning to plan for the future.

Finally – once their foundation is in place – they can focus on a long-term blueprint for financial growth, and take steps toward achieving their goals. This topic could form the focus of a follow-up personal finance class for adults.

Concepts for Financial Literacy for Adults Processes

Willingness to Change Affects Basic Financial Literacy for Adults

Before you undertake a program in basic financial literacy for adults, some fundamental considerations are indicated. Take a look at Prochaska and DiClemente’s (1984) Transtheoretical Behavior Change Model for clues as to which teaching methods will be most useful to your target group.

If you’re teaching financial literacy for adults at the Precontemplation stage, you can help them identify the problems their money management behaviors are causing. At the Contemplation stage, teach lessons that help them see the benefits of taking positive action and the potential negative consequences of continuing along their current paths.

When they reach the Preparation phase, you can introduce materials that give them step-by-step guidance and build their knowledge about positive money management tactics. For example, Forbes recently published an article laying out the history of investing among US women. If they’re in the Action stage, you can give ongoing training and reinforcement for what they’ve accomplished. When they’ve reached Maintenance levels, you can help them stay on course and/or simply stand by to provide support.

The overall guideline is to identify where your demographic lies along this Stages of Change continuum, and to strategize lessons in basic financial literacy for adults to meet the audience where they currently are. The top money management lesson plans for adults of any age will incorporate this strategy.

The NFECs adult financial literacy presentations are interactive and engaging.  The lesson plans are designed to motivate participants to take positive action toward improving their financial situation. The adult personal finance curriculum uses practical, hands-on learning to the participants reap the benefits of improving their financial situation.

Today, the economic conditions have many people concerned about their current finances. Many are experiencing problem with their monetary situation that can range from debt, retirement shortfalls, and foreclosures to added fees from late payments.  The bottom line is that the vast majority of adults where never giving a practical financial education and it is taking a toll on people across the country.

Financial issues not only impact one finances, it plays a major role in stress, relationship problems, unhealthy coping behavior (alcohol, drugs, etc) and lowers one’s self confidence.  This stress often as spills over into the time spent with friends, family and the workplace.

The NFECs’ Building Your Financial Foundation financial literacy for adults program is designed to help people build a solid financial foundation and our recover from current financial circumstances.   This coursework covers the basic personal finance lessons that can help them improve their financial situation.  The NFEC also offers the Road to Retirement (advanced coursework for those serving an audience that is focused on retirement planning.

 

The NFECs’ Financial Literacy for Adults Program features:

Engaging and Interactive Activities.  The NFEC is widely recognized for its ability to connect with students and inspire them to take positive financial action.  Delivering compelling, relevant content using examples and vernacular to which students can easily relate increases retention rates and makes the process more enjoyable for students and educators alike.

Demographic Profiles Served.  The financial literacy for adults program was designed specifically for those seeking to understand the basic personal finance topics, build a solid financial foundation and/or recover from past financial problems.

 ‘Real World’ Lessons that Meets Educational Standards.  The presentations and material was designed to meet college level educational standards while being usable lessons that can improve the participant’s financial status.  Practical activities have the participants completing exercises that will help them now.

Flexible Design. The financial literacy programs for adults were created in a modular format to accommodate various schedules and delivery methods.  Organizations have used this material for workshops, one-on-one training, boot camp style trainings and in a variety of other ways.

Independent.  The material is 100% independent and not affiliated with any credit card company or other organizations.  The entire purpose of the presentations is to improve participants’ financial capabilities.  This also frees up organizations so they can attract sponsors to fund the initiatives.

Topics Covered: The curriculum covers ten personal finance topic areas including: Budgeting & Account Management, Credit & Debt, Financial Psychology & Goal Setting, Skill Growth, Income, Insurance & Risk Management, Business Relations, Entrepreneurship Basics, Investment Basics and Long-Term Planning.

Design Team.  The NFEC’s Curriculum Advisory Board contributed to the development of the material.  Educators, financial professionals and financial education experts created coursework that relates well to the target audience and can best help them achieve their financial objectives.

The adult financial literacy curriculum package provides you a turnkey solution for your programming needs.  The material meets educational standards while offering practical tools and lessons.

 

What’s Included

Lesson Plans and Student Guides.  The Building Your Financial Foundation curriculum is a 12 to 15 hour course that provides a detailed instructors and student guide. The lesson plans are broken down into modules so it can fit any class length and programming goals.

PowerPoint Presentations. The presentations are aligned with the lesson plans and student guides to makes it easy for the instructor to conduct the class and for students to follow along. This visually appealing PowerPoint includes pictures and bullet points that keep the class interested.

Testing and Surveys. Detailed surveys, pre- and post- testing are provided help you quantify the impact of your adult financial literacy training.  This is important when seeking funding and when setting course objectives.

Marketing Material. Get the word out about your financial literacy for adult’s initiative with a variety of outreach material.

Support and Consultation. The NFEC Certified Financial Education Professionals can help you choose the lesson plans that best fit your objectives, time requirements, and participant academic level.

Article: Benefits Of Financial Literacy For Adults

The rules of basic survival demand that every adult should have some form of income in order to meet his or her financial obligation on a daily basis. While this may sound rather normal to the successful adult who is on the right truck, it could be a nightmare for those who are struggling to find their economic potential. Financial literacy for adults can be a major boost in helping such people to discover and exploit their potential and those that are teaching financial literacy provide a valuable service that can empower others.

Making wise decisions about economic activities can be very complex for people who do not have any knowledge in such matters and that haven’t attended a retirement presentation or received a financial education. The wise thing to do however in such circumstances is to consult good financial advisors who can be able to evaluate and analyze your situation and come up with tangible investment schemes that can suite your situation. There are hundreds of opportunities that can work for different people in different circumstances, sometimes it is difficult for anyone who is not well equipped to identify the best opportunities unless with the help of a good consultant.

As much as the investment ideas are abound, making the first moves when one is still green can be complicated but with time, the situation often eases out and the person is able to make better decisions that should help you have a secure future economically. Many people have problems in making the right decisions due to lack of information, the greatest problem however is that many of them do not ever think of getting any financial literacy for adults education or workplace financial education since they either do not know that they can get the same education for very little fees or they assume that it could be too complicated and they may not be able to understand the contents.

While getting the right information may be viewed as just but another smart move, it is important to note that the benefits that one can get upon receiving good education on financial matters are bountiful. For starters, you can be sure to make smart moves as opposed to the common gambling that many people take part in when it comes to investment decisions. It is true that many people simply gamble when deciding to invest their funds in most projects due to lack of the proper analytical skills to evaluate and value the potential benefits of an investment plan.

There is no better feeling than that of being totally in control of all your economic actions and knowing that you do not need to rely on any other person to help you make investment decisions that can yield results. This however can only be possible if you have the right education to be able to make such decisions. The right financial literacy curriculum is helpful; however there are other things to consider as well.

There are several factors that one needs to consider when making investment decisions, apart from identifying a viable project, there are the bureaucratic procedures that each business or investment has to overcome. These obstacles often pose a great challenge for many investors without adequate information on how to handle such matters or their implications on the business that they run. There are matters regarding taxes and how the same should be applied in different settings and the same can be too confusing for people with limited knowledge.

The greater risk is that the same misunderstanding could also lead to wrong investment decisions as well as trouble with the authorities in some cases. All these cases are not very pleasant and could lead to total economic failure if not well monitored. With these observations it is clear that the importance of financial literacy for adults through workshops, advisors and retirement presentations cannot be underrated at all.

When one is faced with the challenge of making decisions regarding finances in old age, the situation is often even trickier considering that such persons may not have so many chances left to squander. Such situations involving retirees for example require careful evaluation. Think of the problems that an old man would run into if he makes bad investment decisions on his pension money. Chances are that he would wind up at a home for the elderly if he has no relatives and friends to take care of him after he is declared broke or bankrupt as some people like to put it.

With all these factors in mind and many more, it is quite advisable to go for financial literacy for adults classes so that you can be able to make informed decisions and secure your economic freedom regardless of how late some people may think it is.

Financial Literacy for Adults

The NFECs adult financial literacy presentations are interactive and engaging. The lesson plans are designed to motivate participants to take positive action toward improving their financial situation. The adult personal finance curriculum uses practical, hands-on learning to the participants reap the benefits of improving their financial situation.

Today, the economic conditions have many people concerned about their current finances. Many are experiencing problem with their monetary situation that can range from debt, retirement shortfalls, and foreclosures to added fees from late payments. The bottom line is that the vast majority of adults where never giving a practical financial education and it is taking a toll on people across the country.

Financial issues not only impact one finances, it plays a major role in stress, relationship problems, unhealthy coping behavior (alcohol, drugs, etc) and lowers one’s self confidence. This stress often as spills over into the time spent with friends, family and the workplace.

The NFECs’ Building Your Financial Foundation financial literacy for adults program is designed to help people build a solid financial foundation and our recover from current financial circumstances. This coursework covers the basic personal finance lessons that can help them improve their financial situation. The NFEC also offers the Road to Retirement (advanced coursework for those serving an audience that is focused on retirement planning.

Curriculum & Presentations – All Ages

The NFEC offers engaging, fun and interactive curriculum for all ages – kids, teens, and adults. Over 400 hours of presentation material accommodates a variety of educational goals and formats.

Customized & Private-labeled Presentations

The NFEC provides a full range of customized financial literacy programming and promotions to meet your needs. The NFEC can create new programs or modify existing materials to meet the needs of our supporters.

Financial Literacy Framework & Standards

Review big ideas and content standards designed to encourage the highest achievement by participants. Complimentary interactive website helps you understand the skills needed to improve one’s financial capabilities.

The NFECs’ Financial Literacy for Adults Program features:

Engaging and Interactive Activities. The NFEC is widely recognized for its ability to connect with students and inspire them to take positive financial action. Delivering compelling, relevant content using examples and vernacular to which students can easily relate increases retention rates and makes the process more enjoyable for students and educators alike.

Socioeconomic Status. The financial literacy for adults program was designed specifically for those seeking to understand the basic personal finance topics, build a solid financial foundation and/or recover from past financial problems. Those seeking retirement planning presentations can click here.

‘Real World’ Lessons that Meets Educational Standards. The presentations and material was designed to meet college level educational standards while being usable lessons that can improve the participant’s financial status. Practical activities have the participants completing exercises that will help them now.

Flexible Design. The financial literacy programs for adults were created in a modular format to accommodate various schedules and delivery methods. Organizations have used this material for workshops, one-on-one training, boot camp style trainings and in a variety of other ways.

Independent. The material is 100% independent and not affiliated with any credit card company or other organizations. The entire purpose of the presentations is to improve participants’ financial capabilities. This also frees up organizations so they can attract sponsors to fund the initiatives.

Topics Covered: The curriculum covers ten personal finance topic areas including: Budgeting, Account Management, Credit Profile, Loans & Debt, Financial Psychology, Jobs & Careers, Insurance & Risk Management, Business Relations, Entrepreneurship , Investment Basics and Long-Term Planning.

Design Team. The NFEC’s Curriculum Advisory Board contributed to the development of the material. Educators, financial professionals and financial education experts created coursework that relates well to the target audience and can best help them achieve their financial objectives.

The adult financial literacy curriculum package provides you a turnkey solution for your programming needs. The material meets educational standards while offering practical tools and lessons.

 

What’s Included

Lesson Plans and Student Guides. The Building Your Financial Foundation curriculum includes 50 lessons worth approximately 30 hours of coursework provided in a detailed instructors and student guide. The lesson plans are broken down into modules so it can fit any class length and programming goals.

PowerPoint Presentations. The presentations are aligned with the lesson plans and student guides to makes it easy for the instructor to conduct the class and for students to follow along. This visually appealing PowerPoint includes pictures and bullet points that keep the class interested.

Testing and Surveys. Detailed surveys, pre- and post- testing are provided help you quantify the impact of your adult financial literacy training. This is important when seeking funding and when setting course objectives.

Marketing Material. Get the word out about your financial literacy for adult’s initiative with a variety of outreach material.

Support and Consultation. The NFEC Certified Financial Education Professionals can help you choose the lesson plans that best fit your objectives, time requirements, and participant academic level.

To Gain Financial Literacy Adults Turn to the NFEC

Adults today face a variety of financial challenges, but now there is hope for a brighter future. The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) has developed its Financial Foundation coursework to help people face those challenges and improve their financial situations. When they obtain financial literacy, adults become able to deal with problems as dire as crippling debt, foreclosure, homelessness, zero savings, and unemployment.

The NFEC showed positive results on an initial post-test and survey after presenting this Financial Foundation program to raise financial literacy for adults nationwide over a six-month period. Ongoing measures are being conducted to assess program effects on long-term behavior change among the participants.

The design of the NFEC curriculum is meant to be engaging and fun for participants while also meeting core standards for financial education. The coursework covers key money management lessons using practical hands-on activities and financial literacy games for adults. The instructors are carefully trained to build rapport and relate to the audience in a way that drives the information home and helps participants build healthy money habits.

The presentation can be tailored to reach any age or demographic group with the adult financial education materials, motivating participants to learn about money and take positive action toward their financial futures. The NFEC is widely recognized for developing coursework that connects with and inspires its audiences.

The Building Your Financial Foundation materials aim to promote financial literacy for young adults through mature senior citizens. The coursework covers all the basic personal finance lessons needed to improve people’s financial situations, regardless of their presenting issues. Participants learn how to build the foundation of good money habits, or how to recover from negative financial circumstances they currently face. The materials are delivered in a turnkey format that individuals or organizations may use to teach financial literacy adults programming effectively.