Personal finance courses that teach pupils best practices for managing their money are spreading across schools in the USA. This phenomenon was propelled by recent state laws requiring such. Since 2020, 17 states in the USA have adopted mandates that make taking a personal finance course a requirement for high school graduation, bringing the total up to 25 states. New York State is considering a mandate, and California has a bill in the works.
Pupils in these classes learn not only how to buy and sell shares, but also how to save their earnings in order to have something to invest in the first place. Courses teach how to properly bank, budget, manage credit and pay for college. They also cover comparison shopping and the basics of how to plan and track daily expenses.
