iGrad's Financial Literacy Classroom Curriculum
Student Guide

Quickly start improving student financial
capability - in the classroom - with iGrad's self-
service, college curriculum.

  • Award winning curriculum
  • Designed to meet standards of a higher education course
  • Flipped classroom approach
  • Written by best-selling author, Sharon Lechter
  • Covers topics ranging from budgeting to more advanced concepts, including explorations of financial aid and entrepreneurship

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Awards Won By iGrad's Financial Literacy Curriculum

University Business Magazine
Institute of Financial Literacy

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Curriculum Overview

Learning Objectives
  1. Identify financial values categories
  2. Define and identify types of Income and Expenses
  3. Understand Gross/Net Pay and how to read a paycheck stub
  4. Understand how to craft financial goals
  5. Identify components of an income statement and balance sheet
  6. Define a credit score
Learning Objectives
  1. Understand the benefits of transaction and savings accounts
  2. Understand how compound interest helps saved money grow
  3. Define and calculate future value
  4. Track savings and read/reconcile bank statements
  5. Define and create a spending plan
Learning Objectives
  1. Identify components of an income statement
  2. Analyze an income statement
  3. Identify components of a balance sheet
  4. Analyze a balance sheet
  5. Calculate net worth
  6. Create an income statement and balance sheet
  7. Calculate financial ratios
Learning Objectives
  1. Understand loan basics such as interest, term, prepayment, etc.
  2. Define and calculate the cost of borrowing
  3. Identify good debt vs. bad debt
  4. Identify features and evaluate credit card offers
  5. Understand your credit rights as a consumer
Learning Objectives
  1. Identify long-term versus short-term implications of borrowing
  2. Understand how to meet financial goals and build assets
  3. Understand the cost of borrowing and how that cost is determined
  4. Plan, understand, and shop around for a loan with the lowest rate and best terms for you
  5. Identify various types of loans
  6. Understand general information on installment loans, including car loans
  7. Understand when and how to use credit effectively
  8. Plan for and meet your payment obligations
  9. Track borrowing habits
  10. Analyze renting or leasing versus owning assets (e.g., home or car)
Learning Objectives
  1. Identify the various costs to college education
  2. Differentiate between various types of financial aid
  3. Identify information necessary for applying for student aid
  4. Recognize characteristics of federal and private loans
  5. Determine financial aid need
  6. Evaluate repayment options for student loans
  7. Search for and identify alternatives to college loans
Learning Objectives
  1. Explain how wealth is built
  2. Identify asset classes and their financial benefits and risks
  3. Define other people's money and explain its use with wealth building
  4. Explain how time and compound interest impacts growth potentials
  5. Define risk tolerance and risk capacity and how to mitigate investment risk
  6. Explain inflation and how it impacts actual returns
Learning Objectives
  1. Understand various investments including bonds, stocks, mutual funds, cash equivalents
  2. Identify how the various investments could work for you
  3. Understand fees and account types (no load, front end load, open end, close end)
  4. Differentiate between fundamental and technical analysis
  5. Identify the available sources for purchasing stock investments
  6. Seek out and identify a financial advisor
Learning Objectives
  1. Learn how to accelerate your investment returns through real estate
  2. Understand the pros and cons of investing in real estate
  3. Understand the difference between cash flow and capital gain investing
  4. Learn the tax advantages of investing in real estate
  5. Learn which legal entity is best in which to hold your real estate property
Learning Objectives
  1. Assess your personal fit to the entrepreneur lifestyle
  2. Analyze new business ideas for fit to customer problems and solutions
  3. Determine the type and place to create your new business entity
  4. List and understand the requirements for a business plan
  5. Understand the need for and types of intellectual property
  6. Determine a viable business model for your startup
  7. Understand how and why you need financial targets
  8. Define financing and funding requirements
  9. Realize the value and importance of customer service
  10. Select the right business advisors
Learning Objectives
  1. Recognize the importance of planning for retirement
  2. Implement retirement strategies to achieve financial goals
  3. Differentiate among the types of investment vehicles for retirement
  4. Understand the difference between retirement and non-retirement, and qualified and non-qualified investments
  5. Asses your overall financial situation in determining retirement needs
Learning Objectives
  1. Evaluate and manage risks from potential losses or unexpected events
  2. Understand the need to build up an emergency fund
  3. Understand the various types of insurance available
  4. Analyze and choose appropriate insurance
  5. Find and consult a qualified expert for assistance
Learning Objectives
  1. Explain the history of taxes
  2. Identify the purpose and uses of taxes
  3. Differentiate between types of taxes
  4. Explain and calculate effective tax rate
  5. Differentiate between rebates, credits, and deductions
  6. Identify applicable deductions
  7. Differentiate between filing statuses
Learning Objectives
  1. Understand what identity theft is
  2. Learn ways to protect your identity
  3. Avoid practices that are not in your financial best interest
  4. Know the importance of critically analyzing advertisements and offers before acting
  5. Understand how to avoid fraud and scams
  6. Understand the importance of reviewing your credit report annually
  7. Know what documents everyone should have in place for estate planning
  8. Identify essential steps to estate planning
  9. Identify the right estate document based on your current situation
Learning Objectives
  1. Assess your financial health today (financial statements)
  2. Identify what needs to change (budgeting)
  3. Find ways to reduce expenses or increase income
  4. Know the difference between credit repair and credit consolidation
  5. Understand the different ways to deal with mortgage defaults and home value decreases
  6. Know when bankruptcy is the last option and which type to choose
About the Authors
iGrad partners with over 500 schools across the country to provide a customizable platform and curriculum, which connects over 12 million students with the tools needed to succeed in the real world of personal finance.
Sharon Lecther, CPA
Sharon Lechter is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, philanthropist, education advocate and international speaker, and a member of the First President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy
Angela Totman, CPFFE
Angela Totman is Vice President and COO at Pay Your Family First She is a Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator with over 10 years of experience developing financial literacy resources and programs
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