Nice interactive 12 question survey (Part 1 shown above) from CFPB to engage your students to think about what constitutes financial well-being. Here is the survey and the scoring worksheet and user’s guide (page 14 helps to interpret the results).

Here are a few reflection questions for your students:

• Were there any questions you felt that didn’t apply to you? Which ones?
• Are there questions that you think would more accurately capture the financial well-being of high school students? Develop at least two.  [You can take the best questions compiled by students and create your own survey too! Please send me a copy at tim@nextgenpersonalfinance.org and I will be happy to share]
• Why do you think the scoring scales for self-administered tests vs. a test administered by someone else has such different results?
• How did your final score (from scoring worksheet) compare with what you thought your financial well-being was?
• When looking at the results of your survey, what do you feel are your biggest opportunities for improvement?
• What steps can you take to improve your financial well-being?

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.