Financial Literacy Curriculum Map
Free standards-aligned resources mapped to national financial literacy education standards. Use this map to find CustomBank tools and content for your grade level and topic.
How to Use This Map
This map is designed to help teachers, homeschool parents, and curriculum planners quickly find free, standards-aligned resources for their financial literacy units. Each grade band shows resources appropriate for that developmental level.
- Select a grade band (K-5, 6-8, or 9-12) using the tabs below.
- Find your standard by scanning the six CEE category rows.
- Click any resource pill to go directly to that glossary entry, calculator, blog post, or worksheet.
All resources are free, require no sign-up, and can be used alongside the CustomBank app for hands-on practice.
Elementary-level resources focus on foundational concepts: what money is, how bank accounts work, and the basics of earning, spending, and saving.
People earn income by working. Income is money received from jobs, allowances, or gifts.
People buy goods and services to satisfy wants and needs. A budget helps plan spending decisions.
People save money for future purchases and emergencies. Banks provide a safe place to save.
Money can grow over time when saved or invested. Interest is money earned on savings.
People can borrow money but must pay it back. Borrowing has a cost called interest.
People face financial risks. Banks help protect money, and safe habits protect accounts.
Middle school resources build on foundational knowledge with calculators, fee concepts, and compound interest. Students begin applying budgeting and savings concepts to real-world scenarios.
Income comes from various sources. Understanding pay stubs, deductions, and net vs. gross income is essential.
Responsible spending requires tracking expenses and budgeting income across categories. Debit cards are a common spending tool.
Setting savings goals, understanding interest, and comparing account types help students build long-term habits.
Compound interest shows how money grows over time. Understanding interest rates helps students compare financial products.
Credit has benefits and costs. Students learn about borrowing, fees, and why a credit score matters.
Financial risks include overdraft fees, NSF charges, and fraud. Understanding protections and safe practices reduces risk.
High school resources cover the full spectrum of personal finance. Students explore credit, APR vs. APY, investing principles, and comprehensive budgeting before entering adulthood.
Understanding compensation, deductions, direct deposit, and how to read financial documents prepares students for the workforce.
Comprehensive budgeting, expense tracking, and informed spending decisions are critical skills for independent living.
Students learn to set savings goals, compare APYs, understand compound interest, and build emergency funds for financial resilience.
Understanding how money grows through simple and compound interest, comparing APY, and evaluating returns prepares students for long-term wealth building.
Students explore APR, credit scores, the true cost of borrowing, and the difference between APR and APY to make informed credit decisions.
Comprehensive risk management includes understanding FDIC insurance, overdraft and NSF fees, account security, and the ability to read and verify bank statements.
Standards Reference
The resources on this page are organized around the Council for Economic Education (CEE) National Standards for Financial Literacy, the most widely adopted framework for K-12 financial education in the United States. These six standards define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
- Standard 1 – Earning Income: Income is the primary source of personal wealth, earned through wages, salaries, and other compensation.
- Standard 2 – Spending: People cannot buy or make all the goods and services they want; as a result, they choose to buy some and not others.
- Standard 3 – Saving: Saving is setting aside income for future use, and savings decisions affect financial well-being.
- Standard 4 – Investing: People can earn income and increase wealth by putting savings in financial assets.
- Standard 5 – Managing Credit: Credit allows people to purchase goods and services with borrowed money, which they agree to repay with interest.
- Standard 6 – Managing Risk: People face a variety of financial risks, and insurance and other strategies can mitigate those risks.
This curriculum map also aligns with the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy national standards, which share similar categories and learning outcomes. Both frameworks are recognized by state departments of education and are used to inform financial literacy mandates across the country.
For more information, visit the CEE National Standards or the Jump$tart Coalition Standards.
Bring These Lessons to Life
CustomBank lets students practice every one of these financial concepts in a realistic banking simulator. No real money, no risk, real learning.