4-Week Independent Living Banking Bootcamp

A free printable lesson plan for ILP coordinators, transition specialists, caseworkers, foster parents, and youth working independently.

Last updated June 2026 · For use with the CustomBank banking simulator (free, iOS & Android)

Aligned to

Casey Life Skills Assessment — Financial Skills domain · Chafee Foster Care Independence Program — Financial Literacy competency · Suitable for ETV grantees documenting financial-skills hours.

Each week is one 45–60 minute session. Sessions can be run with a cohort, a one-on-one with a foster parent, or independently by a youth working through the plan on their own. All scenarios are run inside the free CustomBank app on the youth's phone. No real money, no SSN, no risk.

Week 1 — Your first account

Time: 45–60 min · Audience: youth + facilitator · Materials: CustomBank installed on each youth's device, this lesson plan

Learning objectives

  1. Youth can explain the difference between a checking account and a savings account in one sentence each.
  2. Youth can name two reasons a credit union may be a better fit than a big bank for someone aging out of care.
  3. Youth can locate the routing number, account number, and current balance on a CustomBank statement.

Session walkthrough

  1. Open and orient (10 min) — Each youth opens CustomBank, picks a bank theme, and sets a starting balance of $500. Walk around the dashboard together. Identify: account balance, transaction history, transfer button, statement.
  2. Checking vs. savings (15 min) — Youth transfer $100 from checking to savings inside CustomBank. Discuss: why split? What is the purpose of a savings buffer? When does it make sense to keep more in checking?
  3. Find the routing & account number (10 min) — In CustomBank's account-details screen, locate the routing number and account number. Discuss: what is each for? When will a real employer or landlord ask for them?
  4. Why credit unions? (10 min) — Short discussion. Credit unions often waive minimums for transition-age youth, charge fewer fees, and offer small-dollar loans as alternatives to payday lenders. Where is the nearest credit union to the program?
  5. Exit ticket (5 min) — Youth writes one sentence: "If I had to open a real account tomorrow, the first question I'd ask the bank is ____."

CustomBank scenario to run: Open the app, pick a starting balance of $500 in checking, move $100 to savings, then open the statement view and find the routing number.

Discussion prompt: Has anyone in the cohort ever had a real bank account before? What's been hard about getting one? (Common barriers: ID requirements, minimum balance, ChexSystems history.)

Week 2 — Money in

Time: 45–60 min · Audience: youth + facilitator · Materials: a sample paystub (printed or projected), CustomBank, this lesson plan

Learning objectives

  1. Youth can read a paystub and identify gross pay, taxes withheld, and net pay.
  2. Youth can explain what direct deposit is and why most employers prefer it.
  3. Youth can use CustomBank's mobile-deposit feature to simulate depositing a check.

Session walkthrough

  1. Read a real paystub (15 min) — Project or hand out a sample paystub. Identify gross pay, federal tax, state tax, FICA, net pay. Calculate: if gross was $480 and net was $398, what percentage was withheld?
  2. Simulate direct deposit (15 min) — In CustomBank, deposit a $398 "paycheck" into checking. Discuss: what would the youth do differently if it came as a $398 paper check instead — where would they cash it, what would the fee be, how long would it take to clear?
  3. Mobile check deposit (15 min) — Walk through CustomBank's mobile-deposit flow. Discuss: when youth get their first real check, how would they deposit it via the bank's app? What's a typical hold period (1–2 business days)?
  4. The 20% rule (10 min) — Move 20% of the simulated paycheck to savings. Discuss: what's a realistic savings rate for someone paying their own rent? (Often 5–10% to start, building up.)
  5. Exit ticket (5 min) — Youth writes: "Out of my next $400 paycheck, I'd put $___ in savings because ____."

CustomBank scenario to run: Deposit a $398 paycheck. Move 20% to savings. Check both account balances.

Discussion prompt: If you got a $4,200 financial-aid disbursement on the 15th of a month, how would you split it across the next four months? Try it inside CustomBank as a group.

Week 3 — Money out

Time: 45–60 min · Audience: youth + facilitator · Materials: a sample lease (printed or projected), CustomBank, this lesson plan

Learning objectives

  1. Youth can pay a simulated rent, utility, and phone bill through CustomBank's bill-pay flow.
  2. Youth can explain what an overdraft is, how much it typically costs ($35 per item), and how to opt out of overdraft "protection."
  3. Youth can list three habits that prevent overdraft fees: a buffer, balance alerts, and opting out of overdraft coverage.

Session walkthrough

  1. Rent and security deposit (15 min) — In CustomBank, pay $850 rent and an $850 security deposit. Watch the account drop. Discuss the difference between rent (gone) and security deposit (refundable if you leave the place clean).
  2. Monthly bills (15 min) — Pay utilities ($85), phone ($60), and internet ($55) through CustomBank's bill-pay flow. Discuss: which of these is non-negotiable, which is flexible? What happens if a bill is late?
  3. Overdraft simulation (15 min) — Attempt to spend more than the remaining balance. Observe what happens. Discuss: in a real account, this would trigger a $35 fee. Three overdrafts in a day = $105 gone. How do youth opt out of overdraft coverage at a real bank? (Call or ask in person — federal rule lets you opt out of debit-card overdraft.)
  4. Debit card safety (10 min) — Cover: never give a PIN, what to do if a card is lost or stolen (call the number on the back of the card immediately), why public Wi-Fi is risky for mobile banking.
  5. Exit ticket (5 min) — Youth writes: "If I overdraft once on rent day, my next move is ____."

CustomBank scenario to run: Pay $850 rent + $850 security deposit + $200 in bills. Then attempt to buy a $40 dinner. Note the balance and discuss.

Discussion prompt: Has anyone in the cohort been hit with a real overdraft fee? What happened next? (Many youth don't realize they can call and ask for a one-time fee reversal — sometimes it works.)

Week 4 — Staying safe

Time: 45–60 min · Audience: youth + facilitator · Materials: a printed sample payday-loan ad (or screenshot), CustomBank, this lesson plan

Learning objectives

  1. Youth can calculate the implied APR of a payday loan and explain why 400% is a typical number.
  2. Youth can name two safer alternatives to a payday loan (credit-union small-dollar loan, employer paycheck advance).
  3. Youth can explain the first three steps to take if a debit card is lost or stolen.
  4. Youth can identify two red flags in a common bank-phishing text or email.

Session walkthrough

  1. The payday-loan math (15 min) — Worked example: borrow $500 today, repay $625 in 14 days. Calculate the implied APR (over 400%). Show what that looks like if rolled over month after month.
  2. Safer alternatives (10 min) — Credit-union small-dollar loans (often $500 at 18% APR or less). Employer paycheck advance apps. Asking a caseworker about emergency funds. Why are these safer? (Lower APR, no debt spiral, no impact on banking eligibility.)
  3. Phishing texts and emails (15 min) — Show 2–3 example bank-phishing texts. Red flags: urgency, a link that isn't the bank's real domain, asking for the PIN. Real banks never text or email asking for a PIN or a one-time code.
  4. Lost or stolen card (10 min) — Walk the steps: 1) Call the number on the back of the card (or the bank's app) and freeze the card. 2) Check transactions for anything you didn't make. 3) Report fraud and order a new card. Practice the conversation in pairs.
  5. Final reflection (10 min) — Youth writes one paragraph: "The most useful thing I learned across these four weeks was ____, and the thing I want to practice more in CustomBank before my real first account is ____."

CustomBank scenario to run: Open the app one more time and run the scenario each youth chose in their final reflection. Coordinator circulates to answer questions.

Discussion prompt: What's one thing about banking that still feels confusing? (Caseworker collects these for one-on-one follow-up.)

For the coordinator or caseworker: This bootcamp is intentionally short — four 45–60 minute sessions — because youth attention and program calendars are both limited. The CustomBank app is built to be re-opened between sessions: encourage youth to re-run any scenario as many times as they want on their own. Nothing in the app is tracked or reported, so there's no pressure on performance. The point is repetition until the interface feels familiar.

Adapt freely. Print this lesson plan, photocopy it for your cohort, change scenarios to match local costs (rent prices vary), translate it (CustomBank itself supports 13 languages). Attribution to CustomBank is appreciated but not required. If your program builds on this and wants to share back, we'd love to hear from you at info@customapps.us.

Run this bootcamp with your cohort

Have the youth download CustomBank free — no SSN, no real money, no payment info. The whole bootcamp runs in the app.

Download for iOS Download for Android

Also Explore

For Foster Youth Programs Monthly Budget Worksheet Bank Statement Reading Worksheet Check Writing Practice Banking Glossary Online Banking Safety Tips