NGPF Podcast

Award-winning Personal Finance teacher Gary Greenwood masterfully incorporates real-life financial skills like negotiating and reading the fine print into his classroom. In this podcast, Gary shares the secrets behind his classroom economy which he has honed over the years (Hint: Don't turn in an assignment late in Gary's class or it will cost you in classroom money!) Whether his students realize it or not, they’re building their financial management expertise for the future—and they don’t even need a textbook to do so! Hear the ways that Gary engages parents as well as what he reads to stay up-to-date on all things personal finance. Enjoy!

In 2013, Florida passed a state law which required embedding personal finance into the Economics course. That was about the same time that Palm Beach County School District received a grant to implement a K-12 strategy for financial education. They plucked Aaron Standish from the classroom to lead this important effort. Aaron shares his insights on the keys to a successful implementation, how he supports and develops district educators and the criteria he uses to evaluate curriculum. In addition, he shares the results of an evaluation of My Classroom Economy which took place in Palm Beach County schools. Enjoy!

We have seen some recent progress in states increasing access to financial education. In some cases, we see legislation at the state level (top-down) and in other situations, it is grassroots efforts at the school or district level (bottom-up). Tim talks to the Brookings Institution's Matt Kasman, who is out with a new research report that makes an important contribution to the existing literature on state-level efforts to improve financial education. Matt shares the results of his study as well as insights on the keys to successful implementation (he names states that get it right), including the importance of investing in teacher professional development. Enjoy!

Paul’s passion for educating others about investing stems from his encounters with people who believed they couldn’t do it themselves. As a successful financial advisor, Paul had an unorthodox strategy to grow his business. He wanted to educate his clients so well that they would no longer need his services (and put him out of business). Needless to say, word of mouth spread about this incredible educator/financial advisor which ultimately led to a successful sale of his advisory business. This allowed him to focus on his passion to serve others. In addition to being a popular adjunct professor at Western Washington University, Paul has established a financial education center there with a goal of developing financial skills in all students. Still going strong at 75, you will be inspired by Paul's commitment to help the next generation through financial education. 

Since graduating from the school of hard knocks, Whitney Hanson turned her hobby into her full-time “jobby.” After paying off $33,000 in student debt in just one year, she sought to help others achieve their financial goals by relearning how to be fiscally responsible by living within their means. Whitney will take you through her entrepreneurial journey and provide insights on how she is able to coach her clients to change their financial behaviors for the better. Listen to her inspiring client successes and ideas that you can use to hack your financial life. Enjoy!

In Financial Diaries, Rachel Schneider digs under the surface and really gets into the nitty-gritty of American's financial lives including their hopes, dreams and struggles. Her poignant stories, including one about a family whose Sunday night meetings help them figure out what bills they can pay that week, will give you a deeper appreciation of what financial insecurity feels like. Financial Diaries laid bare the fact that a high percentage of Americans have challenges predicting their monthly income given the wide variances they experience month to month. This has real implications for how we teach budgeting to our students. Now at the Aspen Institute of Financial Security, Rachel continues to make a difference by developing ideas for financial products to serve vulnerable populations. Enjoy!

Nick Maggiuli of Ritholtz Capital Management writes a blog, Of Dollars and Data, which combines his love of markets with his gift for writing about finance in interesting ways. He makes difficult financial concepts more approachable to the masses using anecdotes and analogies that even finance newbies can understand. Yet, his blog also draws in finance experts who find value in his thought-provoking analysis. I’ve cited quite a few of his articles in the NGPF blog, and I always look forward to his weekly missives to provide me with a new perspective or insight on the markets. Find out what hooked Nick on investing, his creative approach, what he reads to stay current and how he would teach high school students about money. Enjoy!

Brain Arts Production is the brainchild—pun intended—of Gwen Tulin and Victoria Golden, who have a passion for using the dramatic arts to educate young people about money. This Chicago-based nonprofit has a mission to help students build financial literacy skills through the creative method of learning by doing. The organization teaches students money skills through projects such as pitching a business in a Shark Tank scenarios or staying on budget while producing a short film. Gwen and Victoria also share how teachers can infuse drama into their personal finance course. Hear where their passion for financial education stems from as well as where they envision Brain Arts going next. Enjoy!

Read a Morgan Housel blog post and you'll get an engaging yarn, an analogy that simplifies a complex financial topic, and perhaps even a history lesson or in-depth look at the behavioral tics that make us human. Having graduated just prior to the Great Recession, Morgan cut his teeth at the Motley Fool prior to his recent gig as a partner at the Collaborative Fund, a venture capital firm. He’s written over 3,000 articles in the past decade, and he’s amassed quite the millennial following which only grew after his post, “An Open Letter to Everyone Under Age 30.” In this golden age of financial blogging where there are so many choices, Morgan's weekly post is always a must-read. Listen to this podcast and hear about a day in the life of Morgan Housel, his early money lessons, and his barbell approach to investing. Enjoy!

Many credit unions across the country work hard to improve the financial capability of the communities they work in. Today you will hear about a credit union employee making a difference in Wisconsin.  As the Community Relations Coordinator at Unison Credit Union, Cindi Witt has been instrumental in equipping community members with the essential financial skills they need to thrive. She offers some pointers to teachers on what it takes to launch a successful financial capability program, and shares some keen insights on how teachers can partner most effectively with outside speakers. Hear how her early money lessons from the school of hard knocks shaped her passion for financial education. Enjoy!