Personal Finance for Teens

Hi Learners and Parents! 

In this financial literacy course, your learner will dive into dozens of topics to prepare for a life of financial success and wise decision making. Mr. Patch Kulp teaches through REAL LIFE examples to encourage REAL LIFE application... Because, after all, personal finance class provides knowledge, skills, and ideas required for LIFE!

Each class will follow a similar structure, though the weekly content will be completely different.  We will begin with a short video and introduction to establish some knowledge and vocabulary related to our topic. Then, we will work together to investigate what the topics means in our life currently and through the future. Lastly, we will do an application activity, that will give the students an opportunity to explore the topic in the real world today. 

This class is designed by Mr. Patch Kulp - Former Classroom Teacher turned Entrepreneur and Investor in 2020. Patch saw a need for impactful, financial literacy education for teens to prepare for a life of financial success beyond the classroom. He has built this curriculum utilizing a variety of personal experiences (owner of a multi-million dollar business, minority owner of an 8 figure financial technology company, and father of 3 children who instills these values and lessons with his own family), financial education industry research and literature, and financial education standards. Ultimately, Patch wants your learner to feel confidently prepared to tackle life's greatest financial successes and hurdles across 5 key financial topics: Money Foundations, Earning, Investing, Borrowing, and Risk.

Schedule for Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 
8/26: Mortgage vs. Rent and the Housing Market
9/2: Loans: Student Loans, Home Loans, etc.
9/9: Considering Careers and Paying for Education Beyond High School
9/16: Stock Market
9/23: Compound Interest and Investing
9/30: Investing Strategies and Accounts Under the Age of 18
10/7: Steps to Open a Stock Brokerage Account
10/14: Investing in Stock Market Funds - Vocabulary 
10/21:  Investing in Stock Market - Strategies and Simulation
10/28: Investing - Strategies and Simulation
11/4: Investing - Strategies and Simulation
11/11: Cryptocurrency
11/18: Understanding Taxes
11/25: How to Read a Paycheck
12/2: Taxes as a W2 Employee, Independent Contractor, and Small Business Owner
12/9: Credit Score
12/16:  Inflation

12/23: Winter Break
12/30:  Winter Break

1/6: Designing A Budget
1/13: Spending and Saving Money
1/20: Debit vs. Credit Cards
1/27: How to Pick a Career
2/3: Home and Auto Insurance
2/10: Health Insurance
2/17: Life Insurance
2/24: Understanding the Bank
3/2: Consumer Economics
3/9: Investing in Real Estate vs. Stock Market
3/16: Investing in Real Estate vs. Stock Market
3/31: Investing in the 2020s - AI, Robo-Advisors, and Capital Gains
4/6: Why Stock Prices Change - Market Factors
4/13: Why Stock Prices Change - External Factors
4/20: Why Stock Prices Change - Activity
4/27: Why Stock Prices Change - Activity
5/4: Current Events: Asset Markets
5/11: Current Events: Global Economies and Trade
5/18: Current Events: Looking forward

Restart back at Week 1 for any students who joined along the way. 

Since this is ongoing, student can join at any week and jump into the conversation. 

Schedule for Fall 2025 - Spring 2026

Unit 1: Money Foundations

8/18/2025 – Designing A Budget
8/25/2025 – Spending and Saving Money
9/1/2025 – Debit vs. Credit Cards
9/8/2025 – Understanding the Bank
9/15/2025 – Consumer Economics

Unit 2: Money Master – Earning

9/22/2025 – Considering Careers and Paying for Education Beyond High School
9/29/2025 – How to Pick a Career
10/6/2025 – Understanding Taxes
10/13/2025 – How to Read a Paycheck
10/20/2025 – Taxes as a W2 Employee
10/27/2025 – Taxes as an Independent Contractor and Small Business Owner
11/3/2025 – Filing Taxes
11/10/2025 – Inflation

Unit 3: Money Master – Investing

11/17/2025 – Intro to Stock Market – What it is and How it Works
11/24/2025 – Thanksgiving Break
12/1/2025 – Steps to Open a Stock Brokerage Account as a Teenager
12/8/2025 – Investing Strategies and Accounts Under the Age of 18
12/15/2025 – Investing in Stocks Level 1 – Retirement Accounts and Compound Interest
12/22/2025 – Winter Break
12/29/2025 – Winter Break
1/5/2026 – Investing in Stocks Level 2 – Index and Mutual Funds
1/12/2026 – Investing in Stocks Level 3 – Individual Stocks
1/19/2026 – Investing in Stocks Level 4 – Individual Stocks Industries and Strategies
1/26/2026 – Investing in Stocks Project – Simulated Portfolio Building
2/2/2026 – Investing in Other Assets – Cryptocurrency
2/9/2026 – Investing in Other Assets – Real Estate
2/16/2026 – Investing in the Future – AI, Robo-Advisors, and Capital Gains
2/23/2026 – Why Stock Prices Change – Market Factors
3/2/2026 – Why Stock Prices Change – External Factors
3/9/2026 – Why Stock Prices Change – Activity

Unit 4: Money Master – Borrowing

3/16/2026 – Building Loan Foundations – Good vs. Bad Debt
3/23/2026 – Home Loans
3/30/2026 – Mortgage vs. Rent and the Housing Market
4/6/2026 – Spring Break
4/13/2026 – Credit Score and Loans
4/20/2026 – Credit Cards and Debt
4/27/2026 – Loans: Auto Loans
5/4/2026 – Loans: Student Loans

Unit 5: Money Master – Risk

5/11/2026 – Home Insurance
5/18/2026 – Auto Insurance
5/25/2026 – Health Insurance
6/1/2026 – Life Insurance
6/8/2026 – Project-Based Insurance Lesson