Classroom Resources

Practical Money Skills: Internet-Based Curriculum - Visa provides a free online K-12 Practical Money Skills curriculum to more than 2.5 million educators and 37 million students nationwide. From making a budget and sticking to it, to buying your first home, Practical Money Skills helps ensure today's youth are fiscally fit. Visa has also provided computer labs and educator professional development to 36 schools and/or districts across the U.S. The curriculum can be found in English or Spanish at: www.practicalmoneyskills.com and is also available in a CD-ROM and a printed version that can be ordered via the website or toll-free at 1-800-VISA-511.

What's Up with Money in Your Life - Visa recognizes that the college bound freshman, who will be managing money for the first time away from home, could use a little help learning the financial ropes. Visa has created a turn-key educator's kit for freshman orientation directors at colleges to develop and incorporate a personal finance quick study in freshman orientation. The kit was distributed annually since 1998 and sent to every campus in the U.S. Educators and college administrators can order copies from www.practicalmoneyskills.com or by calling 1-800-VISA-511.

LifeSmarts - Visa is a proud sponsor of LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League. Practical Money Skills is the official teaching curriculum for educators participating in LifeSmarts. LifeSmarts is a state and national competition for teens that helps them develop their consumer and marketplace knowledge in a fun game format. www.lifesmarts.org.

Parent Resources

Parent Resource Center on www.PracticalMoneySkills.com - In a fast-paced financial world, parents could use a little help teaching their children to be financially savvy. To support the unique needs of parents, Visa has joined forces with Jayne Pearl, author of Kids and Money: Giving them the Savvy to Succeed Financially, to offer easy to implement parenting strategies for raising a fiscally fit generation. Parents with children of any age will find useful tips for teaching how to make budget and stick to it, how to avoid spending pitfalls and important lessons about saving and investing. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Practical Money Skills CD-ROM - For families with computer access, Visa has developed a CD-ROM that teaches important financial lessons through interactive games and quizzes. Most appropriate for young adults (16-22), Practical Money Skills the CD-ROM can be played by individuals or a small group. One component of the CD-ROM called Money Management Intelligence will lead your child through a real life simulation of a character's financial choices, putting your child in the driver's seat to make the money decisions that will affect the character's financial well-being. Make good choices and the character will reach financial success, make bad decisions and your character could be headed for bankruptcy. The CD-ROM is available free of charge by calling 1-800-VISA-511 or by visiting www.practicalmoneyskills.com.

Individual Resources

Knowledge Pay$ - A consumer magazine that will help consumers understand today's payment products and learn important money management strategies related to budgeting and saving as well as tips for shopping on the Internet and protecting against fraud. Knowledge Pay$, which is also available in Spanish, is available free at www.practicalmoneyskills.com or by calling 1-800-VISA-511.

Managing Your Debts - A consumer friendly brochure that will help consumers facing potential financial difficulty to regain their fiscal fitness. Produced in conjunction with Consumers Federation of America, Managing Your Debts highlights the warning signs for financial difficulties by presenting real-life scenarios and solutions. Managing Your Debts by calling 1-800-VISA-511.

Creditpage.com - Want to better understand credit basics? Visa is a sponsor of Creditpage.com, the place to learn how to manage and protect your credit. Log on to test your financial situation, to order and better understand your credit report and to find out more about credit counseling agencies that can help individuals regain financial vitality.