Help high school students understand credit and debt through realistic financial decisions, calculations, case studies, spreadsheet modeling, and hands-on activities. Unit 3: Credit & Debt focuses on credit cards, credit reports, loans, student debt, interest, and debt payoff strategies.

Please note: This listing includes the Unit 3 student book only. The accompanying teacher resources support the complete six-unit, 36-week Grades 9–12 Personal Finance curriculum.

The 100-page student book covers Weeks 13–18. Each week follows a consistent structure with reading, comprehension, vocabulary, 10 financial math problems, data analysis, case studies, hands-on activities, spreadsheet modeling, argument writing, review, and extension work.

Students begin by analyzing credit card agreements, including purchase APRs, cash advance APRs, penalty rates, annual fees, grace periods, rewards, and balance transfers. They compare real agreements, calculate rewards break-even points, and model the cost of carrying a balance.

The credit-report lesson examines how credit information can affect renting, insurance, utilities, employment screening, and borrowing. Students identify errors, draft dispute letters, organize documentation, and explore credit freezes, fraud alerts, and adverse action notices.

Students then investigate loan underwriting, secured and unsecured borrowing, debt-to-income and loan-to-value ratios, origination fees, prequalification, and risk-based pricing. A hands-on underwriting simulation requires students to evaluate borrowers and model how financial improvements can affect borrowing costs.

The student-loan lesson compares federal and private loans, subsidized and unsubsidized borrowing, capitalization, grace periods, income-driven repayment, deferment, and forbearance. Students compare repayment approaches using both monthly payments and total cost.

Students also explore simple and compound interest, daily periodic interest, average daily balance, APR, APY, nominal rates, and effective rates. The unit culminates in a Debt Payoff Plan, where students build a debt inventory, compare debt avalanche and snowball methods, evaluate consolidation and debt-management options, and defend a sustainable strategy.

Key activities include Credit Card Agreement Investigation, Dispute Simulation, Loan Underwriting Simulation, Student Loan Analysis, Interest Modeling, and Debt Payoff Planning.

Teacher resources include a 167-page Teacher Guide, complete answer key, assessment rubrics, six unit tests, vocabulary cards, 72 exit tickets, parent letters, progress monitoring forms, games and simulations, posters, certificates, and editable lesson plans.

Students develop credit literacy, financial math, consumer awareness, spreadsheet skills, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making, aligned with CEE, Jump$tart, and applicable Common Core standards.