“Personal Finance is Personal”
Highlights from Our Conversation with Personal Finance Course Developer Lindsay Vanoli
We recently sat down with Oak Meadow high school math teacher and curriculum developer Lindsay Vanoli to talk about the personal finance course she created for students in grades 7–12. The course has already received great feedback, and we’re excited to share it with more families and schools.
Below are a few highlights from the conversation. You can watch the full interview here.
Why Create a Personal Finance Course?
“I started in 2020 really going down my own path of personal finance education… I was really inspired to bring a course like this to Oak Meadow students so they could also have this education… Having a structured format to receive that education and put it into practice can really help students feel more prepared entering into adulthood and avoid some of the missteps that I made in my early 20s and 30s.”
What the Personal Finance Course Covers
“This course is meant to give a very comprehensive overview of all financial topics… The course starts with learning about the psychology of money and why people make decisions they do around spending and saving.”
“We learn about banking… credit, credit cards, credit scores, loan fundamentals, how to buy a car, a little bit on how to buy houses.”
“Then of course investing—what is the stock market, stocks, bonds, funds, how to plan for retirement. Insurance—health, auto, and home insurance.”
“College and life after high school, alternatives to college, career planning, how to pay taxes, how to budget… really giving a comprehensive approach to a financially healthy life.”
Real-World Learning and Student Choice
“There are a lot of opportunities for students to investigate these topics within the context of their own real life… For example, when we learn about dark patterns in advertising, they are asked to find examples from their own online experiences.”
“Every lesson has options… when they’re learning about banking, they can do an online simulation, design their own savings plan, or explore underbanked populations. The hope is that everyone can find something that’s meaningful and applicable to them.”
Who It’s For
“It was designed with the intention of being accessible for grades 7 through 12… The readings are student-friendly, age-appropriate, and engaging for teens.”
“It’s open to everyone, but I think students who are really ready to start thinking about personal finance are going to get the most out of it. Whether that’s a student who has a part-time job, is thinking ahead to college, or just wants to learn how to manage their money.”
No Agenda, Just Information
“Personal finance is personal and it’s different for everyone… Nothing in this course is meant to be financial advice. It’s information so students can take it and make decisions for themselves.”
“I don’t take any particular stance. I tried to be very objective… there’s always choice. If one activity doesn’t resonate, hopefully there are two or three others that do.”
Student Impact
“One student built an emergency savings fund, almost met his goal, wrote a beautiful cover letter and resume… Seeing the impact the course had on him filled me with a lot of hope.”
Why Now?
“This is education you will use every day for the rest of your life, and there aren’t many other high school courses you can say that about.”
“There’s evidence that personal finance education contributes to racial and economic equality… When it’s introduced into a state, credit scores go up, delinquency rates fall, people make better decisions around student loans and credit cards.”
🎧 Watch to the Full Interview
Want to hear the whole conversation?
Lindsay shares more about the course design, how it’s already helping students, and why this kind of learning is so critical for today’s teens.
