US High School Economics class: Ten things to tick off your financial to-do list in 2025

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April is recognised as Financial Literacy Month in the US — a time to build awareness and strengthen money skills that can benefit you for life. In this activity, you will explore ten key financial lessons drawn from a recent Financial Times article that highlights money habits to adopt in 2025. While some of these topics, like retirement or marriage, may seem distant, developing an understanding now can give you a major advantage in managing your future finances.

Essential Question: How can developing personal finance habits during high school prepare you to make smarter, more confident financial decisions throughout adulthood?

Review the Financial Times article:

Ten things to tick off your financial to-do list in 2025.

• Track your spending: Why is regularly reviewing your spending habits a key financial skill for teens and adults? 

• Build a cash plan: Why is an emergency fund important even for someone without a full-time job? 

• Understand inheritance and retirement: How might a life insurance policy be used as a form of “inheritance tax insurance” to help heirs cover costs like estate or gift taxes?

• Explore job benefits: What types of workplace benefits beyond salary could be important when comparing jobs? 

• Know your tax bracket: How can earning just a little more money sometimes cause you to lose benefits or face a higher tax rate? Do you have an option to pay into an employer-provided retirement plan to reduce your taxable income?

• Protect your income: Why might disability insurance — or income protection — be more useful than life insurance for someone who is young and working? 

• What everyday accidents, illnesses, or unexpected events could make it hard for someone to earn a pay cheque, even if only for a few months?

• Understand the financial side of marriage: How can being married impact your financial responsibilities and benefits? What are some examples of tax-related reasons people might choose to marry?

• Saving for retirement should start ASAP. Don’t lose track of retirement accounts: According to the article’s author, why do retirement savings sometimes get “lost”? What tools or strategies can help you track down or manage your savings over time?

• Know when to ask for help: What are the signs that it’s time to get advice from a financial planner? 

• Invest with a strategy: Why is it risky to put all your investment money in just one industry or company? What are some safer ways to diversify your investments?

Joel Miller and James Redelsheimer, Foundation for Economic Education.
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