Chapter 1: You and Your Money

When learning a new subject, students often ask:

“Why do I need to know this?”

“How does this information relate to anything in my life?”

You will never question the relevance of this course. Money and your ability to manage money impacts your everyday lives, and will become even more important as you get older. Financial literacy means understanding how money works, how money is earned and managed, and wealth built. Building a secure financial future includes understanding the differences between income and wealth and why wealth is the key to financial security.

This chapter is within our unit theme of:

Earning an Income

Chapter Topics

  • Defining financial literacy
  • Introduction to course themes
  • Income vs. wealth
  • Wealthbuilding as a second job
  • Wealth and financial security
  • Income and class division in America
  • (opt.) Gender pay inequality debate

Chapter Text

View Fullscreen

Chapter Review Podcast

Listen to this Chapter’s review podcast episode:

Activity Binder

Click here to view and download the Chapter 1 Activity Binder

What Does That Mean? e-flashcards

Chapter One has 18 personal finance and money management vocabulary terms.

Blue collar worker
An occupational classification of workers who perform physical labor jobs such as plumbing and construction.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
“BLS”; a division of the U.S. Department of Labor that collects and analyzes data on labor economics.
Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
An income level below which people and families are eligible for certain U.S. government assistance programs and benefits.
Financial literacy
The ability to understand how money works, how money is earned and managed, and wealth built.
Household income
The combined incomes of all people over the age of 15 sharing a particular household.
Income
Money received on a regular basis for providing a good or service, or earned through investments.
Low income
A measure of income ranging from $16,000 to $35,000, depending on number of household members.
Lower middle class
A socioeconomic term used to describe people who have some postsecondary education without advanced degrees and work in lower level, white collar professions; a subdivision of the middle class.
Middle class
A socioeconomic term used to describe people who earn an annual income of $35,000 to $200,000.
Money management
The process of earning, budgeting, saving, investing, spending, or otherwise managing personal finances.
Median income
The dollar amount that divides income distribution in the U.S. into two equal groups; half of the population having income above the median and half below.
Net worth
The total value of a person’s assets minus their debts; a measurement of an individual’s wealth.
Socioeconomics
The study of the relationship between economics and social behavior.
Social mobility
The ability to move up in socioeconomic class and increase your wealth for such things as home ownership, a car, an education, and other quality of life items.
Upper middle class
A socioeconomic term used to describe individuals who are well-educated, earn between $100,000 and $200,000 and work at high-level, white-collar positions; a subdivision of the middle class.
Wealth
Ownership of valuable assets including cash, real estate, investments, and material possessions.
Wealth building
Strategies and practices which increase net worth.
White collar worker
Occupational classification of workers who perform professional or managerial jobs, usually in an office setting.
View Chapter 2