Answer: Graduating from college

Behind the Numbers (from Junior Achievement survey):

"Junior Achievement USA and AIG surveyed 1,000 teens to learn their perceptions about personal finance and financial decision-making. The survey found that while 75 percent of teens who responded listed their top financial goal as graduating from college, only half thought gaining financial independence from their parents was an important goal. And 43 percent worry they don't have the skills they need to manage their money."

Questions:

1. What is your top financial goal? Explain in detail.
2. What do you think your top financial goal will be in your mid-20s?
3. Goals are important but so are habits. List at least three habits that will help you achieve your financial goal.

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

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Here's an Activity idea to get students to develop a new habit/change a habit to help them accomplish their goals. 

About the Authors

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.