There are many reasons to keep your money in a bank or credit union. The October 2020 issue of Page One Economics®: Focus on Finance describes what banks, credit unions, and online banks are and outlines things to consider when choosing where to have an account and what type of account to have.

Students play a game to learn about common banking products and services and to consider which ones they might use now and in the future.

Payday and title lenders, pawn shops, check-cashing services and prepaid cards can be convenient and valuable financial services, similar to those offered by traditional providers of such services—banks and credit unions. What are the costs and benefits of using alternative financial services, as well as of going to a bank or credit union?

In small groups, students will research and obtain information to compare services offered and rates between banks and credit unions. To conclude, students will present their findings and state why one might choose one over the other.

In this lesson, students hear a story about two little bears whose parents use several figures of speech relating to money. Students draw a picture of a bank and write a caption explaining their illustration. Students follow along with the story by listening for additional figures of speech and how they relate to the concepts of banks and interest. The students also construct a story map of an event in the story relating to why people choose to keep their money in banks.

This course is an introduction to economics for non-majors and political economy, with an emphasis on the moral and ethical problems that markets solve, and fail to solve. Taught by Professor Michael Munger of Duke University, this course includes full length lectures, links to readings, and a sample final exam.

Cards, Cars and Currency is a curriculum unit that challenges students to become involved in three specific areas of personal finance: credit cards, debit cards and purchasing a car.

Cards, Cars and Currency is a set of personal finance programs that encourages participants to learn about three areas of personal finance: credit cards, debit cards and purchasing a car. Cards, Cars and Currency includes five individual programs that can be used together or individually to enhance personal finance learning.

Students listen to a story about P.B. who thinks money is missing from the peanut butter jar on his window ledge. In addition to basic concepts of saving and spending, students learn currency equivalency and some measurement concepts.

Young children are not likely to think past their piggy banks when it comes to safe places to set money aside for those special items. In this short e-book from our Ella's Adventures series, they'll learn that a bank account offers security and a return on savings.

Young children are not likely to think past their piggy banks when it comes to safe places to set money aside for those special items. In this short course from our Ella's Adventures series, your students will learn that a bank account offers security and a return on their savings.

Rent-to-own and "buy here, pay here" make it easy to get what you want. But what are the real costs that you will pay for this convenience compared with what you’d pay using more-traditional financing, such as loans or credit cards? This video weighs the benefits and costs of your options.

This 12-minute video lesson looks at alternate bailout plans and considers their moral hazard. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 10 of 15]

This 11-minute video lesson looks at how the bank can liquidate assets to pay off debt that comes due. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 5 of 15]

This 12-minute video lesson looks at how the bank gets bailed out by an equity infusion from a sovereign wealth fund. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 6 of 15]

This 10-mintue video lesson looks at what happens when there is no equity infusion and the bank goes in to bankruptcy. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 7 of 15]

This 12-minute video lesson looks at how the banks are connected and what happens when one bank fails. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 8 of 15]

In this 11-minute video lesson Kahn considers what Paulson wants to do and explains why he does not like it. [Financial Bailout playlist: Lesson 9 of 15]

Opening a bank account is a great first step toward managing your finances. Banks are a convenient and safe way to store excess cash and grow your money. When you open up an account at a bank, you can easily deposit and withdraw cash, or set up direct deposits to receive a paycheck. In some bank accounts, the bank pays you an interest rate, allowing you to grow your cash over time.

Prepaid cards were invented to solve a problem: replacing coin usage in pay telephones. Since then, prepaid cards have evolved into a huge competitive market for general-purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid cards. Read more about GPR prepaid cards in the May 2015 inaugural edition of Page One Economics Focus on Finance.