Money Smart for Young Adults
Twelve lessons on money, adapted from the FDIC Money Smart program. Opening a bank account, making a plan for your paycheck, building credit on purpose, borrowing without getting buried, buying a car, paying for school, and the real cost of a first apartment.
- 12 video lessons
- 97 minutes total
- 12 quizzes
- 50 page workbook
- Certificate at 80 percent
This class opens soon.
All twelve lessons are finished and we are putting them online now. Put your name down and we will set up your account the day it opens.
A staff member answers within two business days.
What you walk away with
This is the longest class we offer, and the one that changes the most day to day.
- A bank account you understand, including which fees to avoid
- A spending and saving plan built on your real paycheck
- A credit history you are building on purpose instead of by accident
- The ability to read a loan and know what it truly costs
- A plan for a car and for school that does not sink you
- A certificate with your name on it, signed by our executive director
The twelve lessons
Each one is a short video followed by a quiz. You need 80 percent on every quiz to earn the certificate.
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Bank On It
Checking and savings accounts, what banks charge for, and how to pick one that does not eat your money.
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Setting goals and making financial decisions
Turning “I want money” into a goal with a number on it and a date.
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Making the most of your income
Reading a paycheck, understanding what comes out of it, and finding money you already have.
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Your spending and saving plan
Building a budget you will actually follow, and what to do the month it breaks.
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Saving for your goals and your future
Emergency money first. Then everything else.
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Building your credit history
What a credit score is, what moves it, and how to start when you have nothing.
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Borrowing basics
Interest, terms, and what a loan really costs over its whole life.
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Charge it right
Credit cards, minimum payments, and the math that keeps people stuck for years.
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Protecting your money and your identity
Scams, fraud, and exactly what to do the day your information is stolen.
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Buying a car
Price, financing, insurance, and the costs nobody quotes you up front.
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Paying for education and training
Financial aid, grants, and the tuition help available to former foster youth.
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Living on your own
Rent, deposits, utilities, and what a first apartment actually costs.
What comes with it
- The videosTwelve lessons, about 97 minutes in total.
- The workbookA 50 page fill in workbook covering all twelve modules, as a PDF and an editable Word file.
- The quizzesSixty questions across twelve quizzes. You can retake them.
- The certificateIssued at 80 percent or better, emailed as a PDF.
Adapted by Angels Nest from FDIC Money Smart for Young Adults, which is in the public domain. Angels Nest is not affiliated with the FDIC, and this course is not endorsed by the FDIC.
Who this is for
Young people in and aging out of foster care who are about to handle their own money for the first time, and the staff and partners who help them do it.
You do not need to be good at math. Nothing in this class assumes you already know what an APR is.
Want it the day it opens?
Put your name down and we will email you as soon as the class goes live and set your account up then.
Last updated September 9, 2026