Investing, Taxes, and Risk Management

This unit develops students’ ability to manage taxes, investments, insurance, and consumer protections to strengthen personal financial security. Students will learn to reduce spending and tax liabilities, evaluate and allocate investments (including retirement accounts and funds), build and fortify emergency reserves, and identify/resolve insurance and consumer protection issues while using digital tools safely.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal spending patterns and employment tax scenarios to recommend actionable strategies that reduce expenses, increase take-home pay, and boost emergency savings
• Evaluate primary investment vehicles, mutual/ETF/fund types, and retirement account allocation options—including tax consequences—and select appropriate fund mixes and transfer strategies to meet specified financial goals
• Demonstrate how to assess insurance needs (disability, auto, home), compare policies, calculate coverage gaps, and resolve common insurance problems while implementing plans to build and fortify emergency reserves
• Apply consumer protection and digital-safety practices by identifying unreliable financial information and common scams, using financial technology responsibly, navigating financial aid and mortgage basics, and determining when to seek professional financial or credit counseling