A Critically Compassionate Approachto Financial Literacy offers a unique approach to conceptualizing financial literacy. Differentiating between notions of financial worth and personal self-worth, the authors present a description of financial literacy tenets founded in principles of self-awareness and cooperative community that are rooted in principles of compassion. Basing their work on principles of psychological and archeological research that associates personal wellness with self-security based on principles of trust, the authors posit that personal fulfillment occurs independently of accumulated financial resources. Featuring standards for Grades 4 and 8, offering stimulating questions for discussion, and ideas for classroom activities, ACritically Compassionate Approach to Financial Literacy represents an engaging classroom resource for elementary and middle level social studies methods courses as well as those that concern topics that relate to culturally responsive teaching and social justice. Regardless of your financial background and awareness, this text will challenge your thinking about the meaning of being financially literate and the consequences for society.

Introduction; The Nature of Financial Literacy; Introduction; Discussion Point; Conceptions of Worth; Questions for Reflection; The Reasons for Our Feelings; The Nature of Our Emotions; Activity; Emotions and Worth; The Big Picture; Income; Introduction; Income; Methods of Earning Money; Jobs and Careers; Activity; Employment and Choices; Careers; Developing Employment Skills; Money for Business; Compensation; Employee Benefits; Interest Income, Dividends, and Capital Gains; Rental Income; A Compassionate Approach to Rental Income; Taxes; Government Income Support; Planning and Money Management; Money Management and Financial Worth; Opportunity Cost; Budgets, Spending Plans, Needs, and Wants; Income and Expenses; Forms of Payment; The Big Picture; Spending Choices; Planned and Unplanned Spending; Risk Management and Insurance; Premises of Conventional Approaches; Discussion Point; Threats to Financial Worth; Money Management Revisited; Risk; Protecting from Loss; Dealing with Risk; Convenience, Risk, and Insurance; Adjusting Policy Terms; Reducing the Risk; Self-Insurance; Online Activity; Regulation; Credit and Debt; Credit as a Tool; Credit and Debt Processes; Types of Credit; Consumer Loans; Discussion Point; Purchase Consumer Loans and Installment Loans; Long Term Loans; Education Loans; Mortgages; Credit Sources; Saving and Investing; Another View; Matters of Control; Saving and Inflation; Investing; Compounding; Living on the Margins; Case Study 1; Activitiy, Case Study 1; Case Study 2; Activities, Case Study 2; Case Study 3; Activities, Case Study 3; Case Study 4; Activity, Case Study 4; Conclusion.