Part of the US State Curriculum Alignment series.
A three-book US financial-literacy workbook series by Michael McCracken: Book 1 — The Money Starter Pack (foundations; suggested Grades 6–9), Book 2 — The Grind (paychecks, taxes, credit, investing; Grades 9–12), Book 3 — Endgame (advanced planning; senior grades and adult). Print workbooks, 8.5×11, greyscale, with write-in activities throughout. Books 1 and 2 together cover the four personal finance strands almost completely; the Economics strand needs an economics supplement alongside them.
North Carolina requires a full credit of Economics and Personal Finance (course 4319) under Session Law 2019-82, for all students entering grade 9 from 2020–21, first affecting the graduating class of 2024. The standards were adopted in 2020 for fall 2021 implementation and are organised into five strands with coded clarifying objectives, which makes a chapter-level crosswalk straightforward.
How The Money Skill Tree maps to the North Carolina curriculum
| EPF standard | Coverage in The Money Skill Tree (US Edition) |
|---|---|
| ECONOMICS (E) Four standards on markets, stabilisation policy, the role of government and interdependence | |
| EPF.E.1 Economies, markets and economic decisions | Not covered. The series does not teach market structures, supply and demand or equilibrium pricing. B1 Ch 3 supplies scarcity and opportunity cost only. |
| EPF.E.2 Government, institutions and stabilisation policy | Partial. B1 Ch 8 (inflation, the target rate, the Fed) and B1 Ch 11 (the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the IRS, Social Security, the FDIC). The business cycle and fiscal policy are not developed. |
| EPF.E.3 The role of government in a market economy | Partial. B1 Ch 11 and B2 Ch 2 cover how taxes fund government goods and services; B3 Ch 5 covers contracts and business structure. Regulation of markets is not covered. |
| EPF.E.4 Economic interdependence between nations | Not covered. B2 Ch 10 touches international ETFs and currency risk; B1 Ch 2 covers currency exchange. Trade and interdependence are not taught. |
| INCOME AND EDUCATION (IE) Education, income, career and the purpose of taxes | |
| EPF.IE.1 Education, income, career and desired lifestyle | B2 Ch 12 (postsecondary costs, 529 plans, FAFSA, loan types, repayment, the net price calculator, community college and apprenticeship paths), B1 Ch 4 (income types and skills), B3 Ch 4 (career earnings and negotiation). |
| EPF.IE.2 Taxes and their impact on income | B2 Ch 1 (payroll deductions and disposable income), B2 Ch 2 (federal, FICA, state and local), B2 Ch 5 (preparing a Form 1040 and a state return), B3 Ch 3 (deductions, credits, capital gains). |
| MONEY AND CREDIT MANAGEMENT (MCM) Money management, financial institutions and informed financial decisions | |
| EPF.MCM.1 Money management skills and strategies | B1 Ch 9 (the 50/30/20 spending plan, tracking, emergency budget protocol), B1 Ch 3 (the Filter), B3 Ch 1 (renting vs. owning, the true cost of ownership), B3 Ch 2 (fixed vs. adjustable mortgages, terms, FHA and VA programs, points, escrow, PMI, refinancing). |
| EPF.MCM.2 Purposes and services of financial institutions | B1 Ch 5 (big banks, credit unions, online-only banks, FDIC coverage, account security), B1 Ch 6 (checking vs. savings, HYSA), B1 Ch 2 and B2 Ch 6 (cash, debit, payment apps and credit cards compared), B1 Ch 7 (how interest and fees compound). |
| EPF.MCM.3 Informed financial decisions, credit and risk | B1 Ch 10 (credit sources, debt types, predatory lending, payoff strategies), B2 Ch 6 (creditworthiness, reports and scores), B3 Ch 6 (insurance types). Estate planning under MCM.3.4 is a referral only. |
| FINANCIAL PLANNING (FP) Saving, investing and the planning process | |
| EPF.FP.1 Value and planning processes of saving and investing | B1 Ch 6–7 (accounts, compound interest, the Rule of 72), B2 Ch 3–4 (Roth IRA, 401(k), employer match, HSA, tax implications), B2 Ch 9–11 (stocks, index funds, the risk scale), B3 Ch 9 (the 25× rule and long-horizon planning). Philanthropy under FP.1.3 is covered in B3 Ch 7 and the B1 Ch 11 giving bonus. |
| CRITICAL CONSUMERISM (CC) Consumer decision making and consumer protection | |
| EPF.CC.1 Factors in consumer decision making | B1 Ch 3 (the marketing maze, wants disguised as needs, the checkout ambush), B1 Ch 2 (dynamic pricing, subscription traps), B3 Ch 8 (social media and comparison inflation). |
| EPF.CC.2 Rights and responsibilities under consumer protection law | B2 Ch 13 (fraudulent solicitation, the IRS, investment and romance scams, identity theft, phishing, the 24-hour response), B1 Ch 4 (spotting exploitative opportunities), B1 Ch 10 (predatory lending). Named consumer protection statutes are not cited. |
B1 = Book 1 (The Money Starter Pack) · B2 = Book 2 (The Grind) · B3 = Book 3 (Endgame) · “Ch” = chapter.
Instructional features
Every chapter closes with a hands-on Skill Quest and an Elite Quest (write-in worksheets), a Guild Chat discussion prompt, and a Summary Checklist, so each standard below has an assessable classroom activity attached to it, not only a reading.
Gaps to note
The Economics strand is the gap: EPF.E.1 and EPF.E.4 are not covered at all and E.2 and E.3 only partly, so the series maps to roughly the personal finance two-thirds of course 4319. Named consumer protection legislation (EPF.CC.2.1) and estate planning (EPF.MCM.3.4) are the two smaller additions worth making.
Curriculum source
Curriculum source: NC Standards for Economics and Personal Finance, adopted 2020, fall 2021 implementation — files.nc.gov/dpi/documents/files/economics-and-personal-finance-standards.pdf · unpacking document at dpi.nc.gov
Prepared August 2026 · moneyskilltree.com · Standards references should be verified against current state documents at time of adoption.
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