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. Book 2 is the closest single-volume match to the half-credit course; Book 1 supports the earning, spending and credit strands and Book 3 extends entrepreneurship, insurance and tax strategy.
Texas requires a half credit of Personal Financial Literacy and Economics, 19 TAC §113.76, adopted 2022. HB 27 (89th Legislature, 2025) makes the course mandatory in place of economics for students entering grade 9 in 2026–27, first affecting the graduating class of 2030. The table maps each of the ten knowledge-and-skills statements in subsection (d) to specific chapters.
How The Money Skill Tree maps to the Texas curriculum
| 19 TAC §113.76(d) knowledge and skills | Coverage in The Money Skill Tree (US Edition) |
|---|---|
| §113.76(d)(1) Fundamental concepts of economics | Partial. B1 Ch 1 (money as medium of exchange, store of value, unit of account), B1 Ch 3 (scarcity and the needs/wants filter), B1 Ch 7 (opportunity cost of waiting). Supply and demand graphing, the production possibilities curve and the circular flow model are not covered. |
| §113.76(d)(2) Macroeconomic issues and policies | B1 Ch 8 (inflation, the target rate, who controls it), B1 Ch 11 (the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the IRS, Social Security, the FDIC), B2 Ch 2 (progressive federal brackets, FICA, Medicare, state and local tax). |
| §113.76(d)(3) Investing in education and skills | B2 Ch 12 in full: 529 plans, Coverdell ESAs, FAFSA, the four federal loan types, interest and total cost, repayment plans, the net price calculator, community college transfer and apprenticeship paths. B1 Ch 4 on skills as earning capacity. |
| §113.76(d)(4) Earning and the factors that influence income | B2 Ch 1 (gross vs. net, the pay stub line by line, commission, tips, piecework and gig income, benefits as pay), B2 Ch 2 (the three deductions), B1 Ch 4 (self-generated income), B3 Ch 4 (total compensation and salary negotiation). |
| §113.76(d)(5) Entrepreneurship | B1 Ch 4 (low-overhead startups, setting an hourly rate, safety protocols, IRS awareness) and B3 Ch 5 (sole proprietorship, LLC, S-corp election, Schedule C, quarterly estimated tax, self-employed retirement accounts). The word “entrepreneur” is not used; the substance is. |
| §113.76(d)(6) Spending and personal spending goals | B1 Ch 3 (the Filter, the checkout ambush, cost-per-use, unit pricing), B1 Ch 9 (the 50/30/20 flight path, tracking, emergency budget protocol), B1 Ch 2 (payment forms, subscription traps, digital wallets), B3 Ch 1 (renting vs. owning). Charitable giving: B1 Ch 11 bonus and B3 Ch 7. |
| §113.76(d)(7) Credit and debt | B1 Ch 10 (consumer vs. strategic vs. predatory debt, BNPL, snowball vs. avalanche) and B2 Ch 6 (the three bureaus, FICO vs. VantageScore, the five factors, building credit from zero, the true cost of carrying a balance, pulling a free report, credit freezes). |
| §113.76(d)(8) Saving and investing | B1 Ch 6 and Ch 7 (accounts, simple vs. compound interest, the Rule of 72), B2 Ch 3 and Ch 4 (Roth IRA, 401(k), employer match, HSA, pre-tax vs. post-tax), B2 Ch 9–11 (stocks, ETFs and index funds, the risk scale, dollar-cost averaging). |
| §113.76(d)(9) Protecting and insuring | B2 Ch 13 (IRS, investment and romance scams, identity theft, phishing, 2FA, the 24-hour response) and B3 Ch 6 (health, auto, renters, homeowners, term vs. whole life, disability, umbrella). Estate planning is a referral only. |
| §113.76(d)(10) Personal financial literacy skills and planning | B1 Ch 9 (building the budget), B2 Ch 7–8 (emergency buffer, automation), B2 Ch 14 and B3 Ch 10 (the complete system, the 90-day action plan, when to engage a professional advisor). |
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 two economics statements, (d)(1) and (d)(2), are the weak point: the series has no supply-and-demand graphing, production possibilities curve or circular flow model, and does not compare economic systems. A Texas adoption should pair the books with an economics supplement for those, or position them as the personal finance half of the course. Vehicle leasing under (d)(6)(H) and bankruptcy under (d)(7) are also thin.
Verification note
The knowledge-and-skills statements sit in subsection (d) of §113.76, not (c). A successor rule, §113.26 Applied Personal Financial Literacy, closed public comment on 24 August 2026 and is expected to implement in 2027–28; this document maps the currently adopted §113.76.
Curriculum source
Curriculum source: 19 TAC Chapter 113, Subchapter C, §113.76 (adopted 2022) — tea.texas.gov/about-tea/laws-and-rules/texas-administrative-code/19-tac-chapter-113
Prepared August 2026 · moneyskilltree.com · Standards references should be verified against current state documents at time of adoption.
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