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 EPF.10 through EPF.18 almost completely; EPF.1 through EPF.9 are economics standards the series does not teach.
Virginia requires a full standard unit of credit in Economics and Personal Finance for both the Standard and Advanced Studies Diploma, under Va. Code §22.1-200.03. The requirement has applied since students entering grade 9 in 2011, first affecting the graduating class of 2015 — the oldest full-year mandate in the country. The current standards were adopted in 2019 and run EPF.1 to EPF.18, with the first nine covering economics and the last nine personal finance.
How The Money Skill Tree maps to the Virginia curriculum
| EPF standard of learning | Coverage in The Money Skill Tree (US Edition) |
|---|---|
| EPF.1 – EPF.9 Economics: concepts, markets, prices, income determination, national goals, the financial system, fiscal policy, government and the global economy | |
| EPF.1–EPF.3 Economic concepts, producers and consumers, the price system | Not covered. B1 Ch 3 supplies scarcity and opportunity cost and B1 Ch 1 the functions of money, but there is no treatment of markets, supply and demand or the price system. |
| EPF.4 Factors that affect income | B2 Ch 12 (education and lifetime earnings), B1 Ch 4 (skills and pricing your work), B3 Ch 4 (market rate, total compensation, negotiation). Human capital is covered in substance. |
| EPF.5 National economic goals | Partial. B1 Ch 8 covers price stability and the inflation target. Employment and growth goals are not covered. |
| EPF.6 The financial system, money, banking and the Federal Reserve | B1 Ch 11 (the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the FDIC), B1 Ch 5 (banks, credit unions, online banks), B1 Ch 1 and Ch 2 (the functions and evolution of money). |
| EPF.7–EPF.9 Fiscal policy, government in the market, the global economy | Not covered. B2 Ch 2 explains where tax money goes, and B2 Ch 10 touches international funds and currency risk, but fiscal policy, regulation and trade are not taught. |
| EPF.10 – EPF.18 Personal finance: consumer skills, living expenses, banking, credit, insurance, taxes, planning, investing and postsecondary financing | |
| EPF.10 Consumer skills | B1 Ch 3 (the Filter, the marketing maze, cost-per-use, unit pricing), B1 Ch 2 (dynamic pricing, subscription traps), B2 Ch 13 (fraud and identity theft). |
| EPF.11 Living and leisure expenses | B1 Ch 9 (the 50/30/20 flight path, essentials and lifestyle tanks), B3 Ch 1 (renting vs. owning, the true cost of a home), B3 Ch 8 (intentional spending). |
| EPF.12 Banking transactions | B1 Ch 5 (choosing an institution, FDIC coverage, account security), B1 Ch 6 (checking vs. savings, HYSA), B2 Ch 8 (automatic transfers and bill pay). Reconciling a statement is not taught. |
| EPF.13 Credit, loans, credit ratings and bankruptcy | B1 Ch 10 (consumer, strategic and predatory debt, BNPL, snowball vs. avalanche) and B2 Ch 6 (the three bureaus, the five FICO factors, building credit, APR and the cost of a carried balance, freezes, the free report). Bankruptcy is mentioned only in passing. |
| EPF.14 Insurance and risk management | B3 Ch 6 in full: health, auto, renters, homeowners, term vs. whole life, disability and umbrella, with premiums, deductibles, coverage limits, actual cash value vs. replacement cost and reading the exclusions page. |
| EPF.15 Income, taxes and reporting | B2 Ch 1 (gross vs. net, W-4, W-2, I-9, the pay stub), B2 Ch 2 (federal, FICA, state and local), B2 Ch 5 (Form 1040 page by page, state returns, extensions, 1040-X, payment plans), B3 Ch 3 (standard deduction vs. itemising, credits, capital gains). |
| EPF.16 Personal financial planning, net worth and budgeting | B1 Ch 9 (building the budget), B2 Ch 7–8 (emergency buffer, automation), B3 Ch 10 (the master audit and the 90-day plan). Net worth is calculated in B3. |
| EPF.17 Saving and investing, interest and retirement | B1 Ch 6–7 (accounts, simple vs. compound interest, the Rule of 72), B2 Ch 3–4 (Roth IRA, 401(k), employer match, vesting, HSA), B2 Ch 9–11 (stocks, dividends, ETFs and index funds, risk and rebalancing), B3 Ch 9 (the 25× rule, FIRE, the Roth conversion ladder). |
| EPF.18 Financing postsecondary education | B2 Ch 12 in full: 529 plans, Coverdell ESAs, FAFSA, the four federal loan types, interest and total cost, repayment plans, refinancing, the net price calculator, community college transfer, apprenticeship and military paths. |
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
Nine of the eighteen standards, EPF.1 to EPF.9, are economics rather than personal finance and the series does not teach them. A Virginia adoption should be pitched as the personal finance half of the year-long course, paired with an economics text. Within the personal finance half the only real gaps are reconciling a bank statement (EPF.12) and bankruptcy (EPF.13).
Verification note
The 2019 standards renumbered the personal finance block: pre-2019 correlations place income at EPF.15, taxes at EPF.16, planning at EPF.17 and saving at EPF.18, which does not match the current set. Confirm the codes above against the VDOE standards file before this document is circulated.
Curriculum source
Curriculum source: Economics and Personal Finance Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools, adopted 2019 — doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/economics-personal-finance · CTE course 6120 framework at cteresource.org
Prepared August 2026 · moneyskilltree.com · Standards references should be verified against current state documents at time of adoption.
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