TEKS Financial Mathematics Course
Texas publishes TEKS for Financial Mathematics (§130.180) as part of their CTE standards. These standards align with a fusion of topics from our Accounting, Management, Personal Finance, and Investing libraries of activities.
In addition to these stand-alone activities, we also offer a complete “Investing 101” course, which has proven to be a popular addition to Securities and Investments classes throughout Texas.
Activity Type Key:
Articles
Videos
Interactive Calculators
Comprehensive Tools
Includes Built-In Assessment
| Standard | Activity | |||||
| The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to: |
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| Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate communication with customers, employers, and coworkers through verbal, nonverbal, or digital means. |
Lesson – Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities Lesson – Consumer rights and responsibilities Lesson – Personal Selling Lesson – Foundations of Marketing | |||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of the use of business etiquette. | Lesson – Business Ethics Overview | |||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate customer service such as building customer relationships and resolving customer complaints. | Lesson – Consumer rights and responsibilities | |||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal issues in business. | Lesson – Business Ethics Overview | |||||
| The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to: |
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| Apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. |
Budget Game – Core Component Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Comparing Car Financing Options Activity – Use the Investment Return Calculator Activity – Use the Home Budgeting Calculator | |||||
| Use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution. |
Budget Game – Core Component Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – Budgeting Lesson – How to Choose and Compare Stocks Lesson – Importance of Planning and Vision | |||||
| Select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology as appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation, and number sense as appropriate, to solve problems. |
Lesson – Percents, Fractions and Ratios Lesson – Cash Planning Lesson – What are Financial Records? Lesson – Starting a Business | |||||
| Communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate. |
Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Importing and Formatting Data Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Calculating Your Daily Returns Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Calculating Profit or Loss From Trades Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Graphing | |||||
| Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas. |
Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Importing and Formatting Data Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Calculating Your Daily Returns Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Calculating Profit or Loss From Trades Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Graphing | |||||
| Analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – The Importance of Interest Rates Activity – Use the Compound Interest Calculator | |||||
| Display, explain, and justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise mathematical language in written or oral communication. |
Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Graphing Lesson – Supply and Demand Examples in the Stock Market | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of employment earnings. The student is expected to: |
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| Identify sources of income, including wages and salaries, interest, rent, dividends, and capital gains. |
Lesson – Income and Compensation Lesson – Career Development Lesson – Investing Strategies Activity – Use the Net Worth Calculator | |||||
| Compare common employee benefits such as health insurance, sick leave, and retirement plans. |
Lesson – Income and Compensation Lesson – Career Development Lesson – Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities | |||||
| Differentiate among and calculate gross, net, and taxable income. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Taxation Overview Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 | |||||
| Analyze and interpret payroll deductions, including federal taxes, state taxes, and city taxes, using current tax rates. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Taxation Overview Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Payroll Best Practices | |||||
| Examine and evaluate the reasons for federal income taxation, Social Security taxation, and Medicare taxation, including earnings limitations as applicable. |
Lesson – Taxation Overview Lesson – Sales Tax | |||||
| Calculate net pay. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 | |||||
| Compare and contrast between independent contractor earnings and employee earnings, including tax requirements, tax forms (W-2, W-4, 1099, and Form 941), and benefit requirements. |
Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Calculate the various earnings as affected by the laws related to minimum wage, overtime, income from tips, exempt and non-exempt status, and contract and employee status. |
Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Calculate the impact of paying with after-tax dollars versus pre-tax dollars for items such as medicine, services, and investments. |
Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Analyze and interpret total compensation, including payroll, Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) tax, employer cost of benefits, employers’ matching costs for FICA and Medicare, and employer match in savings plans, to explain how compensation is more than what is reflected in a paycheck. | Lesson – Payroll Best Practices | |||||
| Compare total compensation as a self-employed or independent contractor with total compensation as an employee. |
Lesson – When to hire a tax professional Lesson – Tax Audits Lesson – What are Financial Records? | |||||
| Analyze how economic and other conditions can affect income and career opportunities and the need for lifelong training and education. |
Lesson – The Business Cycle Lesson – What is Wealth? Lesson – Inflation Lesson – Labor and Productivity | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the various federal taxes. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Calculate federal income taxes owed or refunded, including the completion of a 1040EZ and 1040, using current rates. |
Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Calculate capital gains tax using current rates. |
Lesson – Taxation Overview Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Calculate self-employment or independent contractor taxes using current rates. |
Lesson – Taxation Overview Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Define and locate sources for current rates for estate and inheritance taxes. Analyze gift and estate taxes using current rates.” | Lesson – Taxation Overview | |||||
| Calculate tax on interest income and use regression methods available through technology to analyze data and interpret the results by tax bracket. Calculate personal exemptions. Calculate itemized deductions and compare to standard deductions. Calculate deductible charitable contributions. |
Lesson – Tax Filing and the Form 1040 Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Common Tax Additions | |||||
| Describe the relationships among education tax credit, student loan interest, dependency and filing status, and income tax liability. |
Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Student Loans Lesson – Work vs Study | |||||
| Research and locate options for tax return preparation such as software programs and tax preparation providers. | Lesson – When to hire a tax professional | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the various financial institutions and accounts. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of various forms of financial exchange, including cash, checks, credit cards, debit cards, and electronic funds transfers. |
Lesson – What is Money? Lesson – Debit Cards Lesson – Credit Cards | |||||
| Identify and explain the advantages and disadvantages of interest-bearing accounts such as savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposits, and money market accounts. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – Building a Diversified Portfolio Lesson – Investing Strategies Investing101 Certification Course | |||||
| Calculate the time value of money, with or without technology, using exponential and rational functions that include graphs, tables, and algebraic methods related to simple and compound interest. |
Activity – Use the Net Present Value Calculator Activity – Use the Investment Return Calculator | |||||
| Analyze various representations of exponential functions with respect to compound interest situations and use the rule of 72 to determine the number of years it will take for savings to double in value. | Activity – Use the Compound Interest Calculator | |||||
| Analyze a bank statement for accuracy. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – What are financial records? | |||||
| Compare financial services offered in the community. |
Lesson – Banks, Credit Unions, and Savings and Loans Lesson – Debt Management Services | |||||
| Identify the sources of funds such as savings, earnings, or debt to be used to purchase consumable and non-consumable goods. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Spending and Savings Plans Lesson – Researching Spending Lesson – Budgeting and Spending Strategies | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the various types of credit. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Determine the advantages and disadvantages of credit cards such as cashback rewards. balance transfer, foreign currency, interest rates charged, late payment fees, credit score, and bonus incentives. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Using Credit Lesson – Credit Cards | |||||
| Calculate the cost of using credit cards, including various financial fees. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Using Credit Lesson – Credit Cards Activity – Use the Credit Card Payments Calculator | |||||
| Analyze and compare graphically, with or without technology, the differences in the cost of borrowing such as using a bank loan, a credit union loan, a student loan, and an easy-access loan such as a pay-day loan and an auto title loan. |
Lesson – Good Debt, Bad Debt Lesson – Student Loans Lesson – Short-Term Financing Activity – Use the Car Loans Calculator | |||||
| Analyze the risks for each type of loan. |
Lesson – The Importance of Interest Rates Lesson – Good Debt, Bad Debt Lesson – Managing Debt | |||||
| Evaluate the process for a bank loan or a credit union loan. |
Lesson – Mortgages Lesson – Short-Term Financing Lesson – Short Term and Long Term Financing | |||||
| Collect and organize data, make and interpret scatterplots, interpret the results, and make critical judgments about loan balances when equal monthly payments are made. | Activity – Use the Credit Card Payments Calculator | |||||
| Analyze credit scores and explain the meanings of the scores. Explain ways a negative credit report can affect a consumer’s financial options. Analyze a personal credit report. | Lesson – Credit Reports | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the cost of housing by comparing home purchases and renting. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Analyze data of mortgage payments with various additional principal payments involving exponential functions using tables, graphs, or algebraic methods. |
Lesson – Mortgages Activity – Use the Home Budgeting Calculator | |||||
| Create an amortization table using technology to collect and organize data to make decisions and critical judgments about varying the down payment, period of loan, special principal payment, and interest rate for a home loan. | Activity – Use the Home Budgeting Calculator | |||||
| Compare options for saving for a down payment on a home. | Lesson – Planning Long-Term Purchases | |||||
| Determine costs associated with home ownership, including property taxes; mortgage insurance; homeowner’s insurance, including property damage, liability, and flood and earthquake insurances; and closing costs. |
Lesson – Home Owner’s Insurance Lesson – Rental Agreements and Homeowner’s Associations Lesson – Mortgages Activity – Use the Home Budgeting Calculator | |||||
| Analyze and interpret mortgage tax deductions. | Lesson – Common Tax Deductions | |||||
| Determine other costs associated with home ownership, including cost of maintenance, repairs, utilities, and association fees. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Managing Bills Lesson – Rental Agreements and Homeowner’s Associations | |||||
| Determine the appropriate savings needed to maintain home payments in the event of a financial emergency. | Lesson – Preparing for spending shocks | |||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of the consequences to individuals in times of recession and falling home prices such as during the mortgage crisis of 2007-2008 and identify how the financial and personal impact could have been reduced. |
Lesson – The Business Cycle Lesson – Inflation Lesson – The Importance of Interest Rates Lesson – Mortgages | |||||
| Compare the cost of homeownership versus renting, identifying benefits and drawbacks to both homeownership and renting such as the mortgage-related income tax deductions. |
Lesson – Common Tax Deductions Lesson – Renter’s Insurance Lesson – Home Owner’s Insurance Lesson – Rental Agreements and Homeowner’s Associations Activity – Use the Home Budgeting Calculator | |||||
| Analyze and explain a typical apartment lease such as terms, deposit, occupancy, parking, and cancellation contract policy. |
Lesson – What makes a contract valid? Lesson – Renter’s Insurance | |||||
| Compare options for coverage for renter’s insurance. | Lesson – Renter’s Insurance | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a vehicle purchase and a vehicle lease and costs associated with each. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Create an amortization table using technology to collect and organize data to make decisions and critical judgments about varying the down payment, period of loan, special principal payment, and interest rates for a vehicle loan. |
Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Comparing Car Financing Options Activity – Use the Car Loans Calculator | |||||
| Determine the costs associated with owning and leasing a vehicle, including insurance, maintenance, repairs, and fuel. | Activity – Use the Buy vs Lease Calculator | |||||
| Compare the total cost of buying and owning a vehicle to leasing a vehicle. Compare the total cost of purchase and maintenance of several possible vehicles. Identify and understand the costs and benefits of maintenance contracts and vehicle warranties. |
Lesson – Buying a Car Activity – Use the Car Loans Calculator Activity – Use the Buy vs Lease Calculator | |||||
| Calculate the funding needed to maintain vehicle payments in the event of a financial emergency. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Using Spreadsheets – Comparing Car Financing Options Lesson – Managing Bills | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of investment options. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Identify the factors involved in the various methods of buying and selling stocks and mutual funds, including load and no-load funds, by evaluating the stock dividend yield, price-earnings ratio, return on investment, earnings per share, and net asset value. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – What is a Mutual Fund? | |||||
| Calculate the cost of buying and selling bonds and analyze the investment return from bond yield and bond interest payment. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – What are Bonds? | |||||
| Compare differences among investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds, and real estate. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – What is a Stock? Lesson – What are Bonds? Lesson – What is an ETF? Lesson – Investing Strategies | |||||
| Compare the risk and return for a diversified and non-diversified investment portfolio in a student-created portfolio. |
Stock Game – Core Component Lesson – Building a Diversified Portfolio Lesson – Investing Strategies Investing101 Certification Course | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of various types of insurance, including life, health, disability, and income insurances, and special protection. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Analyze the costs and benefits of term and permanent (whole) life insurance such as the cost of premiums, dividends, accumulation of cash value, tax treatment of death benefits, and protection from creditors of death benefits and cash values. | Lesson – Life Insurance | |||||
| Estimate the amount of life insurance needed using a needs approach or an earnings multiple approach. | Lesson – Life Insurance | |||||
| Estimate the cost of healthcare coverage, including the cost of health insurance premiums, co-payments, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses. Explain the need for disability income insurance and research the cost. | Lesson – Health Insurance | |||||
| Compare the benefits to the costs of special protection coverages such as cancer, pet, vacation, burial, international travel, and purchase protection. |
Lesson – Health Insurance Lesson – Life Insurance Lesson – Home Owner’s Insurance | |||||
| Demonstrate an understanding of the actuarial process used to set premiums. | Lesson – Health Insurance | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of retirement plans. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Compare tax advantage retirement plans, including Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Roth IRAs, 401(k) plans, and 403(b) plans, and determine an appropriate investment for retirement. | Lesson – Preparing for Retirement | |||||
| Calculate and graph the exponential function showing the benefits of starting early to invest with continuous contributions. |
Activity – Use the Saving to be a Millionaire Calculator Activity – Use the Compound Interest Calculator | |||||
| Calculate tax treatment penalty for early withdrawal. | Lesson – Preparing for Retirement | |||||
| Calculate, using technology, the amount that must be saved annually to achieve financial independence by a desired age. | Activity – Use the Saving to be a Millionaire Calculator | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of a fixed pension, a variable pension, social security, and an annuity. The student is expected to identify an annuity and calculate and display graphically the future value of an annuity. |
Lesson – Preparing for Retirement Lesson – What is Wealth? | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of wills and trusts for the distribution of assets at death. The student is expected to identify how wills and trusts support the distribution of assets after death. |
Lesson – Simple and Living Wills Lesson – Life Insurance | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of charitable giving. The student is expected to demonstrate an understanding of the value and benefits of charitable giving. | Lesson – Charitable Giving | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of the budgeting process. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Create a comprehensive balanced personal budget, including fixed and variable expenses, college savings, emergency savings, and retirement savings. |
Budget Game – Core Component Lesson – Preparing for Retirement Lesson – Planning Long Term Purchases | |||||
| Identify free resources to assist with maintaining a budget. | Budget Game – Core Component | |||||
| Compare different standards of living in the United States, including poverty, minimum wage, living wage, and desired standards of living. | Budget Game – Core Component | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding of identity theft. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Define and explain types of identity theft. Create a plan for prevention of identity theft. Identify suitable methods for reporting identity theft. | Lesson – Protecting Against Fraud | |||||
| The student applies mathematical process standards to demonstrate an understanding for a postsecondary plan. The student is expected to: | ||||||
| Understand educational, military, and current job opportunities. |
Lesson – Biggest Mistakes of Job Seekers Lesson – Career Development Lesson – Work vs Study Lesson – How To Choose an Internship | |||||
| Research and align interests and skills with potential careers and postsecondary education to assure a life strategy that will produce employment the student enjoys with a desired standard of living. |
Lesson – Work vs Study Lesson – Student Loans Lesson – Career Development Lesson – Income and Compensation | |||||
| Calculate the total funding required to complete a desired postsecondary education program. | Lesson – Student Loans | |||||
| Identify different resources for acquiring funding for education after high school such as personal savings, employment, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Texas Application for Federal Student Aid, Expected Family Contribution, Pell Grants, work-study programs, student loans, Individual Development Accounts, scholarships such as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), and internships to reduce the projected cost of education. | Lesson – Student Loans | |||||
| Identify benefits and potential savings for students investing in themselves such as taking Advanced Placement and dual credit classes. |
Lesson – Pay Yourself First Lesson – Planning Long-Term Purchases Lesson – Work vs Study | |||||
| Graph and compare compensation earnings of potential careers and the cost of postsecondary education. |
Lesson – Work vs Study Lesson – Student Loans Lesson – Career Development Lesson – Income and Compensation | |||||
| Calculate the Return on Investment from completing a desired postsecondary education program, taking into consideration anticipated earnings for a selected degree and the cost of attending a specific postsecondary program. |
Lesson – Work vs Study Lesson – Student Loans |