Banking, Investing, and Insurance
Explore the financial world as students dive into the main areas of financial services, including banking, investing, and insurance. Basics of banking and credit include a brief history of money and banking, negotiable instruments, creation of credit, and the function of banks. Methods for measuring the financial performance of financial institutions are analyzed. Students will be introduced to a variety of investment options and learn to determine the appropriate options for an investment goal. By analyzing financial reports and employing other tools to predict growth rates and return on investment, students will develop strategies to produce financial growth strategies for a business. Through projects, students will determine the risks faced by individuals and businesses and decide on the proper risk management techniques to mitigate those risks. Investigating both personal and business insurance products and deciding which products are suitable for a specific customer profile will be covered. Ethical issues and case studies involved in the financial services industry will be used to determine how industry regulations are developed. An investigation of careers in the financial services industry will be explored throughout this course. Concepts of this course will be enhanced by business partnerships with community financial institutions, investment firms, insurance companies, stock market simulations, guest speakers, virtual experiences, technology and field trips.
Various forms of technologies and internet research will be highlighted to expose students to the resources in the financial industry. Employability skills are integrated into activities, tasks, and projects throughout the course standards to demonstrate the skills required by business and industry. Competencies in the co-curricular student organization, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), are integral components of the employability skills standard for this course.
Banking, Investing, and Insurance is the final course in the Financial Services pathway in the Finance Cluster. Students enrolled in this course should have successfully completed Introduction to Business and Technology and Financial Literacy. After mastery of the standards in this course, students should be prepared to earn an industry-recognized credential in this career area.