Believe to Achieve is an organization dedicated to promoting financial wellness within our Mississippi community. We prepare youth to break the cycle of poor money management habits and be financially savvy. Our target demographic is youth ages 10-22.
Most Mississippi schools only provide a financial education that is integrated into another class. Believe to Achieve strives to make financial literacy programs for students a higher priority in our state.
as they grow.
now and as they grow.
now and
financially savvy
We equip students to be
FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS for students
Want to improve your child's financial literacy?
Choosing a Career / Planning for College
Protecting your Money
Borrowing Money
Saving and Investing
Spending Money
Earning Money
(click any topic for more details)
Our focus will include:
At Believe to Achieve, your child will learn how to create financial freedom. We will teach them how to make, manage and grow their money like the world’s wealthiest people.
We will utilize hands on activities to equip them with financial knowledge. Why is that important? Would you try to drive an 18-wheeler down a freeway without instructions? How about land a commercial size airplane? If you answered “No,” then you are on the right track!
Living in a world driven by money, it is important learn how to handle it.
for middle school students
Want to improve your teen's financial literacy?
Future planning / Life Skills
Career Options
Planning for College
Insurance
generosity
Investing
Credit
Money Management
(click any topic for more details)
Our focus will include:
The best time to get on the path to successful financial management is now! During the high school years, most students manage some money, either a birthday gift, allowance, or income from a part-time job.
They are also about to make some of the biggest financial choices of their lives: where to go to school, how to pay for school, what career to choose.
Now is the time to teach our teens about money.
for high school students
contact us
Want to improve your college student's financial literacy?
saving & investing
cars & loans
credit cards
credit
charitable giving
Buying a Home
Living on Your Own
Budgeting/Managing Debt After College
(click any topic for more details)
Our focus will include:
Being out "in the real world" is a major adjustment for many young people. They've spent their entire education preparing for a career, but now it's time to develop other practical life skills so that they can be self-sufficient adults.
We'll cover several topics to help college students learn how to manage money in a way that supports both their personal, educational, and career goals.
As students explore their independence, they will need money skills.
for college students + beyond
Did you know?
If our children do not learn about money now, it will cost them later.
The average household credit card debt in MS in 2018 was $6673.
Career builder survey (2017) noted that 78% of adults live paycheck to paycheck.
Mississippi scored a C on financial literacy in high schools
Children need to understand where money comes from and that it is mostly an exchange of one thing for another.
Earning money mainly comes from work. Making the most of what you earn is vital. We will talk about deductions that are associated with earning money. Soon enough, your child will be paying income tax and we want to help them appreciate the community benefits of paying income tax.
Earning Money
For many middle schoolers the best part of having money is spending it. They are influenced by advertisers and their peers to spend money on things that they need and want.
At this age, your child is still learning about the value of money. Our program will help your child learn about financial responsibility. We will explain and discuss tactics advertisers use, budgeting techniques, and practice real-life scenarios that allow for spending mistakes in a safe-controlled environment.
Spending Money
Approximately 56% of Americans do not have an emergency savings fund that could cover three months of unanticipated financial emergencies, according to the FINRA Foundation’s America’s State- by-State Financial Capability Survey (2012).
An emergency fund is helpful to withstand a major reduction in income, such as a job loss, or to pay for a major, unexpected home or car repair. The sooner your child can start to save for long-term goals, the more they can take advantage of the growth that savings accounts offer. We will teach your child to create financial goals, understand the difference between needs and wants, and their saving options. It's never too early to start saving for future goals.
Saving and Investing
While middle schoolers are not able to buy anything with credit, it is important for them to understand what credit is and how to use it. They’ve seen credit card advertisements, and they’ve likely heard people talk about credit, but they often haven’t had their own conversations about it.
At BTA, we will explain the good and bad of credit to your child and allow your child to participate in some real-life experiences using credit. We will explore loans vs. credit cards, interest and risks of credit.
Borrowing Money
Whether or not students are making their own purchases at this age, they are vulnerable to identity theft, fraud, and other risks (Money Smart, 2021).
BTA will teach your child how to protect themselves online, shopping, and banking. Additionally, BTA will help your child understand the risks involved in making purchases (such as car and home purchases) and how to protect those investments.
Protecting your Money
The career that people choose greatly impacts their income potential. Exploring careers, provides children with the knowledge and information about career options. With the Money Smart curriculum, we help your child begin to understand the long-term investments needed to achieve his or her dream career: from fostering academic interests in school to valuing continued education.
Continuing education beyond high school can increase career options significantly. We will also discuss with your child, the deductions made from their earnings. We will explore career vs. job.
Choosing a Career / Planning for College
Teens can and should have savings goals. If you don’t know how much you can safely spend and save each month, you can easily go into debt or fail to meet long term goals.
We will teach teens how to budget. There will be a focus on how taxes, personal exemptions and deductions impact net pay. We will also explore the differences between savings and checking accounts.
money management
When teens decide to take out loans and use credit cards, they should consider what they are purchasing, the interest rate, and the length of time they will have to pay it off.
We will discuss creditworthiness, and factors that influence credit: positive and negative types of credit, how to maintain or increase a credit score, ways to negatively impact credit, the difference between a debit and credit card, etc.
credit
Investing can be intimidating if you don’t have some basic knowledge. We will discuss how investing helps meet financial goals and builds wealth over time. We will also discuss some basic principles.
Investing
Donating can be very rewarding. We will discuss ways to give (monetary and non-monetary) and why is it is important to give.
generosity
We will talk about common strategies to reduce risk. We will discuss the purpose and importance of various insurance types. Your teen will also learn when insurance is needed and how to get it. In today's digital world, it is important for teens to know how to protect their personal information and be aware of identity theft.
insurance
Going to the right college is important, but obtaining the right degree is even more important.
Just having a college degree is no longer enough to get a decent job. We will discuss volunteering and job shadowing, the multiple ways to pay for college (most students assume student loans are the only way to pay), and the cost of college. We will also compare financial aid choices.
Planning for College
Teens will identify their skills and interests for a variety of careers. We will identify career options and education/training required for different careers. We will also discuss the educational requirements necessary to pursue their desired career and identify schools that offer these programs.
career options
Having a long-term plan is vital to financial success. We will discuss their personal values and financial goals. We will work on developing financial plans. Although chores may not seem to relate to finances, grocery shopping, cleaning and other activities can save you a lot of money in comparison to dining out.
future planning / life skills
Effective money management starts with a goal and a step-by-step plan for saving and spending. Financial goals should be realistic, be specific, have a timeframe, and imply an action to be taken. We will also examine post college living expenses.
Budgeting/Managing Debt After College
As young people grow up, a common goal is to live on their own. However, the challenges of independent living are often quite different from their expectations. We will investigate the costs associated with moving, obtaining furniture and appliances, and renting an apartment.
living on your own
For many, buying a home is the single most important financial decision they will make in their lifetime. However, the process of becoming a first-time homebuyer can be overwhelming and requires a foundation for basic home-buying knowledge.
buying a home
Donating can be very rewarding. We will discuss ways to give (monetary and non-monetary) a why is it is important to give.
charitable giving
In today’s world, credit is integrated into everyday life. From renting a car to reserving an airline ticket or hotel room, credit cards have become a necessary convenience. However, using credit wisely is critical to building a solid credit history and maintaining fiscal fitness.
credit
What is APR? What is a grace period? What are transaction fees? These and other questions will be answered in this lesson as students learn about credit cards, and the different types of cards available and features of each, such as bank cards, store cards, and travel and entertainment cards.
credit cards
“Should I buy a new car or a used car?” “Where is the best place to finance my automobile purchase?” “Is it better to take the rebate or the low-rate financing plan?” These are typical questions asked by people buying vehicles.
cars & loans
Investing can be intimidating if you don’t have some basic knowledge. We will discuss how investing helps meet financial goals and builds wealth over time. We will also discuss some basic principles.