1. 25 Fascinating Facts about Personal Debt (internal link) Abstract: A list of 25 facts about personal debt in the US, including information such as: "The average credit card debt among all American households is $8,400." Category: Interest
2. Car Title Lending: Driving Borrowers to Financial Ruin (external link) Abstract: RL and CFA issued a first report on the car title pawn/loan industry, titled “Car Title Lending: Driving Borrowers to Financial Ruin,” which describes the title loan product and industry, illustrates predatory aspects of these over-secured small loans, and makes recommendations for stronger protections for borrowers. Category: Interest
3. Credit Cards: Teaching Students About the Plastic Peril (internal link) Abstract: This multi-day unit helps students to understand how Credit Cards work, focusing largely on the issue of debt in the U.S. Math involved includes percents, compound interest, quadratic equations, exponents, and more. Category: Interest, Compound Interest, Percents, Percent Growth
4. How Do Poor People Bank? (internal link) Abstract: A 2 - 4 day lesson on the banking structures available for poor people. The lesson starts by explaining how traditional banks provide people with interest on savings accounts and then explores how this is flipped on poor people forced to use check cashers, pawn shops, rapid refund loans, etc. Math involved includes percents, interest, compound interest, APR. Category: Interest, Compound Interest, Annual Percent Rate, APR
5. The Secret History of the Credit Card (external link) Abstract: In "Secret History of the Credit Card," FRONTLINE and The New York Times join forces to investigate an industry few Americans fully understand. The website contains the documentary, data, and other information about credit cards. Category: Interest
