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Recently I’ve been running into “top financial mistakes” lists in the form of articles, social media posts, news stories, etc. I imagine this has something to do with my internet browsing and cookies, even though I haven’t been purposefully reading up on that exact topic. Maybe the www is trying to tell me something. Whether […]

What season is it? Ask most folks and of course, they will say fall, but ask high school seniors, their parents, and counselors, and they might just come back with FAFSA season. Once again, it’s time for a critical part of the higher education access process—paying for it. FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid  […]

There is no quick or definite answer to that question. But there are ways to analyze coverage versus cost and feel you are getting what you need at a price you can stomach. *** “The car won’t start,” texted my wife early on a recent Sunday morning, while I was 1,000 miles away visiting my […]

Once upon a time, in a high school far enough away, I taught a full-year economics course. And in that course, I often referred to classic schools of thought and, of course, to Adam Smith, philosopher, economist, and the fellow generally considered to be the Father of Capitalism. I enjoyed playing devil’s advocate and provoking […]

I don’t currently have a TV, and I am spending a few minutes of these TV-less days thinking about whether I want to have one again. However, I’m thinking back to when I still had a TV, and a conspicuous ad caught my ear. Yes, my ear. I was cooking, not really watching the screen, […]

Last time I outlined my experience learning and then learning to love economics. Now it’s time for detail and ideas for economics-related discussions in personal finance classes. Maybe Starting by… Refreshing yourself on or learning anew these core principals and passing them on to your students and community (another mention here of FAME’s YouTube channel […]

In our economic system – let’s call it Mostly Capitalism – there is no escaping the incredible weight of decision making when it comes to managing our personal finances. We need every possible intellectual asset at our disposal.  I recommend using economics as a key tool for you and your students on your personal financial […]

My name is Steve Kautz, and I am a Financial Education Programs Specialist at the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME). I visit schools and businesses, deliver webinars, attend events, write, and try just about anything else I (or my boss and colleagues) can think of to promote financial wellness in Maine. Before starting with FAME […]

When I was in high school, the closest thing we had to a personal finance course was home economics. While I don’t fully trust my memory, I can safely say that some aspects of what we now call personal finance were a part of that course – opening a bank account, balancing a checkbook, tracking […]