The ability to make educated financial decisions is a crucial skill that many teenagers lack. Without this knowledge, teens are unable to make astute and educated decisions about their finances– one facet of which is investing. The goal of this study was to make foundational investing concepts simpler by using popular culture references that teens can relate to. It was hypothesized that if this approach was taken to educate teens on investing, they would score higher on a basic assessment that covers the concepts explained by popular culture references. The students, grades 9-12, took a pre-assessment on basic investing concepts and their scores were recorded. After the lesson was taught using pop-culture analogies, the students participated in the same assessment and scored significantly higher than their pre-assessment. Students reported that this method of teaching aided in their future financial success and advancement in their personal investment strategies.

Keywords: education, finance, financial literacy, high school