Published on February 12, 2022

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5 Major Books and Podcasts to Learn Finance in High School

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date February 12, 2022
• No Comments on 5 Major Books and Podcasts to Learn Finance in High School

Managing personal finance, and planning for the future can often be tricky and confusing. When you learn about the basics of finances, you know how to save money, manage your expenses and start investing for the future. But is that it? Certainly not! The world of finance is much more vast. To build a better relationship with money, one needs to be good at managing an investment portfolio, paying off debts, managing mortgages, saving for retirement, and surviving the occasional pitfalls as well.

And how do you make that possible? By learning through experiences, gaining financial knowledge, and seeking guidance from the best. Recently, financial education books, personal finance books for students, and podcasts on finance have been trending. They have been looked upon as the source to find answers to everyday finances and how to prepare for the future.

So, let’s dig in and find out how books and podcasts will help you in your financial journey.

Psst! Before we dive right in, here’s a little task for you – Take a pen and a sheet of paper and jot down 26 terms related to finance. Easy? Now here’s the twist – all of them should start with each letter of the Alphabet. For example, A – Account, B – _____, and so on! Play this with your friends and check who gets all 26 right in the least amount of time! 

How Will Books And Podcasts Transform The Financial Horizon For You?

Today, there is no shortage of resources that will take your financial knowledge to a new level. From magazines and books to videos and podcasts, you can choose the right option at your convenience to learn about money management for students and financial literacy in schools. You can go old-school, and pick up a book to start with or get on your smartphone to listen to amazing podcasts and videos. And they will shape your financial horizon in the following ways:

1. Improves student financial literacy and builds healthy money habits for the future.

2. Guides you on great investment options and managing finances during and after high school.

3. Teaches how to focus on financial goals and start your side hustle.

4. Advises on real-world finances, and biggest money challenges faced by adults.

5. Offers magnificent insights from experts and their financial journey experiences.

According to T. Rowe Price’s ‘Parents, Kids and Money’ survey, around 75% of the kids wish their parents taught them more about money, while 72% said that their parents are always “worried about the money.” You really wouldn’t want to be a part of this figure, do you?

Which Books And Podcasts Do You Need To Add To Your List Right Away?

While there are tons of books and podcasts on finance out there, we have handpicked some of the best finance books and best finance podcasts for beginners that you need to get hold of right now, while in high school.

Books

Rich Dad-Poor Dad For Teens: The Secrets About Money

You would’ve probably heard about Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad-Poor Dad, but its youth companion Rich Dad-Poor Dad for Teens is bound to hit any young financial enthusiast or up-and-coming entrepreneur out there. You’re never too young to learn the language of money. And the better you understand it, the better the chances that you can have your money work hard for you, rather than the contrary. The book is packed with sidebars, quizzes and also explains why games can help you understand more about personal financial literacy, money management skills, and investment plans for students.

The Teenage Investor

As the title suggests, The Teenage Investor focuses on how, to begin with, your financial journey, start investing early, and build a lifelong portfolio. Author Timothy Olsens provides answers to the questions “What is investing?”, “How do I start investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds for students?” and more. He outlines a simple and unique approach on how to build wealth in the stock market and shares remarkable knowledge and insights of a market veteran to young investing enthusiasts.

I Want More Pizza

The author Steve Burkholder approaches the topics of personal finance and money management in a way that is accessible to young adults through the pizza model in I Want More Pizza. From savings, spending, goal setting, investment for students to debt, credit cards, student loans he covers some of the critical financial lessons through relatable anecdotes, real-life examples, and hypothetical questions. The ultimate goal is to help you understand that money doesn’t have to be stressful, and you can be financially literate even if you don’t like maths or planning.

Why Didn’t They Teach Me This In School?

Rather than advising the traditional budgeting or investing principles, author Cary Siegel outlines the practical principles that he learned throughout his financial life. He aims to target the larger habits and planning skills that will contribute to your future finances- the ones that you’ll never learn in high school. Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School? comprises eight important financial lessons focusing on 99 principles that will enhance your money management skills. Unlike other books out there, it focuses on the qualitative side of money management rather than the quantitative side.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Described as a ‘wealth wizard’ by Forbes, and ‘new finance guru’ by Fortune, author Ramit Sethi brings a modern money classic- I Will Teach You to be Rich that teaches you to effectively manage finances, pay off debts, save better and build wealth through investments. The book also comes along with impressive stories of how previous readers have used the book to improve their lives. The 6-week program helps you to take care of lifelong finances through a sophisticated approach.

Podcasts

So Money

From financial freedom and managing expenses, to creating a ‘sustainable’ investment, and understanding financial abuse, financial expert and host Farnoosh Torabi, highlights the important topics of the finance world in over 1000 episodes. You can learn the basics of cryptocurrency and get answers to your pressing questions about money, life, and career. So Money also consists of some fantastic real-life financial lessons and experiences of Torabi and her guests.

Money For The Rest Of Us

Buckle up, investors cause host J. David Stein is concerned about your future and advises on investment portfolios through his podcast. Savings is just not enough if you want your money to grow in the long term. And only investing your money at the right time in the market, stock or bond will make it grow. Money for the Rest for Us is a perfect blend of personal stories with academic research to explain and give insights on key concepts of investment for students, portfolio balancing, market cycle, and more.

The College Investor

Be it mastering your personal finance skills, learning about budgets, or getting introduced to credit scores, The College Investor has everything in store for you. Entrepreneur and millennial money expert Robert Farrington addresses some of the critical issues that matter to students and graduates about finance like student loans, paying bills, and investment plans for students. He further talks about side hustling, earning more money, and building wealth.

Financial Side Of Life: College, Retirement, And Life

Financial Planner Angie Furubotten-LaRosee concentrates on college savings plans, investments, money management skills for students, strategies on how to pay for college, build wealth, and what the idea of retirement means for different people on the Financial Side of Life. She welcomes guests from various walks of life who share their unique stories around finance. In another special episode, her dad talks about some remarkable money and life lessons.

Fairer Cents

If you’re looking for a feminist take on finances and the issues associated with it, then this is the right podcast for you. In Fairer Cents, co-hosts Tanja Hester and Kara Perez, throw light on the different economic realities facing women, people of color, and other marginalized groups. Further, they talk about how to tackle issues like the gender pay gap, women’s ambition, emotional labor, why financial feminism is necessary, and more.

Going Forward

Other than the above-mentioned finance education books and podcasts, you can check for multiple online websites, magazines, and videos to learn more about finance, and that’s the ultimate goal of every resource out there. So, whether you are new to this or looking to get more financial advice, these books and podcasts will surely help you out.

Be a part of Big Red Education now, and start a youth financial literacy journey while still in high school.

Few answers to the quiz – 

A – Assets, B – Bank, C – Cheque, D – Debt, E – Equities, F – Formula Investing, G – Government Bonds, H – Holding Period, I – Insurance, J – Joint account, K – Key Ratio, L – Liquidity, M – Mutual Funds, N – NEO banks, O – Opportunity Cost, P – Policy term, Q – Quote, R – Return on Equity, S – Systematic Investment Plans, T – Tax declaration, U – Union budget, V – Venture Capital, W – Working Capital, X- Xenocurrency, Y – Yield, Z – Zero balance

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4 Lessons That Will Help You Improve Your Financial Skills at High School

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date February 12, 2022
• No Comments on 4 Lessons That Will Help You Improve Your Financial Skills at High School

Common phrases such as ‘invest in IPOs’, ‘diversify your portfolio’, and ‘buy the dip’ have been echoing in the news throughout the year 2021. The colossal world of finance has literally exploded this year. According to an article by Business Standard, the active investor count rose by a whopping 10.4 million last year. That continued to this year and we witnessed stock market investments becoming a part of daily conversations. But amongst this fad, where were you? Did you get a chance to explore any financial instruments? Did you ask your parents about their investment strategies in the reviving market? Was finance ever a part of your academic or peer-group discussions?

There’s a high chance that your answer to one or more of these questions might be ‘No’. And, it is quite valid. Financial literacy for students still has a long way to go. But does that mean you should sit idle and wait for the ‘right time to learn about finance’? Certainly not.

Why Should Financial Literacy Be Important To You Now?

Student financial literacy is a fundamental life skill that every individual needs to be equipped with. But what’s the hurry? People learn things with time, so will you. Isn’t it?

No. That is a tale of the past. Do not let yourself be deluded by that.

Let’s face the fact – your generation is smart! On top of that, you have an abundance of resources that were a dream for the previous generations. It takes you a few hours to learn how to use a new gadget, create a smart sensor, build a cool robotics project, or even decode a cryptic message.

But the one thing that halts your racing minds is money. The Deloitte Global 2021 Millennial and Gen Z Survey revealed that nearly half of the millennial and Gen Z population are stressed about their long-term financial future.

1. Reason? Both these population groups never got a chance to develop money management skills at school.

2. Result? Millennials find themselves in a fix when it comes to day-to-day finances, let alone securing their future.

3. What about Gen Z? Well, you’ve got time in your hands! Time is the only thing that will assist you in

So, you can make money work for you! You can start improving your financial skills right away, and achieve financial independence as soon as you want. But, how?

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Battling Burnout in High School

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date February 12, 2022
• No Comments on Battling Burnout in High School

Have you ever played the game of Jenga? For those of you who haven’t let me break it down for you. Jenga is essentially a game of skill and balance where there is a tower of 3 colours of blocks and in each turn you must pull out one block from the tower without making it fall. Balancing our high school life is almost the same as that. If you remove too many blocks the tower is bound to break and the remaining pieces will become unstable and maybe even fall down completely. Similarly if we use up every single block of our energy we begin to get overwhelmed, stressed and essentially burnt out !

Famous author Vanessa Autrey in her book on burnout says “We’re totally guilty of doing too much at once, all while trying to manage the noise in our heads that says we’re not doing enough.”

As a student, juggling between academic requirements, entrance exams, extracurriculars and  applications is not an easy process. We tend to get tangled in our own web of fulfilling responsibilities. Meanwhile we neglect the stress and are unable to cope with it while simultaneously maintaining our schedules. This vicious cycle is what causes us to burnout at one of the most crucial stages;  high school life. Burnout during this stage only creates a lack of motivation and puts us at a risk for complete exhaustion and hence an inability to work. One must try their best to break and avoid this cycle right from the start.

Owing to the pandemic, burnout got a makeover and is now called the inevitable “Zoom Fatigue.” Sitting in front of the laptop screen for hours at a stretch doesn’t just give you a sore neck but also a sore mind. The impersonal and one sided zoom lectures are a complete bore and the will to learn and focus begins to fade. We stop sitting for the clases, with cameras off even our mind is turned off and we only feel the strain when exams come and we realise there’s a lot to catch up on.

There are many simple ways to avoid or even combat this feeling of burnout. Read on to pick some easy methods on how to bring balance out of your daily schedule.

Practice Prioritizing Tasks :

There are endless tasks we have to complete every single day, but we only have 24 hours, so start by setting weekly goals instead of daily ones and order them in priority of completion. Now if I have 2 assignments, 1 quiz, a club event and a practice test to do this week it would make sense to tackle one task at a time. Trying to squeeze 4 different things into a single day whilst balancing a social life and school hours is nearly impossible. So instead pause, and introspect and delegate your time wisely.

Unwind  And Unplug :

With hustle culture becoming more and more prominent people forget to just stop, and take care of themselves. After a long day of studying it becomes important to keep aside some time just to relax and rejuvenate. Allotting hours in the week completely devoted to relaxation can really help alleviate the stress and cope with workloads better. This relaxation could be anything right from watching an episode of your favorite Netflix show , going for a walk , listening to music or even just lying down. Find your self care mantra and make sure you follow it.

Find Your Stress Buster :

Every one of us has that one thing which acts like a complete stress buster, it could be painting, running, dancing, baking the options are endless. Use these activities as outlets of pent up stress, frustration and even as a way to just refresh oneself. Break the monotonous routine of online classes and commitments and indulge. Creative expression is known to boost people’s mood, and serve as an effective way to deal with anxiety. Similarly exercise of any form is an immediate dopamine kick and is scientifically proven to increase productivity.

Put Off Procrastination :

When workloads are high and exhaustion is seeping in it becomes easy to delay work. More than often if an assignment is not due for 2 weeks we tend to leave it for the last minute and most of it is written under pressure. Endless procrastination is only going to build piles and piles of work which is left pending and we are bound to drown in it. So instead break your work into smaller chunks and finish a little bit everyday instead of leaving it all for the end. Procrastination only hinders productivity so be consistent and regular with work instead of giving into the temptation of delaying it.

Look At The Bigger Picture :

A lot of times we tend to take on tasks which don’t align with our future goals but are just added work. While it may seem like unless you do everything you are not doing enough, our body and mind cannot keep up with so much. So work backwards from your ultimate goal, your dream college or career and choose to spend your time accordingly. Now, if you are  aiming to become a financial analyst it’s not necessary for you to take extra classes in design and history. While doing things out of interest and for leisure are important we must consider time commitments. Cut down on things which are not of prime importance and focus your energy on what is best for you and is a clear stepping stone to your goal.

At the end of the day your future is in your hands. If you aren’t okay all the hard work you have been putting in all these years will be fruitless. So let’s break the pattern from just ‘eat sleep study repeat’ to ‘eat sleep study relax repeat!’

Each one of us has our own unique way of dealing with stress, we would love to hear that one thing which refreshes you on a tiring day.

Published on December 22, 2021

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Beginners Guide: Rules of Procedure you must remember for your first Model United Nations Conference

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date December 22, 2021
• No Comments on Beginners Guide: Rules of Procedure you must remember for your first Model United Nations Conference

Have you ever sat at a gathering, trying hard to get a word in while everyone else around you is excitedly conversing? Isn’t it aggravating?

While we may tolerate such scenarios when we are surrounded by those we consider close friends, applying this to a broader scale, such as the United Nations, uncovers a slew of issues, as talks without any legal framework can only lead to chaos. That is why we require procedural rules.

Nothing can get accomplished without structure at the end of the day. As a result, the Rules of Procedure (RoP) were developed to offer oversight over debates, ensuring that they are conducted in a respectful and secure manner. They may differ slightly depending on the MUN you’re attending, so it’s always a good idea to double-check the RoP Booklet provided by your MUN. But even if you don’t have that book, we can teach you some of the most important rules in today’s world, so continue reading!

The Basic Rules

Typically, a MUN can be divided into distinct segments of the debates, each with its own purpose in promoting a topic. The rules within these procedures change slightly because they perform differently.

Structurally you have:

1. The Opening Of The Debate

– Roll Call 

Isn’t it true that we all have to start somewhere? The Roll Call is typically used in Model United Nations to determine who is present and how many individuals are present. The Chairs are able to compute the requisite majority in procedural and substantive voting using this method. You can just say “Present” when you hear your country’s name. You can also say “Present and Voting” to add some flair to the conversation and show how serious you are about the topic being discussed. But watch out! This comes at a price. You cannot abstain from substantive votes if you use “Present and Voting,” which means you must actually have an opinion on the subject.

– Setting The Agenda

This approach may vary depending on your MUN. Before starting the debate, you may be given one subject to discuss, in which case this section is theoretically superfluous. If you have many topics to choose from, it will be up to you and the other delegates to decide which one to debate. You should be cautious with these things; based on your country’s policies, you may have a preference for one issue over another; consequently, you should make every effort to get the debate topic that best suits you off the ground. A motion is required to set such an agenda.

Raise your placard and wait for the Chair to recognise you. This is a general norm that applies to all aspects of the MUN debate (except for the unmoderated caucus). After being acknowledged, you state your country’s name and proceed to the top of the agenda to insert your favoured issue first. Always speak as if you are representing your country. There are no “I’s” allowed! It’s “we,” your country’s name, or “as Country Name’s representative.”

When there is no clear preference, some MUNs choose to hold a short discussion between the representatives of various specific topics. After a motion has been raised, the Chairs will call for a procedural voting process, which means delegates will not be permitted to abstain and will be required to vote. A simple majority is all that is required.

Hooray! The nations have been tallied, and a topic has been raised. The debate can now begin immediately.

2. The Debate 

– Opening Statements

Once a topic has been selected, each state’s delegate will give an opening statement in which they will quickly express their position on the topic in question, in alphabetical order. You can use your opening speech to: align yourself with like-minded countries to begin forming an alliance; and bring up specific aspects within the topic that your country is passionate about. This is your chance to shape the conversation in your country’s favour. As you listen to the other countries’ opening arguments, take notes to observe who is concerned about what part of the situation, and with whom you may find yourself in agreement or disagreement on certain themes. This can come in handy later on when you need to collaborate on Draft Resolutions with other Delegates. The discussion will then move on to the General Speaker’s List once this process is completed.

– The General Speakers List (GSL)

Within a debate, the GSL is effectively your default section. Chairs will set a time restriction for each speaker, and countries can then request to be added to the list, taking turns speaking in the sequence set by the Chairs.

If you were to raise the motion for a moderated Caucus in the GSL, you might seek to move the argument in the way you want it to go. This is your chance to look for those who will vote for you. Others may disagree, but they will be able to respond to you on the GSL within their time window. To join the GSL, wait for the Chair to ask who wants to be added to the list, then raise your placard and wait for them to recognise you. If you conclude your speech before your given time is up, the Chair may allow other Delegates to ask you a question, which you can then answer, you may let your time run out, or you may donate your time to another Delegate. What is the best option is entirely dependent on your tactical thinking.

– Moderated And Unmoderated Caucuses

While the GSL is primarily intended to facilitate general talks, there are instances when additional time is required to focus on specific issues, in which case an unmoderated or moderated caucus might be convened. Speakers in a moderated caucus must limit their speeches to the topic at hand. If a trend towards a given issue was already predicted inside the GSL, it may be helpful to propose a move for a moderated caucus on that topic (for a certain number of minutes, with a certain amount of speaker time). This is a chance to really shape the debate, and because many motions for multiple moderated caucuses are frequently presented at the same time, voting is required. Pro Tip: In most voting procedures, the longer motion takes precedence, and the secondary motion is only voted on if the first one does not receive enough votes. As a result, it’s not a terrible idea to make your own motion somewhat longer than the others’. In the MUN world, being tactical is crucial!

An unmoderated Caucus, on the other hand, is a whole different tactical game. For a period, conventional rules cease to exist within it, and one might engage in a freeform argument with no turns, points, or speaking time. You are free to wander about the room, get to know the other countries better, and negotiate and write your draft resolutions. This is where you look for cross-national cooperation and strive to build something based on shared ideals. A motion for this, like the moderated caucus, must be raised. Abstention is not possible because this is a procedural vote. The unmoderated caucus takes as much time as the period given allows.

– Draft Resolutions 

Draft Resolutions, oh my. The world’s biggest henchman in MUN. Having to prepare a document that follows its own set of rules, uses a specific sort of language, and is generally expected to be treated in a professional manner might make people want to flee. That’s understandable! Although the purpose of this post isn’t to teach you how to create a draft resolution, we always recommend conducting some study on the subject before getting started. Sure, you could always delegate the task to someone else, but it’s a well-kept secret in the MUN world that whoever is holding the laptop and typing the document is King.

What is a Draft Resolution, exactly? A draft resolution is a document that presents the suggested solution to the problem at hand and is designed to represent the perspectives and agendas of those who wrote and signed it. Once the arguments are over, it must have a certain number of sponsors who support it and will vote in favour of it. The number of sponsors required varies depending on the Council and the Chair, as well as the size of the Committee.

Once a draft resolution is completed, it should be delivered to the chairperson, who will ideally accept it, after which a motion to introduce it to the rest of the House can be made. After that, you must study the operative clauses one by one within a set time limit. After that, nations will be able to request changes to the clauses you’ve written. If no one objects to a modification within a clause, the amendment is friendly, and the clause can be rewritten accordingly. However, if a sponsor objects, the matter must be decided by a vote.

Amended clauses cannot be re-amended, so be sure you don’t have any objections to a change in your resolution.

3. Closing The Debate

The GSL must be closed before a draft resolution can be voted on, so one must either wait for the GSL list to finish or move the motion to end the debate. The argument will finish if two-thirds of the people agree and are in favour.

If there are many resolutions on the table, the committee will vote on the one that was submitted first, based on the serial number. As a result, it’s critical to act quickly in forming a committee and drafting a competent and well-worded Draft Resolution.

The Draft Resolution is then voted on by the Committee.

– Voting Procedure

Except for those countries who said that they are “present and voting,” the voting mechanism is a substantive vote. That is, everyone who indicated they were present at the Roll Call has the option of voting “Yes,” “No,” or abstaining. Furthermore, if you are a sponsor of the current resolution, you are not permitted to abstain.

Once the voting has been concluded. After a proposal has been approved, it becomes a committee resolution, after which the council will move on to the next item on the agenda. If it fails, the second proposed resolution will be voted on.

Now that you have all the tools to tackle a MUN, are you ready for attending the biggest Model UN collaboration in India between Big Red Education and Best Delegate?