Finance
The Finance cluster focuses on careers in the planning, services for financial and investment planning, banking, insurance, and business financial management.
Each lesson below includes an instructional video, lesson plan, guided notes, and a student test or activity.
Cluster Overview: Finance
Upon completion of these materials, students will know the career pathways and some corresponding occupations within the Finance CTE cluster.
Key concepts of Finance condensed into a series of short instructional videos around a similar topic.
Helping your students discover, understand, and evaluate various career paths and occupations within the Finance cluster that align with their personal interests, skills, and values.
Occupation Research Tools 24
MyCareerTech offers full occupation reports on 24 Occupations across the 5 Finance Career Pathways.
Accounting Pathway 1
Accounting encompasses careers that record, classify, summarize, analyze, and communicate a business's financial information/business transactions for use in management decision-making. Accounting includes such activities as bookkeeping, systems design, analysis, and interpretation of accounting information.
Banking Services Pathway 6
Primarily concerned with accepting deposits, lending funds, and extending credit, banking services include cash management, short-term investments, mortgages and other loans, credit cards, and bill payment. Banking services are delivered via a number of different institutions, from commercial banks (the largest group) and other traditional means (savings and loans associations, credit unions, and local banks) to newer ventures through insurance companies, brokerage houses, and the internet.
Business Finance Pathway 6
The business finance function in a company is to manage policy and strategy for (and the implementation of) capital structure, budgeting, acquisition and investment, financial modeling and planning, funding, dividends, and taxation.
Insurance Pathway 6
The insurance industry, which exists to protect individuals and businesses from financial losses, delivers services that transfer risk from an individual or business to an insurance company.
Securities & Investments Pathway 7
The securities and investments industry consists of brokerage firms, investment banks, and stock exchanges, all of which support the flow of funds from investors to companies and institutions. Related services include financial planning, asset management, hedge fund management, and custody services.
MyCareerCorner 9
MyCareerCorner is a series of short, 3–5-minute video Q&A from individuals across different careers and occupations giving insight and advice about their job, industry, and real-life professional experiences. Each MyCareerCorner episode includes an online activity that will challenge students to think deeper about the cluster and apply what they’ve learned.
Adapting to Unexpected Changes with Shelby Pennix
Upon completion of these materials, students will have reflected on an unexpected change or challenge that they’ve faced in their own life and how adversity can help them grow as professionals.
Understanding Mortgage Banking with Shelby Pennix
Upon completion of these materials, students will have been introduced to the Mortgage Banking industry including common terms, and skills that can benefit them in the future, even if they choose to work in an entirely different industry.
Essential Elements in Mortgage Banking with Shelby Pennix
Upon completion of these materials, students will have identified the importance of different elements in the Mortgage Banking industry, and considered how mastering those elements could help them succeed in their own career.
Running Your Own Business with Shelby Pennix
Upon completion of these materials, students will have explored the pros and cons of working for oneself and reflected on whether owning their own business is a path they’d like to consider further.
The Value of Extracurriculars with Shelby Pennix
Upon completion of these materials, students will have explored the kinds of skills and experiences they can gain from extracurricular activities and determined their value in the professional workforce.
Common Questions in Banking Interviews with Tracy Beam
Upon completion of this Microlesson, students will have learned about some of the careers in the baking industry, why entry-level banking jobs are valuable, and reflected on whether a career in banking could be a good fit.
Supporting Clients as a Financial Advisor with Jerry Windle
Upon completion of this Microlesson, students will have explored the role of financial advisors and reflected on the importance of relationship building for their future careers.
Exploring a Career in Financial Services with Jerry Windle
Upon completion of this Microlesson, students will have discovered what it takes to be a successful financial advisor and determined whether a career in the finance industry is something that interests them.
Learning from Failures and Mentors with Jerry Windle
Upon completion of this Microlesson, students will have determined the value of experiencing failure and working with mentors to develop professional skills.
This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Advance CTE sponsors the 16 National Career Clusters Framework and career cluster definitions.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industries at a Glance, at bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag_index_alpha.htm (visited March 20, 2024).