Next Gen Personal Finance
Product by Next Gen Personal Finance
The Bottom Line
Partially. While pending official evaluation, Next Gen Personal Finance offers robust, scenario-based financial education. It leverages project-based learning and interactive simulations to connect abstract math to real-world financial decisions. However, it relies heavily on teacher facilitation to guide instruction, meaning it lacks an independent, adaptive learning path for self-directed students.
Pros
- Employs game-based simulations to provide contextualized practice for real-world financial decisions.
- Uses project-based learning to promote deeper cognitive processing of complex topics like taxation and investing.
- Integrates cross-curricular math applications to strengthen quantitative reasoning skills.
- Operates completely free of charge with no paywalls or restrictive subscription tiers.
Cons
- Requires significant teacher or parent facilitation to maximize learning outcomes.
- Lacks built-in spaced repetition algorithms to ensure long-term retention of vocabulary and concepts.
- Does not provide adaptive difficulty progression based on individual student performance.
What Do We Know About Next Gen Personal Finance?
Next Gen Personal Finance is a highly effective, curriculum-driven tool for teaching financial literacy, provided your child has guidance from a teacher or parent. This platform is not a traditional standalone app but rather a comprehensive suite of lessons, interactive games, and project-based modules designed primarily for classroom integration. Your child will not find an algorithm automatically feeding them the next lesson; instead, they will engage with standalone simulations that require critical thinking and reflection. Because it is built for educators, the materials are rigorous and grounded in real-world application. Your child will calculate actual compound interest, simulate managing a budget through college, and analyze credit card agreements. This contextualized learning helps move financial concepts from short-term memory into long-term practical application. However, because The Learning Standard has not yet formally evaluated this platform, parents should note that it requires active facilitation. If you want your child to learn about taxes, you will need to direct them to the specific module and review their work, as the system does not provide automated, personalized remediation when a student struggles with a core concept.
How Does Next Gen Personal Finance Work?
Next Gen Personal Finance uses project-based and game-based learning to teach financial literacy through authentic, real-world scenarios. Students navigate through a collection of modules covering topics like checking accounts, behavioral economics, and paying for college. Instead of traditional drill-and-practice mechanics, the platform relies heavily on interactive simulations. For example, your child might play a game that simulates the financial trade-offs of college life, forcing them to weigh student loan debt against networking opportunities and part-time jobs. These games act as worked examples of financial ecosystems, allowing students to see the immediate consequences of their economic choices. Beyond the arcade-style games, the curriculum provides case studies and data analysis activities. Your child will read real financial documents, perform calculations, and answer open-ended questions. Because it is designed as a classroom curriculum, progression is entirely manual. Teachers or parents must assign specific modules, facilitate discussions, and evaluate the written responses to ensure mastery before moving on to more complex topics.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Next Gen Personal Finance
Next Gen Personal Finance's biggest strength is its use of highly authentic, real-world simulations, while its biggest weakness is the lack of an independent, adaptive learning path. The Power of Contextual Learning: The platform excels at situated cognition by teaching skills in the context in which they will actually be used. By using project-based learning, your child isn't just memorizing the definition of an interest rate; they are calculating the long-term cost of an auto loan. This approach deeply encodes the information, making it far more likely your child will apply these skills in adulthood. The arcade games are particularly strong, functioning as interactive case studies that demand immediate application of new knowledge. The Need for Facilitation: Conversely, the platform lacks the automated instructional scaffolds found in consumer learning apps. There is no built-in spaced repetition system to periodically test your child on older concepts, which is critical for preventing knowledge decay over time. Furthermore, it does not offer automated, targeted feedback if your child misunderstands a core concept like amortization. It provides the material, but the cognitive heavy lifting of checking for understanding, providing corrective feedback, and pacing the instruction falls entirely on the teacher or parent utilizing the curriculum.
Who Might Benefit From Next Gen Personal Finance?
Best for middle and high school students who have a parent or teacher actively guiding their financial education. Because the reading level and mathematical concepts are targeted at 6th to 12th graders, it is ideal for teenagers preparing for real-world milestones like getting a first job, opening a bank account, or applying for college. It is highly recommended for educators seeking free, standards-aligned curriculum, or for homeschooling families wanting a structured, project-based approach to personal finance that goes beyond basic vocabulary flashcards.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Next Gen Personal Finance does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not reference COPPA and does not reference FERPA.
13 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated April 2026
View privacy policy →View all 35 checks
Parent Access3/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“If under 13 years of age, please get consent from your parent, guardian, or teacher.”
Can parents view their child's data?
“The policy states children cannot register and it does not collect their data; no parental view mechanism is mentioned.”
Can parents modify their child's data?
“The policy does not address parents modifying child data.”
Can parents delete their child's account?
“The policy does not address parents deleting child accounts.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“1. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY We recognize the need to provide additional privacy protection for children”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“COPPA compliance is not explicitly referenced in the policy.”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“FERPA compliance is not referenced in the policy.”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“If under 13 years of age, please get consent from your parent, guardian, or teacher.”
Data Portability3/5
Can users access their personal data?
“Right to Access and/or Take Your Personal Information : You can ask us for a copy of your personal information”
Can users download/export their data?
“can ask for a copy of personal information to be provided in machine readable form.”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
“Data access must be requested via email to info@ngpf.org, rather than a self-service tool.”
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
“can ask for a copy of personal information to be provided in machine readable form.”
Is there an API for data access?
“There is no mention of an API for data access.”
Data Minimization1/6
Is data collection itemized?
“This includes first and last name, email address, school name, school city and state and account login information”
Can the app be used without a real name?
“To register as a Member, you will be asked to provide your first and last name”
Can the app be used without an email?
“To register as a Member, you will be asked to provide your first and last name, email address”
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“The policy lists collected data but does not explicitly state collection is limited only to what is strictly necessary.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
“It collects IP address but does not state it is anonymized or truncated.”
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
“Location tracking is not explicitly excluded in the policy.”
Third-Party Protection4/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“We do not knowingly share or sell your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing use.”
Are third-party providers named?
“For example, we use Google Analytics to collect and analyze information”
Are providers contractually restricted?
“third parties we use to support our business activities and who are bound by contractual obligations to keep personal information confidential”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“The policy prohibits selling for direct marketing but lacks a clear, general no-targeted-advertising commitment.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
“AI and Machine Learning data sharing are not addressed.”
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“There is no child-specific restriction on data sharing explicitly detailed, as it states no child data is collected.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“you can change your browser settings to notify you when you are sent a cookie, giving you the ability to accept or reject it”
Deletion & Retention2/5
Can users delete their account?
“You may at any time request to cancel and have your membership account removed from the NGPF website”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
“Deletion is not self-service; it must be requested in writing and sent to NGPF via email.”
Specific data retention timeline?
“Retained 'for as long as you have an account or as necessary' without a specific timeline.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
“The policy does not mention auto-deletion of inactive accounts.”
Post-deletion handling described?
“We may anonymize your personal information after you have deactivated or deleted your account so that we can use this anonymized information”
Advertising0/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“The advertising model is not explicitly disclosed in the text.”
Free from third-party advertisements?
“The policy does not explicitly state it is free from third-party advertisements.”
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“There is no specific mention excluding children from ad targeting.”
Ad-free option available?
“An ad-free option is not mentioned.”
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Next Gen Personal Finance's privacy policy using the Common Sense Privacy Program framework. Results describe the policy disclosures we assessed; unknown checks are excluded from scores. Privacy policies can change. This review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Next Gen Personal Finance works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Next Gen Personal Finance
Is Next Gen Personal Finance free?
Yes, Next Gen Personal Finance is completely free. It operates as a nonprofit organization supported by endowments and grants, meaning there are no paywalls, premium subscription tiers, or in-app purchases required to access the curriculum and interactive games.
Is Next Gen Personal Finance good for middle schoolers?
Yes, Next Gen Personal Finance provides specific curriculum tailored for middle school students in grades 6 through 8. The middle school modules introduce foundational concepts like budgeting, saving, and basic economics using age-appropriate language and math requirements, preparing them for more advanced high school coursework.
What does Next Gen Personal Finance teach?
Next Gen Personal Finance teaches comprehensive financial literacy. Your child will learn about banking, credit, managing debt, paying for college, budgeting, investing, behavioral economics, and career preparation. It integrates math and social science standards to explain both the quantitative and psychological aspects of money management.
Is Next Gen Personal Finance safe for kids?
Yes, Next Gen Personal Finance is safe for kids. It does not feature external advertisements or require students to input sensitive, real-world personal financial data. As a curriculum provider for schools, it adheres to standard educational privacy practices, though parents should always review the privacy policy directly.
How does Next Gen Personal Finance compare to independent consumer financial apps?
Next Gen Personal Finance is a comprehensive educational curriculum requiring teacher or parent facilitation, focused deeply on learning science through project-based tasks. Consumer apps are practical tools that often feature light, embedded financial trivia. NGPF teaches the deep mathematical and psychological reasons behind finance, whereas consumer apps focus on practicing transactions with actual money.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Next Gen Personal Finance?
Next Gen Personal Finance is currently pending evaluation by The Learning Standard. We have not yet run this platform through our formal rubrics to generate an official rating. For more information on how we test and rate educational tools, please review our [methodology](/methodology).
Is Next Gen Personal Finance COPPA compliant?
A COPPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with COPPA. Policy review note: COPPA compliance is not explicitly referenced in the policy.
Is Next Gen Personal Finance FERPA compliant?
A FERPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with FERPA. Policy review note: FERPA compliance is not referenced in the policy.
Does Next Gen Personal Finance have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: 1. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY We recognize the need to provide additional privacy protection for children
Does Next Gen Personal Finance sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: We do not knowingly share or sell your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing use.
Can you delete your data from Next Gen Personal Finance?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: You may at any time request to cancel and have your membership account removed from the NGPF website
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