A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you save money every month?
2. What is your favorite way to spend money?
3. What is a common way to pay for things?
4. Do you have a bank account?
5. Is money important for happiness?
6. What is the difference between saving and spending?
7. Do you lend money to friends?
8. What is a “budget”?
9. What makes something a necessary expense?
10. Do you like buying new things?
11. What is the opposite of cheap?
12. What makes you feel financially safe?
13. Do you check prices before buying?
14. What are some different types of jobs?
15. What is the biggest money mistake you have seen?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between managing daily expenses and planning for long-term savings?
2. Describe one method you use to track your spending and stick to a budget.
3. What are the pros and cons of using a credit card versus only using cash?
4. What role does financial discipline play in achieving long-term personal goals?
5. Have you ever had to save money for a large, specific purchase?
6. What kind of financial advice do people receive about handling debt?
7. What is the difference between earning interest and paying interest?
8. What are common money management mistakes made by young adults?
9. How does technology (e.g., banking apps) make managing money easier?
10. What are the biggest challenges of saving money when the cost of living is high?
11. What is the importance of having an emergency fund for unexpected expenses?
12. Do you think financial education should be mandatory in high school?
13. What are the challenges of setting financial goals with a romantic partner?
14. What are the best ways to reduce spending on non-essential items?
15. What is the difference between investing and speculating?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the difficulty of balancing the need to save for the future with the desire to enjoy the present.
2. How can people overcome the psychological impulse to spend money they don’t have?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding predatory lending and high-interest loans?
4. Do you agree that most personal financial problems stem from a lack of education, not a lack of income?
5. Describe a time when a major life event (e.g., job loss) required you to completely rethink your budget.
6. To what extent should governments intervene to protect citizens from making major financial mistakes?
7. What role do professional financial advisors and planners play in managing complex wealth?
8. How do cultural norms around debt, thrift, and generosity influence individual financial habits?
9. Discuss the psychological phenomenon of “lifestyle creep”—increasing spending as income rises.
10. What are the challenges of managing finances when you are self-employed or have an irregular income?
11. How does the concept of compound interest affect long-term savings and debt accumulation?
12. Should public funding prioritize free financial counseling for low-income citizens?
13. What is the difference between wealth and income?
14. Discuss the concept of “financial independence, retire early” (FIRE) and its feasibility.
15. What is the long-term impact of consistent small financial habits (good or bad) on overall life outcomes?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does economic inequality create systemic barriers that make effective money management impossible for many citizens?
2. What are the ethical arguments about advertising highly speculative investments (e.g., cryptocurrency) to the general public?
3. Should governments offer a universal basic income (UBI) to alleviate financial stress and simplify management?
4. What are the psychological reasons why some people feel an intense emotional connection to money or material possessions?
5. How has the dominance of digital payment systems changed the psychological feeling of spending money?
6. Discuss the idea that being debt-free is more important for happiness than being wealthy.
7. What is the role of credit scores and credit history in a person’s life beyond simple borrowing?
8. How do our earliest childhood experiences with money (e.g., parental habits) influence our adult financial behavior?
9. What are the challenges of managing personal finances in a world of complex global taxation and inflation?
10. Discuss the concept of “opportunity cost” in financial decisions—what you give up when you choose one option.
11. What is the difference between managing risk in investing and simply gambling?
12. Should citizens have mandatory access to transparent information about how their tax money is spent?
13. What is the impact of global recessions and stock market crashes on the average person’s financial planning?
14. How does the history of banking and finance reflect the evolution of trust in modern society?
15. Discuss the idea that true “financial freedom” is more about having control over your time than having a lot of money.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the socioeconomic factors that correlate with low financial literacy rates and their impact on market participation.
2. To what degree should the legal system regulate the types of investment advice provided by unaccredited sources online?
3. Discuss the philosophical concept of “fiduciary duty” and its role in protecting clients’ financial interests.
4. Evaluate the impact of new decentralized technologies (e.g., DeFi) on the traditional role of banks and financial institutions.
5. How does the strategic use of emotional appeals and aspirational imagery in advertising influence discretionary spending?
6. Examine the legal challenges of personal bankruptcy and the moral obligations of debt repayment.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the use of personal financial data collected by financial technology companies?
8. Discuss the concept of “financial exclusion”—lack of access to basic financial services—and its social consequences.
9. How do different national tax policies on inheritance and capital gains affect the concentration of wealth?
10. Analyze the interplay between global inflation, central bank policy, and the individual’s ability to maintain purchasing power.
11. What ethical challenges arise when powerful institutions engage in tax avoidance or exploitation of legal loopholes?
12. Debate whether a completely cashless society benefits or harms individuals’ ability to consciously manage their spending.
13. How does the architecture of retail spaces and online marketplaces encourage or impede rational consumer decision-making?
14. Discuss the concept of “financial resilience” and how it is developed through periods of economic hardship.
15. To what extent does the pursuit of extreme wealth undermine the pursuit of other human values (e.g., community, altruism)?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that effective money management is fundamentally a political and societal issue, not a personal one?
2. Formulate a critique of the global financial system’s reliance on continuous growth and its impact on personal long-term stability.
3. Analyze the intersection of behavioral finance, cognitive biases, and the design of effective retirement savings programs.
4. Discuss the philosophical distinction between “necessity” (essential spending) and “luxury” (discretionary spending) in modern economies.
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of government regulation in preventing large-scale financial fraud and market manipulation.
6. Propose a system for personal financial management that integrates ethical investment and social impact alongside profit maximization.
7. Examine the psychological function of budgeting and tracking expenses in providing a sense of control and predictability.
8. How does the semiotics of financial success (e.g., brands, lifestyle) communicate status and influence spending behavior?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of media and financial experts in providing unbiased, clear information during market volatility.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between cycles of economic instability and the public’s demand for greater financial transparency.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the individual’s desire for privacy in their finances and the state’s requirement for financial surveillance.
12. Debate whether a system of decentralized, non-state-controlled currency will ultimately empower or destabilize global money management.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of widespread financial anxiety on mental health and political decision-making.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘rationality’ when applied to human economic behavior under conditions of uncertainty.
15. How might the principles of personal money management be used to model processes of organizational budget allocation and risk assessment?
