Fast Lane was created with one main goal in mind: To bring financial education into every school. We plan to achieve this by providing resources that meet all of your needs; learn why financial literacy matters, advocate for students, build better programs, and connect with others.

Fast Lane is a one-stop website for people who believe financial literacy is as important as reading and writing. The free, easy-to-use platform brings together the best resources available for building and launching successful high school financial education programs.

Fast Lane is a nonprofit initiative of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at the George Washington University School of Business, with the support of PwC US. GFLEC is an incubator for financial literacy research and solutions and its team includes the world’s foremost experts in the financial literacy field.

GFLEC envisions a financially literate world where people can achieve their dreams.

Fast Lane is for anyone who believes that financial literacy is an essential skill every student should have. There are sections on the website devoted to policymakers, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. There is also a section for community members. Bringing financial literacy to the next generation is the work of all of us.

Fast Lane is anchored by rigorous research. The strategies and resources you will find within Fast Lane are developed in collaboration with experts, tested among educators, and based on years of dedicated research by some of the world’s most respected financial literacy experts.

Fast Lane does not charge its users and its goal is clear: to create a movement for financial education in schools across the United States so future generations of Americans are ready for the financial decisions they will have to make.

Fast Lane has a rich set of material, including videos, checklists, interactive tools, webinars, and plenty of step-by-step guidance for matching programs to the needs of individual classrooms or communities. Among Fast Lane’s strengths are its toolkits tailored for different audiences.

There are materials for teachers who want to learn more about teaching financial literacy and even sample lesson plans. School administrators will find guidance on the programs that best match their school’s ambitions and resources. And for policymakers, there is a rich trove of data that supports the argument for financial education programs in high school. Parents can find practical suggestions and resources for helping their kids gain the money-management skills they need to participate in today’s economy. And there is even material for students themselves. So everyone can join the movement to bring more financial education into schools.

Fast Lane also provides research studies and data. Lots of it. This includes statistics and studies related to financial literacy—in the United States and around the world. There is even a little test you can take to evaluate your own financial literacy level.

The website also connects its users to other reliable resources, such as the Council for Economic Education, the Jump$tart Coalition, and many more!

Absolutely. That’s one of the things that sets Fast Lane apart. GFLEC is a nonprofit research center at the George Washington University School of Business and dedicated to providing unbiased research. As researchers and teachers, we act in the interest of society to advance understanding of financial literacy and education. And the source of the resources and research on the site are always identified.

Financial literacy is essential for success in the 21st century. Young people need financial knowledge in order to make financial decisions that are best for themselves. People with strong financial literacy skills make smart decisions for themselves and their families—now and in the future. One of the most effective pathways to financial knowledge is through financial education in high schools.

We know from research that the younger you learn financial concepts, the more effectively you can apply them. By focusing on high schools, we can reach a critical mass of individuals before they start making financial decisions that will impact their lives, such whether to take out student loans, how to manage credit cards, or how to budget for living independently.

There’s another reason why high school is an ideal place for financial education. If you start managing your money well when you are young, you will build your financial security much faster. By the time you reach retirement, you not only have more money for your post-work years but research shows you probably will have much more money than those who don’t save early.

When it comes to financial literacy, time is of the essence!

Yes. We are continuously adding and updating information. We also rely on user feedback to keep us aware of what is working best in their schools and communities.

Fast Lane contains links to major research studies. It also contains information about and links to the top organizations and government agencies involved in financial literacy studies, advocacy, programming, and evaluation. You can also look at gflec.org for more information for additional research and initiatives in financial literacy.

Throughout the website, there are ways you can be connected to a number of resources and
experts who can help you. Or contact GFLEC directly at gflec@gwu.edu.