Financial Math & Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab

The study of financial literacy empowers students to manage their personal finances effectively. It enables them to budget, save, invest, and spend wisely, leading to improved financial well-being and stability. 

Mount Saint Mary Academy began the Financial Literacy program over a decade ago by implementing a Financial Math course. The goal was to equip students with the skills they need to achieve economic independence and make informed financial decisions that will impact their lives. Understanding financial concepts such as interest rates, loan terms, and credit scores helps individuals borrow money and manage debt responsibly.  The Mount’s Financial Literacy course features the Working in Support of Education (W!se) Certified Financially Literate™ (CFL™) credential, which is awarded to students who pass the W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test. Students who pass the test become Certified Financially Literate™ and earn this credential, demonstrating that they have developed sound financial knowledge and skills. This national standardized test is administered to students after a course or unit on personal finance. The CFL™ credential demonstrates to colleges and employers that Mount students have the capacity to make fiscally responsible decisions. Each year we continue to improve and expand this program to ensure that our students have the financial skill set to protect their future. Beginning with the Class of 2024, all Mount students will be required to complete our Financial Literacy course before they graduate.

In the fall of 2023, W!se announced that 150 high schools in its national network earned the distinction of being named a Blue Star School for their students’ outstanding performance on the 2022-2023 W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test. To earn the Blue Star School award, a school must have achieved an 80 percent passing rate on the W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test with at least half the students on a grade level or a minimum of 10% of school enrollment having taken the test during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Mount Saint Mary Academy has achieved a 100 percent passing rate on the Financial Literacy Certification Test since the program began. Our students continue to excel in this course and on the certification test each year.

Additionally, high school students who pass the W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test with a score of 95 percent or higher are eligible to apply for the Financial Literacy Ambassador Award. Applications are reviewed and scored over three rounds by a distinguished panel of judges, and the winners each earn a monetary award. The Mount has had several Financial Literacy Ambassadors in the past, and at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, multiple Mount students were recognized as eligible for this award. 

As we continue to grow our Financial Literacy program, we have been working on integrating an exciting new unit into the Financial Math curriculum. This new unit will utilize our Bloomberg Finance Markets Lab, which the Mount acquired in 2018 and has been featured in various courses within our curriculum, such as the Business Analytics course. Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, all Mount students will receive Bloomberg Certification through the Bloomberg Market Concepts program before they graduate. In this program, students will learn about the financial markets, familiarize themselves with over 150 Bloomberg terminal functions, and earn a certificate of completion. Students will use the terminals to explore topics such as economic indicators, currencies, fixed income, equities, commodities, and portfolio management.

Students will also have the opportunity to earn their Bloomberg Finance Fundamentals Certificate through an additional program provided through the Finance Data Lab here at the Mount. The Bloomberg Finance Fundamentals Certificate program is a self-paced, interactive e-learning course that provides an introduction to the key concepts involved in finance and investment. Students will explore real-life scenarios through the perspectives of various professionals, helping them to manage their money and build an understanding of the different careers available across the finance sector. Topics include investment strategies and risks, the benefits and types of investing, and portfolio management. 

We are thrilled to offer these cutting-edge, and state-of-the-art opportunities to our students. Our goal is for all Mount students to embark on their collegiate and professional careers as independent, knowledgeable, financially responsible citizens.