Financial Literacy Bingo Cards With a Definition for Every Term

Read a money definition; pupils find the term it describes and cover it.

Tap a square to mark it. For a PDF, press Print and choose Save as PDF.

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Money words list, 37 terms. Paste your own to replace it, or type to add to it.

Cards per printed page

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Ready to play

37 terms in the bag

Every term is called once, in random order.

Playing with 37 terms. The game is kept in this browser until you start a new one.

Called so far 0

Nothing called yet. Each call is listed here so a winning card can be checked.

Next step Print a financial literacy word searchPick a pupil to explain a term

How it works

Financial literacy bingo for middle and high school: 37 personal finance terms in five groups, from Paycheck and Budget to Credit score and Identity theft. Each term has a plain definition to read out.

Read the full guide

Read the definition

Press Call the game, then Call the next one. Read: "The pay you take home after taxes and other deductions are taken out." Pupils cover Net income, not Gross income.

Close pairs

Some squares differ by one idea: Needs and Wants, Salary and Wage, Debit card and Credit card. When a pupil calls bingo, ask them to tell each covered pair apart.

Questions and answers

How do you play financial literacy bingo?

Each pupil has a different card of 24 money terms. You read a definition, pupils work out the term and cover it. The first full row, column or diagonal wins, once the winner can explain each covered term.

What is the difference between gross and net income?

Gross income is your total pay before taxes and other deductions. Net income is what you take home after they are taken out, which is why it is also called take-home pay.

Does it give money advice?

No. It defines words and stops there: no rates, prices, banks or tips on what to do with money. The definitions follow the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's youth financial education glossary.

All 37 terms

Earning 8

  • Gross income Your total pay before taxes and other deductions are taken out.
  • Income Money you earn or receive, such as pay from a job, tips or gifts.
  • Net income The pay you take home after taxes and other deductions are taken out.
  • Paycheck A check for the pay you earned at your job.
  • Salary Pay that is the same fixed amount for each week or month worked.
  • Taxes Required payments to the government, which uses them for public goods and services.
  • Tip An extra payment a customer chooses to give a worker. It is also called a gratuity.
  • Wage Pay worked out by multiplying an hourly rate by the hours you worked.

Spending 8

  • Budget A plan for the money you expect to receive and how you will save or spend it. It is also called a spending plan.
  • Comparison shopping Comparing the prices and features of two or more similar products before you buy.
  • Fixed expenses Bills that must be paid each month and usually cost about the same amount.
  • Impulse purchase Buying something you had not planned to buy.
  • Needs Things people must have to live, such as food, clothing and a place to live.
  • Opportunity cost The next best thing you give up when you choose to spend your money or time on something.
  • Sales tax A tax added to the price of things you buy in a store, figured as a set percent of the price.
  • Wants Things that would be nice to have but are not necessary for living.

Saving and investing 7

  • Compound interest Earning interest on the money you saved and on the interest it already earned.
  • Emergency fund Money set aside for costs you did not plan for, such as a car repair.
  • Inflation When the prices of goods and services go up over time.
  • Interest A fee a borrower pays a lender for using money. A bank may also pay it on money you deposit.
  • Investment Something you spend money on because you expect it to earn more money later.
  • Savings Money you set aside in a safe place to use later.
  • Stock A small share of ownership in a company.

Banking and borrowing 9

  • Bank A business that keeps people's deposits, makes loans and handles money transactions.
  • Checking account A bank account you use to deposit money, pay bills and take money out.
  • Credit card A card that lets you borrow money up to a limit and pay it back later, with interest on what is unpaid.
  • Credit score A number worked out from your history of borrowing and paying back.
  • Credit union A place like a bank that is owned by its members.
  • Debit card A card that pays for things with money from your checking account.
  • Debt Money you owe to a person or a business.
  • Loan Money you borrow and must pay back, usually with interest.
  • Savings account A bank account for setting money aside that pays you interest.

Protecting what you have 5

  • Deductible The part of a cost you pay yourself before the insurance company starts to pay.
  • Identity theft When someone uses your personal information, like your name or card number, without your permission.
  • Insurance An agreement where a company pays for certain losses or damage in return for regular payments.
  • Premium The amount you pay for an insurance policy.
  • Scam A dishonest trick to cheat someone out of money or something important.

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