Not every debt is bad

A mortgage for housing and a quick loan for a phone are not the same thing, even though both are debt. When schools only talk about how debts are evil, students take away fear, not skills.

It's more useful to ask three things: what am I getting for it, how long will it last me, and how much will I pay for it in total. A whole lesson can be built on these questions.

Responsible thinking about loans is a skill that a student will use sooner than they think — at their first rental, at their first car.