A new NGPF Question of the Day comes out via the blog every Monday-Thursday during the school year so you can count on having a fresh bell ringer to start your class. If you've ever wondered who writes them and how our team comes up with the questions, read on to find out. 

The current NGPF Question of the Day (QotD) team is made up of three NGPF team members who rotate writing the questions. They each shared background on their process for coming up with a fresh Question of the Day and reflections on some of their favorites. 

Mason Butts

Professional Development Leader & Web Developer

What are the benefits of using Question of the Day in the classroom?

A QotD is great for the classroom because they are quick engaging activities that can be used to jump-start any class period. They are also very flexible in implementation. You can use a QotD to briefly highlight a current event before you begin the topic of the day or can select a QotD related to your lesson and use it to hook your students and deepen the conversation.

How do you come up with questions and what are your go-to resources for getting ideas?

When planning an upcoming QotD I reflect on important topics at the moment for students. Sometimes it is related to a current issue in personal finance and sometimes it is critical knowledge for students to be familiar with. Most of my sources come from Forbes (particularly biographical sources) as well as Statista. 

What is your favorite Question of the Day?

My favorite QotD has to be $549 AirPods Max on credit...If you make the minimum payments, how long before this credit card bill is paid off? I have been updating this question each year with different items [PS5, Macbook, etc] and I think it is an important aspect of credit cards that students need to understand before using them as financial tools. Stretching to pay with a credit card for an item you want but can't actually afford will end up costing you much more in the long run!

In your history of writing Question of the Day, which answer most surprised you?

The most surprising statistic from a QotD was the correlation between economic recessions and the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team winning the World Series. Clearly there is no causation in this statistic, but I found the coincidence entertaining!

Tim Ranzetta

Co-Founder

What are the benefits of using Question of the Day in the classroom?

The first few minutes of any class period can really set the tone. A QotD captures student’s attention immediately with a topic that is relevant, engaging and up-to-date. The discussion prompt provides the added benefit of getting students talking. 

How do you come up with questions and what are your go-to resources for getting ideas?

I’m one of those finance nerds who probably reads way too much finance-related stuff. In the course of that reading, there will be that “aha moment” where I come across a statistic that surprises and enlightens me and I think “that would be a perfect question of the day!”

Two of my favorite sources are Visual Capitalist, which is a repository of amazing infographics and the daily Marketplace podcast which keeps me to up-to-date on the economy and personal finance. 

What is your favorite Question of the Day?

I love the question about how much a successful YouTuber earns if they have 1.4 million views on monthly basis. My son spends lots of time on YouTube and told me how he was going to do that for a living. So I asked him this QotD and…he was very disappointed! 

In your history of writing Question of the Day, which answer most surprised you?

The recency effect is kicking in so I’m going to say the question regarding the percent of 16- and 18-year-olds that have drivers’ licenses. I’m shocked about the change that has taken place over the past few decades and attitudes about cars. 

Ryan Wood

Curriculum Designer

What are the benefits of using Question of the Day in the classroom?

A huge benefit of QotD is how engaging they are. As they’re often centered around things like current events and interesting facts and figures, they're a great way to get students thinking, discussing, and asking questions.

How do you come up with questions and what are your go-to resources for getting ideas?

I usually look at the time of year–what big events are happening? What sports seasons are underway? Are there any business milestones or anniversaries happening? What are people doing with their finances around this time of year (taxes, etc.)? For brand new QotD, I often find great content in newsletters from places like Morning Brew and The Economist.

What is your favorite Question of the Day?

It’s almost too hard to pick a favorite, but the QotD I enjoy most are the ones that really make students think about a decision they might be faced with in the near future, or maybe they’re already having to face now. These ones are interesting because each student could have a different answer and be “correct,” so it brings about a lot of great discussion.

Examples include: “What percentage of high school students have considered vocational/trade schools?”; “What is the average amount of debt for college graduates?”; and “What is the recommended age to get a credit card?” 

In your history of writing Question of the Day, which answer most surprised you?

I was floored when I found out that almost 60% of online sales are made through Amazon. It’s pretty obvious that Amazon is a very large company, but I had no idea what an unbelievably huge hold they have on the online retail market.

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Click here to view all Question of the Day by unit. 

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.

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