Financial literacy crossword vocabulary pack

Teacher key

1. BUDGET · 6 letters · noun · introductory
   A monthly plan that assigns available money to needs, wants, and goals.

   Hint: Think of the plan you make before deciding how to use your money.
   Why it fits: This term fits because it names a forward-looking money plan. Students can compare expected earnings with likely costs and decide what amount to reserve for each category before spending.

2. INCOME · 6 letters · noun · introductory
   Money received from work, a business, or another regular source.

   Hint: It is the money coming in, before you decide where it will go.
   Why it fits: The answer is the general name for funds coming in. A paycheck is one example, but the concept can also include earnings from a small business or another source.

3. EXPENSE · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   A payment for something a person, household, or business uses.

   Hint: Look for the word for money going out to cover a cost.
   Why it fits: This is correct because it labels a cost that must be paid. Rent, transportation, and supplies can each be recorded as this kind of item in a money plan.

4. SAVINGS · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   Money deliberately kept for a later purpose instead of used now.

   Hint: It describes funds you reserve today for a future need or goal.
   Why it fits: The answer fits because it refers to putting some money aside. Keeping a reserve can help prepare for a planned purchase or an unexpected need without making a specific financial recommendation.

5. INTEREST · 8 letters · noun · intermediate
   An amount charged or earned because money is borrowed or deposited over time.

   Hint: This can be the price of using someone else's money for a while.
   Why it fits: This term applies in both lending and saving situations. It can add to what a borrower repays, or it can be credited to money held in an account, depending on the arrangement.

6. PRINCIPAL · 9 letters · noun · advanced
   The original sum borrowed or invested, before added charges or earnings.

   Hint: Focus on the starting amount, not the extra amount that may build over time.
   Why it fits: The answer names the starting balance. In a loan, payments may reduce this amount while interest is calculated separately; in an investment, it is the initial money put to work.

7. CREDIT · 6 letters · noun · intermediate
   An arrangement that lets someone receive money or goods now and repay later.

   Hint: It involves trust that a future payment will be made.
   Why it fits: This is the right term because it describes access before full payment. The arrangement may involve money directly or the purchase of goods and services with a future obligation.

8. DEBT · 4 letters · noun · intermediate
   Money or value that one party is obligated to repay to another.

   Hint: This is the obligation left after receiving money or value to be repaid.
   Why it fits: The answer identifies the unpaid obligation itself. It can result from borrowing, buying with delayed payment, or another arrangement in which repayment is required.

9. LOAN · 4 letters · noun · intermediate
   Funds provided under an agreement that they will be paid back later.

   Hint: Think of the money supplied at the beginning of a borrowing arrangement.
   Why it fits: This word fits the transaction in which funds are supplied with repayment terms. It differs from the unpaid balance, which is the obligation that remains after receiving the funds.

10. TAX · 3 letters · noun · intermediate
    A required payment collected by government to help fund public services.

    Hint: It is a compulsory payment connected with government services and programs.
    Why it fits: The answer is a general civic and financial term for a mandatory government charge. Collected funds can support shared public functions, with rules varying by jurisdiction and type of payment.

11. INFLATION · 9 letters · noun · advanced
    A broad rise in prices that can reduce what each unit of money buys.

    Hint: Think about a general pattern where the same amount purchases fewer items.
    Why it fits: This concept fits because it concerns overall price levels, not just a single store or item. When prices rise broadly, a fixed amount of money may obtain fewer goods or services.

12. INVESTMENT · 10 letters · noun · advanced
    Money or resources committed with the expectation of a future return or benefit.

    Hint: It involves putting resources to work for a possible later result.
    Why it fits: The answer covers a resource commitment intended to produce a later benefit. Outcomes can vary, so the clue teaches the general concept without suggesting a personal financial choice.

13. ASSET · 5 letters · noun · advanced
    Something owned that has value or could provide a future benefit.

    Hint: It names a valuable thing an individual or organization controls.
    Why it fits: This term fits a valuable resource, such as cash, equipment, or property. What matters is that it is controlled and has value, rather than that it represents an amount owed.

14. LIABILITY · 9 letters · noun · advanced
    A financial obligation that an individual or organization must settle.

    Hint: In an accounting picture, it is the side representing obligations to others.
    Why it fits: The answer is an accounting word for an obligation. It includes amounts owed and is commonly considered alongside resources owned when describing an organization’s financial position.

15. PROFIT · 6 letters · noun · advanced
    The amount left when a business brings in more than it spends.

    Hint: It is the positive remainder after the costs are subtracted from money earned.
    Why it fits: This word names the surplus after costs have been accounted for. It is different from total sales money because it considers what was spent to run the activity or provide the product.

16. REVENUE · 7 letters · noun · advanced
    Total money a business receives from its usual sales or services before costs are removed.

    Hint: This is the incoming total from business activity before subtracting operating costs.
    Why it fits: The answer is the money generated through normal business activity before expenses are subtracted. Comparing that incoming total with costs can help explain whether the business has a gain or loss.

17. COST · 4 letters · noun · intermediate
    The money or resources required to make, buy, or provide something.

    Hint: It is what must be given up or paid to obtain or produce something.
    Why it fits: This term fits the resources needed for an item or activity. A business may track this amount when making a product, while a household may consider it before choosing a purchase.

18. SCARCITY · 8 letters · noun · advanced
    The condition in which limited resources cannot satisfy every possible want.

    Hint: It explains why people and communities must make choices among competing wants.
    Why it fits: The answer describes why choices are necessary. Time, labor, land, and materials are finite, while people can imagine many uses for them, so priorities must be set.

19. DEMAND · 6 letters · noun · intermediate
    The willingness and ability of buyers to purchase a good or service at a given price.

    Hint: In economics, wanting an item matters along with being able to buy it.
    Why it fits: This term is more specific than simply wanting something. In market analysis, it concerns how much buyers can and will purchase at particular prices, which may change as conditions change.

20. SUPPLY · 6 letters · noun · intermediate
    The amount of a good or service that sellers are willing to offer at a given price.

    Hint: In a market, this describes the seller side rather than the buyer side.
    Why it fits: The answer concerns what producers can and will offer for sale. It is paired with buyer interest when classes explore how markets coordinate available goods and services.

Accept a different answer only when it matches the clue, length, grammar, and any supplied crossings. Use the reviewed answer when teaching the intended vocabulary target.