About DECKER & ASSOCIATES, INC.

DECKER & ASSOCIATES, INC.

A Social Impact Enterprise

Since 1980, Decker & Associates (D&A) has been a leader in the field of personal finance education. Decker & Associates has counseled thousands of employees empowering them to achieve their goals. D&A has real-life experience in achieving family goals, not just book knowledge.

In 2004, the Deckers launched two non-profit organizations to help families for free. Skills For Living focused on adult financial challenges and Financial Mentors of America working with young adults.

In 2007, D&A published its first Real Life print course through Amazon, Ready To Launch, for high school seniors.

In 2017, D&A published Real Life Financial Mathematics (RLFM) for high school students. RLFM was the only course approved by the Texas Education Agency. It is a rigorous one-year financial, tax, investment, college, and career planning blended on-line course. Students often take RLFM when pre-calc is not necessary for college prep. It integrates critical thinking, problem-solving assignments, and team discussions, to prepare students for a world environment of thinking and artificial intelligence. It is a CTE course, providing Texas school districts with additional funding to pay for instructional materials.

In 2023, D&A wrote Personal Financial Literacy & Economics for Real Life. This Texas Education Agency approved course meets 100% of the TEKS and ELPS. It is a one-semester, online course, and meets the requirements for Texas high school graduation.

In 2024, D&A responded to instructor requests to create Professional Development for Personal Financial Literacy. D&A Resource Team serves as mentors for this course with a foundation of critical thinking, problem-solving, Bloom’s Taxonomy and T-TESS Rubric Distinguished Level of instruction. This course is excellent for any US teacher of personal finance who want students to achieve real-life financial outcomes as young adults.

What do all Real Life courses have in common?

• All students need goals and long-term personal, financial, academic and career plans to optimize their future. This is a foundation principle upon which Real Life financial and economic education is built.
• Throughout all Real Life courses, students modify their goals and plans as they gain a deeper understanding of finances, insurance, taxes, investing, career readiness and funding post-secondary education. Real Life courses are engaging, rigorous, relevant, challenging, thought-provoking, and demand that students take responsibility for their actions today and in the future.
• Real Life curriculum is based on understanding, not memorization. It requires a personal desire for social-emotional development for students to accept responsibility for their education and future. Thinking, questioning, working in teams, and problem-solving are designed to support pre-frontal cortex development and decision making as a young adult.