A Conversation with Teacher of the Year, Chad Mallo

A Conversation with Teacher of the Year, Chad Mallo

Author: Next Gen Personal Finance February 19, 2026 Duration: 53:24

Yanely talks to Chad Mallo, a former loan officer turned award-winning educator, to unpack how early money memories, and a family's bill-paying routines, can shape lifelong financial habits. Chad shares what it really took to leave a two-decade banking career for the classroom, including the mindset shifts, sacrifices, and "am I truly helping people?" moment that changed everything. Together, they explore how teachers can build trust, make personal finance feel relevant in a cashless, app-driven world, and learn alongside students without "faking it." You'll hear practical strategies for creating a safe classroom culture, addressing the digital divide, and helping students talk about money even when it's taboo at home. Chad also highlights powerful success stories from student entrepreneurship competitions and a memorable example of differentiated assessment that helped a reluctant student demonstrate mastery.


Behind the mission of Next Gen Personal Finance-a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every U.S. high school student takes a personal finance class-is a vibrant community of educators constantly refining their craft. The NGPF Podcast sits at the heart of that conversation. It’s a space where teachers, curriculum specialists, and sometimes even students share their real-world experiences and challenges in bringing financial literacy to life. You’ll hear practical discussions about what actually works in the classroom, from innovative lesson plans to navigating tricky topics like investing, credit, and behavioral economics. The episodes, often born from the organization's deep investment in teacher professional development, feel less like formal lectures and more like insightful coffee-break chats with colleagues who are just as passionate about empowering the next generation. Tuning into this podcast offers a direct line to the strategies and stories that are shaping financially capable young adults, all grounded in the high-quality resources NGPF is known for. It’s an essential listen for anyone invested in the practical side of financial education, whether you're in a classroom or simply believe in the critical importance of these skills for the future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

NGPF Podcast
Podcast Episodes
What the Research Actually Says About Financial Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:15
For over 12 years, Carly Urban has been researching one question: does financial education actually work? As a Professor of Economics at Montana State University, she's co-authored the most comprehensive meta-analysis of…
The Student's Guide to Financial Freedom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:22
Dr. Paris Woods is the bestselling author of The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom. She is a lifelong educator and leading voice in economic mobility and financial empowerment who has been featured in Essence, CNN,…
Howard "Pete" Colhoun on Democratizing Investment Knowledge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:18
For decades, Pete Colhoun brought Wall Street to Main Street as a panelist on Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser, helping millions of Americans understand investing and the economy. With an MBA from Harvard and experie…
Why Tax Literacy Matters with Zoe Callaway of the Tax Foundation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:33
As Vice President of Education at the Tax Foundation, Zoe Callaway oversees TaxEDU, a tax literacy initiative born from a striking discovery: over half of Americans lack basic tax literacy, regardless of age, income, or…
Making Personal Finance Fun and Hands-On with Stephen Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:43
Ever wonder why some kids reach adulthood terrified of money while others handle it with confidence? In this episode, Yanely sits down with Steven Day, former high school teacher and author of Teach a Kid to Save: A Fun,…
Creating Skeptical Financial Consumers with Sheila Bair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
In this NGPF Speaker Series episode, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair joins Tim Ranzetta to celebrate the launch of her new book for teens, How Not to Lose a Million Dollars. Bair explains why she wrote the book, aiming to…
Part 3/3: The Real Truth About Educational ROI After High School [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:02
In this episode, Mark Salisbury tackles one of the most misunderstood concepts in post-secondary planning: return on investment. He makes the case that ROI genuinely matters, then exposes the shaky data behind popular RO…