This grade 12 lesson provides students with an understanding of real world investing and of the effects of day to day decisions on their financial futures. The lesson is based on a fictitious situation in which a financial management consultant (the student) must help a new widow with young children put her finances in order after her husband's death. Students are provided with background information, detailed instructions, on-line resources, and reflection questions. The teacher's notes describe the unit's purpose, its correlation to history/social science and language arts standards, and adaptations for special needs students. (BT)