The Institute for Financial Literacy records documents its administrative activities from its founding in 2002 through 2014. It presents a valuable resource to anyone researching the development and evolution of financial literacy education in the United States from the 1970s through the 2010s. The collection includes materials such as curricula, booklets, and various educational activities aimed at teaching personal financial management skills for specific groups, including women, children, young adults, families, those experiencing poverty or financial hardships, and adults with limited knowledge of financial concepts such as credit, loans, bankruptcy, and investments. It also includes research - both compiled from other sources and studies conducted by the IFL- regarding the implementation and efficacy of financial literacy education initiatives as well as related government policies and public school curricula. The collection is arranged in three series: Administrative records, Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards records, and Library of Personal Finance.

The Administrative records series consists of materials generated to support the IFL's functions and document its activities from 2002 through 2014. It is arranged in six subseries: IFL publications; IFL press and marketing materials; Annual Conference on Financial Education (ACFE) records; IFL state licenses; Credit counseling and debt settlement research; and Non-IFL organizations materials.

IFL publications subseries comprises materials published or generated by the IFL or co-founder Leslie Linfield and related drafts, research, and correspondence. It includes a group of "Guide To…" pamphlets published between 2004 and 2010, several bankruptcy demographic reports, proposals, and outlines for courses administered by the IFL, different versions and drafts of national standards and best practices, and training manuals created for the Center for Financial Certifications (Fincert.org). This subseries is arranged alphabetically by the title of the materials and dates from 2003 to 2013.

IFL press and marketing materials subseries contains numerous press releases, materials promoting the IFL's programs and conferences, the EIFLE Awards, news articles, web page printouts, blog posts, and interviews that feature or mention the IFL. It includes promotional materials for many of the certifications offered by the Center for Financial Certifications (Fincert.org), credit counseling courses, the IFL's Annual Conference on Financial Education, Financial Literacy Day in Maine, and a variety of other community programs and online initiatives. The materials date from 2003 to 2013 and are arranged chronologically.

The Annual Conference on Financial Education (ACFE) records subseries contains documents generated by IFL staff to plan and conduct its conferences. The records include speaker introductions, schedules, agendas, presentations, remarks, registration lists, correspondence, orders and receipts, travel itineraries, to-do lists, and participant surveys. It is arranged chronologically by conference year from 2007 to 2014.

IFL state licenses subseries consists of correspondence, legislation, background research, and applications relating to the IFL's licensing requirements to operate as debt adjusters and credit counselors in individual states. There are files for thirty-seven states with documentation dating from 1998 to 2010. The files are labeled by state name and arranged alphabetically.

The Credit counseling and debt settlement research subseries contains large quantities of research compiled by IFL staff in response to changing federal policies and regulations regarding tax exemptions for organizations (such as the Institute for Financial Literacy) that grant credit counseling services. It includes printouts of various federal policies, correspondence between the IFL and the Internal Revenue Service, documentation regarding the revocation of 501(c)(3) status to numerous companies in the United States, and research regarding debt relief services. Research date from 1963 to 2013 and arranged chronologically by the earliest creation date of items in each file.

The final subseries, Non-IFL organizations materials, consists of files compiled by the IFL that document relevant activities and undertakings of other organizations, programs, events, and government directives that are not administered by or directly related to the Institute for Financial Literacy. Files are arranged alphabetically and date from 1988 to 2013.

The Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards records series pertains to the IFL's management and distribution of the EIFLE Awards from 2007 to 2014. It includes applications, submission forms, questionnaires, supporting documentation (submitted by applicants), judging forms, and notes by IFL staff members. The series is arranged into subseries based on award year, maintaining the original arrangement of the IFL. Likewise, the files, which divide winners and non-winners and sometimes distinguish individuals or groups of award categories, also follow the original order. Some files contain complete submission packages, while others are incomplete. Some materials submitted for award consideration are also included in the Library of Personal Finance, particularly educational materials and books that won the EIFLE Awards.

The final series, Library of Personal Finance, represents a portion of the materials amassed and maintained by the IFL as a research collection pertaining to personal finance education for researchers, academics, and government entities. Created in 2005, the Library contains financial literacy materials dating from 1970 to 2013. The Library documents the evolution and development of financial literacy programs and initiatives in the United States for over four decades. Many materials target specific groups such as women, children, young adults, families, those experiencing poverty or financial hardships, and adults with limited knowledge of financial concepts such as credit, loans, bankruptcy, and investments. The series is arranged in four subseries: Curricula, instructional and pedagogical materials; Conferences, symposia, and meeting records; Research papers, reports, and findings; and Audiovisual materials.

Curricula, instructional, and pedagogical materials subseries make up the bulk of the entire collection and consist of records that instruct, guide, educate or train non-specialists, and professional educators in various aspects of financial literacy and money management. This subseries includes curricula for formal or self-guided courses, lesson plans, teacher guides, training manuals, workshop plans, consumer guides, handouts/handbooks, workbooks, and resource guides. The authors of the materials are a range of non-profit organizations, government organizations, for-profit entities such as banks and mortgage companies, public and private school systems, and individuals with a wide range of professional backgrounds and expertise. The curricula date from 1970 to 2013 and are arranged alphabetically by title.

The subseries Conferences, symposia, and meeting records subseries include agendas, proceedings, abstracts, presentations, programs, and promotional materials for various professional association meetings. The records date from 1982 to 2010 and are arranged alphabetically.

The subseries Research papers, reports, and findings are arranged alphabetically by title. The research dates from 1979 to 2012.

The final subseries, Audiovisual materials, consists of personal financial management instruction recorded on videocassettes, sound cassettes, videodiscs (DVD), and CD-ROMs. It contains lectures, instructional programs, and interactive computer tutorials, lessons, and games aimed at adults, young adults, or children. The materials date from 1987 to 2011 and are arranged in alphabetical order.