Category Financial Planning

Jun 24 2015

Reduced Money Worries

To minimize money worries and achieve greater financial freedom, five steps are recommended:

1.  Budget – create a simple money plan to track income, expenses, and savings. Closely monitor small daily expenses, which can quickly add up to large amounts.

2. Reduce – avoid buying unnecessary and unfulfilling items that pile up and collect dust. Make a conscious choice to reduce your consumption and unneeded spending.

3. Recognize – avoid debt to purchase things that you believe will impress others.

4. Educate – learn as much as you can about wise money management and personal financial planning.

5.  Get started – take action today to spend less, save, and learn more about wise money choices. Your habits will not change overnight, but a small step toward financial security can occur immediately. Consistent action will make a difference.

For additional information on reducing money worries, click here.

 

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students create a list of common causes of money worries.
  • Have students prepare a drama with suggested actions for reduced money worries.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What are common actions that can help reduce money worries?
  2. Why do people consistently behave in a manner that creates money worries?
Jun 20 2015

New Crisis Possible, But, Not Like 2008: Geithner

“Even with the challenges in the U.S. economy, America is a ‘lucky country.’ “

During a CNBC interview, former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the market reforms after 2008 put “much more capital into the system” and “much tougher rules on risk-taking.”  He went on to say that the reforms are strong enough, if they’re not eroded, to buy this country a relatively long period of financial stability.

Although the American economy is doing relatively well and making steady progress at the present time,     a financial crisis will happen again at some point.  Still the structural reforms undertaken after 2008 can serve to mitigate any future damage.  Mr. Geithner concludes that if a financial crisis does happen in the future, the Federal Reserve and the government would need to act again.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Discuss how the economy affects the lives of the average U.S. citizen.
  • Point out specific steps the government took to stabilize the economy and the financial markets during the economic crisis that began in 2008.

Discussion Questions

  1. How does a healthy economy affect you and your family? How does a weak economy affect you and your family?
  2. At a time when many people believe the government is too involved in the lives of individuals and business, should the government take steps to stabilize the economy and financial markets during an economic downturn? Explain your answer.
Jun 17 2015

Personal Finance Stress Test

To avoid financial disaster, several measurements are available for assessing a person’s personal financial stress:

  1.  The Debt-to-Income Ratio is obtained by dividing your debts by pretax earnings.  Generally this number should be less than 28 percent, without your mortgage, or 36 percent, including your mortgage payment.
  2.  Discretionary Expenses involve spending for items other than fixed obligations and variable nondiscretionary items, such as food and utilities. Purely discretionary expenses may involve recreation and vacations.  An analysis of these categories will allow you to delay, reduce, or eliminate various expenses to avoid financial difficulties.
  3. Emergency Savings should be able to cover three to nine months of living expenses. These funds should be readily available in savings or other easily liquidated accounts. Greater financial greater obligations will require a larger emergency fund.
  1. Additional Income involving wages or tips from a part-time job or selling personal possessions can provide a cushion in times of financial difficulty.
  1. Total Assets, both liquid and non-liquid, will reduce your vulnerability to financial turmoil.

For additional information on the personal finance stress test, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students calculate one or more of these measurements for their life situation.
  • Have students prepare a short creative video with a summary of these measurements.

Discussion Questions 

  1. Why is liquidity important for reduced financial stress?
  2. What actions would you recommend to for a person to reduce their personal financial stress?
Jun 10 2015

Saver Survey

Each year, America Saves (www.americasaves.org) conducts a survey or its program participants to determine the attitudes and behaviors of savers.  The most recent study reports that:

  • People save mainly for their emergency fund, retirement, or repaying debt.
  • People in formal savings programs, such as America Saves, report saving larger amounts.
  • Married respondents saved much more than single respondents.
  • Females and males have different saving purposes; females favored saving for an emergency fund, males favored retirement saving.
  • Savers involved in America Saves are saving more, are more confident in their ability to manage their money, and are managing their debt better while feeling more optimistic about their financial situation.

The complete Savers Survey report is available here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk to others about their savings habits and goals.
  • Have students prepare a graph to monitor their savings activities.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What actions can help encourage a person to have more effective savings habits?
  2. Why does being involved in an organized savings program result in more savings and better money management activities?
Jun 3 2015

Financial Flowerpots

Many devices are used for effective money management.  One is called “the financial flowerpot system,” with each imaginary pot representing an account where you “plant” the funds for achieving a financial goal.  When you direct money into this account, it’s like watering and feeding your goal.

To fill up the “financial flowerpots,” start a regular saving and investing plan with the money automatically withdrawn from your paycheck or bank account.  This automatic savings plan may be viewed as an automatic watering system for an actual flowerpot.

Three main flowerpots are recommended:

1.  The Solutions Flowerpot is the emergency fund.  These funds are available to solve problems and have a financial cushion, giving you financial peace of mind.

2. The Retirement Flowerpot is to save for your future financial independence.

3. The College Flowerpot is for those who are saving for their children’s education or for their own advanced studies in the future.

Smaller flowerpots may be used for other financial goals.  For each flowerpot, set aside a savings amount each month that will grow to your desired goal in the timeframe you set.

For additional information on financial flowerpots, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students obtain information from others about the methods used to achieve financial goals.
  • Have students propose a method they might use to achieve a financial goal.

Discussion Questions 

1. What are the benefits of thinking of savings goals as financial flowerpots?
2. What are other potential savings goals for various household situations?

May 30 2015

Household Wealth

The net worth of U.S. households grew to over $80 trillion at the end of 2014. This change was almost a two percent increase over the previous year.  The increase was mainly the result of higher stock prices.  Also, increased home values added to the new wealth. This increased wealth is expected to result in expanded consumer spending for improved economic activity.

For additional information on household wealth, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk to several people about the types of assets held by their household.
  • Have students prepare a personal balance sheet that reflects their personal wealth.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What types of economic activity can result in higher personal wealth in a society?
  2. What personal financial decisions affect personal wealth?
  3. What are benefits and potential concerns of a higher personal wealth?
May 20 2015

Financial Literacy Month

April was Financial Literacy Month; however, every month should involve efforts to better understand personal financial planning principles and practices. The website 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy offers a wide range of tools and information to help people develop money management skills at every stage of life.

Other resources to provide financial planning assistance include the:

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk ask people to describe their definition of “financial literacy.”
  • Have students obtain financial literacy suggestions using online research.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What are the common elements of financial literacy?
  2. How might a person improve their financial literacy?
Mar 28 2015

Affordable School Tips

To help students and their families reduce the costs associated with college, AffordableSchoolsOnline.com provides information and links on various topics.  Features of this website, which was previously known as FrugalDad.com, include coverage college selection, financial aid, saving for college, and career trends for selecting a major.

For additional information on money-saving tips for school, click here:

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students conduct online research to determine actions that might be taken to reduce education costs.
  • Have students interview various people to determine actions to take to reduce education costs.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What actions have you taken to reduce education costs?
  2. Describe attitudes and beliefs that may minimize a person’s desire to reduce their education costs.
Mar 25 2015

Financial advice for singles

Since they usually have fewer financial responsibilities, singles have a greater opportunity to save for a future family, advanced career training, or long-term financial security (retirement). Singles are also able to share their time (volunteering), talents (teaching others skills/knowledge they possess), and treasures (financial donations) to address local and global concerns related to education, hunger, safe water, health care, job training, and other social issues. Single people, as well as others, may take advantage of free community events, doing volunteer work, and using barter/exchange platforms to share recreational facilities, events, and experiences.

For additional information on financial advice for single, click here:

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk with others who are involved in addressing various social concerns through volunteering and other community service activities.
  • Have students survey several people to determine various actions that might be considered for achieving financial goals.

Discussion Questions 

  1. How does your life situation affect your financial responsibilities and spending?
  2. What short-term and long-term financial goals are you planning for at this point in your life?
Feb 18 2015

The Seven Baby Steps (Dave Ramsey)

“Get out of debt the same way you learned to walk–one step at a time.”

This article describes Dave Ramsey’s seven steps that anyone can take to get out of debt and begin to manage their personal finances.  These seven basic principles have been taught by Mr. Ramsey via radio, books, Financial Peace University, live events, and online.  Listed below are the seven steps discussed in this article.  Note:  You can get more information about each step by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

  1. Begin by creating a $1,000 emergency fund.
  2. Pay off all debt using the debt snowball .
  3. Save 3 to 6 months of expenses in a savings account.
  4. Invest 15 percent of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement accounts.
  5. Create a college funding plan for your children.
  6. Pay off your home mortgage early.
  7. Build wealth and give.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Ask students visit the Dave Ramsey website.
  • Discuss some or all of the seven baby steps described in this article. Reminder:  Students can get more information by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can the seven baby steps help you manage your personal finances?
  2. Do the steps in this article make you want to change your priorities and what’s important in your life? Justify your answer.