Personal Finance

Benchmark 4.01

Benchmark 4.01

Demonstrate an understand that personal spending, saving, and credit decisions have significant implications for the future

Competencies4.01.03

Explain the role and utilization of credit in a market economy

Sample indicators:• Give examples of different types of credit• Explain how credit systems operate or function• Indentify potential costs and benefits of using credit

Lesson 14 Credit: Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy?

Indicators for benchmark 4.01.03:• Explain how credit systems operate and function• Identify potential costs and benefits of using credit

Terms Choice Cost and benefits Credit Debt Interest Revolving credit

Lesson 14 Credit: Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy?

Objectives:1. Calculate interest payments, minimum balances and

the cost of credit.2. Develop and apply criteria for determining when the

use of credit is appropriate.

Before starting lesson 14

Ask students to define: Credit:

Revolving credit:

Contrast use of credit cards with debit cards

Before starting lesson 14

Ask students to define: Credit: is the ability to obtain goods or services before

paying for them, based on a promise to pay later. Thus, each time a person uses credit, he or she is borrowing money. Credit cards are merely short term loans

Revolving credit: is credit that is available up to a limit and automatically renewed as debts are paid off or paid down. People who use revolving credit often make partial payments on their unpaid balances at regular intervals. (credit cards offer revolving credit)

Begin Activities for lesson 14

Activity 1 and 2• 5 to 10 minutes• Read activity one • Complete activity two• Look at answers to activity two• If Justin pays $55 per month how long will it take him

to pay off is balance?

Problems with the use of creditCost versus benefit of using credit

Problems with the use of credit

Key is to look at the cost of using credit versus the benefits gained

• Advantages In an emergency To take advantage of opportunities such as sales Purchase valuable assets

• Disadvantages Increases cost of purchase Late fees Reduces capabilities to make other purchases in the future bankruptcy

Activity 3

• 5 to 10 minutes• In groups • Discuss the scenarios and decide whether the use of

credit is a good idea in each case.

Competencies4.01.02

Define money, explain the role of banks and contrasting them with security exchanges.

Sample indicators:• Explain how banks and other depository institutions

create money they lend.• Identify a security and how it might fit in a financial

system (e.g. a stock, bond)• Define the role of financial institutions (e.g. Federal

Reserve, banks, capital markets, etc.)

Lesson 34 Money and Monetary Policy

Indicators for Benchmark 4.01.02• Explain how banks and other depository institutions

create money when they lendTerms:

Federal Reserve Fractional reserve banking system Money Monetary policy Money supply

Visual 1

Money: anything that is generally accepted as final payment for goods and services

Money serves these purposes:• Medium of exchange: used to purchase goods and

services• Unit of account: it can be used to compare the value

of different goods and services.• Store of value: It can be held to buy something in the

future (does not guarantee equal purchasing power)

Money Supply:

• Narrow definition: currency (coins and paper money) in the hands of the public Currency is 48% of total and checking –type accounts

about 52%• Supply of money is important for price stability and economic

growth To much money in the economy can cause inflation To little money in the economy can lead to falling prices

and falling production• Federal Reserve controls the money supply by encouraging or

discouraging banks to make loans When a bank makes a loan the money supply increases by

the amount of the loan

Activity:

• How banks create money and the affect the money supply.

• Materials required: Handout cut in to pieces 50 dried beans Visual 2 (minus answers)

Visual 2 (minus answers)

Round 1 Money supply =

Round 2 Money Supply =

Round 3 Money Supply =

Activity

• Distribute 50 beans to the class (not an equal distribution) Beans are accepted for payment (coin or

currency) the money supply is 50• Instructor opens a bank where students can deposit

their beans. Ask: Why might people deposit money in a bank?

• Collect deposits replacing the beans with the bank deposit receipts (handout) Receipts can be turned into the bank for a bean

(e.g. Check)

Activity continued:

• Have a student use the receipt to buy an items from another student.

• What is the money supply now? What is its composition? (hint: only money in circulation is counted in the money supply)

• Tell students that the bank has decided to go into the lending business. Ask who would like to borrow money Explain fractional reserve system Give the student five bank receipts

• What is the money supply now? How many beans and bank receipts are in circulation?

Visuals 3 and 4

Visual 3 Structure of Federal Reserve• Why 12 Regional Federal Reserve Banks?

Visual 4 Totals used by the Federal Reserve to control the

money supply

Activity:

• How banks create money and the affect the money supply.

• Materials required: Handout cut in to pieces 50 dried beans

Activity:

• How banks create money and the affect the money supply.

• Materials required: Handout cut in to pieces 50 dried beans

Lesson SeventeenSaving, Investing, and The Invisible Hand

Indicators for benchmark 4.01.02:• Identify a security and how it might fit in a financial

system (e.g. a stock, bond)• Define the role of financial institutions (e.g. Federal

Reserve, banks, capital markets, etc.)Terms:

saving investment the stock market the bond market primary and secondary markets for financial securities banks

Lesson SeventeenSaving, Investing, and The Invisible Hand

Visual 1 Savings means not consuming

Questions that can be asked:• What are some reasons that some people save?

• When people save, they are usually trying to make themselves better off in the future. But can this saving help others as well? (banks and other financial instructions loan savings to others, thereby increasing the money supply

Visual 1 Investment production and purchase of machines,

buildings, and equipment that can be used to produce more goods and services in the future• Man made tool that goes back into production

of other goods and services

Visual 1 Personal investment purchase financial securities

such as stocks, bonds• More risky than savings accounts because they

may fall in value, but in most cases will pay a higher rate of return in the long run than the interest paid on savings accounts

Stocks vs. Bonds

• What is a bond? (a legal promise to repay money loaned to a business or government agency, with interest, on a specific date or dates)

• What is a stock? (purchasing shares of ownership in a corporation, hoping that the shares value will increase resulting in a financial gain)

Visual 2Two Kinds of Markets for Financial SecuritiesPrimary Markets: new issues of bonds and corporate

stocks are offered for sale to the public by companies and investment banks. (initial public offering): funds used by business for investment in new plants and equipment.

Secondary Markets: markets where previously issued stocks and bonds can be bought and sold by individuals and institutions: funds to the individual investors. (example: New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ)

Activity 1

• 5 minutes• Work in groups• For each scenario indicate whether it represents

S (savings) I (investment) P (personal investment) N (neither saving or investment)

Competencies4.01.01

Explain the role and impact saving has on building wealth.

End of slides