Personal Finance Alphabet
• List 26 words/terms that have to do with personal finance/economics in alphabetical order
• Use the term in a sentence
• Identify or define the term in economic or finance use.
*This should illustrate your creativity in some fashion. Use pictures or drawings of items, create a powerpoint presentation.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Letter to a Public Official
1) Select an issue of importance to you.
2) Research this issue on the internet.
3) Create a letter to an appropriate public official.
4) Express your point of view & why.
5) Ask the official what their position on the issue is and what they believe that the prospects are.
6) The letter should be between 3/4 & 1 1/2pp long.
7) It must be typed & given to the instructor.
8) Be polite, considerate, and courteous.
9) Do your best to minimize any and all grammar & spelling errors.
2) Research this issue on the internet.
3) Create a letter to an appropriate public official.
4) Express your point of view & why.
5) Ask the official what their position on the issue is and what they believe that the prospects are.
6) The letter should be between 3/4 & 1 1/2pp long.
7) It must be typed & given to the instructor.
8) Be polite, considerate, and courteous.
9) Do your best to minimize any and all grammar & spelling errors.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
**Opportunity Cost & Production Possibilities Curve**
How does opportunity cost relate to production possibilities?
Draw a production possibilities curve:
What does a pp curve show?
Indicate a point on the pp curve where resources are underutilized:
Indicate a point on the pp curve for future growth:
Describe how education or lack of education might impact a pp curve:
**Use chapters 1 & 2 in the text for this.
Draw a production possibilities curve:
What does a pp curve show?
Indicate a point on the pp curve where resources are underutilized:
Indicate a point on the pp curve for future growth:
Describe how education or lack of education might impact a pp curve:
**Use chapters 1 & 2 in the text for this.
**Factors of Production**
Identify & describe the Four (&sometimes fifth) Factors of Production:
How do these resources relate to maximum production of goods & services?
Use chapters 1 & 2 in the text.
How do these resources relate to maximum production of goods & services?
Use chapters 1 & 2 in the text.
Expanding the Money Supply
Through the use of a chart or table, explain how banks excess reserves are used to expand the money supply. You will use the terms 'excess reserves', as well as 'required reserves', 'deposits'.
(your text on p.409 may be of some help)
(your text on p.409 may be of some help)
Internet Fraud
What is internet fraud?
Describe each of these in terms of the internet:
• phishing
• identity theft
• spyware
• worm/virus
• phoney auction
• fake solicitation
• free gift
• pyramid scheme
Briefly describe for each, how these should be combated.
Describe each of these in terms of the internet:
• phishing
• identity theft
• spyware
• worm/virus
• phoney auction
• fake solicitation
• free gift
• pyramid scheme
Briefly describe for each, how these should be combated.
Insurance Needs
• What are some typical types of insurance that young adults need?
• Any other insurance that you might need in 10yrs NOT listed above?
• What might be two types of risks that teens face:
o How could you reduce/avoid those risks?
• What is the average cost of an emergency room visit:
ß A renter’s property
ß A disabling auto injury
ß Childbirth including associated costs
o How can you hold down insurance costs?
o What’s the “small print”?
ß What is sometimes NOT included in an insurance policy?
o List what average insurance costs @month might be?
o Identify at least two strategies that you can implement to maintain a good credit history:
o Final thoughts that this information leaves you with?
• Any other insurance that you might need in 10yrs NOT listed above?
• What might be two types of risks that teens face:
o How could you reduce/avoid those risks?
• What is the average cost of an emergency room visit:
ß A renter’s property
ß A disabling auto injury
ß Childbirth including associated costs
o How can you hold down insurance costs?
o What’s the “small print”?
ß What is sometimes NOT included in an insurance policy?
o List what average insurance costs @month might be?
o Identify at least two strategies that you can implement to maintain a good credit history:
o Final thoughts that this information leaves you with?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Vacation Project
You just received a $3000 tax refund. You & a friend are going to take a vacation. Where will you choose to go? You may choose to go anywhere in the USA. You do need to pick a large city or other well-known vacation spot. It could be one of the large US cities, a beach area, a mountain resort, a location of historical interest.
Identify where your destination is on a map of the United States. You may fly from the Quad-Cities (Moline, Illinois), Cedar Rapids, or Chicago (O’Hare or Midway Airports). Use www.travelocity.com to find the best airfare.
What is the airfare for two? You now have _____ remaining.
You will be staying for 5 nights. Look for lodging at www.expedia.com, www.frommers.com, www.hotels.com www.fodors.com, www.ayh.com, www.freetrip.com
How much will it cost for 5 nights?
Are there any special deals available?
Check at a travel website for the location. Is there cheap public transportation at the location?
If not, you will need to check into a rental car at www.alamo.com, www.hertz.com, www.thrifty.com, or other car rental website.
What are the special attractions at the location you’ve chosen?
What are your other expenses?
For example, are you at Disneyland, Williamsburg, or a place with admission charges?
Itemize your expenses:
What would you anticipate being your highlights?
List expenses in chart or table form.
• Include a USA map with your location & a state or area map indicating the location
• Tell why you selected the location you chose.
• Show pictures or photos of your vacation
• Write a description of your potential vacation in a 1-2 page paper. (optional)
• **Create a “foldable” or a powerpoint.
• You MUST show evidence of planning, predicting, analyzing, etc
• This should demonstrate your best effort & thinking.
Identify where your destination is on a map of the United States. You may fly from the Quad-Cities (Moline, Illinois), Cedar Rapids, or Chicago (O’Hare or Midway Airports). Use www.travelocity.com to find the best airfare.
What is the airfare for two? You now have _____ remaining.
You will be staying for 5 nights. Look for lodging at www.expedia.com, www.frommers.com, www.hotels.com www.fodors.com, www.ayh.com, www.freetrip.com
How much will it cost for 5 nights?
Are there any special deals available?
Check at a travel website for the location. Is there cheap public transportation at the location?
If not, you will need to check into a rental car at www.alamo.com, www.hertz.com, www.thrifty.com, or other car rental website.
What are the special attractions at the location you’ve chosen?
What are your other expenses?
For example, are you at Disneyland, Williamsburg, or a place with admission charges?
Itemize your expenses:
What would you anticipate being your highlights?
List expenses in chart or table form.
• Include a USA map with your location & a state or area map indicating the location
• Tell why you selected the location you chose.
• Show pictures or photos of your vacation
• Write a description of your potential vacation in a 1-2 page paper. (optional)
• **Create a “foldable” or a powerpoint.
• You MUST show evidence of planning, predicting, analyzing, etc
• This should demonstrate your best effort & thinking.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Check Out This Awesome Photo of Obama's Inauguration & the Crowd!
2009 Inauguration Photo - SUPER HI-DEF
This is absolutely the BEST in 'high definition'.....
Zoom in ('double-click' an area) ....and watch it focus. Then zoom some more... and wait for focus.
What a surveillance tool this is. !
This picture was taken with a robotic camera and weighs in at 1,474 megapixel. (295 times the standard 5 megapixel camera). It was a Canon that pulled together over 200 individual shots. Each zoom in takes a second to focus ...and then you can see some amazing reactions.
Bonus points if you find Yo-Yo Ma .... taking a picture with his iPhone. Cllick below:
http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c
This is absolutely the BEST in 'high definition'.....
Zoom in ('double-click' an area) ....and watch it focus. Then zoom some more... and wait for focus.
What a surveillance tool this is. !
This picture was taken with a robotic camera and weighs in at 1,474 megapixel. (295 times the standard 5 megapixel camera). It was a Canon that pulled together over 200 individual shots. Each zoom in takes a second to focus ...and then you can see some amazing reactions.
Bonus points if you find Yo-Yo Ma .... taking a picture with his iPhone. Cllick below:
http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c
Friday, January 30, 2009
Income of Wealthiest Increases
**This a portion of an article originally published at www.bloomberg.com
Richest Americans’ Income Doubled, Tax Rate Slashed Under Bush
By Ryan J. Donmoyer
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) – “The average tax rate paid by the richest 400 Americans fell by a third to 17.2 percent through the first six years of the Bush administration and their average income doubled to $263.3 million, new IRS data show.
The 17.2 percent tax rate in 2006 was the lowest since the IRS began tracking the 400 largest taxpayers in 1992. The drop from 2001’s tax rate of 22.9 percent was due largely to ex- President George W. Bush’s push to cut tax rates on most capital gains to 15 percent in 2003.
Capital gains made up 63 percent of the richest 400 Americans’ adjusted gross income in 2006, or a combined $66.1 billion, according to the data. In all, the 400 wealthiest Americans reported a combined $105.3 billion of adjusted gross income in 2006, the most recent year for which the IRS has data.”
Do a “4thought” on this article:
• Pre reading associations: What do I think that I know about the tax rate of the wealthiest Americans?
• Divide your paper (could use back of one of your sheets) into 4 SQUARES OR PARTS
o What surprised you that you didn’t already know? Any thing that you found “weird”?
o Are there any comparisons, similarities, contrasts that jump out at you?
ß (or use compare/contrast, prove, or cause/effect
o Is the United States as “fair” or “equal” as you presumed?
o What would be the reasons? Any changes you’d propose?
Any questions that this information leaves you with?
You may read the entire article at:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ar5uxG_wV87A&refer=us
Richest Americans’ Income Doubled, Tax Rate Slashed Under Bush
By Ryan J. Donmoyer
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) – “The average tax rate paid by the richest 400 Americans fell by a third to 17.2 percent through the first six years of the Bush administration and their average income doubled to $263.3 million, new IRS data show.
The 17.2 percent tax rate in 2006 was the lowest since the IRS began tracking the 400 largest taxpayers in 1992. The drop from 2001’s tax rate of 22.9 percent was due largely to ex- President George W. Bush’s push to cut tax rates on most capital gains to 15 percent in 2003.
Capital gains made up 63 percent of the richest 400 Americans’ adjusted gross income in 2006, or a combined $66.1 billion, according to the data. In all, the 400 wealthiest Americans reported a combined $105.3 billion of adjusted gross income in 2006, the most recent year for which the IRS has data.”
Do a “4thought” on this article:
• Pre reading associations: What do I think that I know about the tax rate of the wealthiest Americans?
• Divide your paper (could use back of one of your sheets) into 4 SQUARES OR PARTS
o What surprised you that you didn’t already know? Any thing that you found “weird”?
o Are there any comparisons, similarities, contrasts that jump out at you?
ß (or use compare/contrast, prove, or cause/effect
o Is the United States as “fair” or “equal” as you presumed?
o What would be the reasons? Any changes you’d propose?
Any questions that this information leaves you with?
You may read the entire article at:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ar5uxG_wV87A&refer=us
Richest Americans
• Locate & list the 40 richest Americans under the age of 30 or 40
o List by categories, athletes, entertainers, etc
ß Are there any patterns that you discern?
ß You may do another list of just the 40 richest Americans.
*One place to get this information might be at www.forbes.com
--You need to be certain that the information is relatively recent, it should be either 2008 or 2009.
o List by categories, athletes, entertainers, etc
ß Are there any patterns that you discern?
ß You may do another list of just the 40 richest Americans.
*One place to get this information might be at www.forbes.com
--You need to be certain that the information is relatively recent, it should be either 2008 or 2009.
Graph GDP
• You will create a graph of recent GDP Growth in the United States:
o 2005
ß 3.0%
ß 2.6%
ß 3.8%
ß 1.2%
o 2006
ß 4.8%
ß 2.75%
ß 0.8%
ß 1.5%
o 2007
ß 0.2%
ß 4.8%
ß 4.8%
ß -0.2%
o 2008
ß 0.9%
ß 2.8%
ß -0.5%
ß -3.8%
• What is the definition of a recession:
• What is the definition of real GDP:
• What appears to’ve been the best year:
• What were the best 1/4… worst?
*source: www.washingtonpost.com & bureau of labor statistics, 30 Jan 2009
o 2005
ß 3.0%
ß 2.6%
ß 3.8%
ß 1.2%
o 2006
ß 4.8%
ß 2.75%
ß 0.8%
ß 1.5%
o 2007
ß 0.2%
ß 4.8%
ß 4.8%
ß -0.2%
o 2008
ß 0.9%
ß 2.8%
ß -0.5%
ß -3.8%
• What is the definition of a recession:
• What is the definition of real GDP:
• What appears to’ve been the best year:
• What were the best 1/4… worst?
*source: www.washingtonpost.com & bureau of labor statistics, 30 Jan 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Use of Credit
• What are some purchases that we typically make with credit?
• Which of those would be positive or perhaps necessary uses of credit:
o What would be some uses of credit that would not be the best choices of when to use credit?
o What would be some of the circumstances in which credit becomes a problem, or a potential problem for consumers?
ß How can you avoid the pitfalls of credit use (abuse)?
ß Identify at least 5 fees associated with debit cards or checking accounts:
o What are some of the new problems that credit, credit card numbers, and computers pose in this age of digital communication and the internet?
o How can you prevent credit card fraud? (list at least six ways)
o Identify at least two strategies that you can implement to maintain a good credit history:
• Which of those would be positive or perhaps necessary uses of credit:
o What would be some uses of credit that would not be the best choices of when to use credit?
o What would be some of the circumstances in which credit becomes a problem, or a potential problem for consumers?
ß How can you avoid the pitfalls of credit use (abuse)?
ß Identify at least 5 fees associated with debit cards or checking accounts:
o What are some of the new problems that credit, credit card numbers, and computers pose in this age of digital communication and the internet?
o How can you prevent credit card fraud? (list at least six ways)
o Identify at least two strategies that you can implement to maintain a good credit history:
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