Part 1 of 2 of the mid-term exam on Wednesday April 9th

At the end of our last class on Wednesday March 26th, I distributed the take-home part (Part 2) of the mid-term exam.  If you weren't able to make that class, you can access Part 2, you can do so by clicking on this link.  Bring your answers in to next class on April 9th, when everyone will be asked to complete the in-class (Part 1) part of the mid-term exam.  

What should you know for Part 1 (the in-class part of the mid-term)?

Here is a list of terms and definitions that I will ask about in short-answer, multiple choice, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank format: 

• examples of wants vs. needs
• budget
• budget surplus/deficit
• SMART goals
• net income
• deductions
• net pay vs disposable income
• net worth
• earned income
• inflation, the average rate of inflation in the U.S. since the 1920's
• FICA tax
• W-2 vs W-4 form
• exemptions/allowances
• retirement savings plans (Roth IRA, traditional IRA, 401K)
• examples of good uses of credit vs bad uses of credit
• fixed expenses vs variable expenses vs periodic expenses
• APR

You can use the entire period on Wednesday April 9th to complete both Part 1 and Part 2 of the mid-term exam.

Good luck!

Good Debt and Bad Debt

To access the Powerpoint Presentation please click on this link and download the file.  

Remember to answer the questions on slides 3, 14 and 15.   After you answer the questions, save your downloaded version as GoodDebtBadDebt_FirstNameLastName.PPT, attach this file to an email and send it to my email address at rwiegs@gmail.com

The reading assignment for this unit is Chapter 5 from the Magnelli text.

How to read and understand a pay-stub report

In this Powerpoint presentation, we review how to read a pay-stub or earnings statement from an employer.  To access this presentation, please click on this link.

Remember to answer the key questions on the last slide of the presentation, as per the assignment that is due for next Wednesday, October 8th.

How can I budget my money?

What is a budget?

How is it like being on a diet?

How is it like a blueprint for your money?

Here is a link for the Powerpoint presentation on how to track your monthly cash flows.

And here is a link for the JanetSpellingCashFlow.xls spreadsheet, with suggested % expense allocations and pie chart.

How to calculate car loan payments

For one of our assignments, students were asked to set a SMART goal for the purchase of a used car.  In this video, I show students how to calculate the monthly payments on a car loan, using both the Carmax.com and Bankrate.com auto financing calculators.    

To access this instructional video, please click on this link.