QR Code Directions

1. Make a QR Code that when scanned will direct the viewer to your BLOG.

Hint:

• Goto VIEW BLOG; 
• Copy URL at top in Browser Window; 
• Paste URL in the QR Code Generator of your choice.
• Right-Click on the QR Code image and SAVE the image to MY DRIVE.
• Send me an EMAIL with the QR Code pasted in the message.

That is all.  DOIT!

Personal Finance 2nd Quarter Final

REMEMBER: You can use any resource available to you to help with research and finding the answers. You cannot copy and paste from any site including your own notes and blog. You MUST not use your neighbor as a resource--Do Your Own Work.

Warm-Up: Money, Money, Money

Please Read the Following Article:

Copy and paste the following directions and questions into your BLOG. Title your post "Warm-Up: Money, Money, Money", and answer the questions.

In just a few sentences, and in your own words answer the title:

1. What is Money?

2. How is it created?

Banking 101

Misconceptions Around Banking:

There’s a lot of confusion about how banks work and where money comes from. Very few members of the public really understand it. Economics graduates have a slightly better idea. In course we’ll discover how banks really work, and how money is created. But first, to clear up any confusion, we need to see what’s wrong about the way that most people think banks work:

Have you read this article?

Please Read the Following Article:

What is a dollar? Sure, it allows us to buy things like food, cars, and iPods; yet, most of us don't really understand money beyond that. Dr. Martenson not only provides an understandable definition, but also explains what gives our green pieces of paper value, and what dangers any currency must face.

 

Understanding how money is created provides a foundation for appreciating the implications of our massive levels of debt, because it tells us how that debt came into being. As John Kenneth Galbraith once said, "The process by which money is created is so simple, the mind is repelled." Dr. Martenson walks us through this simple process of fractional reserve banking. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 12/18/15

Following the readings and viewings in this post, you should have a working understanding of how money is created, without being "minted" at the Federal Reserve.

Using Google Docs, explain, in detail, "How Money is Created" (that's the title for your essay).

The completed paper MUST be embedded in your BLOG, you will need to re-size the view window. I use the following: width="800" height="1200".

The completed paper MUST be in "accurate" MLA format. Refer to older BLOG posts for review of this format. I will check for the following: Header with last name and page number, Heading with name, instructor, class, date, Title, and paragraph rules (indent and double-space).

NOT including the above items, the content of your essay may be no less than 250 words. Use CTRL+SHIFT+C to use the DOCS word count. Remember to subtract out your paper heading information.

Once, the paper is completed and properly embedded, please send me an EMAIL with your BLOG address. I would suggest that you complete the essay earlier than the due date, if you need to make corrections to increase your score, this will allow you the time to do so.

What About Banking?

All you ever wanted to know about BANKING!

bank·ing

ˈbaNGkiNG/

noun

1. the business conducted or services offered by a financial institution licensed as a receiver of deposits 

   "with this account, you are entitled to free banking"
2. .

When you think of a bank, the first thing that comes to mind might be the place that holds your checking account. But there are several different types of banks, all serving different types of customers.

You might not have heard of all of these banks, but each institution probably plays some part in your everyday life. Different banks specialize in different areas, which makes sense – you want your local bank to put everything they can into serving you better (and online banks can do their thing without the bother of managing multiple branch locations).

Types of Banks

Some of the most common banks are listed below. Some banks work in multiple areas (for example, a bank might offer personal accounts, business accounts, and even help large enterprises raise money in the financial markets).

• Retail banks are probably the banks you’re most familiar with: your checking and savings accounts are held at a retail bank, which focuses on consumers as customers. Learn more about retail banks.

• Commercial banks focus on business customers. Businesses need checking and savings accounts just like individuals do, but they also need more complex services. They might need to accept payments from customers, rely heavily on lines of credit to manage cash flow, and they might use letters of credit to do business overseas. Learn more about commercial banking.
• Investment banks help businesses work in financial markets. If a business wants to go public or sell debt, they’ll use an investment bank. Learn more about investment banks.
• Central banks manage the monetary system for a government. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank is the US central bank responsible for managing economic activity and supervising banks. Learn more about central banks.

• Credit unions are similar to banks, but they are not-for-profit organizations owned by their customers (most banks are owned by investors). Credit unions offer products and services more or less identical to most retail and commercial banks. Learn more about credit unions.
• Online banks operate entirely online – there are no physical branch locations to talk with a teller or personal banker. Many brick-and-mortar banks also offer online services, such as the ability to view accounts and pay bills online, but internet-only banks are different: they often offer competitive rates on savings accounts and they’re likely to offer free checking. Learn more about internet-only banking.

• Savings and loans are less prevalent than they used to be, but they are still important. This type of bank was important in making home ownership mainstream, using deposits from customers to fund home loans. Learn more about savings and loans.

Depending on your needs, you might not ever have direct exposure to some of the banks listed above. However, it’s wise to at least have a bank account for your personal needs (see Why you Need a Bank Account), and if you run a business it’s essential to separate your personal and business finances with a business account.

click on the link above "BANKING" to open a shared document. You will need to make a copy of this document to your DRIVE so that you can EDIT it. Begin to fill in the information as you find these answers on the internet--Banking Scavenger Hunt

WARM-UP: December 3, 2015

Banks and Consumer Services:

Warm–Up:

Create a BLOG post titled: "Banks and Consumer Services: Warm-Up".
Write down the following three KEY QUESTIONS in your BLOG. Answer the questions and thoroughly as possible, provide as much information as you can.

Key Questions:

1.       What are banks?

2.      What do they do?

3.      How do individuals use them?

Personal Finance Applications: A Review

READING:
Each of the images and article titles below are a link to an online article. Read each of the following articles. When completed with the reading, please enter your name into the form confirming that you have read each article in the post.

Read Article

Read Article

Read Article

Read Article

Read Article

Read Article

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 12/01/15

Create a POST in your BLOG 
TITLE: Personal Finance Article Review
(This is a POST and is NOT an Embedded Document)
For this post complete the following:

1. SELECT 3 ARTICLES: Write a summary of each article that you select. List the title and the author of each article you select. Be certain to cover the author's topic, main points, and conclusion. Each summary should be 150 words or more.
2. FOR CLASS 2A-8th ONLY: Select an additional article to write an additional summary. You have made it clear that you currently lack respect for the educational process, and since I am tasked with providing you with a working knowledge of personal finance--I will attempt to do so through the means of additional work.

This Assignment is for 2A-8th Grade ONLY

The following is an article on the 6 STEPS to Financial Planning:

Walking Through the 6 Steps of Financial Planning

You can plan like a CFP if you follow these steps

By Kent Thune, InvestorPlace Contributor  |  Feb 17, 2015, 11:44 am EST

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 11/12/15

You will write a summary paper of the article, provide your own interpretation as to why the particular step is:

• Summarize the meaning of each step
• Explain the importance of the step to the Process
• Describe the relevancy of it's position in the steps
• Postulate as to the function of the process if the step were to be skipped
• Provide a conclusion at the end of the paper, include major concepts that stood out to you, in this process.

Be Sure to EMBED your paper in your BLOG -- DO NOT post it directly to your BLOG

Don't remember how to set up your page for MLA format? Here is a short video that you can follow for setting GOOGLE Docs to print in MLA format.

Now Let's Put a Plan into ACTION!

What is personal finance?

It is everything in your life that involves money. Personal Financial Planning is arranging to spend, save, and invest money to live comfortably, have financial security, and achieve goals. Everyone has different financial goals.

Goals are the things that you want to accomplish. Buy a house? Buy a car? Pay for your education? Planning your personal finance is important because it will help you to reach your goals, no matter what they are.

It is up to you to make and to follow your financial plan. Whether spending or saving or investing money, planning can help you to make big or small financial decisions. The financial planning process has SIX steps to help you reach your goals. You were to list and to describe each of these six steps to developing a financial plan--NOW it is time to put those STEPS into PRACTICE.

Complete the following exercise with a PARTNER. Each of you will need to EMBED your DOCUMENT in your individual BLOGS (make sure to resize the view frame)--but, make certain that BOTH of your NAMES are on the DOCUMENT.

EXERCISE: (Use Either GOOGLE DOCS or GOOGLE SPREADSHEET for your submission Your DOCUMENT MUST BE EMBEDDED in your BLOG).

You and your friend are both employed and work earning together at the same office, you each have your driver's license, and have at least one car available to you. Your Friend's aunt lives in Orange County California, and you know that you can stay with her for a road trip to California--

Let's Go to Disneyland!

You and your friend live in Eagle, Idaho and are planning a trip to Disneyland. You are wanting to stay for four (4) nights and leave for home on the fifth (5th) day. You are travelling on a Monday through a Friday, and you are planning to be gone on the FIRST week of MAY 2016.

You each make $415 a week after taxes. Your fixed expenses are $835 per month and your variable expenses are $420 per month. You always "try" to put $200 into savings every month also. You are NOT going to use your savings for the trip, but you can not put as much into savings since you are planning the trip.

You both decide to SPLIT the costs of the TRIP 50-50, and you are not going to start your Financial Plan for this trip until after the holidays--got to buy all those Christmas Presents!

Design a Financial Plan that will allow you to set-aside enough money to make this trip with your friend. Use the following article as a guide.

Walking Through the 6 Steps of Financial Planning

You can plan like a CFP if you follow these steps

By Kent Thune, InvestorPlace Contributor  |  Feb 17, 2015, 11:44 am EST

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 11/12/15

• Create a POST in your BLOG; you may want to write this on a paper and EMBED it, but you can also type the following into your BLOG:
• Create a Budget for your VACATION the BUDGET should reflect the costs of ONE member of the team, and not the total for BOTH members of the team.
• Topics should include:
• Transportation
• Food and Snacks
• Lodging
• Tickets to Attractions
• Gifts and Souvenirs
• Write a description of each and how you determined your budget amount and particulars of your plan regarding each topic
• Create a PERSONAL budget for one member of the team
• Topics should include:
• Income
• Fixed Expenses
• Variable Expenses
• Savings
• Expendable Income
• Write a Paragraph on the process that you used to complete this project, rate the difficulty of trying to make the numbers all work. Demonstrate that you were able to develop a plan that allowed for $200 into PERSONAL SAVINGS each month as well as SAVE enough for your VACATION FUNDS.

EXPENDABLE INCOME CANNOT BE GREATER THAN THE COST OF THE TRIP.

Well, now that you are done with your planning.....

Download the spreadsheet below to your computer. Enter into the spreadsheet the values that you have come up with for each item. Notice that the spreadsheet does all of the calculations for you.

WATCH CAREFULLY..... remember.....

EXPENDABLE INCOME CANNOT BE GREATER THAN THE COST OF THE TRIP.

Directions for Submission of this Project:

• Click on the image of the WORKSHEET. You will be taken to a shared document. You will NOT be able to MODIFY this SHARED document.
• Download the document to your DRIVE; 
• Goto FILE and then to MAKE A COPY.
• Change the Name in the Dialog Box from "Copy of NSCS Journey to Disneyland" to "YOUR NAME Journey to Disneyland" (replace the letters "Copy of NSCS" with your NAME.)
• Fill in the numbers that you and your partner have agreed upon for your trip.
• USE THE WHITE BOXES ONLY
• Fill in explanations for the your budgeted amounts for the items on the worksheet.
• Answer the questions asked at the end of the worksheet
• EMBED into your own BLOG the WORKSHEET and the DOCUMENT that you prepared with your partner for this project

You will receive TWO (2) scores for this project:

• 10 possible points for the "Journey to Disneyland Worksheet"
• 10 possible points for the Documents that you prepared while gathering and analyzing data

SCORE: Worksheet: 10 points for balanced worksheet, and well thought out and developed answers to questions. 9-7 points for answers missing content 6-5 points for a worksheet where Expendable Income is less than the Cost of the Trip

SCORE: Your Submission: 10 points for a well thought out and developed plan, regardless of ending cost, 9-7 points for missing elements 6-5 points for a submission of any relevance.

The Mint

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 10/30/15

Create a POST in your BLOG 
TITLE: The MINT
(This is a POST and is NOT an Embedded Document)
For this post complete the following 3 tasks:

1. GIVE a goal for each of the three that you might have with regard to personal finance:
1. Short-Term Goal
2. Intermediate Goal
3. Long-Term Goal
2. CLICK on the following link: The MINT
   for each tab on the webpage look through the TIPS on the left side menu, select one and write about what you learned from that TIP. (Complete paragraph)
3. CLICK on the final tab, "TRY IT". Select several of the items, calculators, or predictors, write a short summary of the one that you selected and what you learned from the item that you selected. (Complete paragraph)

Personal Financial Planning and Goal Setting

What is Personal Finance? 

It is everything in your life that involves money. Personal Financial planning is arranging to spend, save, and invest money to live comfortably, have financial security, and to achieve financial goals. Everyone has different financial goals. Planning your personal finances is important because it will help you to reach your goals, no matter what they are. BUT, it is up to you to make and follow a financial plan. 

• Here are some of the benefits of financial planning: 
• You have more money and financial security. 
• You know how to use money to achieve your goals. 
• You have less chance of going into debt that you cannot handle. 
• You can help your spouse and support your children, if you have a family. 

 Whether you are spending, saving, or investing money, planning can help you to make big or small financial decisions. The financial planning process has six steps to help you reach your goals:

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:           Due: 10/30/15

Create a POST in your BLOG 
TITLE: Personal Finance Planning
(This is a POST and is NOT an Embedded Document)
For this post complete the following 5 tasks:

1. EXPLAIN Personal financial planning and its importance.
2. DESCRIBE the six strategies of financial planning.
3. DESCRIBE the factors that affect personal financial decisions.
4. EXPLAIN opportunity costs and how they might affect your personal financial decisions.
5. LIST six strategies for achieving financial goals.

The End of the First Quarter - Fall 2015

Well done! You have arrived at the end of the first Quarter for the School Year. We have had several issues with working in GOOGLE APPS, and with BLOGGER. However, you have done a great job of getting yourself back into a good position for success in this course.

If you are not satisfied with your grades--GOOD!--anything less than an "A" should be unsatisfactory! Don't believe me? Go ahead--ask your parents what they think.

IMPORTANT: You still have TIME to fix this, and change your First Quarter scores. I will continue to accept your work in this class up until the time that grades are due for printing report cards. 

YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT!

If you have a score and you want it to be a 10 of 10 then fix the items that are discussed in the comments of your post in your BLOG.

If you DO NOT have a score, then you need to GET BUSY! Below are the expectations of each assignment that need be submitted:

• ABOUT ME
• Full Paragraph describing yourself, your interests, your family, what's important to you.

• CREATE YOUR BLOG
• Once you have invited me to your BLOG and I grade your ABOUT ME then you get this score for having completed you BLOG design and successfully INVITED me as a READER

• MIND-MAP
• Take a picture or a scan of your MIND-MAP that we designed (GOOGLE it).
• Insert that picture in your BLOG
• Write a Paragraph describing the relationships and development of your map.

• TERMS and APPLICATIONS
• Create a GOOGLE DOC that has all the BOLDED TERMS from the slideshow below and explain the role each plays in the DECISION MAKING PROCESS
• Values
• Peers
• Habits
• Feelings
• Family
• Risks and Consequences
• Age
• Spontaneity
• Compliance
• Procrastination
• Agonizing
• Intention
• Desire
• Avoidance
• Security
• Synthesis
• Consumer Prices
• Consumer Spending
• Gross Domestic Product
• Housing Starts
• Interest Rates
• Money Supply
• Stock Market Index
• Unemployment
• Personal Risks
• Inflation Risk
• Interest-Rate Risk
• Income Risk
• Liquidity Risk
• Personal Opportunity Cost
• Financial Opportunity Cost
• Time Valley of Money
• Embed your GOOGLE DOC in your BLOG post for this lesson.

• TEENS and MONEY
• What kind of DEBT can you expect to have after college?
• Do you think that your parents manage their money well? Explain. What would you do the same, what would you do differently?
• Write a paragraph or two about how you expect your lifestyle to be like when you have completed your education and entered into the workforce.
• What would be your response to the following comment?:

The Millennials have seen their Baby Boomer parents leverage themselves to the hilt to finance lifestyles they could not otherwise afford. These kids have no idea where the money comes from, nor do they care as long as Mom and Dad continue to supply them with smart phones and North Face jackets. Once they finish college, the Millennials will finally learn, one way or another, the harsh reality that working for one's money is rather difficult.

• PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY
• Write a Review of the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" 
• One Paragraph: Describe the movie and what takes place 
• Second Paragraph: What you learned, what was new to you, what you thought, what surprised you about the people, and what was different than you originally thought about the people. 
• This is to be written directly as a POST to your BLOG no need to write a paper and and embed it. Use whatever format you like--make it neat, and fun to read!

• COMPLETE THE THREE STUDENT ACTIVITY FORMS
• Will be re-posted once all First Quarter Assessments are completed

• COMPLETE THE FIRST QUARTER  - PERSONAL FINANCE ASSESSMENT

Currently, all BLOG POSTS for the class are hidden until each student completes the FIRST QUARTER  - PERSONAL FINANCE ASSESSMENT. Once all exams are scored, all first quarter BLOG posts will be re-published. Do not wait to work on any lessons that you need improvement on. Use the Internet -- GOOGLE IT!

First Quarter Assessment - Personal Finance

This is an assessment of what you have learned in the first quarter of this class. You may use any resources that you have available to you to answer any question on this assessment. 

HOWEVER: You cannot use any printed material, nor answers from other students, whether given voluntarily or involuntarily.

Responses must be written in your own words, "CUT" and "PASTE" will be considered plagiarism, and you will automatically FAIL the assessment.

Take your time and answer the questions as thoroughly as possible. There is no length requirement, other than you should always write the exact amount to be certain that the reader understands your position and reasoning for it. The more content the more detail the better your score for each question.

At the end of the assessment you should return to your coursework and complete any assignments that are still outstanding. Including The BLOG forms for the Decision Making Process. Work quietly so that other student can have an environment that is conducive to their success.