Chapter 7

Ascend Ecom: AI-Powered Fake Business Opportunity

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Melissa Hart

The Federal Trade Commission  (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against an online business opportunity scheme that it alleges has falsely claimed its “cutting edge” AI-powered tools would help consumers quickly earn thousands of dollars a month in passive income by opening online storefronts. According to the complaint, the scheme has defrauded consumers of at least $25 million.

The scheme is run by William Basta and Kenneth Leung, and it has operated under a number of different names since 2021, including Ascend Ecom, Ascend Ecommerce, Ascend CapVentures, ACV Partners, ACV, Accelerated eCom Ventures, Ethix Capital by Ascend, and ACV Nexus.

According to the FTC’s complaint, the operators of the scheme charge consumers tens of thousands of dollars to start online stores on ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and TikTok, while also requiring them to spend tens of thousands more on inventory. Ascend’s advertising content claimed the company was a leader in ecommerce, using proprietary software and artificial intelligence to maximize clients’ business success.

The complaint notes that, while Ascend promises consumers it will create stores producing five-figure monthly income by the second year, for nearly all consumers, the promised gains never materialize, and consumers are left with depleted bank accounts and hefty credit card bills. The complaint alleges that Ascend received numerous complaints from consumers, pressured consumers to modify or delete negative reviews of Ascend, frequently failed to honor their “guaranteed buyback,” and unlawfully threatened to withhold the supposed “guaranteed buyback” for those who left negative reviews of the company online.

As a result of the FTC’s complaint, a federal court issued an order temporarily halting the scheme and placing it under the control of a receiver. The FTC’s case against the scheme is ongoing and will be decided by a federal court.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

For more information, go to:

FTC Announces Crackdown on Deceptive AI Claims and Schemes | Federal Trade Commission

Teaching Suggestions:

  • Create a list of factors to consider when investing in “passive” income business opportunities.
  • Ask students to make a list of alternative methods of investing in “passive” income businesses.
  • Have students recommend situations where it would be appropriate to invest in alternative investments.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did the Federal Trade Commission file a lawsuit against Ascent Ecom?
  2. Why do you think the corporate defendants use different names, such as, Ascend Capventures, ACV Nexus, Ethics Capital by Ascent, etc.?
  3. Does Ascend Ecom’s business opportunity seem genuine to you?  Explain your answer.
Categories: Chapter 7, Frauds and Scams | Tags: , | Leave a comment

ZOMBIE MORTGAGES AND PIGGYBACK LOANS

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Melissa Hart

Homeowners are being surprised with collection notices for amounts from ten or twenty years ago. Zombie mortgages are unpaid home loans that a homeowner thought had been discharged or foreclosed. This situation is usually the result of an incomplete or improper foreclosure process. Or the homeowner vacated the property believing it had been foreclosed.

These zombie mortgages often resulted from piggyback loans taken out previous to the 2008 financial crisis but also occur from any old, unpaid mortgage. A piggyback mortgage, also known as an 80/20 loan, is two loans in one – a primary loan for 80 percent of the purchase price, and a second loan for the other 20 percent. This allowed a homebuyer to finance 100 percent of the purchase.

When home values declined, many buyers were not able to make payments on one or both loans, resulting in foreclosure proceedings. Since many lenders stopped contacting borrowers, the homeowners assumed their loans were written off and no longer owed…until recently!! Now, lenders and debt collectors are attempting to collect on these loans.

Consider these actions to avoid difficulties associated with a zombie mortgage. Be informed about your mortgage situation and foreclosure status. Obtain legal guidance to finalize foreclosure proceedings. Communicate with the lender to confirm proper completion of foreclosure processes and to verify mortgage records for any unresolved issues. Finally, obtain assistance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/

For additional information on zombie mortgages, go to:

Link #1

Link #2

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students search online for additional information on zombie mortgages and piggyback loans.
  • Have students create a podcast that communicates the dangers associated with a zombie mortgage.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What situations can result in a zombie mortgage?
  2. Describe actions a person might take to avoid a zombie mortgage.   

Categories: Chapter 7, Financing a Home | Tags: , | Leave a comment

PRICE COMPLEXITY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES

Posted on July 20, 2024 by Melissa Hart

Many bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans have add-on fees to confuse consumers resulting in higher amounts paid for these services. A recent experiment conducted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was designed to study these fees. The research results suggested that consumers pay more when prices are separated into multiple fees with a complex pricing structure.  

While the study may not exactly reflect real-world transactions, the CFPB study indicated that more complex pricing mostly led to more expensive outcomes. Key findings included: (1) higher total prices with sub-prices than one total price; and (2) difficulty in comparing prices among different financial-service providers.

The fees and charges that consumers may encounter with financial services include:

  • Credit cards are affected by interest rates, late fees, balance transfer fees, annual fees, cash advance fees, and foreign exchange fees. Cards with introductory 0% APR periods are usually followed by much higher APRs. Credit card reward programs often have varied methods for earning points and redemption rules.
  • Checking and savings accounts can have monthly maintenance fees, minimum balance fees, overdraft fees, and wire transfer fees; complex tiered interest rates based on account balances; and “free” checking accounts” may require minimum balances, recurring direct deposits, or other restrictions.
  • Mortgages are available with a wide range of interest rates, fees, and terms affected by loan type, credit score, down payment, and closing costs.
  • Auto loans will have varied interest rates based on a credit score, loan term, down payment, and vehicle type. Lenders may offer promotional rates or cash-back incentives, or add-on products such as extended warranties, gap insurance, and credit life insurance.

To guide wise use of financial services, be sure to: (1) ask for a total cost with clear information of what is included; (2) compare different financial-service providers, including banks, credit unions, and FinTech companies; (3)Bottom of Form search for no- or low-minimum balance checking accounts and no-fee credit cards; (4) use ATMs in your bank’s network; and (5) avoid overdraft charges by linking your checking account to savings.

For additional information on complexity of financial service fees, go to:

Link #1

Link #2

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk to others to learn about their experiences with high fees for various financial services.
  • Have students conduct online research to compare fees and restrictions for various financial services at banks, credit unions, and other financial-service providers.

Discussion Questions 

  1. When selecting a financial service, what factors would you consider when making your final choice?
  2. What actions can a person take to avoid high banking fees?
Categories: Bank Fees, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Credit Cards, Financial Services, Financing a Home, Home Buying | Leave a comment

Personal Finance Simulations for Budgeting and Investing

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Melissa Hart

Question:  What is a Personal Finance simulation? 

Answer:  A Personal Finance simulation allows students to fine-tune their decisions when they encounter real-life scenarios while taking a Personal Finance course. 

The authors of Personal Finance, 14e and Focus on Personal Finance, 7e have partnered with StockTrak.com to provide students with an interactive learning experience before they leave the classroom.   

The simulation that accompanies the Kapoor Personal Finance texts includes two components–a personal budgeting simulation and an investing simulation.

The Budgeting Simulation

  • Students assume the role of a full-time employee or part-time employee living on their own.
  • Over a virtual 12-month period, students review their estimated income and expenses, create monthly budgets and savings goals, and try to build an emergency fund. Each month takes about 20 minutes to complete.
  • Each month students manage their checking, savings, and credit card accounts as they deal with life’s expected and unexpected events that affect their budget.  
  • Within the simulation, additional personal finance tutorials are available to make sure students are learning about budgeting, banking, credit, employment, taxes, insurance, and more.
  • A class ranking based on net worth, credit score, and quality of life keep the students fully engaged and professors informed of each student’s progress.

The Investing Simulation

  • Students receive a virtual $25,000 in a brokerage account.
  • They can research U.S. stocks, ETFs, bonds and mutual funds and create their own investment portfolio.
  • All investment trades are based on real-time market prices.
  • Within the simulation, interactive tutorials help students get started and provide additional information during the simulation.
  • Students can monitor their performance versus their classmates.  At the same time, professors can track each student’s progress.

And BEST of ALL, with the new partnership between Stock-Trak and McGraw Hill, classes using the Kapoor Personal Finance textbook get a 50% savings when students register for the simulation – only $9.99 per student instead of retail price of $19.99.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Visit StockTrak.com/kapoor to learn more about the Personal Finance Budgeting and Investing Simulation.  You can learn even more by watching a short video or accessing the Kapoor demo materials located toward the bottom of the above site. 
  • It’s easy to get started.  All you need to do is access the above site, register your classes for Spring 2023, and indicate the dates you want your student to have access to the Personal Finance Simulation.  The site will generate a unique link for you to give to your students.
Categories: Budget, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapters, Chapter_10, Chapter_11, Chapter_12, Chapter_13, Chapter_14, Financial Planning Topics, Teaching Tools | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Should you Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?

Posted on August 22, 2020 by Melissa Hart

Traditional wisdom encourages you to pay off your mortgage faster by taking a 15-year mortgage instead of 30 years, or by paying an additional principal amount each month. However, these actions have risks. If you encounter financial difficulties and don’t have an emergency (reserve) fund, you could face foreclosure. Be sure your emergency fund has enough to cover several months of mortgage payments to avoid losing your home.

Some financial advisors suggest that if your reserve fund earns a rate greater than your mortgage rate (also taking into account tax benefits), you may decide to invest rather than pay down your mortgage. This approach could give more flexibility when encountering an economic downturn, which might include refinancing your mortgage at a lower interest rate.

Also, beware of organizations promising to help you make additional mortgage payments. You can do this on your own, without the fee they will likely charge.

For additional information on paying off your mortgage early, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk to others about the benefits and drawbacks of paying off a mortgage early.
  • Have students develop a visual to compare paying off a mortgage early with saving and investing additional funds instead.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What are the benefits and drawbacks of paying off a mortgage early?
  2. Describe actions to take when trying to decide if to pay off a mortgage early.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 7, Financial Planning, Home Buying | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Anchoring Your Personal Finance Decisions

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Melissa Hart

To spend less and save more, consider an “anchoring” system.  One example of an anchor is the price of an item to determine if that is an appropriate amount of money to spend for the item.

Anchors prevent shoppers from being overwhelmed by the many choices, prices, and features.  You can create your own anchors by:

  • setting the maximum price you are willing to spend for an item.
  • considering the value of an item in relation to the number of hours you have to work to pay for it.
  • comparing the cost in relation to another item. If you buy coffee costing $2.50 a cup and want a sweater costing $50, view the sweater as costing 20 cups of coffee. Your “coffee” anchor will help you determine how valuable the sweater is to you.

When buying a home, you may be encouraged to look at properties outside your price range.  Anchoring yourself at a price limit will avoid overspending, make you feel more in control, and encourage wiser financial decisions.

For additional information on financial anchoring, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students talk to several people to obtain information about how they determine the price they are willing to pay for an item.
  • Have students create a video presentation that demonstrates various anchoring methods.

Discussion Questions 

  1. How might anchoring help improve personal financial literacy and money management activities?
  2. Describe anchors people might used to determine the price they would be willing to pay for an item.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Financial Planning, Wise Shopping | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Apartment Loans

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Melissa Hart

Many recent college graduates choose to rent expensive, upscale apartments rather than putting money into savings. Their “fear of missing out” (FOMO) on being “close to the action” or luxury-living amenities comes at a cost, with high demand for these units resulting in spiraling monthly rents.  To cover these higher costs, “apartment loans” are now available in several urban areas.

Similar to the high-risk mortgages that triggered the financial crisis in 2008, apartment loans may be viewed as predatory lending.  Renters may borrow up to $15,000 with no interest for the first six months, but then encounter an annual interest rate of 15-17 percent.  Some justify these loans in that the costs are lower than payday lending.

If you have to take out a loan to pay the rent for an apartment…you CAN’T afford to live there.  Your ability to build wealth and long-term financial security will depend on living within your income.

For additional information on apartment loans, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students conduct a survey of renters to determine actions they took to determine the location and cost of obtaining an apartment.
  • Have students create a visual presentation with the dangers of apartment loans.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What actions might be considered to avoid apartment loans?
  2. Describe financial and personal concerns associated with apartment loans.
Categories: Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Credit Scores, Financing a Home | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Personal Finance Hacks

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Melissa Hart

Hacks – skills and shortcuts – are used in many life settings.  For personal finance, here are some tips that can help stop money leakages:

  • Only use credit cards with financial advantages, such as cashback; always pay off credit card balances on time.
  • Making weekly payments, instead of monthly, helps to save interest and reduces the amount owed faster.
  • Pay off loans/debts with the highest interest rates first.
  • You might consider paying off a debt with another loan if the new loan has a much lower interest rate.
  • When shopping online, leave the item in the cart for several days or weeks; the price may be lower or you may decide you don’t really need the item.
  • Consider bulk purchases with friends to qualify for free shipping.
  • Take advantage of seasonal sales.
  • Unsubscribe from email offers.
  • Avoid household clutter to save time and money.
  • Cook your own meals; online videos and recipes offer fast, easy meals.
  • Talk to others for investment advice.

For additional information on personal finance hacks, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students tell their personal experience with tech, travel, or personal finance hacks.
  • Have students create a video to dramatize various personal finance hacks.

Discussion Questions 

  1. How would you decide if a personal hack will be of value to you?
  2. Describe actions that might be used to communicate personal finance hacks to others.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Financial Planning, Wise Shopping | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Why Buy When You Can Rent?

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Melissa Hart

While car ownership has been a cultural milestone in our society, this tradition is diminishing with a trend toward renting or borrowing rather than owning. This situation is partially related to fewer teenagers opting to obtain a driver’s license. Also, fewer young people are buying homes, giving preference to the flexibility of renting.

The owning of “stuff” is shifting toward “decluttering” and choosing instead to rent items as needed. A strong belief that overconsumption is putting our planet at risk is driving the rise of the sharing economy. In addition, there is a growing trust to value exchanging items with “real people” rather than buying from major companies.

In addition to Zipcar, which rents vehicles by the hour, other rental business models include:

  • Ann Taylor’s Infinite Style service that allows a person, for a $95 monthly fee, to rent up to three garments at a time.
  • SnapGoods rents cameras, power tools and home appliances, such as blenders.
  • Frankfurt airport has a service that allows travelers to store winter coats when flying to warmer climates. Other businesses are considering a service to rent cold weather clothing to travelers arriving from tropical areas.
  • Since about one-third of new vehicles are leased, Cadillac created the “Book By Cadillac” program allowing a person to exchange up to 18 vehicles a year.

The many empty stores in malls create opportunities for “swap meets” and “rental fairs” for various products, using these spaces to also build connections in the local community.

For additional information on renting instead of buying, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students locate examples of sharing economy businesses and rental companies in your community and online.
  • Have students talk to others to obtain ideas for new types of rental businesses.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What do you believe are the benefits and drawbacks of renting instead of owning?
  2. Describe actions that might be taken to determine needs and ideas for rental businesses in a community.
Categories: Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Debt, Economy, Home Buying, Purchasing Strategies, Wise Shopping | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Tiny House Living-Is it for you?

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Melissa Hart

Tiny houses (usually 400 square feet or less) have become popular with many people, as they offer these benefits:

  • quick access to a comfortable home with probably no mortgage payments.
  • you can learn from your home-building mistakes if you decide to build a larger home.
  • lower home ownership costs with the possibility of living off-grid.
  • an environmentally-friendly design with little or no toxins.
  • a simpler, less cluttered life with creative ideas to effectively use space.
  • potential for better communication with family members as a result of close quarters.

However, common drawbacks of buying and living in a tiny house include:

  • limited privacy, no place for solitude.
  • limited living space; little room for entertaining guests and family.
  • limited kitchen and storage space.
  • more trips to the store-no buying in bulk, and usually driving further to stores.
  • tiny houses may be on wheels or on a foundation, restrictions may exist as to where you may park or build.

For additional information on tiny houses:

Link #1

Link #2

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students search for online videos about tiny house living to obtain additional information on benefits and drawbacks.
  • Have students design a tiny house that would fit their life situation.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What personal factors should be considered when building a tiny house?
  2. Describe life situations of people who might be appropriate for tiny house living.
Categories: Chapter 7, Home Buying | Tags: , | Leave a comment

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