Chapters

Your 2015 Tax Return and the Health Care Law

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Melissa Hart

Certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act will probably affect your federal income tax return when you file this year.  The law requires that you and each member of your family have qualifying health insurance coverage for each month of the year, qualify for an exemption from the coverage requirement, or make an individual shared responsibility payment when filing your federal income tax return.

Most taxpayers will simply check a box on the tax return to indicate that each member of their family had qualifying health coverage for the whole year.  Qualifying health insurance includes coverage for most, but not all, types of health care coverage plans.  If you bought coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you should receive Form 1095A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement from your Marketplace by early February.

For more information, Click Here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students to search the Internet to gather more information about the new IRS requirements and the Affordable Care Act.
  • What are provisions that might affect an individual and their families?

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the reporting requirements when you file your federal income tax return this year?
  2. How can you determine if you are eligible for an exemption?
  3. What should you do if you are expecting to receive 1095A and you don’t receive it by early February.
Categories: Chapter 3, Chapter 9, Health Insurance, insurance, Taxes | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Unscrupulous Debt Collectors

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Melissa Hart

In January 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice sued a Texas-based Commercial Recovery System, Inc., a debt collection company that allegedly impersonated attorneys, law firm staff, judicial employees and mediators.  The company threatened people with lawsuits, seizure of their property, or wage garnishment.  All these practices are against the law.  Under federal law, debt collectors–including collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them–can’t use abusive, deceptive or unfair practices to collect from you.

For additional information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students to check a local Consumer Credit Counseling Service to learn about their services provided to consumers.
  • Ask students to compile a list of places a person can call to report dishonest credit practices, get advice and help with credit problems.

Discussion Questions

  1. Which federal law(s) protect your rights if you are ever contacted by a debt collector?
  2. If you need help regaining control of your finances, what resources are available to you?
Categories: Chapter 5, Consumer Complaints, Debt | Tags: , | Leave a comment

The One Financial Mistake that Could Cost Homeowners a Bundle

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“Interest rates have bounced around historical lows for years, yet a surprising number of homeowners who could benefit from a refinancing still haven’t taken advantage of the potential cost savings.”

In this article, Marine Cole points out some surprising facts about interest rates and the reasons why people don’t refinance their homes.  According to Ms. Cole and other experts, some people are simply unaware of their current rate or don’t have the get-up-and gumption to refinance.  Other factors include procrastination, mistrust, and the inability to understand complex decisions may also be barriers to refinancing.

The article also points out that the decision to refinance could result in thousands of dollars in savings for the homeowner.  For example, refinancing a 30-year, $200,000 mortgage from 6.5 percent to a current rate of 3.35 percent will save approximately $130,000 in interest payments over the life of the loan.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Stress the importance of making sound financial decisions not only when buying or refinancing a home, but other aspects of your financial life.
  • Discuss the reasons mentioned in this article that describe why people would not refinance and take advantage of lower interest rates for buying or refinancing a home.

Discussion Questions

  1. How important is comparing interest rates when either purchasing a home or refinancing an existing home mortgage?
  2. According to this article, there are many reasons why people don’t refinance their home. If you were refinancing a home mortgage, what would be your major obstacle to refinancing an existing home mortgage?  How could you overcome this obstacle?
  3. Assuming you had a chance to refinance your home and save $100,000 over the life of the loan, would you refinance? Explain the factors that would influence your decision.
Categories: Chapter 8, Financing a Home, Home Buying | Tags: , | Leave a comment

The Seven Baby Steps (Dave Ramsey)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“Get out of debt the same way you learned to walk–one step at a time.”

This article describes Dave Ramsey’s seven steps that anyone can take to get out of debt and begin to manage their personal finances.  These seven basic principles have been taught by Mr. Ramsey via radio, books, Financial Peace University, live events, and online.  Listed below are the seven steps discussed in this article.  Note:  You can get more information about each step by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

  1. Begin by creating a $1,000 emergency fund.
  2. Pay off all debt using the debt snowball .
  3. Save 3 to 6 months of expenses in a savings account.
  4. Invest 15 percent of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement accounts.
  5. Create a college funding plan for your children.
  6. Pay off your home mortgage early.
  7. Build wealth and give.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Ask students visit the Dave Ramsey website.
  • Discuss some or all of the seven baby steps described in this article. Reminder:  Students can get more information by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can the seven baby steps help you manage your personal finances?
  2. Do the steps in this article make you want to change your priorities and what’s important in your life? Justify your answer.
Categories: Budget, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Debt, Financial Planning, Home Buying, Savings | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Newly Married with $52,000 of Debt

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Melissa Hart

My Wife and I Never Discussed Money Before Getting Married–and Ended Up with $52,000 of Debt

Prior to tallying up our debt, we’d talked about traveling internationally, starting a family, and, some day retiring comfortably. There was so much we wanted out of life, but . . .”

This is an excellent article that describes what can happen when a soon-to-be-married couple doesn’t talk about finances.  Fortunately, the two people in this article–Deacon and Kim Hayes–realized they had a problem and then took steps to get their finances back on track.

Specific steps this couple took can make a big difference over time.  Among the suggestions included in this article are:

  • Writing down all your assets, debts, income, and expenses.
  • Prepare a budget and review each item for opportunities to save money.
  • Replacing a newer, expensive car with an older car.
  • Selling unwanted or unneeded items online.
  • Using any extra money to repay debt.
  • Establishing an emergency fund.
  • Saving and investing a specific amount each month.

Consider This:  Deacon Hayes–the author of this article–became a financial planner and now shares his story with his clients.

For more information, Click Here. 

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Discuss why engaged couples need to discuss their finances before they get married.
  • Stress how easy it is to get in debt and how hard and how much time it takes to get out of debt.

Discussion Questions

  1. Assume you are dating someone who seems to spend more than they make. In this situation, would you continue to date this person?  Explain your answer.
  2. One of the suggestions included in this article is that people write down their assets, debts, income, and expenses. How can this suggestion help a young-married couple plan their financial future?
  3. Assume you have credit card debts and an automobile loan that total $75,000. What specific steps can you take to reduce or eliminate your debt?
Categories: Budget, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Chapter_11, Debt, Financial Planning, Financial Planning Topics, Investments, Savings | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wedding Costs and Marriage Success

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Melissa Hart

The average cost of a wedding is nearly $30,000 and the average engagement ring cost is about $5,500.  However, a high-cost wedding does not ensure a long-term marriage.  A study by two economists at Emory University concluded that “marriage duration is inversely associated with spending on the engagement ring and wedding ceremony“.

Other findings of the research included:

  • spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring was associated with a 1.3 times greater chance of divorce compared to spending between $500 and $2,000.
  • spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on the engagement ring was associated with two to three times the probability of reporting being stressed about wedding-related debt relative to spending between $500 and $2,000.
  • spending less than $1,000 on the wedding is associated with an 82 to 93 percent decrease in the chance of reporting being stressed about wedding-related debt relative to spending between $5,000 and $10,000. 

While money is important in marriage and life, being materialistic can result in relational difficulties.

For additional information on the wedding costs and marriage success, click here:

For the research paper, click here:

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students research actions that may be taken to reduce wedding costs.
  • Have students interview people about their experiences related to planning a wedding. 

Discussion Questions 

  1. What financial difficulties might result from overspending for a wedding?
  2. How might a couple reduce weddings costs?
  3. Describe actions that might be taken to as alternatives for an expensive wedding.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 6, Debt, Financial Planning, Wise Shopping | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

What is your Personal Savings Rate?

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Melissa Hart

The average personal savings, as a percentage of income, in the United States, has averaged about five percent.  To calculate your own personal savings rate, take these steps:

  1.  Total your savings for the year, including non-retirement savings, personal retirement contributions, and employer retirement contributions. The amount could be negative if you took on more debt than the total of your savings.
  1. Determine your total income by adding your take-home pay (after subtracting income taxes) to the amount your employer contributed to your retirement account.
  1. Calculate the personal savings rate by dividing (1) by (2).

For additional information on personal savings rates, click here.

Also, to see information about savings rates and other statistics, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students calculate their person savings rate.
  • Have students interview several people to determine actions that are commonly taken to increase a person’s savings rate. 

Discussion Questions 

  1. What actions might be taken to increase savings?
  2. Describe financial difficulties that may occur when a person has inadequate savings.
Categories: Chapter 2, Chapter 4, Financial Planning, Savings | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Free Credit Scores

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“Free credit scores” sounds good, right?  But what if you signed up for “free credit scores,” then found out you were enrolled in a credit monitoring program that costs $29.95 per month?  Not so good.  That’s what the FTC says happened with a company called One Technologies, Inc.  Now the company has agreed to settle the FTC’s charges that it misled consumers by advertising “free credit scores” but failing to tell them that they would be enrolled in a credit monitoring program for a monthly fee.

One Technologies, Inc. offered people “free” online access to their credit scores through at least fifty websites, including freescore360.com, freescoreonline.com , and scorescense.com.  But according to the FTC, the company didn’t clearly inform people that once they got their score, they would pay $29.95 per month for a credit monitoring program.  You could only get out of that monthly fee by calling to cancel.  Some people had to call multiple times.  Others were denied refunds.  One Technologies, Inc. will pay $22 million to compensate its customers and must get their consent before billing them.  Also, it must provide the customers with an easy way to cancel.

For additional information, click here.

Discussion Questions

  1. What can you do if you become victim of a deceptive marketing practice?
  2. Where can you get your free credit report at least once every year?

Teaching Suggestions

  1. Ask students to obtain their credit reports from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
  2. Ask students to search the Internet for “free credit scores” and summarize their findings.
Categories: Chapter 5, Credit Scores, Frauds and Scams | Tags: | Leave a comment

Refinancing Loans: Not Just for Mortgages

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Melissa Hart

Most people know they can refinance a mortgage—that is, replace an existing loan with a new one that may offer better terms.  But did you know you can also refinance personal loans, including auto loans, credit cards and student loans?

“Refinancing a personal loan may save you money, especially if you get a lower interest rate, a lower monthly payment or other benefits,” notes Susan Boenau, Chief of the FDIC’s Consumer Affairs Section.  “However, refinancing does not always equate to saving money or better terms.”

Understand potential pitfalls in refinancing a personal loan.  For example:

  • You may have a higher APR than what you were originally paying when the promotional rate ends.
  • Closing a credit card account also reduces your available credit and may adversely affect your credit score.
  • A balance transfer may result in your account having multiple interest rates.
  • You may be assessed a prepayment penalty if you refinance a loan before it matures.
  • If your credit score is low, wait to refinance until you can raise it.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students to prepare a list of similarities and differences between a home equity loan and refinancing personal loans.
  • Ask students to use the Internet to obtain information about refinancing.

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of refinancing?
  2. What are your legal remedies if a credit reporting agency engages in unfair reporting practices?
Categories: Chapter 5, Debt | Tags: | Leave a comment

Are You Saving Enough for Retirement?

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Melissa Hart

For many, the answer is “no” even when you think it is “yes.”  Options to save include workplace retirement plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) offered by many banks and investment companies, and the U.S. Treasury Department’s new “myRA” (My Retirement Account) program.

The myRA account is simple, safe and affordable retirement savings program that is backed by the U.S. government.  Savers can open an account with as little as $25, there are no fees, the account will earn interest at a variable rate, and the investment is protected so the account balance will never go down.

Many working people can save considerably on their taxes through qualified retirement savings.  And, if your employer offers a retirement savings program of any kind, find out whether it will match your investment contributions, and then don’t lose out any matches.

For Additional Information, click here.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is planning and saving for retirement important at any age?
  2. What are the several methods of saving for retirement?
  3. Is developing the habit of saving for retirement easier when you are young?

Teaching Suggestions

  1. Ask students if they have started a savings plan for retirement.
  2. How is MyRA different than a traditional and a Roth IRA?
Categories: Chapter_14, Retirement Planning, Savings | Tags: | Leave a comment

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