Financial Planning Topics

Social Security Retirement Estimator

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Melissa Hart

How the Retirement Estimator Works

The Retirement Estimator provides estimate based on your actual Social Security earnings record.  Social Security can’t provide your actual benefit amount until you apply for benefits, they will be adjusted for cost-of-living increases.  And that amount may differ from estimates provided because:

  • Your earnings may increase or decrease in the future.
  • After you start receiving benefits, they will be adjusted for cost-of-living increases.
  • Your estimated benefits are based on current law. The law governing benefit may change because, by 2034, the payroll taxes collected will be enough to pay only about 79 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits.
  • Your benefit amount may be affected by military service, railroad employment or pensions earned through work on which you did not pay Social Security tax.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students to gather the information they will need to calculate their retirement benefit.
  • Help students understand that their social security benefits will be reduced if they retire before their retirement age.

Discussion Questions

  1. Is it better if you wait until your retirement age to collect social security benefits?
  2. What might be the consequences if you decide to work after you retire?
Categories: Chapter_14, Retirement Planning | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Reducing Impulse Buying

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Melissa Hart

All buying decisions fall into two categories: (1) items we need; and (2) items we want. Financial difficulties often occur when the categories are blurred. People try to convince themsleves that things they WANT are things they NEED, when often that is not the situation. Our true needs involve a fairly short list:  food, air, water, shelter, health care (including health insurance), clothing, and maybe…Internet access.

However, Internet access can be basis of our financial troubles. Time spent browsing online can result in many unneeded purchases.  How might you avoid this?  The following suggestions are offered:

  • Don’t buy an item right away. Delaying a purchase allows you to consider the value more carefully.
  • Review the purchases you delayed for at least a month to determine if the urge to buy the item still exists, and if the money is available.
  • Delete from your “wish list” any items that you no longer desire to buy.
  • Consider returning an item, as allowed, when the purchase does not meet your expectations.

For additional information on reducing impulse buying, go to:

Link #1

Link #2

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students describe purchases that might have been avoided using the suggestions above.
  • Have students talk to others to create a list of methods to reduce impulse buying.

Discussion Questions 

  1. Why are some people continually involved with impulse buying?
  2. What are the short-term and long-term financial consequences of impulse buying?
Categories: Chapter 6, Uncategorized, Wise Shopping | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Preparing Your Finances for a Flood, Fire, or other Disaster: Having a Plan

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Melissa Hart

Without warning, a flood, fire or other disaster could leave you with a severely damaged home, destroyed belongings and barriers to managing your finances.  Many people think of disaster preparedness as having a stockpile of water, canned food, and flashlights, but people also need access to cash and financial services.  That’s why it is important to include financial preparedness in your disaster plans.  Here is the latest summary of important preparations.

You should have enough insurance to cover the cost to replace or repair your home, car and other valuable property, as well as temporary housing if you are displaced from your home.  Those who do not own a home should have renters insurance.  Also, make sure that you have the right coverage for the types of disasters likely to occur in your area.  For example, homeowner’s insurance does not typically cover events such as flooding or earthquakes, so you may want to consider whether you need additional coverage.

  • Periodically review your insurance coverage
  • Build and maintain an emergency savings fund
  • Sign up for direct deposit of your paycheck or government benefits
  • Gather and organize important documents

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students to prepare a household inventory with a description and the value of belongings.
  • Help students understand that renter’s insurance is important for the protection it provides for their personal property.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can you protect yourself from flood, fire or other natural disasters?
  2. Should you consider purchasing flood-related insurance if you don’t live in a coastal area? Why or why not?
  3. Why is it important to gather and organize important documents before a disaster strikes?
Categories: Chapter 8, Home Insurance, insurance | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Financial Fears

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Melissa Hart

According to the Northwestern Mutual Planning and Progress Study on financial well-being, Americans have several worries.  Based on interviews with 2,646 adults, 85 percent of respondents reported financial anxiety in some form.  Approximately two-thirds of those surveyed indicated that financial anxiety negatively affected their health.  In addition, 36 percent of those responding had increasing levels of financial anxiety over the past three years.

In the study, the greatest financial fears were:

  1. Having an unplanned emergency
  2. Having unplanned medical expenses
  3. Having insufficient savings for retirement
  4. Outliving retirement savings
  5. Becoming a financial burden
  6. Not able to afford healthcare
  7. Loss of a job
  8. Identity theft
  9. Extended unemployment
  10. Death/loss of primary wage earner
  11. Having poor credit
  12. Having to file bankruptcy
  13. Being a victim of a financial scam

To address these concerns, the study recommends the following actions:

  • build an emergency fund for unplanned expenses
  • invest properly for retirement and long-term financial security
  • review your finances regularly to revise goals and savings activities

These actions can help to reduce the financial anxiety reported by a large portion of Americans.

For additional information on financial anxiety, go to:

Link #1

Link #2

Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Financial Planning | Tags: , | Leave a comment

When Small Charges Can Signal a Big Crime

Posted on November 12, 2016 by Melissa Hart

Counting every penny on your credit and debit card statements can help detect fraud

Most people looking at their bank statements would probably notice if their credit or debit card were used without their approval to purchase a big ticket item, and they would quickly call their bank or card issuer to report the error or fraudulent transaction.  But consumers are less likely to be suspicious of very small charges, including those less than a dollar…which is why criminals like to make them.

“These transactions might be signs that someone has learned your account information and is using it to commit a crime,” said Michael Benardo, manager of the (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) FDIC’s Cyber Fraud and Financial Crimes Section.  “That’s why it’s important to be on the lookout for fraudulent transactions, no matter how small.”

He added, “When thieves fraudulently obtain someone else’s credit or debit card information and create counterfeit card, they might test it out with a small transaction—like buying a pack of gum or a soda—to make sure the counterfeit card works before using it to make a big purchase.  If this test goes unnoticed, by the true account holder, thieves will use the card to buy something expensive that they want or that they can easily sell for cash.”

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students if they know someone who had his/her credit or debit card compromised. If so, how they detected the illegal charge and how the problem was solved.
  • Under what circumstances should you close the compromised account?

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is it important to regularly scrutinize your monthly credit and debit card statements?
  2. What can be consumers do to protect themselves from such frauds? What is the best way to catch this type of fraud?
Categories: Chapter 5, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Identity Theft | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Overhauling Debt Collection Market

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Melissa Hart

New Protections Would Limit Collector Contact and Help Ensure the Correct Debt is collected

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is considering to overhaul the debt collection market by capping collector contact attempts and by helping to ensure that companies collect the correct debt.  Under the proposals being considered, debt collectors would be required to have more and better information about the debt before they collect.  As they are collecting, companies would be required to limit communications, clearly disclose debt details, and make it easier to dispute the debt.  When responding to disputes, collectors would be prohibited from continuing to pursue debt without sufficient evidence.  These requirements and restrictions would follow the debt if it were sold or transferred.

For more information about the proposals under consideration, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Ask students what federal laws already prohibit debt collectors from harassing, oppressing, or abusing consumers.
  • Ask students if they, their friends or relatives, have ever been harassed by creditors. If so, what were their experiences?

Discussion Questions

  1. Debt collection market generates more complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau than any other financial product or service. Why?
  2. What might be some common complaints against debt collectors seeking to collect debt from consumers?
Categories: Chapter 5, Debt, Financial Planning | Tags: , | Leave a comment

The 1-Page Financial Plan: 10 Tips for getting what you want from Life

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Melissa Hart

Carl Richards, author of The One Page Financial Plan, knows the financial mistakes–including the ones he has made–that people make.  Based on his experience as a financial planner, he provides 10 tips to help people get what they want from life.  Note:  An explanation and examples to illustrate each tip are provided in this article.  His tips are:

  1. Ask why money is important to you.
  2. Guess where you want to go.
  3. Know your starting point.
  4. Think of budgeting as a tool for awareness.
  5. Save as much as you reasonably can.
  6. Buy just enough insurance today.
  7. Remember that paying off debt can be a great investment.
  8. Invest like a scientist.
  9. Hire a real financial advisor.
  10. Behave for a really long time.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

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

  • Illustrate how each tip provided in this article could affect an individual’s financial plan.
  • Encourage students to read the entire article to help determine what’s really important in their life.

Discussion Questions

  1. It’s often hard (or maybe close to impossible) to determine what you value and where you want to go in the next 20 to 30 years with perfect accuracy. Still, experts recommend that you establish a long-term financial plan.  What steps can you take to make sure your plan will meet your future needs?
  2. Why is it important to evaluate your plan on a regular basis and make changes if necessary?
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter_14, Financial Planning, insurance, Retirement Planning | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

How the Presidential Election Will Affect Your Investment Strategy

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Melissa Hart

“The sky is falling!  If my chosen candidate doesn’t win, the markets are doomed and so are my investments.”

In this article, Bijan Golkar points out that a presidential election can cause excitement or despair depending on if you are a Republican or a Democrat and who the major parties nominate for the highest and most powerful office in the world.

The article discusses market returns both before and after a presidential election year and some of the underlying reasons for market volatility.  Then the article stresses the importance of a person’s long-term goals and a plan for long-term growth as opposed to “emotional investing.”  Finally, the article discusses the pros and cons of our economy that could affect investment values.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

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

  • Discuss the importance of a long-term investment plan that will take advantage of the time value of money.
  • Describe some of the pitfalls of “emotional investing.”

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the typical characteristics of an emotional investor? Of a long-term investor?
  2. What are the advantages of a long-term investment program when compared to “emotional investing?”
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter_11, Economy, Financial Planning, Investments, Savings | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

How to Find a Financial Advisor

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Melissa Hart

“Finding your next financial advisor is as easy as counting from one to five.  You just need to know where to look and what to ask.”

The information in this article is provided by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and was developed to help people find a financial advisor.  Specific suggestions include

  1. Before beginning a search for a financial advisor, have a conversation with your loved ones to determine what is important, what you value, and what you want to accomplish.
  2. To develop a list of potential advisors, talk to friends and relatives and visit websites like http://www.napfa.org.
  3. Narrow your list to the top three contenders then do your homework. Visit company websites and read each advisors biographical sketch, check information available on the SEC website (www.sec.gov), and develop a list of questions that you want to ask when you meet each advisor.
  4. Request a meeting with each potential advisor. Ask questions to help assess your comfort level with each advisor.  For help, visit the NAPFA website (www.napfa.org) and click on “Tips and Tools.”
  5. Often the key to building a relationship with a financial advisor is communication. Review your relationship with a financial advisor over time.  Don’t just look at investment results, but also determine if the advisor (and her or his firm) is helping you achieve your important goals.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

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

  • Remind students that it is better to start financial planning earlier rather than later in life.
  • Stress that even beginning investors or investors with little money can still use a financial advisor.
  • Encourage students to visit the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors website (www.napfa.org). There is a great deal of quality information available with a click of a mouse.

Discussion Questions

  1. Often, the first step when choosing a financial advisor begins before you actually meet a potential advisor. How can determining your goals and what you value help you start financial planning?
  2. While many investors think that financial advisors are only for the rich, beginning investing or investors with little money can benefit from professional help. What steps can you take to find the right financial advisor to help you obtain your goals?
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter_11, Financial Planning, Retirement Planning | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Home Ownership Can Be A Financial Disaster

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Melissa Hart

While home ownership is often promoted as part of the “American Dream” and a sound financial decision, another point of view might be considered.  Home ownership may not be for everyone when considering these drawbacks:

  • A home is not an investment. Over the past 120 years, the real return of the value of homes has been less than 0.5 percent a year,
  • Home ownership can be a money drain. Mortgage payments and other costs, such as property taxes, maintenance, repair, insurance, and utilities can add up to a significant portion of a household budget.
  • The mortgage tax deduction may not be worth it. If you do not itemize on your taxes, you will not get the benefit of this deduction.
  • Consider the “rent-price ratio.” This analysis is determined by dividing the average home sale price by the average annual rent.  A ratio of 1 to 15 is considered a range when it is better to buy than rent. Between 16 to 20, you are getting in to risky buy territory. Over 21, it may be better to rent than buy.  Be sure to also consider how much space you need. Homes are usually larger than apartments.
  • People often buy a larger house than needed, resulting in higher mortgage, insurance, energy, and maintenance costs as well as higher property taxes.

For additional information on the financial drawbacks of home ownership, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students ask homeowners for suggestions they would offer to people planning to buy.
  • Have students create a financial analysis comparing renting and buying for comparable housing.

Discussion Questions

  1. What factors might you overlooked when deciding to buy a home?
  2. How you decide whether to rent or buy your housing?
Categories: Chapter 7, Financing a Home | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

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