high costs | Focus on Personal Finance, 7e

Posts Tagged With: high costs

I’m Young and Healthy–Is an HDHP Right for Me?

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“I’ve been told a high deductible health plan (HDHP) is a good choice for my situation and that it might save me some money. Can you explain this to me.”

This Forbes article provides answers to the questions that many people–especially younger people–have about high deductible health insurance policies. At the beginning, the author, Christina LeMontagne, points out that high deductible policies are a great option for healthy people, but may not be right for everyone. She also describes what a high deductible health plan is, who can benefit from HDHPs, and how they can save you money.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

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

Reinforce what a high deductible health plan (HDHP) is.
Stress the fact that while an HDHP may save you money, there are risk involved if you choose this type of policy.

Discussion Questions

What are the advantages of an HDHP plan?
What are the disadvantages of an HDHP plan?
Under what circumstances would you choose an HDHP plan?

Categories: Chapter 9, Health Insurance | Tags: health insurance, high costs, savings | Leave a comment

Payday Loans

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Melissa Hart

Loans with annual interest rates exceeding 400 percent continue to occur in our society. Payday loans are often used to bridge a cash-flow shortage between paychecks. Also known as “cash advances” or “check loans,” they are usually expensive, small-dollar loans, of generally $500 or less. They offer quick and easy access to funds for consumers who may not qualify for other credit.

A recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) study revealed that four out of five payday loans are rolled over or renewed within 14 days. The majority of payday-loan borrowers renew their loans so many times that they end up paying more in fees than the amount of money they originally borrowed. This study also reported that:

only 15 percent of borrowers repay all of their payday debts when due without borrowing again within 14 days.
20 percent default on a loan at some point, and
64 percent renew at least one loan one or more times.

These actions often create exorbitant fees and charges, and keep the consumer in perpetual debt.

For additional information and a complete copy of the payday loan report go to http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201403_cfpb_report_payday-lending.pdf

Discussion Questions

Why does the market for payday loans exist?
What actions might be taken to avoid using payday loans?
Recommend actions for people who are caught in the trap of payday loans.

Teaching Suggestions

Have students visit a payday loan office or an online payday loan provider to gain additional insight into this high-cost financial service.
Have students make a short presentation with a summary of actions that might be taken to avoid payday loans.