PERSONAL FINANCE

Course Outline & Readings

I. Prototypes & Evaluating Internet Financial Sites

September 13-16

Gulley & Witte (denoted G&W). Prototypes Used During the Course
Gully, Febo & Witte, Maximizing the Internet: Getting it RITE
The Introduction & Description of Prototype sections of Linda Chen's, Noelle Fogg's, Diane Reyes' or Julia Rutenberg's Final Paper. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10
Beth Kobliner (denoted BK) . Get a Financial Life. Fireside, 2009, Introduction & Chapter 1

September 20-September 24

II. Human Capital: Rewards, Risks & How You Get Paid

Gulley & Witte, Personal Finance: A Life Cycle Approach, Chapter 4
The Human Capital & Total Compensation sections of the Final Paper that you have decided to read. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10
Boone, Kurtz & Hearth, Planning Your Financial Future (denoted BKH)., Chapter 2 & 15 (on reserve & available in the "Econ223-Readings" in the First Class conference for the course)
D. Korn, "College Panic," Financial Planning, August, 2009, pp. 42-47. Available as "PayingforCollege.pdf" in the "Econ223-Readings" folder in the First Class conference. This short article brings the material in Chapter 15 of BKH up to date.

September 27-October 8

Note: There will be no class on October 7

V. Lowering Your Risk: Insuring, Hedging & Saving

Kobliner, Chpater 6 & 8
The Lowering Your Level of Risk section if you are reading a Fall 2008 Final Paper. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10
D. Cordell & T. Langdon, "Life Insrance in Times of Uncertainty," Journal of Financial Planning, Summer, 2009, pp 32-33 & 37. Available in the Readings folder in the First Class conference.

October 11-October 15

IV. Income Taxes: What You Pay, What Your Get & How It Affects Your Spending and Investing

Kobliner, Chpater 9
The Taxes & After-Tax Income section of the Final Paper that you have decided to read. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10
Become familiar with the IRS web site
- Skim Form W-4, you will file this with your employer for withholding
- You will be using Form 1040 to complete the tax form for your prototype; you will be using p.13 of the 1040 Instructions a great deal. Print out p. 10 & have it available as you complete the tax return for your prototype.
Kapoor, Dlabay & Hughes, Personal Finance (denoted KDH), Chapter 4 (on reserve & available in the "Econ223-Readings" in the First Class conference for the course)

October 18-October 22

III. Purchasing Strategies: How to Buy, How to Pay for It & How to Finance It

Kobliner, Chpaters 2, 3,4 & 7
The Expenses, Methods of Payment & Financing section of the Final Paper that you have decided to read. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10

October 25-November 19

IV. Investing: Managing Your Assets

D. F. Swensen, Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment, New York: Free Press, 2005, Chapters 1-4, 6, 10 & 11
J. Authers, The Fearful Rise of Markets, Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press, 2010, pp xvi-xvii, 1-7, 16-39, 145-151 & 163-169

The Investments & Summary and Conclusions sections of the Final Paper that you have decided to read. Available in the "Prototypes" folder in the First Class conference for the course, Econ223-01-F10

November 22-December 9

Class Presentations--Questions for the Class & the 3 most important things you leaned by developing your prototype