Introduction to Financial Planning (ACCT 120)

Transcription

1 Introduction to Financial Planning (ACCT 120) Saddleback College Business Science Division Instructor: Carol Young Adams Term/Semester: Spring Office: BGS faculty offices Ticket #: Thursday Evenings 7:00 p.m.-9:50 p.m. Location BGS 250 Office Hours: Generally available in the BGS office one hour before class. Saddleback College Introduction to Financial Planning Accounting 120 Spring 2013 Course Syllabus Instructor: Carol Young Adams (preference is for all communication to be via ) Office: BGS faculty office Office Hours: generally one hour before class Saddleback Web Site and Blackboard Access: **I will do my best to return any s within 48 hours, other than on weekends. You are best to reach me via ! Note: Every student is assigned a college account and pin number (password). Do not change your address. If you prefer to receive at another address, go to and then to MySite, select and follow the instructions under Account Information to automatically forward your messages to the address of your choice. Course Requirements/Prerequisites: None

2 Course Objectives/Format/Learning Outcomes: (3 units) This course presents the basic theory and structure of individual financial planning and will analyze financial instruments, financial systems and markets, focusing on investments in stocks and bonds, real estate. The course will also focus on the structure and operation of financial markets and will analyze income and tax issues as they relate to investments. Major topics include money and credit management, insurance coverage, and development and analysis of personal management tools and strategies for personal investing. It will cover development of realistic goal setting and lifelong financial, retirement, and estate planning. Finally, it will analyze the effects of achieving/not achieving financial security and the use of budgeting. The format of the class will be comprised of lectures, problems, group discussions, and analysis of "real world" applications of the materials and concepts. You will each develop a personal budget and a personal resource center. You must be prepared to enter into discussions by reading text assignments and related articles. I will supplement the text with various articles from professional literature and various periodicals as these become available. You will receive copies of these as necessary and will be tested on this material. You will be assigned problems each week from the textbook that will be available on McGraw Hill Connect or as handed out in class. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: 1. Analyze financial instruments and prepare a short- and long-term financial plan and financial goals for the purpose of creating psychological and emotional well being and security. 2. Critique the major aspects of current financial systems, markets, and institutions and how they operate in order to achieve intellectual insight as to how they affect our sociological knowledge. 3. Analyze investments in terms of income tax regulations, retirement, and estate planning for the purpose of long-term stability and social development with respect to various economic and financial implications. 4. Evaluate insurance, stocks and bonds and real estate in terms of understanding risk as related to human perception and their behavioral consequences. 5. Make informed home and auto ownership decisions. Text: Required: Focus on Personal Finance: An Active Approach to Help You Develop Successful Financial Skills. Fourth Edition. Jack R. Kapoor, Les R. Dlabay, Robert J. Hughes. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN Note: The textbook is available through the Saddleback College bookstore or on-line with the publisher. The packaged materials includes on-line support content that may not be available or at an additional cost. The online URL to purchase the text is Exams/Grading Policy: - 2 -

3 Exams will consist of multiple choice questions, and will be similar to the weekly homework problems given on Connect. There will be NO MAKE UP EXAMS given for any reason. If for an EMERGENCY reason you must miss an exam, the instructor must be notified BEFORE the scheduled exam or a grade of zero will be assigned. Problems turned in on a late basis will either receive zero credit or a reduced grade Your grade will be determined on the basis of the number of cumulative points scored on quizzes, exams, projects, and class participation. The points will be weighted as follows: Homework 20 pts. per week total of 220 points Budget problem/presentation Real Estate purchase problem Stock Investment Problem Career analysis Exam Chs 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 & 9 Exam Chs. 10, 11, 12, 13 Final Exam Covers entire text 150 points Note: Weekly homework multiple choice problems will be administered via McGraw Hill Connect (see below). Unless you receive prior approval, no late work will be accepted! TOTAL 970 POINTS Grades are determined as follows: Grade Index: Points % Letter Grade ( ) A ( ) 80-89B ( ) C ( ) D (0-581) below 60 F Access to Blackboard (Saddleback s Online Portal) Go online to click on Logon. Complete instructions are available to the left of the Username and Password boxes. If, after following the instructions, you are unable to access BLACKBOARD, please advise me and I will advise you whom you may for assistance. Include your name, student ID, your four-digit PIN and your Course ID. Access to McGraw Hill Connect If you purchase your textbook from the bookstore, your registration code for McGraw Hill Connect will be provided with the textbook. The online URL to purchase the text is Follow the online prompts to register with connect. You can access most all assigned homework and problems on Connect. Each chapter will have homework assigned either - 3 -

4 in class or on Connect. Those assignments on Connect will be graded by the Connect system. This homework on Connect MUST be submitted into Connect only. If you have problems with Connect-use the McGraw-Hill Faculty and student tech support: Telephone Tech support: tech support: Normal Hours (Pacific Standard Time), open 76 hours per week: Sunday: 4pm - 9pm Monday Thursday: 6am - 9pm Friday: 6am - 4pm Follow the Connect Prompts Note: Technical Support for Connect should be addressed with McGraw-Hill Technical Support. You may find this link helpful: STUDENT QUICKGUIDES: CHEATING THE FIELD OF ACCOUNTING REQUIRES A HIGH DEGREE OF ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ORDER TO INSTILL A LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THE INFORMATION PRODUCED. AN ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT IS NO DIFFERENT. CHEATING OF ANY KIND ON ANY PROJECT OR TEST WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS CLASS. A STUDENT WHO IS SUSPECTED OF CHEATING WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE APPROPRIATE PROCEDURES DESCRIBED IN THE STUDENT CATALOG. THESE PROCEDURES PROVIDE GUIDANCE REGARDING CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM AND MAY RESULT IN AN ASSIGNED A GRADE OF "F" FOR THE COURSE. THE PROCEDURES PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTOR WITH THE RIGHT TO ADJUST INDIVIDUAL GRADES DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY AFFECT A PARTICULAR STUDENT DURING THE SEMESTER. IN SHORT--DON'T CHEAT. IT GIVES ONE A NEGATIVE REPUTATION AND DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN THE REAL WORLD. CHEATING IS DEFINED AS TURNING IN WORK AS ONE'S OWN WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE WORK OF SOMEONE ELSE. THIS APPLIES TO ALL WORK IN THIS CLASS INCLUDING TEST ANSWERS. "PEEKING" AT ONE'S NOTES DURING AN EXAM WILL ALSO NOT BE TOLERATED. "QUESTIONING" OTHER STUDENTS IN MY CLASS AS TO "WHAT THE EXAM COVERED" WILL ALSO CONSTITUTE CHEATING. ANY INSTANCES OF THIS TYPE WILL BE PUNISHED BY THE ASSIGNMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC "F". IT WILL BE DISALLOWED IN MY CLASS - PERIOD

5 WITHDRAWALS DURING THE TERM: See Saddleback College web site at Do not assume that the instructor will automatically drop you from the course. If you feel you must drop, take the initiative and do it yourself. Course Policies, Procedures and Assignment The instructor assumes you have the requisite computer skills to successfully complete this course. This includes (at least) proficiency with Microsoft Office and access to the Internet. There should be no use of cell phones, pagers, palm pilots, ipods, laptops and other wireless devices during class. Tape recorders, calculators and laptop computers are permitted in class for purposes of taking notes-however, students should not be on the internet during class. You are highly recommended to bring a calculator for exams. Cell phones and PDAs are NOT allowed for exams. If you have any questions, please ask the instructor before the exam. This course will cover the entire textbook. Every student is required to attend all class sessions and complete all assignments. There will be no make-up lectures on an individual basis. Poor attendance will be sufficient grounds for being DROPPED from the course; however, do not assume that the instructor will drop you from the course. Once the semester reaches the drop deadline, you will receive a grade. You are expected to read the chapter materials prior to class lecture. The author s PowerPoint presentations are used as a lecture outline but we will discuss much more than what is on the file. You are responsible for any material presented in the textbook, resource material, or class discussion. ACCOUNTING 120-INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL PLANNING (SPRING 2013) Note: Dates are approximates and are subject to change; Exam dates are approximate and will be officially announced in class. Administration of each week s chapter multiple-choice questions will be through Connect. You must obtain register online with Connect. Connect is an interactive, Internet-based product designed to help you complete all exercises and problems. You will receive instant feedback and the ability to correct any errors. All work must be fully completed and turned in by its due date. You are responsible for the due dates listed in Connect or as provided in class

6 Calendar: Week Week Chapter Assignment 1. 1/24 Overview and goals Begin budget-goals, vocabulary assignment 2. 1/31 Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Topic-Money M/C questions ch 1 & Chapter 2 multiple choice questions management 3. 2/7 Chapter 3-Taxes Chapter 3 multiple choice-tax problems 4. 2/14 Chapter 4-Banking & Chapter 4 multiple choice questions Money management 5. 2/21 Chapters 5 & 6-Topic Chapter 5 & 6 multiple choice questions consumer credit & vehicle purchase 6. 2/28 Chapter 7 Real Estate Chapter 7 multiple choice questions & real estate purchase model/assignment 7. 3/7 Chapters 8 & 9 Chapters 8 & 9 multiple choice problems Insurance/Liability 8. 3/14 Chapter 12 Investments in stocks Midterm exam 9. 3/21 Spring break-no class 10. 3/28 Chapter 10-Life insurance and financial planning with life insurance 11. 4/4 Chapter 11 Investment basics and bonds 12. 4/11 Chapter 13-Investments in mutual funds 13. 4/18 Exam-ch 10, 11, 12, /25 Chapter 14-Retirement and estate planning 15. 5/2 Cont. of retirement and Career Assignment due, Chapter 12 multiple choice problems- Stock purchase/tracking assignment Midterm exam will cover chapters 1, 2,3, 4,5,6,7,8, and 9 Chapter 10 multiple choice questions Real estate purchase model/assignment due Chapter 11 multiple choice questions Chapter 13 multiple choice questions Chapter 14 multiple choice questions Investment project due Class discussion and in class participation Budgets due estate planning 16. 5/9 Semester review Class discussion and presentations 17. 5/16 Final exam Covers entire text book