BA 218 - Personal Finance

BT 160  or MTH 60  

Placement into WR 115  

WR 115Q  as required.

Course Description: Personal Finance is designed to acquaint the student with finance principles, terminology, and practical concepts of sound financial planning. Students will be introduced to such topics as managing cash and savings; consumer purchasing strategies; renting versus home-ownership; shopping for health, life, home, disability, and automobile insurance; preparing a personal financial plan; wise use of credit; financial institutions; identity theft; bankruptcy; fundamentals of investing; retirement planning; and estate planning.

Course Learning Outcomes:

• CLO#1: Define the key terms used in the field of personal financial planning.
• CLO#2: List and explain the major employment and credit legislation covered in the course.
• CLO#3: Discuss the pros and cons of developing good credit practices and using credit wisely. (ILO: Critical Thinking)
• CLO#4: Distinguish among the various types of life, health, and property insurance plans and relate this information to your own personal needs.
• CLO#5: Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various investment options in light of personal needs, resources, and retirement goals.
• CLO#6: Identify two major methods of computing interest and use each method to compute the cost of loans.
• CLO#7: Differentiate among various types of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
• CLO#8: Compare various estate planning options and choose one to meet your personal needs.
• CLO#9: Compare and contrast renting versus home ownership.
• CLO#10: Explore a personal finance topic of interest in depth and determine how it applies in your life. (ILO: Information Literacy)