PRACTICAL FINANCE: Money Management is a Survival Skill!
For Older Teens (Who are Beginning to Wonder about Real Life)
Wednesdays, 10:00 – 11:30
Practical Finance is designed for older high school students, and it goes a step beyond high school
Economics. Too many high school graduates enter the working world and/or college unprepared to
manage their finances. As parents well know, management of money is a survival skill! (It is also a
math skill that makes even good students feel inadequate.)
Practical Finance will meet once a week for a year. The math needed to make informed decisions
will be taught as it is needed. Students will be encouraged to keep notebooks for future reference!
Some of the questions we’ll examine will be:
I need a car—what’s the smart way to go about buying one?
What car will meet my needs AND keep me on my financial plan?
Which insurance policy is best for my car? Do I need comprehensive coverage?
What’s the real cost of this loan?
Is a credit card a godsend—or the devil’s handiwork?
How can I market myself for a good job?
What will it cost me to earn that degree—and what is it likely to pay—in other words, is it a good
investment?
What about student loans?
What are the odds that I will need renter’s insurance? What should I be willing to pay for it?
Percentages: They’re all around us—help!
FICA
Tips
If the sign says, “Buy two, get one half off” –what does that amount to?
When I hear statistics on the news, what do they mean?
What is the “miracle” of compound interest? How does that affect ME?
What in the world do I do about retirement savings—at 18? --at 25? --at 37? --at 50?
Is the stock market something I ought to put money in? How do I go about it?
What is the difference between the “Flat Tax” and the “Fair Tax”—and how are they different from
today’s federal withholding taxes?
Should I aim to get a lot of money back from the IRS? What’s smart about greater or lesser
withholdings?
What’s a credit score?
How are mortgages amortized?
How do they figure escrow on house payments?
What’s the best insurance for my house? How should I compare policies?
Who is “the millionaire next door”? What’s he likely to drive? How did he get so rich?
Could this be a scam? How can I tell?
What are some of the most famous scams? What is a “Ponzi Scheme”?
Who needs life insurance—and why?
What are the different kinds of life insurance—and how do I compare the costs and benefits of
them?
What is an annuity? What are they for?
What does it cost to have a fancy wedding?
What does it cost to set up housekeeping?
What does it cost to have a baby?
Can I expect my family to be comfortable on one salary?
What is the actual cost of having two parents working full time outside the home?
How painful is it to make a budget? Is it all that hard to do?
Does anybody actually live inside a budget?
How do I figure my net worth?
How do I figure tithing?
How much should I put aside in savings?
HOW can I save—anything—on what I’m making?
Are there health insurance options that I can afford on my own?
What do I do if I get sick—and I’m not insured?
Considering the cost of preventive medical and dental care, is it worth it for me to pay for dental
care and immunizations out of my pocket, at my age, if I don’t have insurance?
I the long run, is it cheaper for me to live on fast food and Ramen noodles for a couple of years—or
is Mom right about cooking real food being cheaper AND healthier?
What should I do if my debt is out of control?
What is bankruptcy? What are these “chapters?” How does all this work?
Is it all that complicated to keep records?
Jeff Williams
jmwms@bellsouth. net
404.226.4266 or 770.458.5271
Once a week, 1 ½ hours
$325/year or $40/month for 9 months, September – May
$25 non-refundable registration fee (applied as a materials fee)
Jeff Williams is a graduate of LaGrange College. He taught junior high school math for three years
before leaving to make a career with BellSouth Business Systems.