Personal Finance 101

Which of the following statements about our interactions with money is NOT considered to be true?  

• You are responsible for your present self and your future self. 
• Your present self impacts your future self
• You are better off in a community than by yourself.
• Investment increases risk and reduces your ability to cope with risk and uncertainty.

Carter wants to participate in an activity that will improve his well‐being. Which of the following activities would contribute the most to his well‐being?

• An activity his friends like to participate in. 
•  An activity that doesn’t cost much money. 
• An activity that his teacher suggested to him.
• An activity that makes him lose track of time.

Jenna wants to improve her financial well‐being. Which of the following would contribute the most to her financial well‐being?

• Take a personal finance class to learn how to manage her money. 
• Pay her grandma back the money she borrowed to take a school trip last year. 
• Talk to her friends about how to manage her money better. 
• Open another checking account to help her organize her money.

Jacob is wondering how he can improve his intellectual well‐being. Which of the following would contribute the most to his intellectual well‐being?

• Go to the gym three times per week. 
• Challenge himself by taking on a new project at work.
• Join a local service organization.
• Take a vacation from work.

Sylas is studying financial planning in one of his classes. His teacher has assigned him to create a timeline of his financial future. Where should the end of his financial planning timeline be set?

• When his financial goals have been established. 
• When he money management plan has established high well‐being.
• When he is 70‐years‐old. 
• Never – it is an ongoing process.

Erica wants her class project to reflect her values. Which items would be best to include?

• Things that she intends to acquire, do, reach or accomplish in the near or distant future. 
• Things that are necessary or essential for life and survival.
• Things that reflect her fundamental beliefs about what is worthwhile and important to her.
• Things that are unnecessary but desired which increase the quality of her life.

Which of the following is likely to have the least influence on an individual’s values?

• Media
• Family 
• Religious affiliations 
• a.  Media b.  Family c.  Religious affiliations d.  Grade average

Which of the following factors is not influenced by values?

• Everything is influenced by values. 
•  An individual’s daily decisions. 
• An individual’s long‐term decisions. 
• An individual’s financial decisions.

Megan’s mother suggested that she was experiencing the consequences of her trade off regarding a decision she made to purchase a dress for prom. Which situation does Megan most likely find herself in for her mother to have made this comment?

• Megan had shopped at several stores when she found the prom dress of her dreams and purchased it. She used the money she had saved for the prom dress PLUS most of the money she had saved for replacing the tires on her car. Now the tires need replacing and Megan is short on the cash needed to do the job.
• Megan had shopped at several stores when she found the prom dress of her dreams. She checked online and found a coupon that enabled her to save 30% when she returned to the store to purchase the dress.
• Megan had shopped in several stores and found six prom dresses she liked a lot. She brought 2 friends shopping with her to tell her which one looked best on her. After much deliberation, she chose the dress that was the least expensive of the 3 she liked best.
• Megan had shopped in the store her mother recommended for her prom dress. She found two dresses she liked a lot. Megan purchased the one that was the most comfortable even though it cost $28 more than the other one

Ian has been shopping for a different vehicle for the past several months. He needs something reliable and would really like something with a nice sound system. He and his parents have talked about how much he can afford and he plans to stay within the price guidelines he and his family have set. Ian was analyzing the opportunity cost of a trade‐off regarding which car to purchase. Which situation best represents what he might be thinking through?

• Ian is comparing new vehicles at two car dealerships. He was able to find nearly identical cars at nearly identical prices. One dealership is 20 miles away and the other dealership is 30 miles away.
• Ian has found two different cars at a local dealership that meet his needs. The first car has a better sound system than the other. The second car has 20,000 fewer miles on it.
• Ian has been shopping for a vehicle online. He finds something that would meet his needs being sold by an individual near him. He would be able to purchase this car for less than he would have paid for a comparable vehicle at a car dealership.
• Ian’s older brother is trading vehicles and offers to sell Ian his used vehicle. This vehicle would meet Ian’s needs and he knew the service history of the vehicle was excellent.