Personal Finance for the Real World teaches the basics of personal finance by involving the reader in various financial exercises and eventually constructing a personal financial plan. Users not only track their spending for a month, but also set personal financial goals and incorporate them into a realistic budget. This book also teaches time-value of money calculations, which enable readers to calculate their necessary monthly savings in order to reach targeted investment goals. This book conducts a thorough review of credit, complete with strategies to pay off credit card and other forms of debt. It features discussions on student debt as well, with particular attention to appropriate pay-down strategies and the financial payoffs to different academic majors. Personal Finance for the Real World immerses users in real and purposeful financial activities, while teaching personal finance vocabulary and encouraging readers to take seriously the financial side of their lives.
Personal Finance for the Real World teaches the basics of personal finance by mentoring the reader through the process of creating a personal financial plan. Instruction culminates in the creation of a budget that includes all investment goals.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Personal Finance Chapter 2 Understanding the Personal Financial Investment Problem Chapter 3 How to Calculate Present and Future Values Chapter 4 Financial Goal Setting Chapter 5 Tracking Spending Chapter 6 Pre-Investment Steps Chapter 7 Basic Types of Financial Assets Chapter 8 The Basic Language of Investing Chapter 9 Factors that Affect Financial Returns Chapter 10 Stocks Chapter 11 Bonds Chapter 12 Mutual Funds Chapter 13 Portfolio Design Chapter 14 Three Example Investment Problems Chapter 15 Survey of Retirement Savings Plans Chapter 16 Action Plan Chapter 17 College Choices and Federal Student Loans Chapter 18 Reasons People Fail in the World of Investments Chapter 19 How to Purchase Financial Assets Chapter 20 Information Sources about Personal Finance Chapter 21 Selecting a Financial Planner Chapter 22 Life Stage Concerns Chapter 23 Summary of Insights and Advice Appendix 1 Future Value of Present Sums Appendix 2 Future Value of Annuities Appendix 3 Federal Student Loans Appendix 4 Answers to Equations