Personal Finance: Just how educated are we? Thesis & Presentation by Steven Evans Discussants: Gavin Oliphant & Charles Haumesser
Objective To justify how consumers are ripped off through every day financial matters.
Problem: Why? Everyday Financial Products that most people are not educated in: Debt (Credit Cards, Mortgage, Student Loans) Debt (Credit Cards, Mortgage, Student Loans) Investing (Retirement, Stock Market, Mutual Funds) Investing (Retirement, Stock Market, Mutual Funds) Life Insurance Life Insurance Savings Savings Budgeting Budgeting
Money 101 SpendingSpending Habits are mainly learned by parents/guardiansHabits are mainly learned by parents/guardians Pay for value, not pricePay for value, not price Reckless SpendingReckless Spending BudgetingBudgeting Banking & InvestingBanking & Investing $10.6 Trillion: U.S. bank deposits at end of 2012, a record high 1$10.6 Trillion: U.S. bank deposits at end of 2012, a record high 1
Avg. CD rates Source: Five Year vs. Three Year CD Rates
Mutual funds Source: values=0;logscale=off;source=undefined;
Mutual funds The VSISX – Vanguard Small Cap Index Signal is an example of a fund that has weighed with a expense ratio and has delivered a percentage return. 2The VSISX – Vanguard Small Cap Index Signal is an example of a fund that has weighed with a expense ratio and has delivered a percentage return. 2
DEBT
Credit cards FinancingFinancing 0% APR Offers0% APR Offers Minimum Monthly PaymentsMinimum Monthly Payments DefaultingDefaulting Hurts Fico ScoreHurts Fico Score Could result in aCould result in a Improper UsageImproper Usage Charging day to day expenses and billsCharging day to day expenses and bills
Total credit card debt Source:
Total debt Source: Source:
Conclusion What do I hope to achieve through my conclusion? To understand why the average consumer gets taken advantage of with financial productsTo understand why the average consumer gets taken advantage of with financial products To describe why being financially literate can benefit consumers in the long-runTo describe why being financially literate can benefit consumers in the long-run