1. Earning Credit

2. © Council for Economic Education
Compelling Question
Have you ever borrowed money from someone and not repaid it? Or has anyone ever borrowed money from you and not repaid it?
© Council for Economic Education

3. © Council for Economic Education
Credit - The opportunity to borrow money or to receive goods or services in return for a promise to pay later.
Credit score – A single number assigned to a person used by lenders to predict the risk that borrowers will not repay.
© Council for Economic Education

4. © Council for Economic Education
Your Credit Score
Low 300
High 850
© Council for Economic Education

5. What makes up your credit score?
35% Payment history
30% Managing your debt
15% Length of credit history
10% Diversity of accounts
10% Number of credit applications
© Council for Economic Education

6. © Council for Economic Education
Interest rate - The price paid for using someone else’s money, expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed
Principal – An original amount of money invested or lent
© Council for Economic Education

7. © Council for Economic Education
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Interest rate: 0%
Loan term: 5 years (60 months)
What is the total cost of the car?
What is your monthly payment?
© Council for Economic Education

8. How to calculate simple interest
Simple interest – Interest paid only on the principal of a loan
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Interest rate: 2%
Loan term: 5 years (60 months)
I (simple interest) = P (principal) x R (interest rate) x T (# of years)
I = $15,500 x .02 x 5
I = $1550
© Council for Economic Education

9. © Council for Economic Education
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Interest rate: 2.0%
Loan term: 5 years (60 months)
What is the total cost of the car?
What is your monthly payment?
© Council for Economic Education

10. How to calculate compound interest
Compound interest – Interest paid on the principal of a loan and the interest owed
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Interest rate: 2%
How much is owed at the end of 1 year?
Principal ($15,500) + Interest (0.02 x $15,500)
$15,500 + ($15,500 x 0.02) = $15,810
Another way to state this equation: $15,500 x ( ) = $15,810
© Council for Economic Education

11. How to calculate compound interest
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Interest rate: 2%
How much is owed at the end of 1 year?
$15,500 x ( ) = $15,810
How much is owed at the end of 2 years?
$15,500 x ( ) x ( ) =
How much is owed at the end of 3 years?
$15,500 x ( ) x ( ) x ( ) =
What formula can you derive that will calculate the amount owed for a specific number of years? How can you state this as a general formula?
© Council for Economic Education

12. © Council for Economic Education
Price of car/Loan principal: $15,500
Compound Interest rate (annual): 2.0%
Loan term: 5 years (60 months)
What is the total cost of the car?
What is your monthly payment?
© Council for Economic Education

13. Car payment calculation
A= Monthly payments
i= monthly interest rate (annual interest rate/12)
P= principal
n= total number of payments
© Council for Economic Education

14. © Council for Economic Education

15. © Council for Economic Education
Group Discussion Questions
What was your credit score?
What was your interest rate?
How are your interest rate differences related to your credit score differences?
How did these differences impact the total cost of the car for individuals in your group?
What behaviors caused some students to have lower credit scores?
What behaviors caused some students to have higher credit scores?
What could individuals with low simulated credit scores do to improve these credit scores?
Now think about the categories used to calculate an actual credit score. What kinds of behaviors would result in a low score, representing a high risk?
What kinds of things can each individual do in the future to ensure that your real credit score is high?
© Council for Economic Education

16. © Council for Economic Education
The impact of compounding frequency on total interest paid
Graph from wikipedia:
© Council for Economic Education