FNPL 101 Personal Financial Planning Principles
This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to manage and/or improve your personal financial literacy; that is, how you manage your own finances. Major topics will include concepts such as investing, debt control, tax planning, credit management, insurance, management of critical problems such as bankruptcy and foreclosures, as well as retirement and estate planning. Students will be given several opportunities to apply their knowledge in both individual and small group assignments and activities, and will explore the use of electronic resources that support financial planning activities.
Hours Weekly
3 hours weekly
Course Objectives
- 1. Use the basic concepts and tools of personal financial planning to determine the nature and extent
of information needed to create a personal financial plan that summarizes one’s main goals and
issues. - 2. Monitor and control expenses; research relevant information in order to demonstrate knowledge of
when to file and how to legally minimize taxes paid. - 3. Evaluate the appropriate use of credit, establishing one’s own position on the use of credit by
considering the various perspectives and assumptions of family members and financial institutions. - 4. Research, locate, and critically evaluate appropriate resources to help prevent/resolve critical
problems such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, and identity theft. - 5. Assess life, auto, and health insurance needs by effectively and efficiently finding needed
information, weighing the perspectives and assumptions of others, and establishing one’s own
position regarding the selection of affordable coverage. - 6. Evaluate the risk and benefits of personal loans, both short- and long-term, to establish one’s own
position to obtain or not obtain such a loan. - 7. Develop realistic investment goals by critically evaluating available information and judging the
relevance and quality of the supporting data and evidence from those resources. - 8. Evaluate stock and bond and mutual fund investment alternatives, as part of a personal portfolio,
then apply that analysis to deciding what and how to invest and/or change in the portfolio.
- 9. Estimate retirement income needs and describe personal retirement savings alternatives; also
judge the relevance and quality of the supporting data or evidence used to support those estimates. - 10. Identify the key elements of an estate plan.
Course Objectives
- 1. Use the basic concepts and tools of personal financial planning to determine the nature and extent
of information needed to create a personal financial plan that summarizes one’s main goals and
issues.
Learning Activity Artifact
- Other (please fill out box below)
- Final Project
Procedure for Assessing Student Learning
- Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric
- Information Literacy Rubric
Program Goal(s)
Degree: Business Management - A.A.S. Degree (Career)
5. Identify, understand, evaluate, and apply ethical reasoning as it pertains to a business setting.
- 2. Monitor and control expenses; research relevant information in order to demonstrate knowledge of
when to file and how to legally minimize taxes paid.
Learning Activity Artifact
- Other (please fill out box below)
- Final Project
Procedure for Assessing Student Learning
- Information Literacy Rubric
Program Goal(s)
Degree: Business Management - A.A.S. Degree (Career)
3. Demonstrate satisfactory levels of accounting skills, analyses of financial data, cash-flow management, and use of short- and long-term financing sources.
- 3. Evaluate the appropriate use of credit, establishing one’s own position on the use of credit by
considering the various perspectives and assumptions of family members and financial institutions. This objective is a course Goal Only
- 4. Research, locate, and critically evaluate appropriate resources to help prevent/resolve critical
problems such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, and identity theft.This objective is a course Goal Only
- 5. Assess life, auto, and health insurance needs by effectively and efficiently finding needed
information, weighing the perspectives and assumptions of others, and establishing one’s own
position regarding the selection of affordable coverage.
Learning Activity Artifact
- Other (please fill out box below)
- Final Project
Procedure for Assessing Student Learning
- Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric
- Information Literacy Rubric
- 6. Evaluate the risk and benefits of personal loans, both short- and long-term, to establish one’s own
position to obtain or not obtain such a loan. This objective is a course Goal Only
- 7. Develop realistic investment goals by critically evaluating available information and judging the
relevance and quality of the supporting data and evidence from those resources.
Learning Activity Artifact
- Other (please fill out box below)
- Final Project
Procedure for Assessing Student Learning
- Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric
- Information Literacy Rubric
Program Goal(s)
Degree: Business Management - A.A.S. Degree (Career)
3. Demonstrate satisfactory levels of accounting skills, analyses of financial data, cash-flow management, and use of short- and long-term financing sources.
- 8. Evaluate stock and bond and mutual fund investment alternatives, as part of a personal portfolio,
then apply that analysis to deciding what and how to invest and/or change in the portfolio.
This objective is a course Goal Only
- 9. Estimate retirement income needs and describe personal retirement savings alternatives; also
judge the relevance and quality of the supporting data or evidence used to support those estimates.This objective is a course Goal Only
- 10. Identify the key elements of an estate plan.
This objective is a course Goal Only