It's coming to a high school near you! Is your family prepared? No, it's not Disney's latest musical extravaganza or another socially transmitted disease, or even a new drug disguised as strawberry Quik. This time it something great! But if you're not ready, you will miss your opportunity. What is it? It's The National Financial Literacy Challenge and your teen's opportunity to win a $1000 scholarship from the Charles Schwab Foundation.
Even though 2/3 of American teens believe that they are prepared to manage their finances after high school, 75% of them don't understand the down side to check cashing services, 66% don't know how to pay a bill, and 60% don't know how to create a budget, according to Schwab's Teens and Money Survey. This test is an effort of The Department of Treasury to encourage financial literacy in teens. Forward this link to your teacher for them to register your class for the test.
I challenge you to quiz yourself with these representative questions:
1. If you deposit $1,000 in a savings account with a fixed annual interest rate of 5%, how much will you have in your account after two years if you make no additional deposits or withdrawals?
A. exactly $100
B. exactly $1,100
C. less than $1,100
D. more than $1,100
2. Which is the most diversified investment?
A. a gold coin
B. a company stock
C. a municipal bond
D. a stock mutual fund
3. Person A adds $250 to her mutual fund every year for 10 years. Person B decides to wait 10 years when he knows he will have a lump sum of $2,500 to invest in a mutual fund. If both individuals earn, on average, a 7 percent rate of return, who will have the larger mutual fund balance in 20 years?
A. Person A, because she saved little each year
B. Person B, because his starting amount is bigger than Person A’s savings
C. Person A, because her money has grown for a longer time at compound interest
D. They would have the same amount because they invested the same amount of money
4. You have $400 in the bank and $50 in your wallet. You owe $3,000 on a car that is worth $4,000. Your other personal possessions are worth a total of $2,000. You also take home $800 per week from your job. From this information your wealth—or net worth—currently equals
A. $3,050
B. $3,450
C. $4,250
D. $7,250
5. What is an advantage of a fixed-rate mortgage over a variable-rate mortgage?
A. Fixed-rate mortgages generally have lower interest rates than variable-rate mortgages
B. Fixed-rate mortgages require lower down payments than variable-rate mortgages
C. Fixed-rate mortgages have interest rates that stay the same, but variable-rate mortgage payments may increase
D. Fixed-rate mortgages generally are written for a shorter period of time than variable-rate mortgages
Answers: 1. D, 2. D, 3. C, 4. B, 5. C
Well, how did you do? Quite honestly, just a few years ago I would have failed miserably. But as my passion for managing our assets in a God honoring way has increased, so has my need for the skills to do so. There are shelves full of books and videos focused on teaching adults to manage their money, but sound recommendations for children and teens are more scarce. Here are some of my top picks:
Schwab MoneyWise "Committed to simple, straightforward financial education"
Young Americans Center for Financial Education
Dave Ramsey "Teach your kids about money... The world has a plan for them. Do you?"
Crown Financial Ministries
Even though 2/3 of American teens believe that they are prepared to manage their finances after high school, 75% of them don't understand the down side to check cashing services, 66% don't know how to pay a bill, and 60% don't know how to create a budget, according to Schwab's Teens and Money Survey. This test is an effort of The Department of Treasury to encourage financial literacy in teens. Forward this link to your teacher for them to register your class for the test.
I challenge you to quiz yourself with these representative questions:
1. If you deposit $1,000 in a savings account with a fixed annual interest rate of 5%, how much will you have in your account after two years if you make no additional deposits or withdrawals?
A. exactly $100
B. exactly $1,100
C. less than $1,100
D. more than $1,100
2. Which is the most diversified investment?
A. a gold coin
B. a company stock
C. a municipal bond
D. a stock mutual fund
3. Person A adds $250 to her mutual fund every year for 10 years. Person B decides to wait 10 years when he knows he will have a lump sum of $2,500 to invest in a mutual fund. If both individuals earn, on average, a 7 percent rate of return, who will have the larger mutual fund balance in 20 years?
A. Person A, because she saved little each year
B. Person B, because his starting amount is bigger than Person A’s savings
C. Person A, because her money has grown for a longer time at compound interest
D. They would have the same amount because they invested the same amount of money
4. You have $400 in the bank and $50 in your wallet. You owe $3,000 on a car that is worth $4,000. Your other personal possessions are worth a total of $2,000. You also take home $800 per week from your job. From this information your wealth—or net worth—currently equals
A. $3,050
B. $3,450
C. $4,250
D. $7,250
5. What is an advantage of a fixed-rate mortgage over a variable-rate mortgage?
A. Fixed-rate mortgages generally have lower interest rates than variable-rate mortgages
B. Fixed-rate mortgages require lower down payments than variable-rate mortgages
C. Fixed-rate mortgages have interest rates that stay the same, but variable-rate mortgage payments may increase
D. Fixed-rate mortgages generally are written for a shorter period of time than variable-rate mortgages
Answers: 1. D, 2. D, 3. C, 4. B, 5. C
Well, how did you do? Quite honestly, just a few years ago I would have failed miserably. But as my passion for managing our assets in a God honoring way has increased, so has my need for the skills to do so. There are shelves full of books and videos focused on teaching adults to manage their money, but sound recommendations for children and teens are more scarce. Here are some of my top picks:
Schwab MoneyWise "Committed to simple, straightforward financial education"
Young Americans Center for Financial Education
Dave Ramsey "Teach your kids about money... The world has a plan for them. Do you?"
Crown Financial Ministries
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