100 Financial Literacy Flashcards
Discover this comprehensive collection of 100 Financial Literacy Flashcards designed to boost your financial knowledge! These flashcards cover key topics like budgeting, investing, saving, and managing debt, providing essential insights to enhance your money skills. Perfect for beginners and finance enthusiasts alike, these flashcards offer clear, concise definitions and tips to help you master personal finance concepts quickly and effectively. Start improving your financial literacy today!
What is a budget?
A financial plan that outlines income and expenses over a period of time.
Why is budgeting important?
It helps manage money, control spending, and reach financial goals.
What is a zero-based budget?
A budgeting method where every dollar is assigned a purpose, and income minus expenses equals zero.
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A budgeting method that allocates 50% of income to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and debt repayment.
What are fixed expenses?
Expenses that remain the same each month, like rent or a car payment.
What are variable expenses?
Expenses that can vary each month, like groceries or entertainment.
What is an emergency fund?
A savings fund set aside for unexpected expenses or financial emergencies.
How much should you save in an emergency fund?
Typically 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses.
What is discretionary spending?
Non-essential spending on items like dining out or hobbies.
What is a sinking fund?
Savings for specific future expenses, such as a vacation or car repairs.
What is compound interest?
Interest calculated on both the initial principal and the accumulated interest from previous periods.
What is the rule of 72?
A formula to estimate the number of years required to double an investment at a fixed annual rate of interest.
What is an IRA?
Individual Retirement Account, a tax-advantaged account for retirement savings.
What is a 401(k)?
An employer-sponsored retirement plan where employees can contribute a portion of their paycheck pre-tax.
What is dollar-cost averaging?
Investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions.
What is an ETF?
Exchange-Traded Fund, a type of investment fund traded on stock exchanges, much like stocks.
What is a mutual fund?
An investment vehicle that pools money from many investors to purchase a diversified portfolio of securities.
What is a stock?
A share in the ownership of a company, representing a claim on part of the company’s assets and earnings.
What is a bond?
A fixed income investment where an investor loans money to a company or government that borrows the funds for a defined period.
What is a dividend?
A portion of a company’s earnings distributed to shareholders.
What is a credit score?
A numerical representation of your creditworthiness based on your credit history.
What is considered a good credit score?
Typically, a score of 670-739 is considered good.
What is a credit report?
A detailed report of your credit history prepared by a credit bureau.
What is APR?
Annual Percentage Rate, the yearly interest rate charged on borrowed money.
What is a secured credit card?
A credit card backed by a cash deposit, used by those with poor or no credit history to build credit.
What is a debt-to-income ratio?
A measure of your monthly debt payments compared to your monthly income.
What is a minimum payment?
The smallest amount you can pay on a credit card bill to avoid late fees.
What is a balance transfer?
Moving debt from one credit card to another, often to take advantage of lower interest rates.
What is a personal loan?
A loan that can be used for various purposes and is paid back in installments.
What is a payday loan?
A short-term, high-interest loan typically used to cover expenses until the next payday.
What is gross income?
Total income before taxes and deductions.
What is net income?
Income remaining after taxes and deductions are taken out.
What is passive income?
Income earned with minimal effort, such as rental income or dividends.
What is earned income?
Income from working, such as wages, salaries, and tips.
What is a W-2 form?
A tax form that reports wages paid to employees and the taxes withheld.
What is a W-4 form?
A tax form that tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from your paycheck.
What is a 1099 form?
A tax form used to report income from freelance work or other non-employee compensation.
What is FICA?
Federal Insurance Contributions Act; taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare.
What is tax deduction?
An expense that can be subtracted from gross income to reduce taxable income.
What is a tax credit?
A dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount of taxes owed.