Midterm Flashcards
Personal finance is
the application of principals of finance to the decisions of an individual or family
Economics
provides structure for decision making in many important areas.
Accounting
provides financial data in various forms.
Psychology
tries to explain irrational behaviour of financial market participants
Statistics+Econometrics
tries to quantify risks as well as calculate the probability of the negative events occurring
Commercial Bank
accepts both demand (checking) and time (savings) deposits. Makes loans directly to borrowers or through the financial markets.
Savings Bank
holds savings, deposit accounts. Makes residential real estate loans to individuals.
Credit Union
Deals primarily in transfer of funds between consumers. Membership is generally based on some common bond, such as working for a given employer.
Major Financial Institutions
Commercial Bank
Savings Bank
Credit Union
Mutual Fund
Pension Fund
Insurance Company
Venture Capital Funds
Brokerage Company
Investment Banks
Governmental entities
Mutual Fund
pools funds of savers and makes them available to business and government demanders. Creates a diversified and professionally managed portfolio of securities to achieve a specified investment objective.
Investment Banks
Underwriting (=raising capital)
Mergers and Acquisitions
Sale of securities = brokerage services
Proprietary trading
Research and Consulting
Governmental entities:
Treasury
Central Bank
Depositorium
Financial Markets
- Is a place where buyers and sellers meet and they exchange financial securities/instruments
- Participants in the financial market range over the public, private and government institutions.
Financial Markets classify by:
Nature of claims (equity vs. debt)
Issuer involvement (primary vs. secondary)
Maturity (money vs. capital)
Complexity (simple or derivative)
Time of delivery (spot vs. forward)
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Nature of claims: Equity markets involve buying ownership (stocks) in companies, while debt markets involve lending money to entities (bonds) in exchange for interest payments.
Issuer involvement: In primary markets, securities are directly issued by companies to investors, while in secondary markets, securities are bought and sold among investors.
Maturity: Money markets deal with short-term debt securities (less than one year), while capital markets deal with long-term securities (over one year).
Complexity: Financial instruments in simple markets are straightforward, like stocks and bonds, while in derivative markets, contracts derive their value from underlying assets.
Time of delivery: In spot markets, transactions involve immediate delivery of assets, while in forward markets, delivery occurs at a specified future date.
Structure and Functions of the Financial Markets
Money markets
Capital markets
Money markets
Securities in this market include commercial paper sold by corporations to finance their daily operations or certificates of deposit with maturities of less than 12 months sold by banks.
Capital markets
- Long-term markets
- Securities include common stock, preferred stock and corporate and government bonds.
- Primary – where securities are issued for the very first time.
- Secondary – traded in between the market participants.
Personal financial planning
is the process of managing your money to achieve personal economic satisfaction.
The Financial Planning Process
Step 1: Determine your current financial situation.
Step 2: Develop financial goals.
Step 3: Identify alternative courses of action.
Step 4: Evaluate alternatives.
Step 5: Create and implement a financial action plan.
Step 6: Reevaluate and revise your plan.
Step 1: Determine your current financial situation.
Prepare a list of current asset and debt balances and amounts spent for various items
Step 2: Develop financial goals.
Analyze your financial values and attitudes towards money.
Step 3: Identify alternative courses of action.
Continue as you are, expand or change the current situation, or take a new course of action.
Step 4: Evaluate alternatives.
Take into consideration your life situation, personal values and current economic situation.
Opportunity cost is what you give up by making a choice.
The cost, referred to as the trade-off of a decision, can be measured in money or time
Consider lost opportunities that will result from your decisions.
Evaluate the risks faced
Interest Rate Risk
Changing interest rates affect your costs when you borrow and your benefits when you invest
Inflation Risk
Rising prices cause lost buying power
Liquidity risk
Some investments may be more difficult to convert to cash or sell without significant loss in value
Product Risk
Products or services flawed or not meet your expectations
Retailers may not honour their obligations
Risk of Death
Premature death can cause financial hardship to family members left behind
Risk of Income Lost
Your income could stop as a result of job loss or because you fall ill or are hurt in an accident
Health Risk
Poor health may increase your medical costs, may reduce your working capacity or life expectancy
Asset and Liability Risk
Assets may be stolen or damaged
Others may sue you for negligence or for damages caused by your accidents
Step 5: Create and implement a financial action plan.
Choose ways to achieve your goals
May require assistance from others
Step 6: Reevaluate and revise your plan
Your plan should be reviewed regularly based on your life circumstances
Financial goals are influenced by
Personal values and attitudes towards money
Time frame in which you want to achieve your goals.
Type of financial need that drives your goals.
Your life situation
Factors that influence your financial goals:
Timing of goals.
Goals for different financial needs.
Life Situation takes into consideration personal factors
Social Changes
Other events that influence your life situation include
Timing of goals
Short-term, intermediate and long-term goals.
Goals for different financial needs.
- Consumable products goals
Food, clothing - Durable product goals
Appliances, cars, sporting equipment
Life Situation takes into consideration personal factors
Age, income, marital status, household size, personal beliefs and employment situation
Influences your spending and savings patterns
Social Changes
Married at later age
More households with two incomes
Single parents
Living longer
Other events that influence your life situation include;
Graduation
Engagement and marriage
Birth or adoption of a child
Career change or move to a new area
Dependant children leaving home
Changes in health
Divorce
Retirement
Death of spouse or other family member
life cycle approach to financial planning
Early years (until the mid-30’s)
Middle years (mid-30’s to mid-50’s)
Middle Years (50’s+)
Retirement Years
Early years (until the mid-30’s)
Focus on creating an emergency fund, saving for down payment on house or condo, purchasing life insurance, start thinking about retirement
Middle years (mid-30’s to mid-50’s)
Focus on building wealth by paying down mortgage and increasing savings and investments
Middle Years (50’s+)
Focus is on providing an adequate retirement fund
Retirement Years
Focus is on the efficient management of previously acquired wealth