Focus on Personal Finance: An Active Approach to Help You Develop Successful Financial Skills
Jack Kapoor,
College of DuPage Les Dlabay,
Lake Forest College Robert J Hughes,
Dallas County Community Colleges
ISBN: 0072992395 Copyright year: 2006
Focus on the Features
Brief, softcover, 4-color text with spaces for students to write in examples from their own lives, and perforated pages so students can turn in sections for homework or keep their financial plan in a separate place.
"Your Personal Financial Plan worksheets" are a built-in personal financial planner with 3-4 worksheets at the end of each chapter that get students to establish their own financial goals and plan. The integrated use of the Your Personal Financial Plan sheets is highlighted with an icon in the margin. This visual, near the text material needed to complete each worksheet, helps integrate this resource into the learning process, and continues to track personal financial habits with the readings.
Student-focused and active approach encourages students to write their own examples and goals in the book through self-assessments, in-chapter exercises, and end-of-chapter exercises including problems, cases, and Your Personal Financial Plan sheets.
"Getting Personal" assessments begin each chapter. Each assessment quiz focuses on one's current personal financial habits for the topics that will be covered in that chapter. Each assessment contains 4-6 questions that students must fill-in, circle or rate their answer.
"Back to Getting Personal" sections are located at the end of each chapter, and ask students to revisit their initial "Getting Personal" responses. Having read the chapter, these questions challenge students to re-think their personal financial habits and record what they would do differently and why.
Each chapter also begins with an "Objectives & Why is This Important?" section. Students have a clear understanding of the importance and relevance of each chapter. There are references in the margins to indicate the narrative that corresponds with the objectives. The objectives are also used to organize the end-of-chapter problems and questions, as well as materials in the Instructor's Manual and Test Bank.
A listing of Key Websites & Your Personal Financial Plan Sheets are presented at the start of each chapter in easy-reference boxes.
Key Termsappear in bold type within the text and are defined in the margins. A list of key terms and page references is located at the end of each chapter.
Each chapter contains several "Did You Know?" yellow "sticky-notes" containing fun facts, information, and financial planning assistance that students can use to create their personal financial plans.
"From the Pages Of...Kiplinger's Personal Finance" is a one-page chapter feature that presents an actual article from the well-known Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine related to a chapter topic. Each article presents a personal finance issue to debate and solve, using the questions at the bottom of the page. Suggested answers are located in the Instructor's Manual. This is an excellent tool to develop critical thinking and writing skills! Also, because money matters, your students can subscribe to a year of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine for a reduced rate of $14.97! There is a subscription card inside the back cover of the text with ordering details.
Concept Checks, located at the end of each major section, provide fill-in-the-blank questions to assess knowledge of the main ideas covered in that section. Students will know whether they have mastered concepts to move on, or to stop and revisit certain topics. Professors can find answers to concept checks in the Instructor's Manual.
"Apply Yourself!" boxed activities, listed by chapter Objectives, ask students to perform activities that apply concepts to one's specific life situation, thus personalizing the material for optimal relevance.
"Personal Finance in Practice" boxes offer information that assist students when faced with special situations and unique financial planning decisions, and challenges them to apply these concepts to their lives and record personal responses.
"Figure It Out" boxes presents a variety of important mathematical applications relevant to personal finance situations and concepts.
Annotated Weblinks relevant to a section or concept are found in the margins, along with a description of what students will find on the site.
Chapter Summary, organized by Objective, provides a concise summary that is a great study and self-assessment tool, located conveniently at the end of chapters.
Key Terms List, located at the end of each chapter, is a handy list of all the boldface key terms from each chapter, along with page references for easy reference while studying.
A variety of Financial Problems & Questions provides space for students to work out their quantitative analysis of personal financial decisions for each chapter.
"Internet Connection" end of chapter Web exercises asks students to apply concepts to real-life situations and institutions by surfing the Web. Directions guide the way, and space is provided to record findings for reference or a class project.
As part of the end of chapter materials, students are given a "Case in Point" hypothetical dilemma and data to practice concepts just learned. A series of questions reinforces the material and applies chapter topics.
"Your Personal Financial Plan Sheets" apply concepts to one's own unique personal situation, and serve as a roadmap to their personal financial future. Students should fill them out, rip them out, submit them for homework, and keep them filed in a safe spot for future reference! For convenient cross-referencing, they are listed at the beginning of each chapter and with in-text icons. Key websites are listed to help students devise their personal financial plan, and the "What's Next for Your Personal Financial Plan?" section at the end of each sheet challenges them to take their responses and plan to the next level, as well as foreshadowing upcoming concepts in the text.
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2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education