Financial Literacy – Did You Learn This At School
Author: Damian Papworth // Category: InvestingOne of my most enduring memories from high school is that in almost every class I attended, it didn’t matter what the subject was, there was always some smarty pants who would say to the teacher “I just don’t see how this will help me later in life”. Its funny how the teachers never really gave them a satisfactory answer.
It would be quite an experiment, if someone had a record of everything they used in life and which part, if any, came from classes in high school. Maybe the wise-crackers would be right most of the time, but we’ll leave that discussion for another day. There are definitely a few subjects which every student could use, and one of them is Financial Literacy. For whatever reason, the principals and education experts have never made this a requirement, though it is hard to think of a better idea.
Financial Literacy class would prepare students with the basics, giving students the opportunity to examine their possibilities and have some basis for making decisions regarding their finances. You want to give students a chance, as many make the most foolish mistakes and ended up mired in debt they are unable to service. Financial Literacy would try to counteract that; here is the way the class would progress.
Week 1. Is that a scam? How to recognize scams and not get involved in them. All they are, are people stealing your money.
Week 2. How to determine if you can take on a loan. Most young people have no conception of what it means to pay back a debt. The second phase of class would lay out the problems of taking on debt and when it should be done. Personal and business loans would be discussed, along with examining credit card statements and taking on mortgages. The positive aspects (tax-wise) will also be covered.
Week 3. How can you evaluate assets? Students would get an idea of how to size up their assets. Appreciating assets would be contrasted with depreciating assets. Consumables would be contrasted with earning assets. Students would see how purchasing different assets affects net worth over one’s life span.
Week 4. Investment strategies. Any investment you take has a number of consequences and risk potential. Students will be given the tools necessary to tell what a risky investment look like. Also, when the signs point to a winning gamble, they should be ready to pull the trigger. Although it takes a good amount of courage and a little recklessness, great investments can turn a life around.
Week 5. Should you leverage your investments. This lesson would run through the advantages and risks associated with leveraging investment portfolios. Tax would have to be covered to some extent in this lesson also as there are some definite tax advantages when borrowing to invest.
Final lesson. The final lesson of this course would be put it all together. The steps you should take to avoid the financial problems so many people face. How to structure yourself to maximize your legal protection and your tax position. And of course, how to use the money you have to most effectively create wealth and income, given your personal tolerance to risk.
Damian Papworth understands that you do not require mutual fund investments. With some easy strategies, you are capable of being your own investment manager. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.